So Pucking Wrong (Thin Ice #9)

Chapter Six

April

Tanner: I’m headed home. Do you need anything from the store?

Harlan: I can’t tell you how hilarious it is to me that one of the richest men in the world is running to the store for milk on his way home.

Tanner: Milk. Check.

Harlan: That was an observation. Not a request.

Tanner: Milk. Uncheck.

May

Harlan: Matt’s birthday is next week. Do you want to go to New Orleans to surprise him?

Tanner: Sure. Sounds fun.

June

Tanner: These meetings are boring as hell, especially when I want to be home with you.

Harlan: Poor baby. I’ll be waiting, keeping our bed warm.

Tanner: Mhmm. Our bed. I can’t wait.

July

Tanner: What’s your favorite color?

Harlan: Why?

Tanner: *sigh* Just answer the question.

Harlan: Red. Now why?

Tanner: Oh good. They have a red Bugatti in stock.

Harlan: You’re not buying me a car.

Tanner: No hablo inglés.

Harlan: FFS

August

Harlan: I’m feeling some sort of way without you home.

Tanner: You miss me :-D

Harlan: I wouldn’t go that far.

Tanner: You miss me :-D

September

Tanner: The first game of the preseason starts this Tuesday. Want to go?

Harlan: I just checked my schedule and I’m free.

Tanner: Yay.

October

Tanner: Matching costumes? For this Halloween thing Saturday with your team?

Harlan: *sigh* That’s fine.

Tanner: Yay!

November

Tanner couldn’t lie and say juggling his life with Harlan wasn’t exhausting. While he had great people running his businesses and teams, he still had meetings and whatnot that had him jetting around the world. Harlan had been great. He never expected Tanner to kill himself to make a game. But after eight months of marriage and thriving, Tanner wanted to be as present as possible. He also couldn’t claim Harlan wasn’t meeting him halfway. Around his schedule, he went back to Canada with him as often as possible. Tanner still lived in fear of one of them breaking under the strain.

He dipped his chin and hid a yawn. These business meetings were killing him. Under the table, while lawyers droned on, Tanner pulled out his phone.

Tanner: I hope your practice doesn’t last all day.

To his surprise, his phone buzzed almost immediately with an incoming message.

Harlan: It just ended. How about your meeting?

Tanner: Still going.

Harlan: Shouldn’t you be paying attention?

Tanner: Probably. I’d rather talk to you.

Harlan: I miss you too.

A smile exploded across Tanner’s face. Silence cut through his joy. He lifted his head. Everyone stared at him, obviously waiting for his attention.

Tanner cleared his throat. “Continue. I’m not paying you to stare at me.”

The droning continued, and Tanner tried not to pout. He was thousands of miles from Harlan. These separations didn’t happen often. Tanner still hated them. It was already five p.m. There was no way he would make it back to Harlan tonight. He wanted to growl. The meeting crept. It was seven before he finally untangled himself. He burst from the downtown building like the place was on fire. Tanner sucked in a breath of cold Toronto air.

“Mr. Paige?”

The questioning voice had him turning his head. The last person he expected to see stood nearby. Storm eyed him as if every bit as shocked to accidentally run into someone thousands of miles from their last meeting.

“Storm. Hey. It’s Tanner, by the way. What an odd surprise.”

A huge smile stretched Storm’s lips. He looked different tonight. His bottom lip had a piercing in the center and his hair was shaggier than the last time they had met.

“It’s good to see you all the same. I hate that I missed our meeting this past summer.”

They met in the middle and shook hands. “It’s fine. I understand you were injured during the last game of the season. That makes it harder to negotiate. I would’ve done so all the same. You have a lot of talent.”

“I appreciate that.” Storm peeked around him. “Where’s your husband tonight?”

“He had a mandatory practice in L.A. today. I had a meeting with lawyers I couldn’t avoid. It’s like that sometimes. What brings you to Toronto?”

“Well, I’m from Pickering. But we play here tomorrow. I came early to enjoy the weather.”

They shared a smile. Living hot places didn’t always sit well with Canadians. “Where were you headed?”

Storm motioned toward the left with his hand still in his coat pocket. “There’s a small pizza place down that way. I always stop there when I’m in town.”

Tanner nodded. “Grandpa Tony’s Pizza. I eat there a lot. It’s my favorite pizza place.”

“Right?” Storm’s voice filled with happiness. “The first time I stepped in the door and saw an old Italian man tossing dough in the air, I knew it would be good.”

