14. Wyatt

14

WYATT

" Y ou're coming to the game, right?" Mateo asked as we ate.

"Of course. I'm not missing you kick ass in the championship," I nodded.

Like I would miss my baby brother's big game.

I've made it a goal to try to never miss any of his games. There've been a few unavoidable misses thanks to my schedule, but I never want Mateo to know what it feels like not to have someone in the stands for you.

Because Mateo was only a month old when our father left, he has no recollection of him. So, Landon and I made it our mission to make sure that Mateo never lacked support. The championship was the biggest game of his high school career, so of course we would be front row.

"Wyatt language," mom scolded.

"It's not like he hasn't heard it before Ma."

"Yeah, but you and Landon need to lead by example for your younger brother."

"Yeah Wyatt," the smug bastard smirked over at me. We all knew the moment mom was out of ear range he swore like a sailor.

"How's the rink doing Lan?" I asked as I kicked Mateo under the table. Not wanting to be scolded he held back his yelp but glared at me.

"It's going well. We've gotten a lot of kids signing up for little league."

Landon played hockey in college like I did and was actually quite good but instead of going pro, he decided to do accounting for some firm here in Toronto. Wasn't until this past year he finally decided to quit the desk job. Then he made the best move of his life by purchasing an old rink, cleaning it up and running it.

Now he teaches skating lessons, has a couple of hockey little leagues for kids to join, and has started doing events there as well. Honestly Landon was a great coach too. He enjoyed hockey and for such a prickly guy, the kids sure loved him.

"Have you thought about hiring some more people to help out and coach? If you got enough kids, you could make another whole team," I suggested.

"I've thought about it," he answered sincerely. "But we aren't really in a position where we can afford advertisements and stuff like that."

"You know I can?—"

"Don't even finish that sentence," he snapped.

Here we go.

"I won't take any of your money."

I clenched my jaw. We'd had the same argument time and time again. And not just me and Landon. I'd had the same argument with mom. Playing professional hockey paid well, more than well, but neither of them would ever let me do anything to help them. It frustrated the hell out of me.

What's the use in having money if you can't use it to help the ones you love?

When Landon bought the rink, he wouldn't let me give him a single dime to go towards it. Instead insisting he could handle it on his own. We fought so bad about it; I didn't talk to him for a good month.

And my mom, I've tried so hard to give her money or to buy her a new house. A better house. But every single time she said no, that she had no intention in leaving our childhood home, where so many memories were made. It was only after months of nagging and pleading that she'd allowed me to pay for some minor upgrades to the house.

Mateo was the only person here who gladly let me pay for anything he wanted. Unfortunately for him, he was the only one not getting a handout from me. If he wanted something he had to work for it himself, just like how Landon and I did when we were his age.

Not wanting to get into it tonight I backed off. When Landon made his mind up about something there was no changing it. Yet another Boone trait we all seemed to have.

"The offer is out there if you need," I said, putting my hands up. Landon didn't say a word as he turned back to his food.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mateo sit up and instantly knew what he was going to say.

"Can Wyatt buy me a?—"

"No."

"How's the knee feeling?" Mom asked out of the blue as the two of us stood at the sink once more. It sounds stupid, but I loved this little ritual the two of us had. After dinner we stood there, side by side, washing and drying and talking. It's our thing.

"It's okay." I knew better than to lie to my mom. There's no hiding anything from a mother. "Been going to physical therapy every week."

"Everything still looking good?"

My mom was right by my side when I got hurt. Spent almost every day at the hospital with me, asking the doctors endless questions. She went full mother hen on me when I got discharged. Instead of letting me go back to my apartment she all but moved me into her bedroom here at the house.

Because my old room was on the second level and I couldn't get up the stairs that well, she graciously let me take her room, taking one for herself upstairs for the two months I stayed here.

It was like I was in high school all over again. She brought me food in bed and on the couch. Made sure I took my medicine. Even when she was at her non-profit job, she called me every hour to make sure I was okay.

My mom was a godsend. Even though I was an absolute dick those first few weeks she made sure I was taken care of and healing.

"Yeah, he says everything is perfectly fine."

"Well, that's good news." I felt her eyes on me as I dried a dish. I just nodded because it was good news. I was healed–and yet, I was playing like shit.

"Are you worried you're going to get hurt again?"

I knew the question was coming but it still made me freeze. It was always a question in the back of my mind. A question that I'd actively avoided asking myself over the past few months since the season started.

"What if I end up unable to play again?" The question left my mouth before I could stop it. I hated voicing my fears, but this was my mom. She knew me better than anyone, and she also knew how hard I'd worked to get to this point in my career.

"What if I get really hurt again and my entire career is over?"

My biggest fear of all.

While I liked Asher and I respected that he made a great career for himself after a horrible injury, if that was me in that situation…I don't know what I'd do. I don't want all my hard years of work taken away at a snap of a finger.

Because who am I without hockey?

