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My jaw dropped. “Sorry, what?”
His expression was sheepish. “I saw the way you were looking at her the other night at The Barn. I fully support your rebound activities and all, but not with my sister.”
I cleared my throat. “Grady, you were the one who suggested I find a rebound thing. I never even thought about it.”
“The first one after a big breakup is always the rebound. Have you been with anyone since the divorce?”
I looked from side to side, not really wanting to discuss my sex life in the lobby of The Sleepy Moose.
“No.”
“Yeah, so I’m gonna need you to start envisioning Shea with a hooked nose and warts all over. Whatever you have to do. I don’t want to have to beat the shit out of one of my groomsmen.”
I was about to laugh when I realized he was dead serious. I took a breath in and let it out, choosing my words carefully.
“You know she’s a grown woman, right?”
“She’s still my little sister. And with us coaching together, the last thing we need is tension. If you break my sister’s heart and I have to break your nose...tension. See what I mean?”
It amused me that he thought I’d let him break my nose. I wasn’t as big as Grady, but I was no slouch, and I’d played pro hockey for more than a decade. Fighting had been part of my job.
“This is a nonissue, because, like I told you the other day, I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone.”
He nodded. “If that changes, don’t make a move on Shea. We good?”
This whole interaction had been confusing as hell. Grady had asked me to be a groomsman in his wedding and threatened to kick my ass in the same conversation.
“Yeah, we’re good,” I said.
Not because he’d scared me into submission, but because, like I’d said, it was a nonissue. I was focused on my kids, my house and the hockey complex. And now, apparently, training for the Summer Showdown so Grady could hoist a trophy.
I liked to avoid pissing matches when I could, especially with friends.
“I poured everything in the bowl. The bread crumbs and the milk and...there was other stuff, but I don’t remember what it was. Dad, are you listening?”
I slid my phone into my pocket after returning a text from my agent. “Yep. Bread crumbs. Milk. Meatloaf.”
“And then Shea let me squish some together. It was really cold.”
I ruffled his hair. “Well, you guys did a great job. That meatloaf at dinner was the best I’ve ever had.”
“Better than Grandma’s?”
“Well...yes, but don’t tell her I said that.”
Marley inhaled sharply from the lawn chair next to mine. “Daddy, he just ate fire! He ate it!”
We were on the large lawn of The Sleepy Moose for the evening activities, which included a juggler, a fire eater, making s’mores, live music and fireworks. Marley was staring wide-eyed at the fire eater, but Spencer was more excited about his work in the kitchen with Shea earlier.
“He’s not really eating fire, Mar,” I said. “Don’t ever try to do that.”
“He is, Daddy!” She pointed and stood up. “Look at him, he’s eating it.”
“It’s like a magic trick. He’s not eating fire.”
“Fire would burn his mouth, Marley,” Spencer said, shaking his head.
“Well, if it isn’t Holt Sellers,” a female voice said.
