CHAPTER FIVE

"Well, that was awkward," Antoni muttered as Matty backed the SUV away from his parents' house.

Matty laughed, pausing at the end of the driveway because he wasn't sure where he was going. "It's all good. Your dad just misunderstood."

"Yeah, but …"

"You can clear that all up later," Matty said with a shrug. "Now, where's your house? I need to know where I'm going."

"Oh," Antoni said, straightening. "Yeah. Okay, so you need to go right outta here, then make the first left."

"I can do that," Matty said. He glanced in the rearview mirror, smiling at the sight of Eli reading and Reese playing with a little stuffed bear before he focused his attention on the street behind him.

This time, Matty drove slowly, keeping to the speed limit and obeying all of the traffic signals. He had precious cargo in his SUV.

Matty's chest warmed a little, the way it did when he had Macky and Elena's kids in his backseat. Matty was so envious of the Makarovs. They were such a sweet, happy family.

The ride was mostly silent except for Reese making happy noises and Eli occasionally laughing at something in the book. Alexis stared at her tablet while River stared out the window, holding a grungy stuffed rabbit.

Antoni looked exhausted, leaning his head against the window and muttering directions every so often.

"Turn right at the park, then go three blocks," he instructed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"Park!" River said, sitting up in her booster seat and pointing. "Go! Park!"

"Uhh, hey, not today, guys," Antoni said with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"I thought you said we could go today," Eli said, a bit of a whine to their voice.

"Oh, well, that was before the van broke down," Antoni explained, twisting in his seat. "Matty was nice enough to offer us a ride but—"

"I could go to the park," Matty said under his breath. "If you want."

"That's really nice of you but not today. I have too much work to do," Antoni said equally quietly.

Matty opened his mouth to say that he could take them but Antoni shook his head, cutting off his words.

"We'll go another day," Antoni said loud enough for the kids to hear, his tone firm.

River let out an unhappy whine and Matty sympathized. But Antoni was the man in charge so Matty clamped his mouth shut and tried to ignore the kids' disappointed faces.

Well, not Alexis. She had headphones in and a scowl on her face, ignoring both of them.

Sure, most kids that age had an attitude but, God, Matty had really put his foot in it earlier, hadn't he? She was already going through so much and he'd made it worse. How could he be so fucking dumb?

"Right here," Antoni instructed and Matty obediently turned right.

After a few more blocks, Antoni pointed to a modest brick house and Matty pulled into the driveway.

"Thank you," Antoni said with a sigh as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I really was in a jam today and I appreciate you coming to the rescue."

"I was happy to," Matty said honestly as he did the same. "You can call or text, any time. Unless I'm at practice or a game or whatever, I'll show up. And you know, the offer's still there—"

"No." Antoni set his jaw. "Thank you. And I owe you one for today but I am not—" He glanced into the back seat where the middle two kids were watching them with curious eyes. "I am not going to take you up on your generous offer."

"But—"

Antoni turned to face the kids. "Hey, I'd like you all to wait in here while I talk to Matty for a sec." He got out of the SUV and shut the door.

Matty sighed and got out too, closing the door and going around the front of the vehicle to talk to Antoni, the muggy air pressing down on him.

"Okay." Matty frowned at Antoni. "I can see you're not gonna budge on this so I won't push. But I'm going to do something else. I'm going to leave you this SUV." He held out the keys.

"Are you f—uh—reaking kidding me?" Antoni said with a quick glance toward the vehicle where two faces were pressed to the window, watching intently. "No!"

"Do you have a backup vehicle to use until your van is fixed?" Matty asked.

"Obviously not." Antoni huffed.

"Do you have someone else who can loan you one?"

He grimaced. "Uh, not really. My parents need both of theirs and—"

"Okay, well, then don't be stubborn. You need a vehicle. I have my Jeep so it's not like I'll miss this SUV while you use it. What's it going to hurt?"

"Me!" Antoni said. "I can't afford to fix it if I crash it."

Matty grinned. "So don't crash it."

