27. Dexter
DEXTER
Idrove home in a daze, humming along to the Spotify deejay’s playlist and daydreaming about what life might be like this time next year.
There’d be a little person in the back seat.
He or she would be almost a year old, probably crawling everywhere, getting into everything.
I thought of Viggo’s comment months ago about babyproofing the house and knew he’d help me with it if I asked.
As Freya had said, Viggo looked out for the people he cared about.
I wondered where we’d be next year. Friends who met for pancakes with an apple-cheeked baby between us.
A different version yet the same idea as what I had with Reg now.
I should have been thrilled at the notion of seamlessly navigating into another platonic arrangement—no muss, no fuss—but my stomach roiled, and my palms felt sweaty on the steering wheel.
Shit. What was wrong with me?
I rolled into Wood Hollow in the early evening and turned left onto Main Street. Viggo’s game was over or would be ending soon. I figured I’d check in at the shop and meet him afterward.
Yes, Janey had everything under control, and Alberto had the menu and the recipe for tomorrow’s lemon meringue donut special down. I didn’t have a reason to go in, but I didn’t want to go home. I was just…restless.
I slowed at the stop sign and waved at the young family crossing the street.
The little girl held her father’s hand, skipping to catch up with his long strides, a gleeful smile on her face.
The mother held the boy…a toddler. He plucked at her hair and wriggled in her arms. They could have been on their way to Log Cabin Diner for dinner or walking home from a friend’s house.
Ordinary, comforting, security…belonging. Quintessential Wood Hollow.
This place was a warm hug on a cool autumn evening, resplendent in yellows, oranges, and reds. It could have been a painting or a scene from a movie depicting idyllic small-town New England living.
I drove by the donut shop, passing Fox’s Drug Store, Rise and Grind, and Dean’s Shoe Repair to the copse of trees that forked at the end of the road.
To the left was the park, fire station, police headquarters, and the elementary school.
To the right, St. Matthew’s Church, the original residential area where the bulk of the community had settled until a parcel of land had been cleared by Lake Norman.
The high school was here too and sure enough, there were still players on the field.
I parked the Tahoe and hurried to catch the last of the game.
Troy cupped his hands at his mouth and hollered. “Run the play! We got this, boys, we got this!”
“What’s the score?” I asked, sidling beside him, clapping as if I already knew the answer.
“14 to 7, thirty seconds on the clock. And if Big V can hold Fallbrook’s offense, we’re gonna fucking win this.”
The ball was at the thirty-yard line, an easy throw for Fallbrook’s QB, Trick Corbin, a recent college graduate who’d come home to help with the family business.
He’d recruited a few buddies to play fall flag football and suddenly, Fallbrook, who’d once been the worst team in the Four Forest area league wasn’t so bad.
Sidenote: We had fewer teams at this time of year.
The pro hockey and football players had gone back to their day jobs, evening the field a bit.
Viggo played for Wood Hollow with a couple of guys from the mill, the middle school gym teacher, the lacrosse coach, a retired physicist, and occasionally, Silas, when his pro-football announcer gig allowed.
And in a twist, Viggo had become a flag football regular.
He was by far the best defensive threat on the team.
He took up space and could intimidate opponents with a cold stare.
It was a big act, but Viggo had gained a bit of a reputation as a badass.
The guy who’d avoided human interaction had been welcomed with open arms and secretly, he kinda loved it. Not that he’d ever admit it, of course.
I zeroed in on the big Swede, huddled with his teammates in the middle of the field. Those broad shoulders, muscular biceps, and beefy thighs were my kryptonite.
Christ, snap out of it, Dex.
I spotted Reg with Rhys and Gretch; and Cooper with his kids, Ivy and Chase, cheering for the team. “Looks like half the town showed up.”
“On a Thursday night, no less. Thankfully, it started right after varsity practice. I’m glad I could be here for this.” Troy paced the sideline with nervous energy. “How was Burlington?”
“Great. It was—”
The shriek of a whistle put conversation on hold.
Troy yelled encouragement to the team as they got into position, waiting for the signal from the ref for play to begin.
The crowd went wild. Trick pulled his arm back, his gaze scanning for a teammate with an opening.
He angled his body as if prepared to unleash the ball, but it was a decoy. An obvious one.
And Viggo knew it.
He darted after the quarterback and stayed with him, forcing Trick into a quick decision.
The ball flew in a long arc and hung in the air over the endzone.
