Page 39 of Riding Pine
Burnsy shrugs. “Okay. I’m sure he’s a cool guy. Sarah won’t care.”
Shaking his head, Soupy just keeps smiling. “Nope. Neither do we, Lukas. Follow what makes your heart happy. Life is too short. Who you love doesn’t make you a lesser hockey player despite what some assholes think.”
I have good friends.
We lapse into conversation about the upcoming schedule without missing a beat, and it’s times like this when I’m so grateful to be with other players on a team that isn’t filled with toxic men. Being out as bisexual wasn’t something I made public until a fewyears ago. The announcement wasn’t all that smooth with my then-team, and I’d expected it. It didn’t make it hurt less, though, when some of my teammates stopped talking to me.
When I came to the Aspens, Coach Nix made it known right away that the team wasn’t one to put up with toxic beliefs. We have women trainers and bisexual players, which is all I’m aware of, but honestly, that’s enough to make me hope this team can bring change to the league. It’s hard to find the words to express how grateful I am that I’ve landed here.
It feels like I’ve finally found a place to belong. Life is finally coming together.
“Season starts next week. How do you feel about us, Lukas?” Burnsy sips his beer and waits as I collect my wandering thoughts.
“I think we have a solid chance of doing something here. We’re a little weak on defence compared to our forwards.” I chuckle. “I’m aware that includes me.” The guys laugh. “But we could do something here. I truly believe it.”
“I agree.” Soupy raises his bottle. “You were the best choice as captain. I know Evans has a bee in his bonnet over it, but I mean it when I say you’re one of the best men to lead our bench. You inspire me.”
Swallowing, I nod to Soupy. “I appreciate that. I won’t let you down.”
Burnsy tips his chin as he looks behind me. “There’s a man at the door looking for someone. Is that your Ben?”
Twisting in my chair, I see Ben peering over the people in the pub. When he catches me waving, his face lights up like it always does, and I turn back to the guys. They both wear matching grins as they watch me.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Burnsy drinks from his bottle. “You just have this whole smitten kitten thing going on.”
“It’s cute,” Soupy adds, and I roll my eyes.
“Smitten kitten? What the fuck is that anyway?”
Burnsy doesn’t get to reply. A hand lands on my shoulder, and I stand to greet Ben. His hair is damp, and he smells soapy fresh. Bending down, I press a kiss to his lips. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He smiles at me with that dimple popping, and he’s so damn cute I want to toss him over my shoulder and carry him out of here. “Are you going to introduce me to your friends or just stare at me?”
“Sorry. You look nice, and your dimple is cute.”
A throat clears, and Burnsy stands up. “Hi, Ben. I’m Matteo, but you can call me Burnsy.” He gestures to Soupy. “This is Connor, but we call him Soupy.”
Ben shakes their hands as we all sit back down.
“Sorry, I don’t have a fun nickname, but it seems like all you do is add ayat the end of your names. You could call me Benny if it fits.”
The guys snort-laugh, and I shake my head as he moves his chair closer to me.
“How did you two meet?” Burnsy asks, and Ben turns towards me. A mischievous grin on his lips.
“At a bar. He tried to do a handstand and fell literally at my feet. It was fate. Then I invited him to the park where I’d teach him how to do it the right way.”
“Aww, that’s adorable,” Soupy coos.
Ben winks at me and eases his hand onto my thigh. “He is pretty adorable.”
The server comes by for Ben’s order, and after he requests a rum and Coke with lime, the four of us just slide into easy conversation. The guys talk about their girlfriends and families, and we all talk about hockey. Educating Ben once he admits he doesn’t know the rules of the game becomes our singular focus. You can’t date a hockey player and not understand the game. You just can’t.
“Okay, so the point is to get the little black rubber thing into the net for a goal.”
“Yes,” I reply, and Ben cocks his head.
