Page 22 of Wingmen

How’s it going?Dustin replied.

Good. You? How was physio this week?

Dustin considered not telling Jordan about the agility ladder. Not because Jordan would chew him out, but because he was embarrassed about how slow he’d been. But his brother would know enough not to ask about the time. He sent the message:

Did a ladder this week.

The reply dots bubbled.

Hot shit little brother, and three fire emojis.

Something sharp went straight into the middle of Dustin’s chest. It was exactly what he needed to hear. He sent back a thumbs up.

A long pause. Then a photo came through. The sharp thing in Dustin’s chest actually thumped as it did. He turned the phone sideways. It was from the Stanley Park seawall, looking back across the water at the city, and the sky was that unreal shade of Canadian blue that only Vancouver in summer could achieve.

Damn, sent Dustin.That from this week?

Yeah been running a contract in Stanley Park.

How’s all that going?

The usual. Making shitloads of money. Working my ass off.

Dustin sent a thumbs up.How’s May and Sarah?

Another picture. May, missing a tooth and absolutelycoveredin watermelon, grinning in front of a sprinkler.

They’re good.

Dustin lowered the phone and took a deep breath and looked out the window. Whatever was lodged in his chest wasn’t moving. He went determinedly to the middle of the room,opened the camera and snapped a picture of the hills through the window, and sent it.

Jordan sent the fire emoji and,Not bad. How’s the knee

Fine

How’s Portland

Beautiful

Another long pause, during which dots bubbled and disappeared and then bubbled again. Finally, Jordan sent:Did I hear something about Elliot Rodriguez doing his off-season there?

Sighing vocally, Dustin went back to the kitchen island. He set the phone down and went to fill another glass at the sink.

You did, he sent, when he got back to the phone.

A long moment of nothing, and then,Mm.

Yup

He’s from Tampa, isn’t he?

Yup

Jordan didn’t reply, and Dustin figured he’d been called away to deal with May. He finished the water and rinsed the glass, and when he returned to the phone, Jordan had sent,Hey I gotta go, Sarah’s putting breakfast down.But the three dots were bubbling underneath that, which meant there was more coming. They bubbled for a very long time, and then,

Listen I know you’re fucked up about that Rodriguez headline, and I know you don’t wanna hear this but…maybe the kid being there this summer is good? He probably needs guidance right? You know how it is going into the show right out of junior league. It’s not just the game, it’s all the shit that comes with it. Especially for a kid like that–after the season he just had. He’s got it. You know he does.

A moment, then Jordan added:And it could be good for you too