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Scrubbing the back of his head, he blows out a harsh breath.
Translation:Yes, they really tore it up. Vassar is a true asset to the team.
“You guys have a solid chance at the Cup. Everyone is talking about it. But what do you think happens if Vaughn is suddenly up and gone?”
He scowls at the ceiling.
Translation:I may not like it, but I know you’re right.
“You owe it to the fans, Greg. You owe it to the team. And you owe it to yourself to put your differences aside. Because you’re thecaptain.”
“Jesus, enough.”
Okay, so I might have been overselling that last part a bit.
Arms crossing over his chest, he leans over the table. “Why him? Seriously, Nat, were you pissed at me or something? I mean, yeah, I know it was rough getting yanked out of a school you liked because of me. I know Mom and Dad shortchanged you in a lot of ways. But you know I did everything I could to make that up to you when I had the chance. Are you still mad?”
And dang it, he looks kind of devastated right now and I don’t think I can take it. Because even with the way he acted last night, he’s not a bad guy. He’s one of the best, with a heart so big, sometimes it overwhelms me.
“Greg, this thing with Vaughn has nothing to do with being pissed at you. It never did.” Yes, I was angry when we had to move so Greg could be on a competitive team where he’d have a chance at getting noticed. And getting pulled again going into my junior year sucked. I’d been picked as captain and it didn’t matter because Greg had been picked to play for the NHL. It was hard being his sister sometimes, but I didn’t resenthim. “The thing is, when you ask mewhy him… it wasn’t about being pissed at you, but I lied when I said it wasn’t about you at all. At least for me.”
One thick brow arches. “Explain.”
“Look, I love you for caring enough about me to look out for me with guys, but even at fourteen that protective streak made dating a little rough.”
“Rough how? What the fuck were you going to do at fourteen?”
I pat the air between us, signaling him to chill.
“Rough like, all you had to do was look at a guy and he’d be ready to pee himself. I’ve got news for you, watching your dates or prospective dates cower at the mere mention of your brother’s name isn’t hot. And even once you weren’t around—”
“What?” His eyes narrow and he leans forward. “Did some asswipe decide to act tough because I wasn’t around to do anything about it?”
This from the guy who took it upon himself to meet with the varsity hockey team in my new school and ask them for “a favor.” To make sure no one tried to take advantage of me. Those guys had a freshly minted NHL player showing up to talk to them. He knew their names. And he had their loyalty. “No, Greg. In fact, the two or three times a guy was dumb enough to show an interest in me, we suddenly had half the hockey team hanging around watching. And, rest assured, they would have taken a puck to the teeth before asking me out themselves.”
He grins. “You’re welcome.”
“Whatever. It was fine. I didn’t date, but it wasn’t terrible having half the hockey team adopt me. I’m still friends with most of them today. Stood up in six of their weddings and am godmother to one’s daughter.”
“How’s little Shana doing these days?”
“Still too small to do anything but use that mini hockey stick you gave her to gum on.” Thumbing through my phone, I find the most recent picture from last week for him.
He grins but isn’t distracted for long. “I get why someone like Vassar might have appealed to you in high school. He didn’t intimidate easy and he was outside my circle of influence. But I was out of the picture by college and it’s not like I’m warning guys off you these days either. So why him?”
There’s no holding back my laugh. “Out of the picture? Greg, you’re an international sports celebrity. There is no out of the picture. In college, the guys I dated weren’t interested in talking to me aboutmygame. They wanted to talk to me aboutyourgame. They wanted to hear about you. And as for now… You’re not warning guys off me, huh?”
He gives me a sheepish shrug but has the sense not to open his mouth.
“Let’s forget about Vaughn for a moment. And for the sake of argument, say if Rux, your best friend and all-around good guy, decided he wanted to date me… you’d be okay with it?”
The answer isno. And knowing Greg, probably more likefuck, no. But being the stubborn type that he is, my brother won’t give. Eyes locked with mine, jaw clenching and unclenching, he tries to make himself tell me something other than the truth we both know. In the end, he shovels four donut holes in his mouth at once.
“Don’t worry, bro. I’d never date Rux, and he’d probably puke down his chest just thinking about dating me. The surrogate sibling thing is strong with him.”
Visibly relieved, Greg washes down his donuts with his coffee.
“So that’s what this boils down to with Vassar? You like him because he’s not afraid to go head-to-head with me, and youthinkhe isn’t dating you just to get to me.”
