Page 32 of Role Model

“I didn’t know. That’s cool, though.”

“I’ve never met his sister, but she sounds awesome,” Harris said.

They both finished their food, and then Harris stood and said, “I see seats available at the firepit. Let’s check it out.”

Troy glanced at the happy group of people who were chatting and laughing in the glow of the fire. He didn’t need to intrude on that. “Oh, uh. That’s okay.”

Harris grabbed Troy’s mostly empty paper plate and stacked it on top of his own. “Come on.”

The plates got tossed into a giant garbage can that was strategically placed near the door. Then Harris headed for the firepit and Troy, not sure of what else to do, followed.

“Harris! Come sit,” Wyatt said cheerfully. “Hey, Barrett.”

“Hey.”

Harris sat in the empty chair next to the love seat Wyatt was sharing with his wife. Troy sat in a chair across from them.

Bood was perched on the arm of the chair that his wife, Cassie, was sitting in. Nick Chouinard was next to them, and next to him was a woman who Troy had not met before but guessed was Nick’s wife.

“Wyatt was talking our ear off about his nephew,” Bood said to Troy.

“Yeah. Because he’s amazing,” Wyatt said.

“How old is Isaac now?” Harris asked.

“Three. Cute as hell too. I can’t wait to see him again, but it won’t be for a long time. Kristy and Eve, too. But mostly Isaac.”

And there it was. Wyatt talking easily about his sister and her wife. Without fear of his teammates judging his family because no one on this team was a bigot. Once again, Troy felt like an intruder.

“You’re from Vancity, right, Barrett?” Nick asked.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Did your family go to the game?”

“Yeah.” Everyone stared at him, probably waiting for him to elaborate, but Troy just stared at the fire.

He hadn’t spoken to his father after the game. Dad had sent him a text that had basically made fun of how shitty the Centaurs were, and how terribly Troy had played in particular.

But Mom had texted too. She’d sent him a photo of his little action figure on the table of a restaurant in Tokyo, and had also said, Next time you’re in Vancouver I’ll make sure I’m there too.

God, he missed her.

Loud laughter jolted Troy out of his thoughts. The conversation had clearly moved on without him.

“Oh, shit, Barrett,” Bood said. “You haven’t met my wife, Cassie.”

Cassie waved at Troy from across the fire. She was stunningly beautiful, with hair and skin that suggested a lot of professional care. “Hi, Troy. Welcome to Ottawa.”

“And this is Selena,” Nick said.

“Hi,” Troy said. Nick’s wife was tiny compared to her husband, almost disappearing under the giant arm he had wrapped around her. She was blond and beautiful like Cassie, and Troy couldn’t believe she was the mother of three children. Nick was only in his mid-twenties like Troy, and she looked about the same age.

“Nice to meet you,” she said. She had a Quebec accent like her husband. “We know how hard being traded can be.” She shared a look with her husband.

“At least you don’t have kids, Barrett,” Nick said. “Easier to move when it’s just you.”

“Are you with someone?” Selena asked. “Wife or girlfriend?”

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