Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
“Must be nice to get words like ‘beach’ and ‘pizza’ when we get shit like ‘spelunking,’” Dom mutters. “I need a gummy.”
“Bring me one, too!” Cam calls after him.
“Me too!” Elle says.
“I’ll just bring the whole damn bag.”
“Why is losing at this game so hard for him?” Elle asks me, amused.
“He’s always hated losing. If our team was in second place, he said we were the first-place losers.”
“Gummies chill him out real quick-like,” Tess says.
“Do you ever have gummies?” Mila asks Elle.
“Yeah, sometimes. If I’m at home or I can’t sleep when I’m traveling.”
Mila furrows her brow. “You never told me that.”
Elle laughs. “It just hasn’t come up, I guess. I’ve got some in my room. Do you want one?”
Mila hesitates. “Maybe. But I don’t want to be passed out on the couch.”
“You won’t be. It just mellows you out a little bit.”
Colby interjects. “Babe, you don’t need a gummy. You’re naturally super mellow.”
Snickers sound around the room and Mila glares at him. “That’s really funny. Maybe you can do your little comedy routine in the guest room tonight.”
Elle pinches her brows together. “So, for example, if you had a gummy, that joke wouldn’t bother you. You’d laugh it off.”
“I am getting a little tired of beating their asses at Taboo,” Mila muses. “I’ll do it if you do.”
An hour later, Colby and I are trying not to burst out laughing. Mila and Elle are on the couch, Mila’s legs in Elle’s lap. Mila is looking intently into Elle’s eyes.
“I mean, like, I really love you. I feel so bad for all the things I called you like...all those years ago.”
A smile plays on Elle’s lips. “I called you lots of things, too. It’s all in the past.”
“What was the worst thing you ever called me?”
Elle’s expression turns uncertain. “I don’t even remember. It was so long ago. You’re my best friend now.”
“Aww...you’re my best friend too!”
“Is it possible to die of amusement?” Colby asks me in a low tone. “Because this shit is hysterical.”
“I called you an opportunistic whore,” Mila confesses. “A lot.”
Colby cringes. “How strong are Dom’s gummies? This could turn bad.”
I wave off his concern. “Elle’s not like that. I promise you she’s as amused by this as we are.”
“Well, you’ve never been one to hide your feelings,” Elle says diplomatically.
“I said you’d fuck the arena janitors to get the inside track on my plans for a new arena. Like all at once. A janitorial gang bang, if you will.”
“Yeah, that tracks. You really hated me back then.”
“But I was so wrong. Now you write stories about things like infant mortality causes in third-world countries. I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you, too.”
Mila looks over at me and Colby, who are sitting directly across from them.
“I love her so much, Colby. She’s my boo.”
“I can see that.”
“Do you love her, too?”
“I do, yeah.”
Dom comes over and sits down next to Elle. “How’s it going, Mila?”
“I even love you, Dom. Even when you’re a massive pain in my ass, which is pretty much always.”
“Can I be your boo, too?”
She laughs. “No, that’s taking it a step too far. I only have two boos. Colby and Elle are co-boos.”
“That’s fair.” Dom meets my gaze. “What are you guys gonna do with these two?”
“Crazy sex,” Mila says. “Colby and I are definitely having crazy sex later.”
Colby’s leaner than he was before he had cancer, but his hair grew back after his treatment and he’s in great shape. He exercises every day. Sometimes we run together.
“You got it, babe,” he says. “Anytime you want.”
Beau and Shelby walk into the room, both of them wearing a sheen of sweat from playing with the kids. They don’t drink much alcohol, so they’re holding off on day drinking and gummies.
“Time to relive the glory days!” Beau announces.
Colby gets up immediately, and I’m right behind him. We love rewatching old Coyotes games.
The men move to the movie room, which has a massive screen and theater-style seating with two dozen leather chairs. The women stay in the main family room to talk. They never get tired of talking.
As Colby turns on the home theater, I remember the first time I saw him, when I was traded to the Coyotes. He was so young and full of fire. He’s changed a lot over the years. We all have.
But as we start watching one of our first games after I joined the team, I realize these are the glory days, too. It’s just a different kind of glory.
As the years continue to pass, I know we’ll stay close. We’ll remember our time playing hockey together, but the time we spent together by choice—like we are now—will hit differently.
We started as teammates but became so much more. Now we’re family.