Page 63 of Playing for Keeps

“I’m sure the meerkats appreciate your endorsement,” I said.

“Can we catch the bus?” Theo asked after a few minutes of mutual surveillance between us and the meerkats.

Ethan looked at Jonathan and me. “You guys okay to go on the shuttle bus?”

“Sure,” Jonathan said.

So we all climbed on the small open shuttle bus that circulated around the park, the driver giving commentary as we passed the various animals. Ethan and Theo were in the seats directly in front of Jonathan and me, and from this angle their messy blond hair was exactly the same shade and even tapered down to the same V shape at their napes. Ethan really did have his own miniature version of himself.

As we went past the ostriches, the bus driver told us that their eggs were the same size as a rugby ball.

Ethan twisted round to face me. “We should suggest using ostrich eggs at practice. Might improve ball handling skills.”

“Don’t say that out loud. It’s the kind of thing Coach Clark might actually try.”

Ethan nodded seriously. “And his spies are everywhere, listening in to our conversations.”

“I knew those porcupines looked suspicious.”

“I actually think it’s the otters. Nothing that cute should ever be trusted.”

“But the turtles have the obvious advantage of tucking the spy notes into their shells,” I pointed out.

“I swear I need an interpreter to follow your conversation sometimes,” Jonathan interjected.

Jonathan wasn’t the first person to say something like that. My mother had turned to us during one car trip to Wanaka and demanded, “What in God’s name are you two actually talking about?”

But I felt a pinch of guilt now seeing the expression on Jonathan’s face.

“Shall we get off and walk?” I suggested.

“Great idea.”

We got off at the next stop and wandered over to the monkey enclosure. Unfortunately, two of the monkeys were engaged in an act that didn’t leave much to the imagination.

“Don’t you dare say any of the jokes currently frolicking in your head,” I warned Ethan.

He widened his eyes in innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I laughed.

Theo ran to the edge of the wire cage, stared at the monkeys for a few moments, then came back to us. He tugged on Ethan’s jacket. “Daddy, what are those monkeys doing?”

Ethan’s eyes danced. “Uncle Luke will explain.”

Theo turned to me, an expectant look on his face.

“Well, you see, when two monkeys really love each other…” I began, and Ethan doubled over laughing.

Theo frowned at me. “I thought they were just mating to have more babies like what happens on TV.”

“Um…yeah. That sounds about right,” I said.

“Let’s go see the wallabies.” Theo ran off along the path.

“Asshole.” I bumped my shoulder into Ethan, and he bumped me back, still laughing.

Ethan and I continued to joke as we made our way around the enclosures. I suddenly noticed that Jonathan was very quiet.