Page 4

CHAPTER 4

KENO

One of the things I’m slow at getting used to is celebrating holidays without my family. When we’re home, it’s not like we have a guaranteed three days off to make travel feasible. Sometimes we only get the day off, which means going home if it’s more than a few hours away isn’t reasonable.

My family is from the Northwest, so nowhere near Arizona. Equally nowhere near Detroit, where we are now for our game tomorrow. At least we’re coming off a win against Carolina. Thanksgiving blessing, I guess.

We made plans with the guys to have an early dinner at an open restaurant down the road with the agreement that we were tipping like crazy since these people had to work. On the one hand, I appreciate they’re working, or we’d likely have gas station jerky or something. On the other, I feel really bad they’re working and not home with their families.

I look at myself in the mirror and frown. While I knew we’d be traveling over Thanksgiving, it didn’t occur to me to bring clothes that were nice but not suit-nice. I’m wearing enough suits on this trip and sure as hell don’t want to wear one now. Especially not to eat in.

The best I can do is jeans and a polo shirt. Otherwise, it’s tee-shirts and gym clothes. Turning sideways, I sigh. At least I have a nice ass. Round and plump.

The bathroom door opens, and I glance that way as Etna comes out, buttoning the cuffs of his sleeves. He’s wearing a gray button-down and black slacks. He looks… sleek. Not elegant, but like he could run a company. Is sophisticated the word I’m looking for?

“Why did you remember to bring something appropriate, and didn’t think to mention it to me?” I ask.

He glances at me, amused. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?” Etna looks me over.

“I’m business casual. You’re casual dress. I think that’s more appropriate than business casual.”

“You knew the dates we’d be away as well as I did,” he argues and then looks at himself in the full-length mirror outside the bathroom door. “I have another button-down. Want it?”

“Yes, please,” I say and pull the hem of my shirt from my pants. If I do it quickly, I shouldn’t mess up my hair too much.

Tossing it aside, I join Etna in front of his garment bag. From the back, he pulls out a deep blue button-down and hands it to me.

“Am I taking away from your suits?” I ask as I sling it around my shoulders.

“Don’t get it dirty and I can still wear it,” Etna answers, walking back to the mirror.

I return to the large mirror above the desk as I button myself up. “Why is this so soft?” I ask, unbuttoning my pants and shoving them down a little so I can tuck the shirt in.

“That’s why I only buy this brand when I can help it. It says 100% cotton, but I feel like it’s silky clouds,” he says, laughing.

He’s not wrong. I could just sit here and rub my arms or my chest all night. “I want everything made of this.”

Etna nods.

When I’m put back together again, I stand beside Etna. He has the top two buttons undone. I have the top three. His sleeves are down, but I rolled mine a couple times, so they’re cuffed at my mid-forearm. I think it’s necessary since my options are suit pants or jeans. Also, now it doesn’t look like we dressed alike.

But we definitely look good.

“You clean up decent,” Etna compliments.

I turn sideways. Yep, ass perfect.

Etna’s reflection in the mirror shakes his head. “You’re such an ass man,” he says when I meet his reflection’s eyes.

I shrug. “I like a nice ass. Which means I like my ass. It’s my best feature.”

Laughing, Etna grabs his coat and moves to the door. “Ready?”

Nodding, I grab my jacket as well. There’s no snow but we’re in cold country with the Great Lakes right here. It’s chilly and I swear, there’s somehow an extra icy touch to it.

“Got the keycard?” I ask.

Etna taps his pocket. “Yep.”

We’re the only ones in the elevator, and I’m still looking at my reflection in the elevator mirrors. I need to buy some shirts like this. Usually, I don’t obsess about my appearance or what others think of me; I really don’t care that much. I’m my own biggest fan and that’s all that matters to me.

I glance at Etna. He’s been quiet for the last few days. He’s never loud, but he’s been quieter than usual. “Hey.” His eyes meet mine in the mirror. “You look good, too.”

His smile is amused. “Thanks.”

“No, I mean it. I’m just not good at compliments. Especially not when I’m distracted.”

“By admiring your own ass?”

“Oh, come on. It’s a nice ass!”