They chuckled.

Storm cocked his head to one side and eyed Tanner. “Would you like to join me? I don’t mind eating alone. But I also wouldn’t mind the company.”

Tanner shrugged. He didn’t have anything else going on and it would give him the chance to find out what it would take to steal Storm from Vegas. “Sure.”

They fell into step beside each other and headed toward the restaurant. “This won’t get you in trouble with Harlan, will it?”

The question caught Tanner off guard. “I don’t see why it would. It’s not like this is a date or anything like that.”

Storm nodded. “True. I guess it takes a strong relationship to withstand having careers so far apart. Crazy busy ones at that. Not that I would know,” Storm tacked on, sounding sad and distant.

The comment about strength sank into Tanner’s blood. They were strong. He spent so much time worrying about the day Harlan would want things to end. It never occurred to him to take a step back and look at them. They were fighting to stay together. This was a real marriage. He didn’t know when it had happened. Maybe it had always been real. Either way, they were a genuine couple. Tanner said the one thing he should have been saying to Harlan.

“I love him. He’s worth every sacrifice.”

Storm flashed him a smile. “That’s amazing. It’s nice to know that kind of love still exists in the world.”

It was amazing. It was also long past the time he should have admitted he wanted this for good. They needed to make some long-term decisions about their future. Tanner still had fears about them burning out and he needed to fix them. He would. Starting tomorrow, they would be permanently married and glued to each other’s sides. That was a vow.

The house felt empty as hell without Tanner’s larger-than-life presence. Until Harlan had spent his first night without Tanner, he hadn’t realized how much space he filled. He was loud and clingy. Tanner was funny and childlike. He was spoiled and pouty when he didn’t get his way. Tanner was a constant challenge. Harlan had never loved someone more. He hated these nights alone.

Harlan turned the TV off and on a dozen times. Nothing held his attention. He tapped his phone on his knee, willing Tanner to call. It was likely Tanner was still in his meeting. Harlan didn’t want to bug him. The doorbell rang, startling Harlan. No one could make it to his door unless they knew the code to his front gate. At the time of buying the house, he hadn’t realized how much he would appreciate that feature until he married Tanner. The media still hadn’t let it go. He opened an app on his phone to bring up the front camera. Harlan blinked at the sight of Rider on his porch. He headed for the door.

When Harlan pulled open the door and set eyes on his brother, he realized how much he had missed him. “Hey. You’re a long way from home.”

Rider smiled. “It’s never too far to visit my brother.”

Harlan stepped aside. “Come in.”

Rider stepped inside and looked around. “Where’s Tanner?”

Harlan closed the door as he answered. “He had a meeting with his attorneys tonight and I had mandatory practice. He’ll be home tomorrow.”

Rider nodded. “That can’t be easy.”

Harlan smiled in response. He didn’t know what to say. Sometimes it was hard as hell, but Harlan couldn’t complain. It was his career forcing them apart. Harlan motioned toward the living room. “I was just trying to find something to watch. Do you want something to drink?”

Rider shook his head and claimed a spot on the couch. “Nah. Ben’s waiting for me back at the hotel. I brought him out to see your game this Sunday.”

That confused Harlan. He reclaimed the recliner he had abandoned to answer the door. “Why didn’t you bring him along? You two could’ve stayed with me.”

Rider shrugged. “Honestly, I didn’t know if you’d be home. With you constantly going between here and Toronto, I didn’t want to complicate things any more. Plus, I hoped to talk to you alone.”

Dread rose in Harlan’s gut. “Okay. About what?”

After leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees, Rider blew out an audible breath. “I need to apologize.”

“You really don’t.”

Rider held up his hand, stopping Harlan. “No. I really do. When I confronted you after the news hit, I didn’t handle things well. I’ve known Tanner for a very long time. When I heard he had married one of my brothers, it nearly sent me over the edge. For as long as I’ve known Tanner, he’s been heartless and a player. He had a different guy every time I saw him. The idea of you marrying someone like our dad was the worst thing I could think to happen to anyone. Much less my little brother. I didn’t know how to handle it. Obviously, I did so very badly. But I love you. I always have. There’s nothing you could do to make me think badly of you. I was just scared for both of you.”

Rider took another audible breath. Before Harlan could thank him for being the bigger person, Rider continued.

