Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

" D ude—" Quinn began, his stare leveled on Corey.

Corey let his chin drop to his chest. "I know. I'm sorry."

Quinn shook his head. "I'm not pissed about—that. Except for the fact I'll never be able to sit in that chair again. She's an adult and I'm under no delusions she's a virgin. I'm just saying, Josie's a handful. And you're here for how long? A couple of weeks. You sure you want to take that on? Take her on?"

There was something in Quinn's tone that rubbed Corey the wrong way. It was as if Josie's brother didn't realize just how amazing she was.

Josie was smart. And not just book smart. She was so much more than that. Sharp and quick witted. Hard working—even when she wasn't getting paid for the job she was currently doing for the historical society for the event. Dedicated—spending countless hours on whatever she'd chosen to throw herself into at that moment.

How could her own brother not see all that in her?

Quinn, being a year older than Corey, had always intimidated him. That one year had seemed huge to him back in school. Back when Corey had been a freshman, brand spanking new to the hockey team and Quinn was already a star as a sophomore.

And even though things had leveled out and by the time Quinn was a Senior and Corey a Junior they were the two best players on the team, that initial awe, fear, hero worship maybe, stuck around.

It was what had Corey biting his tongue now and saying instead, "With my injury, who knows? I might be home for good."

He saw the sympathy in Quinn's eyes. "You been back to Medical yet?"

"No." Corey was putting that off for as long as possible.

Until he was back on base might not even be long enough given that incident in the street when he'd gone running. When Josie had to come rescue him.

"But as far as me and Josie—I want you to know I really like her. It's not some fling while I'm home on leave. I might…actually…see something there. A future."

Quinn's brows rose. "Oh. For real?"

Corey laughed at his surprise. "Yes. Why? Is that so shocking?"

Quinn tipped his head to one side. "I guess it shouldn't be. Bailey has been predicting you two hooking up since Josie flew out here."

"Really?" Corey asked, kind of loving that Josie's best friend from high school was on his side in this.

Bailey could see them together and she might be the one person who knew Josie best. Being here with him now, Corey could see that Quinn didn't seem to know his own sister at all.

This whole situation was surreal. Them all being back here together again.

It was just like years ago. Josie and her friend, both freshman and still looking a little lost and hella scared to be in a school with all the older kids. Quinn more than ready to graduate and take on the real world. Corey, counting the months until he was a graduating senior himself and could get the hell out of that school and out of this town.

And now he was back here. And there was a chance he'd be staying here if his brain was as damaged as he feared. "Hey, Quinn. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Shoot."

"You ever think about getting out? About what you'd do with your life if you did?" Corey asked, for obvious reasons.

"I guess I try not to think about it. I mean I know I can't go forever. In the teams especially, our expiration date can be sooner than in your MOS. But who can predict what life will throw at us? I never would have guessed I'd come home for a visit and end up engaged to my little sister's best friend from high school, but here we are." Quinn spread his hands. "You're worried." It wasn't a question.

Corey answered it anyway. "Yeah."

Quinn slapped him on the back. "Whatever happens, you'll be okay. I've seen you take a hit hard enough to send another player to the hospital, pop back up and go on to score the winning goal."

Corey smiled at the memory. "And you've seen me skate off the ice with one tooth less than I had when I started the game."

Quinn laughed. "That I did."

Corey tapped his fake front tooth. "Thank God for dental implants."

Too bad the doctors weren't equally skilled in fixing a brain when it got knocked around.

"So, what did you two get up to while we were away. Besides…" Quinn tilted his head toward the chair that was no doubt going to live in infamy.

Still bound to secrecy, thanks to Xander's new plan to use their discretion about the theft as leverage to get old lady Forester to return the compass, Corey shrugged. "Not much. Josie worked on the anniversary thing. Speaking of—Bailey's manager Xander is some piece of work, huh?"

Quinn rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

Corey laughed at the reaction, then said, "Um, one more question. Why does he call you Captain Sweatpants?"

Quinn's eyes narrowed in response. His expression was more frightening than his reaction had been to finding his sister blowing the neighbor in his parents' living room, which pretty much told Corey how Quinn felt about the other man. And made Corey sorry he'd asked.

"Fucking Xander," Quinn grumbled.

After meeting the man, and seeing him be so chummy with Josie, Corey had to agree.

Fucking Xander.

He'd still like to know about the Captain Sweatpants thing, but there was no way he was pushing Quinn for an answer. He'd get it out of Josie later. But with Quinn back in the house, that might be the only thing he'd be getting out of Josie.

Corey wondered if that rain barrel was still under the gutter by her window and if—at a good forty pounds heavier than he'd been in high school—he still had the ability to climb the wood trellis and make it into her window without doing more damage to himself.

He guessed he'd find out.