He’s still chuckling when the elevator doors open to the lobby. The guys are waiting by the front doors.

“See? I’m glad I changed. You all planned better than I did. I’d look like I was your manager and not a scruffy hockey player if I hadn’t changed.”

“You’re still the only one in jeans,” Etna notes.

I frown. He’s not wrong. Hilt, Horny, and Julian are all wearing tan or black pants. “You’re packing for me from now on.”

He snorts as we join them.

“What’s funny?” Horny asks.

“Keno can’t pack for himself.”

“What’s wrong with what he’s wearing?” Julian asks.

“To start with, that’s my shirt,” Etna deadpans.

“But I look good in it. Admit it.”

I’m no longer the youngest guy on the team, Julian is. But I’m still the one that gets the most indulgent looks from the older players. Like I am now.

“You sure do, son,” Hilt says, gripping my shoulder.

I huff as we head out to the waiting car that’s going to drive us twelve minutes down the road. I both love and hate when Hilt teases me like I’m one of his kids. Okay, I don’t hate it at all. Even when he’s maybe mocking me a little.

The restaurant is nice. It’s decorated elegantly in festive fall colors and decorations. There aren’t a ton of people here, but it might be the time of day. We opted to eat at three to give us enough time for our food to digest and maybe work some of it off in the gym or pool before we crash for the night.

The meal is likely already pre-prepared by the time we sit. We’re given a variety of drinks to choose from before our plates—loaded with ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving meal dishes—are placed before us, along with a heaping basket of rolls.

You know the food is good when no one speaks for several minutes while we try each item. I’m not a fan of green things, but I even love the green bean casserole. And these yams, man. I need the recipe.

“You talk to your family?” Horny asks Hilt.

Hilt nods. He has four kids; the oldest is sixteen, and the youngest is six. He and his wife are still adorable together, even though they’ve been married for twenty years. They got married right out of high school. It’s really sweet.

“Yep. They’re not eating for a while. Letty’s mom is down, so I feel good that it’s not just her and the kids. We were going to video while they had their meal so I was ‘ there ,’ but then we thought it would be too weird, so I’ll call them on the video later.”

“That must be hard,” Etna says.

He shrugs. “In some ways, but you get used to it. It helps having a partner like Letty. She knew what she was signing up for when we got married, and I was drafted a month later. She’s truly amazing. The things that I worry about aren’t our marriage while I’m still playing. It’s when I retire.”

“Why?” Julian asks. “Shouldn’t things be even better then?”

“I’ve missed at least half of their lives. Almost all their games, competitions, and milestones because I spend so much time with hockey. Our games take place when their games do. I travel constantly. They know I love them, and I’d do anything for them, but they’re also used to a life where Dad isn’t around and Mom is the queen of the roost. That’s not something they’re going to forget. So I’m providing them with a comfortable life at the cost that I miss most of it.”

“Wow,” I say. “That’s a lot more depressing than I thought it would be.”

He chuckles. “The part I’m worried about isn’t being completely present in their lives. It’s being completely present in Letty’s. So much of the time, she’s the leader of a single-parent household. There is no discussing it with Dad because Dad’s 500 miles away. While I would never dream of challenging or changing her parenting style, I’ve never been around enough during the school year, their sports seasons, and such to be a truly active participant. Who knows how we’ll clash?”

“You’re assuming you will,” Julian says.

“True, and I’m really not, even though that’s what it sounds like. It’s just a possibility that worries me.”

“I guess maybe I’m glad I don’t have a family right now,” Horny admits. “I don’t know that I’d want to miss them all the time.”

Hilt nods. “That’s very true. I miss them all the time.”

“What about you, Jules?” Horny asks.

Julian nods, shrugging at the same time. “I want a partner. I want someone to come home to. Someone who misses me and texts me when they’re thinking about me. Right now, I have my empty apartment and it’s… a little cold. Lifeless. There’s no warmth.”

“You could get a dog,” Horny suggests.

“We’re traveling for an entire month right now. That means a kennel. That’s no life for a dog.”

I look at Etna. “We should get a dog.”

He meets my eyes with an eyebrow raised. “Did you not just hear Julian? Kenneling a dog for a month at a time is no way to own a dog.”