Antoni rolled his eyes. "Yes, but what if someone else hits me?"

"Well, try to avoid that too," Matty said. "But my insurance will cover you. I'll call right away and make sure of it."

"I …"

"Look," Matty said, crossing his arms. "I think it's great that you're trying so hard for these kids. That's awesome. But they've probably got a million places to be and so do you. You're house hunting. School is about to start. Do you know when your buddy will be able to fix the van?"

"No," Antoni said. "When I called, Rob didn't give me an exact date. Said he'd have to wait and see what was wrong with it and it might take a while to get parts. But—"

"But I can help. You've already said you don't want to overtax your parents and I'm guessing your friends are either busy or not super reliable or you would have called one of them instead of me today."

Antoni winced. "Both."

Matty gave him an understanding smile. "I've been there. So, take the SUV. Please." Matty gently grabbed Antoni's free hand, pressing the keys into his palm and staring into his eyes. "Don't think of it as something you owe me or whatever. I'm doing it for the kids, man. Because you have enough on your plate as it is and if I can help, I want to."

"I …" Antoni's face crumpled and all the fight went out of him. He pulled his hand away, clutching the keys. "Okay. Okay, yeah, I'll borrow it until I have the van back."

"Yes!" Matty fist pumped.

"But I … someday I'll repay you, somehow."

Matty stepped closer, looking down at Antoni's worried face, wishing he could just pull him into his arms and hug him until the stress melted away. "Just take care of those sweet kiddos. That's all the repayment I need."

"Ugh. You're seriously not normal," Antoni said with a huff, turning away but not before Matty spotted tears in his eyes.

"True," Matty agreed with a smile. "But it's cool. Hockey players never are. You should meet some goaltenders though, man. They'd make me seem totally normal."

Antoni muttered something under his breath too quietly for Matty to hear but he was smiling a little as he stuffed the keys in his jeans' pocket. "Thanks."

"Sure. Now, let me text a buddy to come pick me up and then I'll help you get the kids inside."

Antoni huffed again but didn't argue.

The kids stared, wide-eyed, when Matty opened the door of the SUV.

"Why were you fighting?" Eli asked as they slid out of the vehicle.

"We weren't fighting." Matty smiled reassuringly at them. "Just talking. Your, uh, Uncle Antoni is stubborn. But I'm stubborner."

"It's more stubborn," Eli said. "That's what my teacher tells me."

Matty nodded. "Thanks! I'll try to remember that. I bet you're really good in school."

"Yep! I read a lot."

Matty smiled as Eli did a little twirl, heading toward the house.

They were cute, with messy wavy light brown hair that fell to their chin. They wore a polo shirt and a skirt with leggings and light-up sneakers and when Matty glanced over at Antoni, he wore a soft smile as he watched Eli dance up the sidewalk toward the house.

Matty grabbed his phone, then shot off a text message to Dom asking for a ride. He sounded confused but when Matty sent the address, he said he'd be there as soon as possible. He could text anyone on the team and they'd be there if they could but pretty much everyone else was in a relationship and Matty felt bad interrupting their couple time.

Matty helped Antoni get the kids unbuckled and into the house.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway, feeling too big for the cramped space when Alexis brushed past him and River tipped over, bumping into his knee as she tried to get off her shoes.

"Easy there," Matty said, carefully steadying her.

She shot him a wide-eyed glance as if suddenly realizing who he was but he felt happy when she gave him a tiny little smile before scampering off.

"Thanks again," Antoni said and Matty glanced over, realizing they were alone except for Reese, who seemed content in his carrier. "Seriously."

"Yeah, you're welcome. Any time." Matty stuck his hands in his back pockets. "Um, want me to wait outside until Dom gets here?"

"What?" Antoni frowned. "No, it looks like it's going to rain. You should wait in here."

Matty peered through the narrow window of the door at the skies turning gray. "Huh. Guess so."

