Page 35

THIRTY-FOUR

ANDRE

“I think that’s everything.” I stepped back from the kitchen island where I’d arranged the appetizers we’d picked up from our favorite places—Red’s, Giuseppe’s, and Special Blend.

Ethan’s warm chuckle came from behind me as his arms slipped around my waist. “You’ve rearranged all that three times.”

“I want it to be perfect.” I leaned back against his chest, taking in the spread on the island and beyond into other parts of the house.

Over the past few days, we’d transformed this place into something that felt like home.

Books now filled the built-in shelves, arranged by genre just as I’d suggested.

Photos and art adorned the walls, including a stunning black-and-white print of the pond in winter that Olivia had given Ethan yesterday.

He’d hung it over the fireplace, and this morning I’d come downstairs to find him standing before it, coffee in hand.

“There are so many memories tied to this pond.” His eyes had shimmered with emotion. “I can’t believe I live here now. We’re going to create something amazing here.”

Butterflies had danced in my stomach at his words—still digesting that we were making plans to build the youth camp here.

Ethan pressed a kiss to my temple, pulling me back to the present. “It’s already perfect. The house looks amazing, the food will be great, and more importantly…” He turned me in his arms so I faced him. “We’re doing this together.”

Soft jazz floated from the speakers we’d set up inside and out, creating a peaceful vibe. On the deck, Mickey prepared the grill, having volunteered to be grill master.

I reached up to straighten his collar, though it didn’t need it. His blue eyes sparkled as he kissed me gently.

The doorbell broke the moment. “Ready?” Ethan asked.

My fingers trailed down his arm as we separated. “Ready.”

Grace and Elena stood on the porch, both carrying covered dishes.

“We know we’re early,” Grace said, “but we thought you might need help setting up.”

“Perfect timing actually.” Ethan took their dishes. “Andre was just about to rearrange the food again.”

“I was not,” I protested despite the obvious lie.

“You probably were, son,” Dad said as he and Sato came up the stairs. Sato was carrying a couple of cases of beer.

“Hey now, no ganging up.” I stepped forward and hugged them both.

Elena laughed as she hugged me. “Some things never change. You were the same way in school and with displays in the library.”

I held up a finger, chuckling at the memory. “Only until Clara threatened me if I kept changing her work.”

“Someone had to rein you in,” Elena said, her laughter warm.

“Don’t let them get to you,” Sato said. “Someone has to keep the rest of us organized.”

“He’s been amazing helping me get settled.” Ethan pivoted the conversation as we all moved to the kitchen. “How about a quick tour?”

“Yes, please,” Grace said. “I’ve been excited to see how it’s coming together.”

“I’d love to see,” Dad added.

Ethan guided our parents toward the living room while I placed dishes on the island, my fingers already itching to adjust the arrangement.

Another ring from the door stopped me, and I hurried to answer so Ethan could continue with our parents.

Wade and Olivia stood on the doorstep with two boxes from Special Blend.

“Jenny asked us to bring these since she’s picking up an extra shift. She said these were mandatory.” Wade handed the boxes over.

I couldn’t imagine what Jenny had sent since we already had a selection of Special Blend savory goodies.

Olivia nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t tease. Those pastries are practically responsible for this happening tonight.”

The entire town apparently knew about the scones and tarts, though we hadn’t picked any up since Mickey had brought pies for later. They were appropriate, though.

“Among other things,” I murmured, catching Ethan’s eye across the room where he was about to lead our parents out to the deck. His soft smile sent warmth cascading through me.

Clara arrived next, bringing a bottle of wine.

“The board is thrilled that you’re taking the interim director position,” I told her as I opened the bottle to let it breathe.

“Thank you for having the faith in me to fill in.”

“You’ll do a great job. Next week we’ll get started on the transition plan. Tonight, though, no more work talk.”

Clara’s smile mirrored my own. “Understood.” She gave me a quick hug. “It’s great to see you so happy.”

The arrival of Dixon, Kyle, and Liam fresh from hockey camp brought new energy through the house. They practically buzzed from an afternoon on the ice.

Dixon pulled me into a bear hug before he’d even fully crossed the threshold. “Congratulations on Seattle! Oscar wants to visit when I’m out there for a game. Says we need to double date properly.”

“Fair warning,” Kyle said, “Oscar’s idea of a proper double date usually involves dancing. Austin and I were not ready for that, so be prepared.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” I said with a laugh, remembering how naturally Ethan had twirled me in the kitchen a few days ago. I’d be game for whatever Oscar had in mind.

Conversation and laughter filled the house, mixing with the music to create the welcoming atmosphere we’d hoped for. Our friends moved easily between the kitchen and deck, celebrating all the good things that had happened over the past couple of weeks.

Ethan caught my eye again, this time with a questioning look that asked if I was okay. I smiled and gave him a subtle nod. I was more than okay. Even though we weren’t officially living together yet, this place already felt like home.

I drifted over to Olivia and Wade to see how they were doing.

“I wanted to ask you, those drawings on the dining room table—is that your camp idea?” Olivia asked.

“It is.” My voice caught slightly as emotion swelled in my throat. “We’re looking at giving it a go.”

“I’ve got to see that.” Wade stood. “I missed it earlier.”

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

As we moved inside, I explained the concept. “We’re planning to develop part of this property.”

“We’ll start relatively small to prove the concept.” Ethan appeared at my side as we approached the table. “But there’s room to expand while keeping the camp and the house separate.”

