Page 95 of The Long Game

“I can ask him to leave it alone,” Grady said, but Margaret was shaking her head before he’d finished making the offer.

“It’s fine. Someone has to make sure he doesn’t end up butchering the language.”

“I appreciate your help. His return to school will probably be difficult and the extra support will make a big difference.”

Margaret appeared thoughtful as they slowly climbed the stairs. She never showed any sign of pain, but Grady wasn’t fooled. He’d bet each step up hurt like a son of a bitch.

Once they reached the stoop, he took her key and handed her back her cane, holding the screen door wide and opening the inner door for her. Rather than step inside, she paused and looked up at him. “It’s a good thing. What you’re doing for those boys.”

Grady smiled but it felt a little wobbly. He was surprised how much he’d needed to hear that. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he was doing the right thing, or a good thing, or that he’d needed validation or some shit but…yeah, it was nice to hear. Particularly from someone who had made it patently clear she was never going to pretend to be nicer than she was.

“Thank you, Maman Chevalier,” Grady said sincerely. “That means a lot.”

Margaret nodded once, then used the doorframe and her cane to step up into the house. She turned to shut the door, her usual resting bitch face firmly back in place. “Tell Colton I’d like a latte when he comes back,” she said.

Grady smiled. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

And maybe it was wishful thinking, but he chose to believe her last nod was a thank you.

Jack steppedout into the staff parking lot, happy to be done working in the bowels of the arena and to feel the sun on hisface. His team was great and the chillers had only needed basic maintenance, but it had still seemed like a long morning in the cold, dark engineering room.

Of course, it didn’t help that he’d woken up twitchy as all hell. Well, okay, he’d woken up in Grady’s arms, snuggled against his chest, and it had been heavenly. Then he’d thought how quickly he’d gotten used to starting his days like that.

The last week had been…a lot. Good. Fantastic. But also busy and new and unlike any that had come before, so maybe the fact that he felt so damn nervy was to be expected.

What the fuck did Jack know about being in a relationship? Nothing. But he was pretty sure it was kind of weird that it was going this well. That he was so completely at home with Grady and fine with waking up in his arms. Hell, it had been four days and he already dreaded the idea of staying alone at his own house for a night. In his own fucking bed, for Christ’s sake.

He felt doomed to fuck this up. He wasn’t someone who got close to people. Hell, his own mother barely tolerated him most of the time. What if he was being too clingy? What if he accidentally pushed Grady away?

Checking his watch, he saw he still had a few hours until he had to meet Grady and Colton at the lawyer’s office. Grady was working while Colton was having lunch with Christian, and Jack very much needed to do something besides sit around and pine for Grady, so he texted Sam and asked if he wanted to come along on an adventure.

What better distraction could there be than an infant just home from the hospital? Also, based on the updates he’d received, Savannah was desperate for some adult company—she no longer included her doting, overprotective, worry-wart husbands in that category—between now and when her parents arrived the following day.

Sam, bless him, readily agreed. Jack picked him up after hitting the florist, the bakery, the toy store, and Maria’s Italian Restaurant, then headed out of the city, chatting all the way. Sam was happy with how his interview with the owner of the Dipsy Doodle Dangle Café had gone. It didn’t sound like he was going to need any help from Jack to land the job.

Sam gazed in awe at the fields of sunflowers in all directions as they drew up in front of the farmhouse. Usually it was corn and Jack could admit the sunflowers were a dramatic change. By August, they’d be taller than Grady, their huge black and yellow faces heavy with seeds, enough to bow their stalks.

“This is so cool,” Sam said as he hopped out of the truck, arms full of bags. “More like home than the city.”

Jack was about to propose a road trip so Sam and Colton could see more of the countryside when the front door popped open and Rhian stepped out.

Sam froze, one bag slipping from his fingers and landing on his feet, then glared at Jack. “That’sRhian Savage. He’s a motherfucking NHL player.”

Jack let out a startled laugh. “Yes. And he’s my friend.”

“There should be a rule about not springing famous people on other people without warning,” Sam hissed.

Jack grinned. “Wait until you meet Christian’s dads.”

“Colton already warned me about that and told me about the Ice Cats. I never realized Moncton is some kind of queer hockey Mecca.”

“You’d be surprised,” Rhian said with a chuckle as he trotted down the stairs from the front porch.

Sam plastered a bright smile on his face. “Hi!”

Rhian took one of the bags and shook Sam’s hand, introducing himself like he hadn’t heard their exchange. Jack smirked at the awe on Sam’s face.

Summer tan and bulked up for the new season, Rhianwassomething to behold.

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