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I’ve got two coffees in my hands as I push backward in through the lobby door of Greg’s building.
I texted him before the sun was up about needing to talk and he agreed. But man, I don’t want to do this. Hell, it’s not like I’ve never screwed up before. I have. Too many times to count, and while I’ve always felt shitty when I do wrong, I’ve never had anything eat at my gut the way this is.
Greg is one of my best friends. We go back. There’s a trust and understanding between us, and somehow, last night, I violated it completely. And something tells me explaining the whole slippery-slope thing isn’t going to cut it when we’re talking about his little-sister-in-law.
Generally speaking, I’m a solid proponent of most things bro-code, but what happened between Cammy and me isn’t anyone’s business but ours. I want to leave it at that. End of story. Thing is, Greg and I have been butting into the girls’ business forever. It’s likeour thing. We’re protective guys. And for me to be with Cammy the way I was—or almost was—and not own up to it? Uncool.
Which means there’s a good chance he’s going to lose his shit.
I’m shifting from foot to foot, and I’ve got the sense the security guy has his finger hovering over speed dial for the cops, because I look so damned suspect standing here waiting.
The elevator doors open, and Greg comes out wearing the coat he got the same day I got mine. Custom jobs to accommodate a wingspan that’s not exactly standard.
“Ready for our day-date, girlfriend?” he asks with a gleam in his eye and a smile I’m guessing is about three and half minutes from being wiped off his face for good. At least as far as I’m concerned.
“Yeah, man,” I say handing off his coffee as we head out onto the streets. I should have gotten him a cookie or something. Maybe a brownie or cake pop. Fuck.
Greg looks down the block and mutters a curse. “Jesus, that guy.”
I follow his glare and sure as shit, that reporter Waters is staked out down the block. “Dude drives a Smart car?”
Everyone knows what a hard-on the guy has for our captain.Loves him. It’s not mutual. Couple years back Waters made some unflattering comments about Julia, probably thinking they wouldn’t get back to her husband. They did. And Waters has been on his shit list since, not that he knows it.
The driver’s side door nearly gets taken off when he opens it into traffic. Waters ducks, putting his hands up in embarrassed surrender. Then rolls into this series of animated hand signals with some seriously meaningful looks toward us.
“What’s he saying?”
Greg heaves a breath and gives him a sharp shake of his head. “Fuck if I know. Whatever it is, the answer is no.”
The reporter’s eyes bug, a sheepish smile on his face as he climbs back into his micro car. “He’s not going to follow us?”
The conversation I’m about to have is the kind of private better suited to a conversation behind doors, but there’s a solid chance when Greg hears what I did, shoulder injury or no shoulder injury, he’s gonna throw down. I would. And if that’s how it goes, I owe it to him and Julia to make sure it doesn’t happen inside their place.
“Nah. We already saw him, so he won’t try any of that accidentally-running-into-us shit. A few weeks back there would have been a group of ’em parked outside looking for a bite on my status. But with no news, they’ve moved on. Most of them anyway.”
We shoot the shit for a couple of blocks, before cutting across to the lakefront. One of the nice things about being a hockey player is that even in temps below freezing, we’re acclimated enough to the cold that walking the paths in this weather is no big deal. In fact, it’s kind of a treat, since most anybody else out here is gonna be bundled up, just trying to knock out their run or make their steps, and not paying much attention to the two guys out for a stroll ahead of them.
I turn to my buddy. “Hold up a minute. I’ve been meaning to tell you something, and I want to do it here.”
His brows go up, pulling the corner of his mouth along for the ride.
“You about to pop the question, big man? Because I like you a lot, butas a friend. My dick belongs to Julia, fucker.”
Funny guy. I rub my jaw. That’s about as good of an intro as I’m going to get.
“So speaking of friends and dicks,” I start, then hearing what I just said, mutter a few choice words before trying again. “Dude, I messed up… Only I don’t really feel like I did. I mean I feel bad about one part, but not the rest. Although maybe I should feel bad about the rest too. It just seemed so right and simple and straightforward at the time. And honestly you were the last thing I was thinking about, which maybe makes me an asshole, but then, if I was thinking about you at the time, maybe that would make me something else… I don’t know.” Shaking my head, I take a painful breath. “Fuck it, man, just lay me out. I’m ready for it. Don’t worry about the teeth, but maybe stay away from the nose. I’ve seen you swing that sledgehammer before, and I don’t think the team needs a broken nose slowing me down when we’re up against the Lightning tonight. I’m serious, bring it. I deserve it.”
Greg takes a sip of his coffee. “This about Cammy?”
For fuck’s sake. “Yes, it’s about Cammy. I just told you. Who else would it be about?”
And why is he giving me that jolly fucking smile when I’ve just confessed to getting up to some seriously dirty shit with his little-sister-in-law?
He starts walking again, waving for me to follow.
“For one, you didn’t tell me jack shit. You started rambling about dicks and assholes. I was thinking maybe it was just another Saturday until the wholelaying you outbusiness. For two, why the hell would I lay you out? Cammy’s a grown woman and you’re the most stand-up guy I know. We’ve already been buddies and teammates, there’s no one else I’d rather call…brother-in-law.”
I’m nodding, doing my damnedest to let his words sink in before I reply, but that last thing…
