Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Mike glared at him, and JP glared right back.
“What are we pissed about, Mike?”
“Are you sleeping upstairs with him?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” He didn’t understand why Mike was so pissed off.
Mike crossed his arms. “He’s my brother.”
“And he’s my husband.”
“In name only. We all know you’ve been in the States…doing your thing.”
“And now I’m back.” He wasn’t having this discussion with Mike. This was between him and Ian.
“For real, man?” Mike searched his eyes, something like hope in them. “I mean, if Florida calls you back up? Then what?”
“Are you kidding me? You were there at my last check-up. I’m never going to play professionally again. My career is gone. You get that? Gone.”
“That’s enough.” Ian glared at them, eyebrow arching. “Seriously. If JP goes back to work, then JP and I will figure things out together. If he never goes back to playing pro? Then JP and I will figure things out. Together.”
JP threw Ian a grateful glance, happy for the support.
“I’m just looking out for you, Ian. I was the one who was here when he left. I know how it affected you. I don’t want him making new promises he won’t keep.”
“And you are an amazing brother.” Ian gave Mike a hard hug. “You saved me over and over during the last few years. Thank you. But I need to try to make this work. For JP, for the kids, and for me.”
“You are the luckiest son of a bitch on the earth, man. And if you hurt him again I will come find you and kill you.” Mike poked his finger in JP’s chest.
“Noted,” he growled.
“Good boys. Can you two be friends now?”
“He used to be my best friend,” JP said.
“That’s before you crushed Ian’s heart.”
“I get it. I don’t plan on hurting him again.” He was done with this conversation. He grabbed his walker and hauled himself up, heading for the bathroom.
“Guys, please.” Ian put one hand on JP’s arm. “Please, can’t you two have a beer and chill?”
“I don’t know – you’ll have to ask Mike.”
“Michael?”
Mike stared at JP, then nodded. “I missed you, man. We could have a beer.”
He felt something ease in his shoulders and neck, and he nodded. “I still need to use the head, but this time I hope you’re still here when I get back.”
“I’ll grab the beers. You want one, Ian?”
“Not while the babies are awake, but I will order pizza here in a bit, fair?”
“I won’t have a beer until later, then,” JP said before he left the room. He was used to the walker now and could maneuver pretty well with it. He supposed he had to celebrate these little victories because there wasn’t going to be the big one that he really wanted.
Five minutes later he was back in the living room, sitting back down on the couch and raising his leg up onto the ottoman.
“Dad! Dad, Uncle Mike is here!” Tori came to sit next to him. “He’s holding Petey.”
She pointed, like he couldn’t see them.
“I know. He’s going to stay for pizza. Isn’t that fun?” He reminded himself that Mike had been an asshole because he was just looking out for Ian. That let him muster up a genuine smile.
“Uh-huh. I loves pizza. I loves pizza, and Uncle Mike and Daddy and DA-A-A-A-AD!” The last was sung at the top of her lungs.
“But are you sure you do?” he teased.
“I am SO SUUUUUUURE!” She threw herself back on the sofa, so happy.
“Well okay, then. I love you too.” Crazy girl that she was, how could he not?
She squealed, throwing her feet in the air. “My DAD loves ME and my brudder, PETEY!”
“Of course I do.” He reached over and tickled her toes.
“Tickles!” She curled up into a ball, rolling on the sofa.
Peter stared at them, shaking his head.
He laughed and then made grabby hands in Peter’s direction. “You have toesies too.”
“Unca Mike will tect my toesies.”
He pouted. “Not Dad?”
“Dad, you tickle toesies!” Petey started giggling.
He tilted his head. “Okay, you have a point. But I can take Uncle Mike, so I think your toes are still in jeopardy.”
Mike chuckled and hugged Peter close. “I’ll protect your tiny toes, little boy.”
He leaned forward, wiggling his fingers more, pretending he was going to get up and come over to Petey.
“Unca Mike! Save me!”
“Silly Petey! It’s so much fun to play.” Tori looked unimpressed with her brother.
Ian came back, sitting on the sofa on his far side. “Are you two being goofballs? I ordered pizza.”
“Of course they’re being goofballs – that’s how they roll.” JP relaxed back against the couch again, smiling at Ian. “Meat-lovers?”
“One meat-lovers, one cheese, one pepperoni — yay.”
“Sounds good, Chou. Thank you.” He touched Ian’s hand.
“Are you going to kiss my daddy?” Tori asked. “You’re making kissy eyes.”
Kissy eyes. Good grief. She wasn’t wrong, though.
“Not right now,” JP told her. But he already had and he was going to again. Just when there wasn’t an audience.
“Ew. Kissing.” Mike teased, and Petey giggled.
“Ew. Kissing. Girls like kissing. Not boys.”
JP chuckled. “I don’t know about that, Pete. I think even Uncle Mike likes kissing.”
“Maybe. One day. If I’m lucky, but not right now, huh?”
“So you too, eh Pete? When you’re older?”
“Maybe… when I’m really old like you and Daddy.”
“Oh. Really old like us, huh?” Ian’s eyes were dancing.
“Yes, ancient.” Mike was barely holding his laughter back.
JP knew he was supposed to just play along, but it was the first time he’d been called really old, and it did make him want to pout a little. Instead he simply nodded. “Yeah, that old.”
“Did you know Dad is the younger than me? Five whole years.”
“That older than me!” Tori’s eyes were wide, like what Ian had just said was not possible.
“Right? I am an OLD man. Dad and Uncle Mike are the same age.”
JP let Ian know wordlessly with his gaze that he still didn’t think Ian was old. Never had, never would. Ian grinned at him, winked, those eyes warm and adoring. He felt that love — all the way down to the balls.
He could put up with a thousand of Mike’s opinions for that.
Tori waved her feet in front of his face. “Dad! There are toesies here!”
“There are?” He reached in the wrong direction, as if looking for them. “I can’t find any toesies.”
“Oh no! Daddy! Dad is blinded-ed. Hims can’t see no more.”
Good grief. He started to laugh, and grabbed Tori’s toes, pretending to eat them.
She squealed for him, and they were all laughing — all of them.
This was fucking magic.
And yeah, he wasn’t giving it up. Not this time. Even if a miracle happened and he was able to play professionally again. He would find a way to make it work for all of them.
This was going to outlast hockey. He knew that now.
This was forever, and he wanted to hold on.