I huff.

“Meanwhile, you’re already an old married couple and don’t know it,” Hilt says. Once again, the entire table gives me that indulgent look I’m used to. Humoring me. Even Etna’s looking at me that way. As if that comment wasn’t directed at him, too.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard the comment. I don’t care. There are worse ways to spend my days than with my best friend. Especially if we consider what Julian just said. He’s alone and lonely. We’re not.

After three plates of food apiece, three or so of the most delicious rolls, and too many slices of various pies to count, I’m feeling like I just ate my weight in Thanksgiving goodness. Despite the windchill, we opt to walk back to the hotel.

Needless to say, it’s slow going. Not just because it’s cold, but because we’re waddling. I even unbuckled my jeans and loosened my belt. I’m willing to bet I’ll have a protruding belly when I lay down tonight.

The walk is only just over thirty minutes. We didn’t have to worry about one-ways or lengthy lights not working in our favor when there’s no traffic on the road to warrant a ten-minute red light. However, I realize how frigid it is once we step into the toasty hotel. Every piece of me that’s frozen tingles against the warmth. I’m not sure if walking back was a good or bad idea after all.

We pile into the elevator together and tell Hilt when he gets off to give Letty and the kids our best. Julian and Horny are next. Then we’re trudging our way to our room. We didn’t even check if the other room we were assigned—mine—had a better view. We’re in downtown Detroit. I’m not sure how good the views can be. I can’t see the river or waterfront from here. But either way, I’m not all that impressed with cityscapes in general.

At least we’re not looking at the roof with its heating and cooling systems.

I strip on my way to bed and drop onto my stomach. “They should limit you to two plates and two pieces of pie,” I complain. It’s rare that we ever allow ourselves to eat that much. We have a game to focus on.

Etna snorts as the bathroom door shuts. A minute later, the shower turns on.

I manage to roll myself over and grab the remote to flick on the television. We watch an absurd number of Hallmark movies; they have a predictable pattern and there’s very little angst. It’s nice to lose yourself in something mindless and sweet.

Also, I was right. My stomach is definitely not flat right now. Ugh.

Etna’s not long in the shower. He joins me on the bed a few minutes later with a yawn. “I think I need to sleep this off.”

“You sleep now and you know you’ll be up at two AM. I don’t think it’s all-night gym access here.”

He sighs.

Silence envelops us. His quietness tonight weighs heavily on me, like something’s bothering him. I reach over and tap his fingers. “You okay? Really?”

“Sometimes, I miss Eddy more than others,” he admits, shrugging.

“You call her?”

“I did while you were in the shower earlier. She’s with her boyfriend and his family. It sounded like loud, not-at-all-contained chaos, so we didn’t talk long.”

“Sorry, man.”

“She texted me earlier, so I think she misses me, too.”

I nudge my fingers into his again, this time linking my pointer around his middle finger. “I’m sure she does.”

He smiles. It looks sad. I hate it when Etna’s sad. Usually, the thing that makes him saddest is being away from Edna for long periods of time. I’ll never understand the twin bond, but when he misses her, my chest feels tight because I know there’s nothing I can do to fix it.

“Hey, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory from when you were a kid?” I ask.

He hums. “There was this year when we were maybe twelve. Back when our grandmother used to host all the holidays. That was her thing. She brought the family together. My aunts, uncles, and cousins. Dinner was amazing, as always. It wasn’t until we were cleaning up that she found the corn she’d made in the microwave, having forgotten she’d put it there to keep warm while she finished other things. We all laughed and had corn for a late evening snack.”

I smile and lean in a little closer, taking his hand more fully in mine. “That’s funny.”

Etna laughs. “It was. Some years earlier—though this might have been for Christmas and not Thanksgiving—she forgot to add sugar to one of the pies. I remember tasting it and being disgusted because I love pumpkin pie, but that was not how I remembered pumpkin pie from the year before.”

I squeeze his hand. “What else?”

We spend the next several hours talking about our childhood holiday memories. It’s the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving evening. I wouldn’t change a thing about today or my life. Not with this feeling of happiness and warmth and home. Not for anything.