Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
TYLER
I ’d finished my meet and greet with the Blackhawks and my agent and grabbed an Uber from the rink. I was headed to meet Myles, who’d flown out here with me. His parents’ house wasn’t too far away from mine, so it was always nice to travel home together. We were meeting at Bar Pendry, a nicer place on the East Side and not too far from Millenium Park and the Riverwalk. But it was too cold to be out walking around. Fuck that.
As we neared my destination, I watched the city flow by my window, the high-rises and the tracked snow still on the sidewalks, looking just slippery enough to be a hazard in my dress shoes. I’d have to watch myself, especially after having a few drinks.
My Uber drove to the curb, and I hopped out, thanked the man, and twisted around, taking in the old dark-gray blocks of the building with its gold accents. This bar was part of a hotel now but was housed in the old Carbide and Carbon building. The fading sun made for a dull gray sky all around.
Myles strolled to me, wrapped in a thick jacket, jeans, and boots. “Hey, man.” He threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly. “How’d it go, eh? Are you on next year’s roster yet?” With a sharp laugh, he freed me .
“It went well, and I expect I’ll be on that roster.” I ticked my brows at him. “Come on.” I flipped the collar up on my peacoat and wrapped my arm around his. It was fucking cold out here.
We strolled through the gold-and-glass doors and into the bar. This place was awesome, all dark wood, black leather, and a black marble floor. The place gave off a mobster vibe from Chicago’s past. I spied some lounge chairs and a table by a roaring fireplace and pointed at it. “Let’s go over there.”
“Hell yeah. It’s cold as fuck outside.” He strode to a chair and sat, then shrugged out of his coat, revealing his slim sweater and designer jeans.
I slipped out of my peacoat, unbuttoned my gray suit jacket, and fell into the chair next to his. I’d gone with a black turtleneck under my jacket to keep warm. “So, we need a little celly, don’t you think?”
“We do.” Myles’s smile reached his eyes.
A waiter dropped by, and I ordered an Old Fashioned because why not?
Myles ordered a mojito. “So, tell me what happened.”
“I don’t know what to say, except they like my playing style and think I’m a good fit.” I plucked my phone from the breast pocket of my jacket. Shit, I should text Rowan. “Afterward, Dean told me he felt really good about it. And the guy is never wrong, so…”
The waiter dropped off our drinks.
I tapped out a message to Rowan.
Tyler
The meeting with Chicago went great. I’m having a little celly with Myles on the East Side.
The three dots blinked at me.
Rowan
That’s so good to hear! I’m proud of you, babe. Say hello to Myles. Talk later? With Mom .
My chest warmed and tightened. I couldn’t wait to be out there with him. Someday what his family was going through would be the same for mine. But he was dealing with it now .
“What’s wrong?” Myles sipped his drink and crossed his ankles.
“Ah, Rowan. His mom is having a flare-up, and she’s set up in a hospital bed in their house. It’s got to be rough for him.” I placed my phone on the round marble table between us.
“Shit, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it doesn’t mess with his game when he gets back.” Slowly shaking his head, he pressed his lips together.
“Yeah, me too. I know Dean’s getting inquiries about him.” I sipped my Old Fashioned, the honey and oak of the whiskey mixing with a hint of cherry and orange. “Damn, that hits the spot.” I focused on Myles. “I talked to my dad about it a little bit and he spoke to the scout, Brian. Dean won’t tell me if Chicago’s one of the inquiries Rowan’s had, but I sure as hell hope so.”
“You think you can get you and Rowan to be signed together?” Myles arched a brow.
“Sure, why not? It’s worth a shot.” I curled a corner of my lips. “I did mention him to the coaches while I was there.” I drank my Old Fashioned. “I told them what a good team we made at ASU and that I’d never played better than I had with him.” Yeah, I’d laid it on thick. Why not? The worst that could happen is they wouldn’t listen to me. “I have a feeling they’ll at least start looking at him now if they weren’t before.”
“Wow, do they know you’re a couple?” He knitted his brows. “I guess with Mason and Jett playing as good as they are, maybe they won’t care.”
“Or maybe they’ll see that it’s good for their team.” I huffed a laugh, saying, “Hell, maybe the NHL will get wise and start hiring all queer couples for their teams.” Okay, that was out there.
“Could you imagine? It would be like the gladiators.” He smiled softly. “There are stories of those guys saving their lovers from death in the arena.”
I stared at him for a beat. When had he been learning about gladiators? “Really?” I twisted my glass on the table and then sipped my drink. “It’s totally Mason and Jett.” Goddamnit, if they could be together on the same team, so could Rowan and I. I had to make this work.
With a sharp chuckle, he said, “Yep, Mason and Jett. Just a couple of gladiators.” His grin waned. “But really, what are you going to do if you two end up in different cities?”
“Don’t know.” My gut clenched. “We’ll have to make it work.” There was no other way.
“Yeah, if anybody can find a way, I know it’s you, Tyler.” He patted my hand. “And with the strings your family can pull, I’m sure the Blackhawks will at least give Rowan a chance.” Sipping his cocktail, he ticked his brows.
