Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
Tweetie
“Who invited Tedi?” I ask, seeing her and Decker in the stands for Bodhi’s game as we make our way around the rink.
I fist-bump Bodhi on my way to the seats with Rowan and Conor.
“The girls asked them to join us. Surely, you don’t mind since you’re all Team Decker, now that he makes Tedi happy?” Conor claps me on the shoulder.
“Is this the same fucked-up shit you did to Henry?” I grumble.
Rowan laughs. “Nah, we know better than to try to force you to do anything.”
Tedi’s in a huddle with the girls, and Decker sits next to her, but he’s on his phone again.
Rowan and Conor sit closer to Decker, so I do the same.
“Hey, Decker,” I say, putting out my hand.
He shakes my hand, then Rowan’s, and lastly Conor’s. “Hey.”
“When’s the last time you’ve been to a novice game?” Conor asks.
“Since I was a novice,” Decker says. “Ice hockey isn’t my thing.”
“Is field hockey?” Rowan asks, laughing.
Tedi’s ears must perk up because she turns in our direction, her hand immediately seeking out Decker’s leg.
You can do this. She’s happy. Look at her fucking smile.
“Decker’s not really good on the ice,” she says, shaking her head and smiling.
“Thanks, babe.” Decker stretches his arm out around the back of Tedi.
Would anyone notice if I ripped his arm off?
“Come on. You admitted it yourself. That’s why you’re a baseball player.” She pats his leg and leans in.
I turn my head before I have to witness her lips touch his cheek.
If I gave him a bloody lip, she wouldn’t be able to kiss him.
“That’s because hockey is the hardest sport.” Conor puts his hands on Decker’s neck and squeezes.
“You think so, huh?” Decker asks.
“We have to skate, control a small puck with a stick, and body check. It’s not easy, my friend.”
“Last time I checked, you sat your ass in front of a net and had a huge stick and pads to block the pucks. Doesn’t seem that hard.” Decker picks up his coffee from whatever café he and Tedi stopped at before this, since they have matching cups.
What a couple-y thing to do.
“You sit your ass in the dirt and wait for a ball to dribble over to you,” Conor argues.
I keep my eyes on the rink, waiting for this game to start so it can be over and I can leave. They can all do whatever they want to do afterward. I’ll find something else. I don’t have to witness her being happy every damn time I’m with my friends.
“Dribble? You try catching a ball going one hundred miles per hour and then throw it to first before the runner gets there.”
Conor laughs. “And what was the Colts’ record last year? I’m thinking you missed a lot of those hundred-mile-an-hour balls.”
Decker shakes his head, but there’s a smile on his lips. “I didn’t get the Golden Glove award two years ago for my mediocre skills.”
“Relax, boys, both of your sports are hard in different ways.” Tedi smiles, and our eyes catch for a second before I turn back to the ice.
Jade and Henry join us, Jade heading to the girls and Henry over to us.
“There’s open skating after the game if anyone wants to join us.” Jade sits down in the row in front of the women and rests her elbows on her knees, watching Bodhi.
“Jade, come back here. He’s fine,” Henry says, but she shakes her head without turning around.
“We’re here!”
I turn to see Jade’s teenage twin brothers rushing over. Owen and Waylon pound on the glass when they reach us.
“Go, Bodzilla!”
Bodhi must hear them because I see his head move in their direction, but the cage on his helmet blocks most of his face. He lifts his hands in a wave.
“About time. He’s been asking about you guys all day,” Jade scolds them as they shake our hands and hug the girls.
“Why are you here?” Owen asks, pointing at Decker.
“And who are you?” Waylon points at Tedi.
“This is Tedi, she’s Tw—” Henry says, but Tedi interrupts.
“I’m Tedi, and I work for the national league, and this is Decker, third baseman for the Colts.” She sticks out her hand.
Jade’s twin brothers shake her hand.
“Are you together?” Waylon asks.
Tedi leans in and pats Decker’s thigh but thankfully doesn’t leave her hand there. “Yep.”
They nod. “Cool.”
Decker sits up. “You guys are twins, huh?”
“I guess you have twenty-twenty vision, huh?” Owen says with sarcasm.
Jade slaps his arm. “Sit and watch your nephew.” She leans back in her seat and looks at Decker. “Yes, they’re twins. You are too, right? Henry was telling me the other day.”
Decker sits up. “Yeah.”
I don’t know what the deal is, but he certainly doesn’t sound like he loves the fact that he’s a twin.
