Chapter 5 -Tate
After the calendar shoot, we have to go directly into practice. This is my first practice with the team so I know all eyes will be on me today. I place my stick near me, so no one touches it. Some guys have superstitions — kissing skates, singing a little song before hitting the ice.
For me, no one touches my stick or my tape. I don’t want their bad ju-ju on it. I don’t want to have to broadcast it, but I guess that comes with the territory of being the new guy.
Ryan, the rookie, picks up a water bottle off the bench and squirts it into his mouth. Jordan does a double take. “Dude, is that my water?”
“No?” It definitely was. I dig through my bag for my roll of tape. I spot the familiar off white in the bottom of my bag. I wrap my stick continually until it’s almost too much.
“Geez, got enough tape?” Ronan eyes my stick. “Can I use yours?”
“No.” I don’t offer an explanation. His eyes flick down to the tape and back.
He frowns curiously but is quickly distracted by Ryan begging Bradley, the equipment staff, to sharpen his skates.
If he does, he’ll be the last one on the ice and Coach will have him skating drills until his legs give out.
Seeing as Ronan is the veteran that adopted this year's rookie, Quade is his responsibility.
I think he secretly enjoys bailing him out of everything.
Out on the ice, I glance around hoping that Allison might be coming by.
She disappeared in the middle of the photo shoot.
I don’t really know her well, but it doesn’t seem like something she’d do.
I can’t ask Emalyn because she left right as the event ended.
I overheard her tell Ronan that she’d be in Los Angeles until game day.
I slice the ice hard, but my blades feel heavy, my arms sluggish. No matter how fast I push, my mind keeps darting to Matty starting his first day of school and Mom back home. Lately, it feels like I’m failing on all fronts.
I shake my head, letting my eyes scan around the edges of the rink.
Where did Allison disappear to?
During that phone call her shoulders were up by her ears. By the time I’d glance back to her again, she was gone.
By the end of practice, I'm exhausted and disappointed in my performance. If Coach Randall’s face is anything to go by, I'm not the only one.
I hold my head high through the tunnel. Tomorrow will be better. Hopefully. For now, it’s time to go get Matty.
***
In the players parking lot, I’ve just parked my ass behind the wheel when my phone starts pinging. One after the other.
Frozen Five
*Ronan added you to the chat*
Ronan
*1 video attachment
I click on the video and immediately throw my head against the headrest with an audible groan.
It’s of me at the calendar shoot. I was feeling a little goofy and a little drunk on Allison’s subtle attention. The video is only a few seconds long but I’m dancing like I work in a different branch of the entertainment industry.
Fitz
Damn. Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Tate
How the hell did you even record that? It only lasted five seconds.
Jordan
Be honest. Are you a dancer on the side? Is that how you really made your millions?
Ryan
I can’t stop watching. You gotta teach me your moves.
Ronan
It’s all in the hips, baby. Keep those things away from Emalyn.
Jordan
Speaking of…
Jordan
When are you gonna make your move, Grady?
Ronan
I’m working on it! Gimme a break.
Fitz
You've been “working on it” for two years now. Maybe she’s not into you like that.
Ronan
She is. Trust.
Instead of driving aimlessly for an hour, I make a last-minute decision to pick him up early for some ice cream.
I head into the front office where I have to show my driver's license to sign him out. I give polite responses to the school's receptionist, even as she leans forward more than she needs to, to display her cleavage.
I maintain eye contact and offer a polite smile as she scans it and hands it back to me. When I grab it to put it back in my wallet, she doesn’t let go right away
Jesus, lady. I’m just trying to sign out my kid.
The sultry smile she gives me might’ve done something for me once upon a time, but that was before. Before a certain bad mouthed, blonde neighbour.
She pouts when I don’t make a move. I simply put the driver's license in my wallet and take a seat to wait for Matty. I check the group chat that has not stopped pinging since I was added.
Fitz
Who’s hosting the team dinner this week? Can’t be me.
Ronan
I hosted the last three and my housekeepers are tired of cleaning up after you.
Ronan
Fitz, just ask Coach Randall. He likes you.
Fitz
Nah. He won’t go for it. He doesn’t even attend them.
Ryan
Am I the only one who’s absolutely fucking terrified of Coach?
Fitz
yes
Ronan
No.
Fitz
back to the team dinner situation…
Fitz
I have to find a temporary place to stay while they fix my apartment. The whole place flooded from a busted pipe or something.
Jordan
I vote Quade.
Ryan
I’m on rookie salary. No can do, Ripley.
Jordan
Neither can I. Rosie has been going through a sleep regression. Alexis and I deserve a babysitter and for someone else to do the dishes.
Ronan
Someone else already does your dishes. You have cleaners.
Fitz
You guys are really too lazy to clean your own house? What a waste of money.
Ryan
Fitzy… Are you saying that you are a multimillionaire and still clean your own house???!!
Tate
I do my own dishes.
Ronan
Yea, we know Cowboy. You probably cook all your food outside too.
Tate
I mean I barbecue…?
Fitz
Barbecue? Yum.
Ryan
I could go for some barbecue…
Jordan
It's settled then. Tates house on Friday.
Tate
Wait what?
Tate
I didn’t agree to that.
I roll my eyes knowing I’m roped in now and there’s no getting out of it. Damn.
Tate
Not cool, assholes.
Ronan
*Kissy face emoji*
“Hey, Mr Bridges,” Hudson says cheerily from beside Matty.
“What are you doing out of class?” I ask glancing around in hopes of spotting his Momma.
“I told the teacher that we were his ride home.” Matty states.
I blink twice at him.
“Mr Bridges, you’d have to be listed on his paperwork or have permission from his mother.” The receptionist informs me.
I just shrug my shoulders at her. “Okay. Get her on the phone.”