“I hope you’re right, buddy.” My gaze flicked to the fireplace, the flames licking up the sides.
Around noon on Christmas Eve, I’d finished putting my last present under the tree in the living room when Nathan walked through the front door.
As his gaze found mine, his eyes wrinkled with a wide smile. “Little bro.” He held out his arm, his dark bangs falling to either side of his brown eyes. “Come here.”
Standing, I stepped into his arm and side-hugged him. “Hey, Nathan.” Maybe it was the puffy jacket he wore, but he looked even bigger than the last time I’d seen him. “About time you got here.”
“Yeah, well, had to win my last game before the break.” He freed me and hitched his duffel higher on his shoulder. “I brought my gear. Thought we could get a skate or two in while I’m here. ”
“Oh, hell yes.” My cheeks ached with how hard I was smiling. It was so good to see him. And skating with him? Heaven.
He slapped my shoulder. “Hey, Mom says you have a boyfriend and met with the Blackhawks?” He lifted his brows.
“Yes and yes.” I planted my hands on my hips. We had so much to catch up on. “Why don’t you put your shit away and join me for a beer?” I glanced at Mom’s old cuckoo clock on the wall. “It’s after noon, so it’s okay, right?”
“Seeing as it’s the holidays, it’s never too early for a beer.” He wagged his brows at me and stepped around me, striding toward the kitchen and the stairs leading to the bedrooms. Along the way, he greeted Dad and Mom, who’d been cooking in the kitchen.
As a smirk tugged at my lips, I watched him go. Did he know anyone with the Blackhawks who could help me with Rowan? Myles had been right. I had so many strings to pull.
After Nathan had settled in and we’d chatted a little bit with Mom and Dad, I grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator and sat with Nathan on Mom’s traditional couch by the Christmas tree. Outside the front windows, the snow glistened in the sunlight in our front yard, and the icicles dripped off the roof of the front porch.
“So, talk to me, man.” He snicked his beer can open and sipped. “Damn, the smells and tastes of home.” He beamed at me, his fleece pulling tight around his shoulder muscles.
“What are they feeding you over there in New York? You look bigger.” I opened my beer and drank some, the cool bubbles gliding down my throat.
“Ah, lots of protein. We have a new nutritionist, and it’s all about lean meats and shit.” Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Plus, I’ve upped my weight routine.” He bumped his elbow on mine. “I could send you the specifics if you want.”
“Yeah, why not?” Nodding, I gave him a warm smile. If he could, he’d help me. I was sure of it .
“First, tell me about this guy…” With a grin, he leaned into me. “Is he good to you?”
My heart filled with warmth. “Yeah, he’s very good to me. He was with me when Mom called about her MS.” How was Nathan feeling about it?
“Yeah? That was tough, huh?” He tsked and shook his head. “Thank God I wasn’t playing that night. But you…” He twisted his lips. “I watched your game that night. You knocked it out of the park.”
“I had Rowan on my side.” Even back then, when he wasn’t sure about his sexuality, he’d stood by me. “His mom also has MS, but she’s worse off.” I inhaled deeply. “She’s in a flare-up right now.”
“Yeah? That sucks.” He drank his beer. “And you’re going to visit him in Boston for New Year’s Eve?”
“Yeah.” I hooked a brow. “Mom already told you everything, didn’t she?” I should have known.
He shrugged. “Of course she did. I still talk to her every week, you know. Just because I’m a big NHL star doesn’t mean?—”
“Oh my God.” I rolled my eyes. “And you’re so humble.” The guy always had so much confidence. Maybe if I hadn’t been gay, I’d have been like that. There was a time when my sexuality weighed heavily on me.
“I’m humble when I need to be.” With a sharp laugh, he took a sip from his can. “So, you and Rowan play great together from the footage I’ve seen.” He rubbed his chin. “Is it because you’re fucking off the ice? Is that your secret?” He gave me a sly grin.
“Probably.” As a smile played over my lips, I turned my can in my lap. Maybe I should ask him now if he could help? “Hey, you know anyone on the Blackhawks? D-line coaches, maybe?”
His brows lowered. “Oh, you little fucker. You want me to put in a good word for Rowan and get you both signed to the same team?”
“You know it.” I gave him my most charming grin. “I’ve already got Dad and Dean helping me.” I lifted my chin. “And you know about my friend Mason, right?” Of course, I’d kept him updated with my friends and now he’d even played against some of them.
“Yeah, him and Jett Jarvis, playing together on and off the ice.” Scoffing a laugh, he shook his head. “I had no idea Jett was gay.” He sipped some beer.
“So, do you know anyone?” I gnawed my lower lip, studying him.
“One of my buddies from juniors is on the Blackhawks defense. I’ll give him a shout and see what he can do.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “Anything for my little bro.”
My chest filled with warmth. I knew I could count on him. If we could put enough bugs into their ears, they’d have to take a look at Rowan.
He released me. “Now, tell me how the meet and greet went.” He eyed me. “’Cause you know there’s no way they’re not going to sign you.”
“Yeah, I’m feeling pretty confident with how it went.” I drank more beer, and we talked for a good hour, just like old times.