“It’s how Decker became such good friends with my twin brothers,” Tedi says. “Although Decker and Foster are fraternal, not identical. But our moms were in this twins’ parent group when they were younger since we all lived in the same town.”
“I didn’t know you guys have known one another since you were young,” Kyleigh says.
“She’s robbing the cradle,” Decker says, and Tedi elbows him in the side.
“So, you’re the older one, Tedi. That’s cute. Did you want Tedi when you were younger, Decker? Was she the hot older sister?” Eloise asks.
Jesus, is this a fucking background check Eloise has going here?
He looks at Tedi, and they both laugh as if they have some secret inside joke.
I rub my hands down my thighs, antsy as fuck.
“You could say that.” Decker picks up his drink, and thankfully, Tedi doesn’t kiss his cheek.
“Go, Bodzilla!” Waylon and Owen scream, interrupting the Newlywed Game Eloise and Kyleigh have decided to play with Tedi and Decker.
Jade jumps up with the cheering. “Go, Bodhi, go.” Her hands are up in the air.
Bodhi is skating toward the net, no one around him. All of us rise to our feet, and I wonder what the other parents think about us having ten people cheering for one kid.
We’re all shouting, “Go. Go. Go.”
Bodhi shoots at the net, and the puck goes in to the sound of all of us cheering.
Jade glances over her shoulder at Henry, and they share a smile. That’s what I’ve always wanted. Coming from a family with two parents who were never at my games together, I was always envious of my teammates who had parents who would fawn over their kids. The look Henry and Jade just shared is pure happiness for their kid. They have the real deal. Maybe I’ll find it one day.
I turn back to look at the ice and find Bodhi doing my celly dance like I do when I score. My mouth drops open, and my chest pinches.
Everyone stares at me.
“He’s been practicing it all week,” Henry says, seeing me bewildered.
“Seriously?” I ask, and my chest warms. It’s an honor to have an uncle role with Bodhi, and it’s made me wonder what it would be like to be a dad one day. Although that day isn’t anywhere near, because if anything good came from my childhood, it was figuring out that who you have kids with is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your life.
“Remind me to show Bodhi what a real celly should look like after the game,” Rowan says.
Tedi glares at him, and I chuckle.
Why so protective, Tedi?
We continue to watch the game, and I feel slightly bad for the other kids because Bodhi is the best by far. Whether that’s because we’ve been his playmates for so long or he’s just naturally talented, who knows, but by the time the game is over, everyone on our side is happy.
“Man, what a cheering section.” A woman approaches us wearing tight yoga pants, a small top that reveals her stomach, and an open fluffy pink jacket. Her hair is styled perfectly in a ponytail, and she’s wearing a decent amount of makeup. She’s not at all what I think of when I think “hockey mom.”
“Hi, Maci,” Jade says. “Kale played great.”
“How are you, Jade?” Her eyes linger on Henry. “Bodhi was just amazing. Must be his dad’s genes.” She smiles extra wide.
No one tells her Henry and Bodhi don’t share genetics, that Henry adopted Bodhi.
The girls all stand, seeming ready to get out of here.
“Tweetie, right?” She puts her hand out in front of me. Her long, manicured nails scratch my palm when I shake her hand.
“Yeah. Who’s your kid?” I ask.
She doesn’t glance away from me. “Number thirty-three.”
“Left wing. Best position.” I wink.
“I know. He loves you.”
My eyebrows raise.
“You know, in that he looks up to you. You’re his idol. Would you mind meeting him and taking a picture? It will just take a minute.”
I shrug. “Sure.”
I’m not going to be the asshole who denies a kid a picture and a quick greeting.
“Great, I’ll go get him.” Her gaze roams over the group, then she giggles. “The single one, huh?” She places her hand on my shoulder. “Me too. The only single mom in the bunch, can you believe it?”
I smile politely, knowing that this isn’t just some innocent woman. She knows exactly who belongs to whom in this group.
“We’re single!” Owen raises his hand, and Waylon follows.
She laughs. “Sorry, boys, I’m too pretty for jail.”
“Oh, look, the boys are coming off the ice.” Jade walks down, and Henry follows.
Maci follows them. “Come on. He’s going to be so excited.” She loops her arm through mine. “You don’t mind escorting me, do you? I’m always so scared I’m going to fall with these boots.”
The heels of her boots are about four inches high, and I’m wondering who she planned to pick up at her kid’s hockey game. Because I’m pretty sure a woman like Maci is looking for a husband or a plaything everywhere she goes.
I entertain her to be nice to her kid, biding my time before I can get the hell out of here and stop torturing myself.