Page 23

Josh

A Year or So Later

“I hope you’re sure this is okay, Finn, because it looks like Dev and Jamie and AJ and Jackson are going to beat us to the farm.”

“Babe, what’s the worst that can happen? My Dad will hug them all to death? My family's used to visitors. Especially now that fans might catch a glimpse of the soon-to-be reserve goalie for the Buffalo Blizzard.”

“We really should have thought that the agritourism business might boom based on you being all famous and shit.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t be so famous and shit right off the bat if it weren’t for a certain podcast causing a huge sensation in the hockey world.”

I leaned over without taking my eyes off the road, looking for a kiss, which Campbell happily gave me.

“Or the world of the alphabet mafia.”

“Yeah, that too,” he agreed.

Cam had graduated in the spring, and with the summer waning, was busy with practice. He was off for the long holiday weekend, so long as he promised to keep up with his exercise and diet regime. Cam’s parents had offered us one of the bungalows, so I’d assured Cam that I’d make sure he got his cardio in while we were visiting his family, and some of mine, at Pond View Acres.

My phone was buzzing from the cup holder in the door, and I passed it to Cam without looking at it.

“Yup, they beat us there. It’s Devon, looking for you.”

Another buzz erupted, and Cam picked up his phone. “And here’s my Dad, telling me how wonderful your family is, like we didn’t just see them all on Fourth of July.”

“And here’s a picture from Jamie of Devon with Vera on his shoulders. She’s really getting too big for that. That man is spoiling your niece.”

I grabbed Cam’s hand but didn’t say a word.

As we traversed the long driveway, we tried to hatch a plan that would allow us to sneak past the farmhouse to the bungalows.

“Maybe they’ll all be in the barn, showing Vera the horses. Or so busy in the kitchen getting lunch together that they won’t hear us.” Josh sounded hopeful.

“It’s a gravel drive, babe. They’ll hear us in Hampstead.”

“I know. It’s just so nice to have you all to myself this weekend. Neither of us having to work. I need some alone time with my man!” I whined.

“That’s very sweet, but we live together and work together. I know we’re busy, but the season hasn’t even started yet. You’re going to have to get used to me traveling.”

“No, I don’t.” I may have sounded a little petulant, but to Cam’s point, you couldn’t really hear it over the noises of the tires rolling over the gravel.

As we approached, the door swung open, and my niece burst out, followed by my brother AJ’s boyfriend Jackson, who picked her up from behind and lifted her to his shoulders. We could hear Vera’s squeal of delight as she looked up and stretched, trying to touch the floorboard of the upstairs deck.

“It’s a wonder the child knows how to walk,” I muttered as I put the car in park, and we headed into the fray.

The Ryans had a home-cooked feast waiting, and we all crowded around the large picnic table. It reminded me of my own house, with people talking across the table, their volume increasing to be heard over everyone else’s conversation, Cam’s brother Chase even replacing Vance as the quiet one.

Food was passed like we did at home as well, over Vera’s head, though Devon sat next to her and added things to her plate before taking some for himself and passing it along.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched my best friend insist that my niece eat some vegetables. I thought about the Labor Day holiday a few years earlier when both of us still called ourselves players and never dreamed of settling down.

With a hand on Campbell’s knee, I whispered in his ear after flicking my head in Devon’s direction. “I swear, she’ll be calling him Pop or Papa soon. Look at him being all Eat your vegetables .”

Campbell stabbed a spear of asparagus with his fork and presented it to me. “Eat your vegetables,” he teased, and I allowed him to feed me the spear. All eyes were on us by the time I finished, so I smiled at my favorite nine-year-old. “Yum. My favorite. Now you try.”

Vera may have glared at me and then at Devon, but she did scoop up a piece of asparagus and pop it in her mouth.

Campbell’s dad offered to take the group on a tour, but Camille insisted that her boys and I stay behind.

“I need to talk to my boys. We have all weekend. You guys go, look at horses. We’ll be right behind you.”

Campbell, his brothers Danny and Chase, and I all sat staring at each other after Camille said, “Wait right here,” and exited the room. She returned with four matching sustainable gift boxes in two different colors.

“I know it’s early, but we just don’t know what time Campbell is going to have once the season starts. So this might be the last time in a long time we’re all at the Acres.”

“Mom,” Campbell warned, “don’t get maudlin. I already made plans for everyone to be at the first game of the season even though I likely won't play, so don’t make it sound like we're never going to see each other again.”

“No, no. I know. I’m fine. We just have to get this done,” she said as she passed out the boxes, one to each of her boys on the words “get,” “this,” and “done.” She handed me the final box. A box the same color as Campbell’s.

I may have been a little confused, but Cam beamed as his brothers opened their boxes, and he just stared at me. Eventually, he gave me a little nod.

“Thank you,” I said as I lifted the top of the box. Inside was a festive winter sweater in navy blue, with white snowflakes and splashes of red here and there. There was a matching scarf and hat in the box.

Chase lifted his sweater, which matched mine in design but was primarily red with blue highlights.

“It’s tradition, boys; we have to get the photo done!”

Campbell hadn’t opened his box, but he stood up and hugged his mom. “Thank you,” he said, bending down to bury his head in her shoulder.

He reached for my hand, and I stood, and soon he was buried in my neck instead. I could feel the tears falling.

“Campbell Ryan, you know how splotchy you get. You stop that crying right now!” his mother chastised. Campbell laughed into my shoulder before standing up and heading to the sink to splash water on his face.

