Page 4 of Absolutely Not in Love
It still feels crazy to me that Maddox is almost ten years old. Almost as crazy as it is that Josh took to fatherhood so easily. He was nineteen when he found out his girlfriend of two years was pregnant. And even though it derailed his plans to play pro hockey—he played half a season in college and was headed that direction—he didn’t think twice about dropping out of college and moving back to Harvest Hollow. He and Jadah got married, he started an apprenticeship with Jadah’s father, a local electrician Josh still works for, and dedicated himself to being “the father his baby deserved.” Those werehiswords when he was nineteen, and he’s lived by them every day since.
“Has Maddox given any more thought to the cello?” I ask. I’ve been trying to convince my nephew to play—he’ll be at Harvest Hollow Middle next year, and I’d love to have him in class—but so far, he’s been about as enthusiastic as I am about hockey.
“Nah. He says he’s okay learning an instrument, but he wants it to be something cool like the drums,” Josh says.
“So you’re saying Ishouldn’tgive him my old cello as a birthday present.”
“I’m not saying youcan’t,” Josh says. “I’m just saying…he might not like it.”
“Fine,” I say as I slide the pizza into the oven. “I give up. No more cello talk. What should I get him instead?”
“He’s on a huge Felix Jamison kick right now,” Josh says. “Maybe pick up one of his jerseys?”
I jerk when he mentions Felix’s name, and my hand bangs against the top of the oven, burning my knuckle.
“Ouch!” I say, followed by a couple of expletives that make me hope Josh doesn’t have me on speakerphone. Though, with the way he’s talking about Maddox’s birthday present, it’s unlikely my nephew is within hearing range.
“You okay?” Josh asks. “What did you do?”
“I just burned my hand. I’m okay.” I turn on the sink and run cold water over my knuckles. “So, a jersey?” I ask, feigning ignorance. “An Appies jersey?”
“Yeah. Jamison. He’s the goaltender, and that’s the position Maddox wants to play, so he’s totally obsessed right now. He’s got his poster on his wall and everything.”
I close my eyes.Of coursemy nephew has my neighbor’s poster on his wall.
Andof course,if my brother knew that I share a living room wall with the one hockey player his son is obsessed with, he would lose his mind and insist he come over and meet Felix, and then he would try and be Felix’s best friend, and it would probably work because Josh iseveryone’sbest friend, and then he would be over ALL THE TIME talking about hockey.
And then my perfect apartment, with its high ceilings and enormous windows and exposed ductwork that feels modern and cool and exactly like the kind of place a musician should live would becomeoverrunwith evenmorehockey energy than it already has, and this time it would be personal because it would bemy brother.
It’s so easy to imagine it happening.
But this is my oasis. I can’t let Josh into my oasis.
I turn off the water and dry my hand. It’s red, but it doesn’t look like it’ll blister. “What kind of books is Maddox reading? Maybe I’ll get him some books.”
“Yeah? That’d be cool,” Josh says. “I’ll ask Jadah. She knows more about books than I do.”
“K. Just tell her to text me. And I can ask the librarian at the school what she recommends too.”
“Hey, speaking of Jadah, she’s teaching tomorrow morning, and she’s making me go with her. Want to come? Please don’t make me hot yoga by myself.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re such a wimp.”
“I’m not a wimp. I’m going, aren’t I? I just don’t like to suffer in solitude.”
I pull a Coke Zero out of the fridge, pressing the cold can against the burned spot on my knuckle. “What time is she teaching? If you say anything before nine a.m., I’m out. It’s the weekend. I’m not getting up before school hours on the weekend.”
He’s silent for a beat before he says, “It’s at six-thirty. But I promise I’ll buy you breakfast after. Maddox is staying with Mom and Dad tonight, so we can go by and pick him up after class, then he can come eat with us. You can talk to him about books yourself.”
I groan. Josh knows exactly what to say to make me cave. Breakfast with just him I’d skip in a minute. But breakfast with Maddox? Even if it means stopping by Mom and Dad’s, which isn’t nearly as much fun for me as it is for Josh, I’m a sucker for my nephew, and Josh knows it.
“Ugh. Fine. But it better not be fast food breakfast. And not Waffle House, either. I want something good.”
“Deal. I’ll pick you up at 6:15.”
“I can just meet you there if that’s easier.”
“Nah. I’ll be driving past your scary apartment anyway. But don’t make me come up for you. I don’t want to get mugged on my way in.”