He’s already here, there’s no way I'm sending him back to class by himself.
Matty grins up at me.
“Hi, Mrs Crow- Sorry. Ms Campbell.” The receptionist's voice suddenly isn’t so high pitched and nasally. “Yes, I’m calling because— “
I walk up to the desk and gesture for the phone. “Sorry— can I just… yep. Thank you.” I take the phone from her, the black cord pulled over the desk as I lean away from her.
“Allison?”
“Tate?”
It’s embarrassing that her name saying my voice sounds so sweet to my ears that I have to physically bite my fist so that I don’t groan. The receptionist crosses her arms.
“I'm here getting Matty from school early and Hudson— “
“Oh my God, is he okay? Did something happen?”
“No, no. He’s just fine. He’s here in the front office.
Matty brought him with him when he was checked out of class.
You just have to tell the receptionist that it’s okay if he comes with us.
” She’s silent for a moment and it occurs to me that we’ve only just met.
Even though the boys have taken to each other like ducks to water doesn’t mean that she will with me.
Maybe she doesn’t trust me like that yet. “That okay with you Darlin?”
I hear her breath catch.
“Y-yes, I suppose that's fine. I mean, I know where you live.” She chuckles. “Just make sure that location stays on. I know where you work now, too.”
“Yes ma’am.” I can’t keep the smile from my voice.
The receptionist is full on glaring at me now. I hand her back the phone with a self-satisfied grin. The boys follow me as I lead them out to the SUV.
They ride with their heads together over the video game almost the whole way home. Finally, we pull into the drive and Matty meets my eyes in the rearview with a grin. “Thanks Dad.”
They jump out of the car and likely head up the stairs of our two-story home before I can even respond. I just shake my head.
When I head inside to the kitchen, I start fixing them an after-school snack. I’m pleased to see they went into the backyard to throw a baseball instead of plopping down in front of the tv.
Hudson’s blonde head is the exact same shade as his mothers. I purse my lips and twirl my phone in my hands.
Is it weird to message her so soon? I haven’t had to worry about proper etiquette with a woman… ever, really. After Matty was born I kept my hookups on the road during away game series. I never wanted to bring women around who I couldn’t trust. I never dated anyone after his mom.
It’s not like Hudson needs anything. He is here though. It wouldn’t be weird. Hopefully.
Tate
Allison, It’s Tate Bridges, your neighbor.
Was that too much? Fuck. I’m already screwing this up. Obviously, she knows I'm her neighbour, I have her kid.
Allison
Hmm, it’s not ringing a bell...
I roll my eyes. Okay. Joke's on you, Allison.
Tate
No? You don’t remember the 6’3 hockey player, brown hair, blue eyes… maybe you were just more acquainted with my abs.
I reread the text multiple times. Now I'm just coming on too strong. There’s still no reply from Allison. My pulse spikes. Did I imagine the tension between us? Is it all in my head? I can’t seem to remember how I used to charm women. I used to have charm, right?
Allison
I think it was the tramp stamp that I was impressed with the most.
Tate
Okay, we’re going there. First, it’s not a tramp stamp. Secondly, are you admitting to checking out my naked ass?
Allison
Idk, are you admitting to having a little blue butterfly on your ass?
Tate
Touché.
I give my head a little shake when I realize I've been staring at my phone with a dazed grin on my face. I’m twenty-eight but she makes me feel eighteen again.
Then, it happens in slow motion. I glance out the floor to ceiling windows into the backyard to check on the boys.
Hudson pitches the baseball- damn that kids got an arm.
Matty somehow executes the perfect batting stance, leaning on his back leg and keeping his eye on the ball.
My phone buzzes again in my hand but my eyes are glued on the scene as the bat connects with the ball with a loud crack.
Then the absolute worst thing anyone could hear when watching their kids play baseball. Glass shatters. My face falls with dread. I have barely even taken a step forward before I hear their voices shout.
“Oh shit.” Both boys exclaim at the same time.
“Don’t tell your dad.” Hudson says at the same time Matty says “We better get my dad.”
They run towards each other looking over their shoulder at the house next door. Allison’s house.
“Is he gonna be mad at you?” Hudson pants. “We can say it was me.”
Matty frowns in thought and scratches the side of his head. “He might be mad. We did break the window. Your moms probably going to be even more mad because it was her window.”
“Probably, but she won’t yell. Maybe we can just fix it so he doesn’t yell at us.”
Matty’s shaking his head before Hudson even finishes talking. Neither of them has noticed me leaning in the doorway yet.
“He won’t. Trust me.” Pride fills my chest as Matty places a hand on his shoulder and leads him to the back door.
They freeze on their step when they realize I’m already standing here.
Hudson’s eyes widen comically but my son's face just relaxes with relief.
Hudson glances between Matty and I as he jogs up to me.
“Dad. We were playing baseball.” He’s using his serious voice, the one when he tries to be more grown up than he is.
He’s using his hands to show me exactly how it played out.
Hudson watches my face intently. “We didn’t think about the fact that Huddy’s right-handed but I’m a lefty.
See? We didn’t know and we switched places. ”
I nod along keeping my face soft. Normally, I would scold Matty but something about the way Hudson hangs back a few steps with his hands in his pockets tells me it’s not needed.
“Huddy.” His spine snaps straight and he looks me in the eyes like he’s about to face down one of them mean broncos back home. “You know how to read a tape measure?”
His posture relaxes. Only just. “No, sir.”
I fight back a smile that the ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ has caught on. Makes me think of momma. I push off the door frame and pulled my keys from my pocket.
“Looks like you boys are gonna learn to install a window with me today.” I give my keys a little twirl and lead the way back through the house.
Hudson’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline in surprise. When he exchanges a glance with my son, Matty just nudges his shoulder with his and whispers, “Told you.”