“Camille, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say ‘thank you,’ son. Then the two of you need to go to the bungalow and put on your good jeans before we lose the light.”

From the sink, Campbell surfaced from behind a dish towel to say, “These are my good jeans.”

My heart started pounding as I realized what was about to happen. It was just a simple picture, but I knew that the Ryan family tradition was to take a photo in front of Little Pond each year and use it as their holiday card. Camille was asking me to be a part of it.

She had no way of knowing how much I had been thinking about being a part of their family since Campbell had joined me in Buffalo. The year before had been hard but manageable as I was able to travel most weekends and stay with Cam at HU. We even somehow convinced the PR team that it should be part of my job to be at some of Cam’s games for his final year of college, as a representative of the Blizzard. I think my boss may have had a soft spot for Cam and me that resulted in that particular job duty.

I rented a room in a group house in Buffalo with some local college students for that first year, staying there as little as possible. Once Cam started drawing his NHL salary, we looked for a place together. I had been offered a full-time job at that point and was able to contribute to our household.

We’d only been living together for a few months, but after spending too much time apart the year before, I was certain I wanted to be with Campbell for the rest of my life.

I’d ordered rings online and had them delivered to Jamie and Devon in Brooklyn. Devon had assured me he’d packed them and would hand them off to me at Pond View Acres. It hadn’t been my intention to present them to Cam that weekend, but I found myself texting Devon and picking him up by the barn on my way to the bungalows.

I changed into my jeans while Devon went to his cabin. I met him there, and he passed the rings to me, keeping hold of my hand when I went to grab them.

“Can you believe the two of us?” he asked.

“No, I really fucking cannot, Mr. Did you eat your vegetables .”

“I thought we’d grow old in the club scene.”

“Yup. The coolest, hottest daddies you’ve ever seen.”

“I think I like this better.”

“I know I like this better.”

“Can you keep a secret?”

I laughed. “You know I can.”

“True. Jamie and I are thinking of moving up to Hampstead.”

My eyes went wide as I gasped. “Jamison Duncan Gordon leave Brooklyn? Wait a minute, Devon “Wolf of Wall Street” Miller leave Wall Street?!”

“You know I don't work on Wall Street. I can work from home anywhere. And there’s this job at the college where Jamie can do some counseling and even teach a course or two. He’s really excited about it, but your parents don’t know yet. It’s not a done deal, and we don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

“Holy shit, Dev. Holy shit. We’ll be less than three hours away. And Vera will get to live near my parents. Her Aunt Rosie’s already left the state, so you’ll only be leaving AJ and Jackson behind.”

“Yeah, well, you know those two are always going to do their own thing no matter what.”

“That is too true.”

“All right, I told you my secret.” He grabbed my hand again and squeezed the box. “What’s the plan for these?”

I could feel the sparkle in my eye as I said, “Let’s find out.” He looked quizzical but just laughed at me and didn’t ask me to explain.

We drove back to the main house, the box firmly shoved into my pocket, to find everyone crowded around the pond.

Daniel was taking pictures of his three sons, and for a quick second, I thought about offering not to don the sweater. But Camille had intentionally bought it for me; she’d invited me to be part of the tradition. I ran inside and pulled it on, running up to the Ryan brothers and adjusting Campbell’s hair where it fell out of the hat.

“I love your long hair.” I gave it a little tug.

“I love you,” he replied, kissing me. I’m fairly sure his dad was taking our picture.

I took a step back and offered my hands for Campbell to hold. He entwined our fingers in both hands. “I love you, too, you know?” Even I could hear the seriousness in my tone.

“Of course, I do, babe,” he countered with a questioning tone, obviously wondering why I’d gotten so serious.

I kept one hand in his and lowered myself to one knee, to many gasps, followed by Vera’s questioning, “What’s Uncle Joshy doing?”

I laughed up at Campbell as my brother shushed his daughter, but Campbell didn’t laugh back. His looks always had a way of holding a multitude of expressions, and this one was serious and loving and shocked and questioning all at once.

I squeezed his hand. “I love you, Campbell Ryan. I want the world to know you’re mine, but more importantly, I want your family to be mine and mine yours, for now and for forever. Campbell Ryan, will you marry me?”

I think we were both a little shocked as I stayed on one knee and fished out the box, Campbell squeezing my other hand tight. With the box in hand, I stood, and Campbell was on me, both of us overheated in the winter sweaters, his face once again buried in my neck as he said, “Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes!” There were cheers around us, and Daniel continued to take pictures.

AJ held a phone up, and I could hear my mother’s voice over it, and Camille saying, "There's no chance he won’t be splotchy now!”

Vera ran up to us, despite protests from her father and Devon, and hugged our legs. Campbell moved his head away to look down at my niece, then back to me. His face was that beautiful shade of red that I loved, and his eyes were alight. We both started laughing, and soon we were pulled apart as the rest of the family crowded around us with congratulations. I still had the box in my hand, so after a few minutes that included a video-chat conversation with my mother, I stood in front of Campbell again, taking his hand in mine, and with trembling fingers, I placed the simple black tungsten-carbide ring on his finger. I presented the box to him, and he placed a matching band on mine.

Daniel had been snapping pictures the whole time, and the image of Cam sliding the ring over the curve of my once-broken finger as we looked at each other in a way that would leave no doubt that we were two men in love, ended up being our holiday card that year.

The End