Players jockeyed for position while doing their best not to shove each other and get called for tackling.
Silas was there, but Fallbrook’s defense crowded him out.
Then suddenly, Viggo dove in front of them like a swimmer careening into the water.
“What happened? Did he catch it?” Troy held his head as if hoping to keep it connected to his body.
I squinted. “I can’t tell, but—oh, wow.”
Viggo popped up, ball raised triumphantly.
Wood Hollow erupted, charging the field like a bunch of college kids after a big win. It was bedlam. The fun kind.
Troy whooped and raced out to join the party. As coach, he deserved to be part of the celebration. I hung back, chuckling at the swarm of bodies surrounding Viggo. He’d make a fuss later about how annoying it was, but he was grinning like a fool. More so when he noticed me.
I waved and gave a thumbs-up.
“Great game.” Cooper squeezed my shoulder.
“I didn’t think you’d make it,” Reg added. “That was a nice win for us. Thanks to Viggo.”
“And Silas,” Cooper said like a proud husband. “I hope the kids find him. It looks like a mosh pit at a rock concert out there. Shouldn’t you be securing the peace, Mr. Police Chief?”
“Probably. Gretchen followed the boys and Ivy, and that doesn’t always end well.”
“She’ll be fine.”
Cooper and Reg gave me highlights from the game, then asked about my trip to Burlington. I opened my mouth to respond just as Viggo parted the crowd with Gretchen on his shoulders, her black cape billowing behind her in the breeze and a radiant grin on her face.
“We won!” she cried, giggling when Viggo kneeled low so she could hop off.
Viggo high-fived her. “Flag football is fun sometimes. Maybe you could try it, too. I bet they’d let you tuck your cape into the belt if we asked the right person.”
Gretchen nibbled her bottom lip and swiveled to face me. “Maybe.”
I nodded. “I think we could work something out.”
The mood was light and celebratory. The sky was clear with a full moon, and the crisp autumn air carried the scent of pine trees and pre-Halloween anticipation.
Silas suggested pizza at Mike and Sam’s—his treat. Everyone cheered. Except Cooper…who reminded the kids that tomorrow was a school day. He was heartily booed.
“I was joking!” He laughed. “Okay, okay. Let’s have pizza.”
I hung back with Viggo while he changed into a clean pullover and gathered his belongings. And in a matter of minutes, it was just us.
“Congratulations.” I nudged his elbow playfully.
Viggo grinned. “It wasn’t the Super Bowl, but it was fun.”
I cupped my ear. “Say that again, please.”
“No. But I’ll let you buy me a beer.”
“You got it.”
“And you can tell me about the doctor appointment. How did it go?” he asked, casually draping his arm over my shoulder.
Goose bumps rose on my arms. I shivered and burrowed closer, breathing him in. There was no one nearby, but at that moment, I officially no longer gave a fuck.
“I felt the baby,” I reported.
Viggo went still. “What do you mean?”
“I put my hand on Freya’s belly and it moved. It was so…incredible.”
“That’s better than beating Fallbrook.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. I almost felt guilty that you weren’t there for it. Like we should be sharing the experience.”
“Thank you. That’s nice of you, but…you’re the father, Dex. You should have the honor for yourself.”
“Hang on. You knew about it?”
“She told us both that the baby was active,” he reminded me. “I didn’t know if she would perform tricks for you.”
“She? Wait! It’s a girl? Do you know that? Did Freya tell you? Did you—”
Viggo stopped abruptly and dropped his bag on the grass. He tipped my chin with his thumb and stared deep into my eyes. “Relax, ?lskling. I don’t know anything. I say ‘she’ in my head sometimes and other times, I say ‘he.’ That’s all.”
“Right. Okay.” I studied him in the moonlight. “What does ?lskling mean?”
Viggo kissed my nose. “I’m not telling you.”
“Oh, c’mon.”
“Nope. Let’s get pizza, donut man. The town will come looking for us if we don’t show up, and chances are good that we’ll be naked and I don’t think they should get a peek at all this, you know?” He gestured to his crotch and undulated, and it was so ridiculous, it was funny.
Viggo waltzed ahead of me, shaking his booty while I laughed like a loon.
The stoic man I’d met months ago had a vicious silly streak. He used humor like medicine and sometimes as a distraction when we skirted too close to a truth neither of us was ready to face.
I played along because it seemed like the right thing to do.
I didn’t want either of us to get hurt, but I was beginning to worry we wouldn’t get out of this unscathed.