Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“They lied to us, sir,” Finn answered.
Instant laughing from the table. More like cackling.
Finn swiveled around to look at Kola. “You’re a”––but stopped himself, looking up at Sam––“never mind.”
“No,” Sam told him. “Go ahead.”
“You’re a dick,” Finn growled, and then whirled around, back to watching some new alien show that he and Wick were catching up on.
Sam smiled and then walked over to the table. “What’d you guys do?”
Harper shrugged. “It’s not my fault that their own bias blinded them.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this,” Sam said, taking a seat and accepting the beer I brought him, as well as the kimchi radishes I’d bought from Mrs. Kim just for him, with chopsticks and a napkin.
“They,” Harper said, indicating Finn and Wick, “didn’t think I could play hockey because I’m not a big jock like them.”
“But you played hockey all the way up through high school. You’ve always played.”
He snickered. “Yessir, I have.”
“Oh no,” I muttered and turned to Finn and Wick on the couch.
“He never told me he could play,” Wick called over. “And then last night when I got home from a game with some guys I know, Kola starts talking smack about––”
“I’ve never talked smack in my life!” Kola was aghast.
“Oh, you’re gonna turn to stone over that one,” Harper promised him.
“You wound me,” he gasped.
Harper scoffed.
“He was an ass, sir,” Finn apprised me. “And he gets Wick and me going, and pretty soon we agree to meet them, and some of their friends from school, right after class today, for a friendly game. I mean, I played in high school, so I offered to be on Kola’s team, but he was all, oh no, that’s okay. We’ll be all right.”
Kola put his head down in his arms, and I could hear him chuckling.
“Ass!” Finn yelled, which only made Kola laugh harder.
“Harper was all-state,” Sam told Finn as he ate his radishes. “Shouldn’t you know that?” he asked, directing that question to Wick. “I mean, aren’t you going to marry him someday?”
“I don’t know about that,” Wick nearly snarled. “There was me and my buddies from school, and Finn and the hooligans Kola and Harper knew from high school––”
“Our friends are not hooligans,” Harper retorted, trying to appear mad, trying even for a straight face, but having trouble pulling it off before he flat-out smiled. “And how old are you? Hooligans?”
Wick threw up his hands in defeat.
“By the way, your son is total crap on the ice,” Finn stated flatly.
“Hey now,” Kola said, scowling and grinning at the same time.
“But Harper,” Finn breathed out his name in absolute awe. “Holy crap. He could be a professional if he wanted.”
“Let’s not go that far,” Wick grumbled.
Harper chuckled. “You thought, I’m not strong enough or powerful enough to play hockey.”
“That’s not true,” Wick nearly yelled. “I just thought you couldn’t play at all!”
Turning to me, Harper said, “It’s because I’m not all muscle like he is.”
Wick groaned loudly.
Without question, of them all, Wick was built like a linebacker. A lot of carved, heavy muscle defined his frame. Harper was leaner, rangy, with long roping muscle. He, Kola, and Jake were built more like soccer players. Finn had broad shoulders and a wide chest, and long legs. He looked more like the swimmer than anything else. It made sense with Wick’s physique and power that he thought he’d win a game of hockey against his boyfriend and his friends, guys who weren’t built like he was.
“Wait, did Jake play?” I asked.
“Of course Jake played,” Wick snapped. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, but tell me, did he stand in one spot and just pass Harper the puck when he whooshed by?”
“Ohmygod, yes.” Wick sounded horrified.
“Yeah. That was how he did it in middle school. I remember his coach screaming.”
“Coach Cannoli,” Harper chimed in.
“It was Coach Connelly,” I corrected him.
He snorted out a laugh.
Kola was still laughing and I couldn’t hide my smile.
“He was—you’re really fast,” Wick told his boyfriend.
Harper waggled his eyebrows at him.
“That’s why you don’t mind when I take you to Blackhawks games when I get tickets from my boss.”
“Could be,” Harper teased him.
“Fine,” Wick groaned like he was dying. “I didn’t think you could play.”
I could not stop smiling.
“Stop laughing,” Finn ordered Kola, jogging to the table to pretend to choke the man he loved to death.
“Aww come on, I’m sorry,” Kola giggled, grabbing Finn before he could get away, scooting back from the table and pulling Finn down into his lap.
Finn sat, of course he did, but he was pouting. The crossed arms and scowl were adorable. Kola wrapped his arms around his waist and held tight.
“Your faces were the best,” Harper teased Wick.
“I hate you,” Wick responded.
“You were cute when you tried to catch him,” Kola whispered to Finn.
“That’s it, I’m going home!” Finn announced dramatically before he got up and strode toward the door.