“I’ve seen all the coverage of your marriage. Hell, there’s no avoiding it. Every sports channel is like a twenty-four-seven Tanner and Harlan special. What I’ve seen makes me realize exactly how wrong I was. Every time they show pictures of you two, I can see how much you love each other. I don’t know how this came to be or how long it went on underneath my nose, but I’m happy for you. You deserve this.”

The swelling in Harlan’s throat nearly choked him. He really wished it was true. He fought the urge to confess their marriage wasn’t the genuine thing. It was temporary, and that knowledge suffocated him a little more every day. Instead, he chose a different truth to explain his sudden mood shift. “It’s not been easy with my career here and his in Canada. Honestly, I live in constant fear he’ll get burned out and sick of having to run himself into the ground to make things work. Things never sounded easy, but.” Harlan made a gesture, showing he had nothing. The entire situation weighed on him heavier every day.

Rider sat back. He looked thoughtful. “What options have you two considered to make things easier?”

Harlan shrugged.

Rider’s eyes filled with laughter. “You two have talked about it, right?”

Discomfort set in. “Not really. We just kind of line up our schedules the best we can.”

“Okay.” Rider stared into space for a moment, as if working on a puzzle in his mind. Harlan watched in silence. Rider was the smartest and most adult-like person he knew. In his heart, Harlan always believed Rider knew the answer to every question.

Finally, Rider focused on him. “If I ask you right now how to fix it, how would you answer? Tell me the first thing that pops into your head without thinking about it.”

“I should retire.” Harlan didn’t need to consider the question. He had been thinking about it nonstop.

“Is that really what you want?”

Harlan shrugged.

“What do you think Tanner would say about that idea?”

Harlan considered the question, matching it with everything he knew about Tanner. “He’d hate it because he’d think I was giving up everything just for him.”

Rider stared at him for a second, as if seeing his soul. “Would you give up everything just for him?”

Harlan didn’t hesitate. “Yes.” The word popped out so quickly, it resonated with Harlan. He didn’t only think he was in love with Tanner. Harlan knew it all the way to his soul. And all the way to his core, Harlan believed Tanner loved him too. Two people didn’t work this hard for nothing. Plus, he felt the love. Every time Tanner touched him or even looked at him, Harlan felt cherished. It was doubly obvious to him because no one had ever loved him so unconditionally.

Rider nodded. “Maybe make the suggestion to open the dialogue. Nothing will show him how serious you are, like offering to walk away from a career that other people would kill to have.” A smile exploded across Rider’s face. “That’s exactly how I proved to Ben nothing was more important to me than him.”

Harlan nodded. He didn’t know how to start that conversation. Each time he thought he could, an unexpected fear rose inside him. What if he only saw a love he wanted to see? What if Tanner was still just waiting for Harlan to let him know when to start untangling their marriage? Maybe Tanner stayed in this marriage out of respect for their friendship. Tanner had lived over fifty years of having a different man every week. How long before Harlan bored him? Maybe he already did.

For several minutes after Tanner left, Storm sat at the table they shared and waited. He knew better than to leave. Like clockwork, the air stirred at his back. Three large figures filled the otherwise empty dining room. One claimed the chair Tanner left behind. He flipped open the jacket of his thirty-thousand-dollar suit as he sat, exposing the gun he wore beneath.

“Did you think no one would call me when you came here with another man?”

Storm fought the urge to play with his lip ring in his nervousness. Barrett stared at him with hard blue eyes, waiting for Storm’s response. His gaze moved over Barrett’s light hair—like ice. Cold like the man. “I knew they’d call.”

Barrett ran his tongue across his teeth. “So this was some childish ploy to make me jealous?” He sounded so sure. So confident.

“You’d have to care about me to be jealous. We both know that’s not the case.”

They held each other’s stare.

A muscle ticked in Barrett’s cut jaw. His sharp angles looked twice as pronounced as he obviously fought not to strike out.

Storm released the breath he held, breaking first the way he always did. “I had dinner with Tanner Paige. He owns the New Orleans Chuckers. He’s shown interest in acquiring me from Vegas. That’s all.”

Barrett’s face relaxed, but not by much. “Good. New Orleans is closer than Vegas. As long as you haven’t forgotten, you’re not free. Your career is the only reason I tolerate this space you’ve created.”

Storm turned his head and stared out the window. How could he forget? Every hour of the day, he knew he wasn’t free. He never forgot he was the one who made this choice. Storm had been the biggest of fools to think Barrett might choose him, the way Tanner had chosen Harlan. His life had never been lonelier thanks to that childish dream. It was too bad he still didn’t know how to stop.