Page 68 of Almost Ravaged

He loved classic American literature, and his research focused on the evolution of how it was taught in public high school classrooms. It’s honestly a wonder we never moved to the United States for his work. He had several opportunities, but once Tytus was placed with us, there was never a question of whether we would leave the country.

What would he think of us now? Would he and my mom have moved to the US eventually? In another life, would we all be living in this country?

I like to think he’d be proud of my dedication to my studies. He’d probably brag to friends about how I earned an honors degree from McMaster University in three years. And he’d be thrilled that my master’s program is similar to what he studied. He’d be proud of Atty’s and Tytus’s budding careers, too.

He’d attend every game he could. My dad wasn’t just the antitheses of a mean old bastard. He was the most supportive, loving, generous, and kind person. The best man I’ve ever known.

I clear the emotion from my throat and pull my shoulders back. “Sawyer Davvies.”

“Davvies?” Tony asks, his brows shooting into his hairline. “Isn’t one of the new D-men a Davvies?”

There’s no stopping my grin. “That’s my brother, Atty. And the other one, Tremblay, is our best friend.”

He plants his hands on his hips and peers out at the rink, then turns back to me. “And here you are, already working at the rink.”

Arjun appears in the doorway, grasping the frame on either side of him and leaning in. “She’s already one of us,” he says. “Even came out to Mae’s with us last week.”

The older man grins, showing off a couple of missing teeth. If he’s worked here since the nineties, he’s probably got plenty of stories to tell.

“Y’all are from Canada, right? You play, too?”

Before I can tell him that I can skate and know the game well, he continues.

“We have a broomball team here. Intramural. You should join us.”

“Yes. Epic idea.” Arjun whips around and shouts, “Grant, Tony just recruited Sawyer for broomball.”

I suck in a breath. “I—”

“Gods,” Arjun goes on. “Ever since they banned hockey players from joining, we’ve been suffering. This is perfect. Tony, you’re a genius. The Poppin’ Cherries won’t see us coming with Sawyer as our secret weapon.”

Cringing, I peer back at him. He’s already standing at his station again, talking loudly about this year’s shirt design.

Tony gives a small chuckle. He knows exactly what he just did. “Good to have you on the team, Sawyer.”

Not a minute after he retreats, Cam pushes through the swinging wooden gate and stands beside me, immediately adjusting the program guides and the postcards on display. “Heard you’ve officially been recruited.”

I scoff. “Apparently. But I’ve never even played broomball—”

“It’s hockey in sneakers.” She waves a dismissive hand. Her hair, curly last week, is now done in braids that fall down her back and over her shoulders. “If you’re not scared of the ice and know the basics of hockey, you’ll be our best player. I’m technically on the team, too, but I rarely get to attend games since we can’t leave this place completely unmanned. Speaking of which…” She pulls out her phone and unlocks the screen. “I’m working on the schedule for next month and saw you blocked out all the home games.”

Trepidation courses through me. Shit. With my luck, that’s not allowed.

“Is it so you can watch your brother play? Or do you actually need those nights off?”

I need to be off, full stop. There’s nothing this job or even my graduate assistantship could require of me that would make me miss one of Atty and Ty’s home games.

“Well…” I fiddle with the bottom button of Noah’s flannel, but when Cam continues to watch me expectantly, I inhale deeply and just get on with it. “I can’t miss their games. It may sound overly dramatic, but I would quit this job before missing the chance to watch them play.”

Brows lifted, she makes a note on her clipboard. “Understood.”

The trepidation turns into full-on dread. I don’t want to lose this job, and I really don’t want to lose her as a friend, either.

“So if I scheduled you for closing only, after the game, to help with cleanup, then shut down for the night, would that work for you?”

Relief floods my veins. “Absolutely,” I reply with a grin. “Thanks, Cam.”

“Yo. Camilla.” Arjun’s back in the doorway again.