Just those few months of healing from my ACL I felt completely lost, like my whole world was crumbling around me. When I finally got clearance to play, I told myself I wouldn't let an injury take me away from doing what I loved. Yet, at the same time, it's made me timid. There's a constant fear in the back of my mind that at any given moment it could all be over.

For good this time.

"Honey." My mom shut the water off and turned to face me. "You know how brutal the sport can be. I knew it the first time you came home with a swollen eye from fighting on the ice." I smiled at the memory. I remember coming home so proud of myself for participating in my first fight.

"You don't play hockey scared. You never have and you're not about to start now. Wyatt Boone doesn't run." Mom gave me a firm look. "This is your sport. You were made for this, and you aren't about to let one little injury take that away from you."

"Wasn't really a ‘little injury'," I muttered, but a sharp look from her made me shut my mouth.

"You have the power to decide what breaks you and what doesn't. Remember what you love about hockey and play with your heart."

She ended the conversation there as she turned back to the sink, finishing washing. I stood there soaking in her advice. Just like my older brother, my mom shoots right from the hip. She doesn't sugar coat anything for me.

Mom's right. I need to stop playing scared. It's only hurting me and my team. I need to come into tomorrow's game with a different mindset than I have the last six.

"Thanks Ma."

"Anytime. Now hurry up and finish so we can go listen to your brother drone on about his football game."

The buzz of my phone took my attention away from the tv. Thinking it was Trevor or Bryton, I was surprised to open my phone and see a picture from Josie. It was a picture of her holding a familiar looking hamburger with the caption ‘even better a second time'.

I chuckled under my breath, not at all surprised she went back tonight. She'd kept mentioning Rick's in our texts during last week.

Wyatt: Wow and you went without me.

She instantly replied back with a shrug emoji.

Josie: Sorry not sorry.

Wow, I've made her into a Rick's hamburger monster.

I looked at the picture, taking in the wide grin on her face and the way her nose scrunched up just a little as she smiled. I took a screenshot of the picture without a second thought.

"Why are you smiling at your phone like that? You look like a creep," Mateo said, and my head snapped up, as I dropped my phone in my lap.

"I wasn't smiling," I lied.

"Yes, you were," Landon confirmed, leaning forward, keeping his eyes on me. "Is someone talking to a girl?"

I scoffed and shook my head. I was not ready for my family to know about Josie. Hell, we only went to Rick's two days ago.

"No."

"He is! Look! His cheeks are red," Mateo said, pointing at my face. I knew my cheeks weren't red, but feeling three sets of eyes on made me shift in my spot.

"It is a girl." Landon smirked. "Who is she?"

"No one." I mumbled.

"What's her name?" This time it was mom, her blue eyes sparkling at the thought of a girl in my life.

"Not you too, Ma," I groaned.

"What? I want to know if there's a woman in your life." Seeing the hopeful look on her face, I knew I couldn't say no. Not when she looked so happy at the possibility. It'd been a long time since my family saw me show any real interest in a woman. Knowing I had no other choice, I sighed.

"Her name is Josie."

"How did you two meet?"

"She actually lives in my building. We, uh…we sorta got stuck in the elevator together." I proceeded to tell them how I met Josie, all the way to us having dinner together two nights ago. "I asked her to come to my game Friday."

"My baby bro is growing up," Landon wiped a fake tear off his face. I flipped him the bird which just made him grin.

"You sound like you like her," Mom said with a knowing smile, reading me like a book, and I found myself nodding in agreement.

"I do." I hadn't fully admitted it to myself until right now. Josie and I may have only met a few days ago but I liked her.

A lot.

I liked being around her. And it was crazy how fast I already felt that.

"Bring her to my game next Friday," Mateo said.

His words made me pause. "I'm not sure. We've only just met each other."

"Why not? We can meet her and see what she's like. If she's cool, then she can come to my party on Saturday too," Mateo said with a nonchalant shrug.

Yeah, like Josie meeting my family after only knowing me a week wasn't a big deal.

"I agree, why not?" Mom added.

"I can't expect her to be okay meeting you guys so soon," I replied with a shake of my head. "It would probably just freak her out. Make her think we are moving too fast. We haven't even gone on a real date yet. She'll more than likely run in the opposite direction."

"Just ask her and see what she says. If Mateo wants her to come, what's the harm in asking?" Mom reasoned.

I figured I could bring it up and see what she said. I just knew my family and how full on they could be at times. Probably the last thing Josie wanted. But the idea of her coming to Matteo's game and meeting my family made me oddly excited. I couldn't remember the last time a girl met my family. Certainly not the last few I'd ‘dated'.

"I'll see how Friday goes and then ask her," I semi-agreed. If by some chance Friday things went down the shit hole, then I wouldn't ask.

"Cool! Can't wait to see how hot Wy's girlfriend is," Mateo commented before receiving a barrage of playful punches from the rest of us.