Page 36 of Home Ice

That pulls a laugh from me. I strip my shirt off and jump down too. “Like you’d be that lucky.”

I keep my eyes focused away from him as we both shed clothes until we’re standing there in our underwear. It’s a warm day, but in the shade of the trees, fat goose bumps are popping up over my chest and arms.

Barrett heads for the water, and I train my eyes on the trees on the other side of the river as I follow him. There is absolutely no reason for me to catalogue all the ways his ass has changed.

It’s a relief when we’re both in the water, covered to our necks, drifting slowly downstream before swimming back up again.

“You know,” I say, after doing it for the fifth time. “If I come here and do this all summer, I’ll be ready for the season in no time.”

“It’s not exactly a workout.”

Says him. I’m fit, and I work hard in the gym and while I play, but swimming against the tide isn’t something I’ve done since the last time we were here. I stick to my pool at home, which isn’t exactly a challenge.

We get back in line with the car, and I move closer to shore, where I can sit in the shallows and let the water flow around me.

Barrett goes again, and again, swimming up and down like a fish, and it brings back memories of him playing around out here. Tossing the girls toward the deeper middle, dragging the guys under, popping up and disappearing all around, while the rest of us were trying to chill.

Finally, he gets tired of riding the river and swims over to sit next to me. The water is up to our chests, light playing off it and onto his face.

“I needed this,” he says happily.

“Me too. Since landing, it feels like I’ve been unraveling. And my hangover is finally gone.”

“You were wrecked last night.”

“I know. Sorry you had to deal with that.”

“Me too.” His voice is tinged with amusement. “I was so fucking tired today. And getting you out of that place wasn’t exactly fun. You might be banned, by the way. I’ll have to text Derry.”

“Don’t bother. I’m never drinking again.”

“We both know that’s a lie.”

I’d argue the point, but he’s probably right. How many times have Lachie and I uttered those same words to each other?

Silence, the peaceful kind, fills the space all around us. Even when I was younger, I’d notice how it felt like this sometimes. Barrett’s presence calms something unnamable inside me.

“When did you get your nose pierced?” he asks.

I reach up to run my finger over the thin hoop. “A couple of years ago now.”

“I’ve never noticed it before.”

“I take it out while I play.”

He nods, like that makes sense.

“Do you, uh, watch me? Sometimes?”

Barrett’s brown eyes find mine. “I’ve never missed a game.”

“Even—”

“Never. If I was working, I’d watch it back later. The first few years, fuck, I hated seeing you out there. I was so jealous and mad, it really hurt. Now, I’m just proud of you. You did it.” He huffs a laugh. “Like I always knew you would.”

“It’s funny that you can be proud of me after everything you’ve done. Ben’s lucky to have you.”

“I’m lucky to have him.”