Our friends gathered around, examining the plans with interest. Dixon pointed to the area we’d marked as a stage. “Oscar would love to teach up here. He fell in love with this place last week. He didn’t want to go back to Miami.”

“We’ll definitely take him up on that,” I said.

“If the pond freezes over, you could have winter hockey camps.” Kyle’s eyes lit up at the thought of outdoor hockey.

“Exactly what I’ve been saying,” Liam added. “Plus having cabins out here will make it easier for people from further away to attend hockey camp rather than having to find a billet family. They could split their time between the rink and outdoor activities here.”

Ideas flowed freely. Wade offered to set up a technology center while Olivia proposed art therapy programs. My pen flew across a notepad we had on the table as I captured each suggestion, adding to our already extensive list.

“When do you think you’ll start development?” Clara asked.

Ethan and I exchanged glances. This topic had dominated our evening conversations since he’d shown me the drawings.

“There’s a lot to organize,” I explained. “Funding, permits to build what we envision, gathering input from the town.”

“And there’s probably a lot more we need to do that we don’t even know about,” Ethan said, seamlessly picking up my train of thought. “We want to do this right—create something truly sustainable.”

Grace wiped at her eyes while Elena squeezed her hand.

“I’m just so proud,” Grace said, her voice thick with emotion. “Of both of you.”

“It’s amazing what our boys are doing,” Dad said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

Ethan crossed to his moms, wrapping them in a hug. “Love you both.”

“Come here,” Elena said, reaching out to me. “Big family hug.”

I hesitated for just a moment before joining them, followed by Dad and Sato. The intensity of the support made me feel like Ethan and I could do anything.

“You’re going to do amazing things here,” Grace whispered, her voice wavering.

Later, as Ethan fell into a spirited debate with Kyle, Bellamy, Ryland, and Liam about the upcoming hockey season, I pulled Dixon aside. I led him to the far end of the deck where the setting sun had painted the pond in shades of gold and pink.

“What’s up?” Dixon asked, leaning against the railing.

“Any advice for making a relationship work across thousands of miles?”

“First thing, Oscar would kill me if I didn’t extend the official invitation to join our group chat.

” Dixon pulled out his phone, grinning. “We call it Love Across the Lines because hockey players are terrible at naming things. It’s for couples separated by states during the season—me and Oscar, Cole and Miles, Caleb and Aaron, and now you and Ethan if you want. ”

“A support group?”

“Exactly. Travel schedules, different time zones, all of it.” He nodded toward Ethan, who threw his head back laughing at something Liam said. “The distance is difficult sometimes, but it helps having people who understand the struggle.”

“At least Ethan and I have Seattle together first, to build a solid foundation.”

“I envy that.” Dixon’s gaze drifted toward the pond.

“Oscar and I built our relationship while he toured and I played. We crossed paths in a few cities but mostly communicated by texts and calls. Once the season gets underway, he’ll be in Miami and I’ll be in New York, but we’re confident we’ll be ready for it. ”

“Miles and Cole have that deep friendship foundation that must help,” I said.

“They do. Frankly, those two should’ve sorted themselves out years ago.”

Our laughter mingled with the rest of the chatter on the deck.

“How do you handle the tough days?”

Dixon’s expression softened. “Communication is everything. Oscar and I talk daily, share everything, and never go to bed angry. When we’re not together, we have regular date nights, even if it’s just syncing up the same movie over video chat.”

“That’s actually really sweet.”

“The key is remembering you’re both choosing this. Every day you’re actively choosing each other. That matters.”

“We’re both all in on making this work.”

“No doubt about that.” Dixon bumped my shoulder with his. “Oscar said he knew we’d end up together the night we reconnected in New York. It’s only been a few months for us, but I know he’s right.”

“I feel that certainty too, despite our rocky start.”

Dixon laughed. “That tension between you two? Painful to watch.”

Heat blazed up my neck. “We weren’t that bad.”

“Andre.” Dixon fixed me with a pointed stare. “The entire town placed bets on when you’d finally get together. Wade created a spreadsheet.”

“They what?”

“Oops.” Dixon’s eyes widened in mock innocence. “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to mention that part.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Coming from a much larger city, the way this town invested in your relationship was interesting to watch.”

“It can be a lot sometimes having everyone know your business. On the other hand, it was pretty nice having so many people rooting for us.”

Around eleven, our friends gradually began to leave. Each departure brought warm hugs and promises to do this again before our September departure.

Grace and Elena were the last to go, pulling Ethan and me into tight embraces.

“We’re so happy for you both,” Elena said, her eyes shining.

Grace nodded. “Come over for dinner soon? And, Andre, please extend the invite to Sato and Ray.”

“They would love that. We’ll figure out some dates and let you know.”

After they left, Ethan and I stood in the quiet house amid the party’s remnants—empty wine glasses, plates with crumbs, and the Special Blend box with a single maple scone left.

“Want to split this out on the deck?” Ethan asked, already reaching for it.

I nodded.

The night air had cooled to the perfect temperature. We settled into the cushioned loveseat, my body finding its place against Ethan’s side as he broke the scone in half.

Comfortable silence enveloped us as we nibbled the treat and gazed at the stars.

“I see it so clearly,” I said finally.

“See what?”

“Kids swimming in the pond, performing on the stage. Music drifting from the cabins.” I turned to face him.

Ethan’s smile softened. “I can’t wait to create it with you.”

My palm found his cheek, drawing him down for a gentle kiss that tasted of maple and possibilities. “That’s going to be the best part.”

When we separated, Ethan rested his forehead against mine. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The words flowed effortlessly from my heart.