"You don't have to wait in the entryway either. Living room's in there." He pointed to the left. "Make yourself at home. You can watch TV or whatever. We've just got the basic channels but um, feel free to watch whatever you want. I should start prepping dinner because it's gotta cook for a while but …"

"I could help," Matty said but Antoni shook his head.

"No. You've done way more than enough already."

"Can I keep you company? Watch Reese while you cook?"

"Um, it's a small kitchen but sure."

It was a small kitchen, cheaply remodeled and plain. The furniture was clearly not built for someone Matty's size. But he wedged himself into a chair and unstrapped Reese.

"C'mere, you." he said.

Antoni glanced over. "Oh, I, uh, is it bad that I usually leave him in there while I cook? He seems happy and I don't have to worry about him—"

"Makes sense," Matty said. "I can put him back in the carrier when I go. I just want to get in some baby snuggles while I can, if that's okay."

Antoni's expression went soft. "Yeah, of course. You really like kids, huh?"

"Love them." Matty pressed his nose to Reese's hair, enjoying the sweet, milky baby smell. "If the hockey thing hadn't worked out, I probably would have found a way to work with kids. I dunno that I'd be a good teacher. School was never really my thing but … maybe coaching or something."

"I can see you being a good coach."

"Yeah, maybe someday. And maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to find someone to have kids with. I always wanted at least four of my own."

"Glutton for punishment," Antoni joked and Matty glanced up, grinning at the light, teasing tone.

"Yeah, well, I'm a guy who gets paid to get punched in the face, so …"

Antoni laughed a little. "So I see. I, uh, maybe googled you the other day. I saw a few of your fights and that they call you an enforcer. It was kinda weird. Hard to reconcile the guy offering to let me move in with him to the guy who lost a tooth on the ice."

Matty poked at the spot where the false teeth were. "Two teeth," he corrected. "And, uhh, yeah. Everyone says it's weird. But a lot of us are like that, you know? I don't fight because I want to bash guys' faces in. I just do it to stick up for my teammates."

Antoni froze with one hand on the refrigerator door handle. "Oh. Huh. I never really thought of it that way."

Matty shrugged. "I mean, I dunno if every player feels that way but that's why I'm there. Guys think twice about messing with the talent when I'm on the ice and if my boys need it, I'm there to do the dirty work. I'm not … you know, I'm not the guy who scores goals. I'm the one who makes sure the other guys can."

"Hmm. That sounds almost poetic."

Matty's cheeks warmed and he pressed one against Reese's head for a second. "Well, I don't know about that."

"No," Antoni said, piling stuff on the counter. "It's kind of chivalrous."

"I thought that was about romance. Like knights and queens and stuff."

"Sort of," Antoni said slowly. "It was a moral system, really. With rules about manners and honor and nobility. There was a big emphasis on protecting those less fortunate and I guess that's what made me connect the two."

A funny expression crossed Antoni's face and he turned away. "Um, which, I guess you like to do off the ice too, huh?" he threw over his shoulder.

"I try," Matty said honestly. It made him feel good to think of himself that way. And to know that Antoni thought of him that way.

Antoni stilled. "You've really been so …" He looked over at Matty. "I wish I knew how to thank you."

"I don't want thanks," Matty reminded him, rocking Reese a little and just soaking in the feel of sitting in a warm kitchen, talking to someone.

It was nice. It was small and simple but maybe that was who Matty was at heart. It was how he'd grown up and he'd never really been the glitz and glam guy even now that his back account let him make stupid purchases like yachts.

But the truth was, he wanted small and simple. He wanted cozy and homey and …

Matty's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Dom, so he gave Reese one last wistful squeeze, then gently placed him in the carrier. "Bye, sweet boy," he whispered, patting his tummy.

"That's my ride," he told Antoni, rising to his feet.

"Okay." Antoni stopped washing carrots and dried his hands. "I'll walk you to the door."

Matty nodded, oddly reluctant to tear himself away, wishing he had an excuse to stay in the small, cozy house longer.

