Page 109 of Wingmen

SIX WEEKS LATER

Dustin

Portland was quiet. But anything would be quiet compared to the start of the season.

He’d spent three weeks in Vancouver, lounging around Jordan’s house in a pair of flannel pajamas, where his only responsibility was to check in with his psych and get May to and from school occasionally. It was obscene. He even read abook.

He didn’t think of himself as ‘recovered’ – but he believed he was recovering. He checked in with his doctors every day, and met with them weekly. He went to Force, and on the days he didn’t, he walked, or cooked, or sometimes met Tom for a beer. He’d been picking his brain about how to get into personal training.

He shopped at the market he and Elliot had been to, and from there, began expanding the circle of what he knew in Portland. He read up on the history of the town and its problems. He read up on the histories of other towns and theirs. He thought about ways he could get involved in the community.

Jordan was right: there was life outside hockey.

He was starting to get…alittlebored with it.

Two weeks after the first game of the season, Roddy FaceTimed him. They’d texted every day, but it was the first chance they’d had to talk properly since the season started, and Roddy lookedwrecked.

“Hey, kid.” Dustin propped the phone against his fist on his bare chest and bent an arm behind his head. “Damn, you look like you got hit by a bus.”

Elliot’s face filled the frame – hair damp from a late shower, wearing a black t-shirt and the same big smile Dustin had fallen in love with the day he watched him skate. “Excuse me,” he said, “youlook like a fucking lumberjack, Papi.”

Dustin tilted up his chin and scrubbed under it as Elliot climbed onto his bed. He’d been letting the beard grow out – seemed fitting for a retirement in the Pacific Northwest. “You don’t like it?” he said. “I guess I could shave…”

Elliot looked daggers at him. “Don’t you dare.”

Dustin smiled and watched him settling into the pillows in whatever hotel room he was in in Chicago. “How’s that bed?”

A knowing little smirk. “Too big for only one person. How’s Portland?”

“Quiet. Watched the Avalanche start without me. Felt weirdly okay about it.” Elliot yawned, looking so adorably sleepy Dustin wanted to wrap him up and keep him in bed for a week. “How’s being the first Elliot Rodriguez?”

“Exhausting. I did an event with some kids before the game tonight.” Elliot rubbed his forehead with his wrist. “Which, fine, I’m happy to, but it’s like…emotionallydraining now, on top of being physically exhausting.” He pitched up his voice to sound like a white girl. “Telling my story. Ugh, I’m sobrave.”

“You are,” said Dustin. “I’m proud of you.” Elliot rolled hiseyes, but he blushed and smiled too. So cute. He watched him adjusting the angle of the phone. “How’s Reef?”

Elliot tilted the phone to grin down into it as he shifted to pull a pillow out from behind him. “Hatesme. I texted you about his little tantrum yesterday? Hesat in the press boxtonight. They didn’t even let him on the ice.”

“Awesome.”

“It is, right? I don’t think I expected the league to like…actually enforce stuff.”

“Yeah. It’s a good sign. When are you back in Tampa?”

“This weekend. Home game Friday night.” Elliot paused and a glint came into his eye as he set the phone up against a pillow beside him. “I actually…have Saturday off…”

Dustin lifted an eyebrow. “Oh really? A whole day.”

“A whole day.” The glint sparkled. “So…I don’t know what you’redoing this weekend…”

“Sounds like I’m flying to Tampa. Can I see the game Friday?”

“Yes! Really? You’re coming?”

“Sure.”

“Bro.You can meet Diego. He’s gonna shit himself.”

Dustin laughed and watched Elliot settle onto his side, with one arm under his head and the phone propped in front of him. “You should sleep,” he said.