"Well, you take care," Matty said when they reached the door. "Good luck with the van repairs and house hunting and everything."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll text as soon as I'm done with the SUV. And I promise, I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will," Matty said confidently. "Never thought otherwise."

"Huh." Antoni leaned against the wall and Matty took in the dark smudges under his eyes and the slump of his shoulders. "You're really not like anyone else I've ever met."

And Matty shot him a little smile because he didn't know what to say to that. "See you around. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help."

Antoni nodded and Matty slipped out the door, jogging down the sidewalk to where Dom was parked by the curb.

Matty slid into his Aston Martin, wedging himself into the too-tiny seat. "You had to bring this one, huh?" he groused.

"Fuck you," Dom said. "This is what you get for making me leave a pool game I was winning."

Matty grumbled but he fastened his seatbelt.

"Who is that guy anyway?" Dom asked with a frown.

Matty glanced toward the house but the door was shut and Antoni had gone inside.

"Just some dude I know," he mumbled.

"Yeah? How'd you meet him?"

"Um, he kindatouredmyhousetheotherday."

Dom froze. "Say that again at normal human speed. Because I would have sworn you just said that he kinda toured your house the other day but that would be absolutely insane so I'm sure I heard you wrong."

"Uhh. Well." Matty scratched the back of his neck.

"What the fuck, Matty?" Dom stomped on the accelerator, pulling away with a squeal of tires.

"What?" he asked as innocently as he could manage.

Dom shook his head. "You're always doing shit like this!"

"Like what?" Matty was confused now.

"Letting people sucker you into helping out."

Ouch. That stung. "I didn't let anyone sucker me into anything!"

"Oh, right. You gave your fucking SUV to a stranger! That's not getting suckered into anything at all." Dom screeched to a stop at an intersection, then punched the accelerator again.

"Antoni's not a stranger!"

"He's a dude who you met three days ago!"

"It was … five days," Matty pointed out. "And it's not like he asked for help. Well, I mean, he called for a ride today but—"

"What if he's scamming you?"

"He's not scamming me," Matty protested. "He's just a guy kinda down on his luck! And would you slow down? There are probably kids playing around here!"

"Yeah, and how many guys like that have ever paid you back." Dom clenched his jaw, hands tight on the wheel, though he did slow down a little.

"Not all of them, but some. And it's not like I need the money. What if I don't always want to be paid back?"

"Then you're dumb."

"Hey!" Matty rubbed at his chest. Dom knew he hated being called that. He'd heard it too many times in his life already.

"Shit." Dom took his eyes off the wheel long enough to pat his thigh. "I'm sorry. You're not dumb. You're just … too trusting of people."

"Well, I'd rather be too trusting than a suspicious asshole like you," Matty shot back.

Dom laughed, his unhappy expression softening. "Yeah, fair enough." He turned to face Matty. "Look. You're such a good dude. You have the softest heart and we all love that about you. I just worry that people sometimes take advantage of that."

"So what if they do?" Matty argued. "Look, so … maybe he steals my SUV. Or crashes it or whatever. It's a sponsorship vehicle. I talk to the dealership about it and they get me a new one. Or, if they're too pissed about me loaning it to someone, I buy one myself. It's not like I can't afford it."

"Yeah." Dom sighed. "But I don't want you to get invested in this guy, you know? Get your heart broken."

"I'm not—I'm not gonna get my heart broken, Dom."

"You married the last person with a sob story!"

"I … Courtney wasn't the last person I helped," he argued, though he wasn't sure if that really made his argument better or worse. "And she was … she was just going through some stuff."

"They're always going through some stuff," Dom said. "Look, I think it's admirable that you—"

"You should use smaller words," Matty said snarkily. "Remember, I'm dumb."

"I shouldn't have said that." Dom sighed. "I really, really shouldn't have. That's my mistake."

They fell silent until Dom pulled into Matty's driveway, punching in the code for the gates.

Dom turned to look at him but Matty spoke first. "Look, even if I am dumb, so what? I mean it. I'd rather be dumb and too trusting than not help people who need it."

"I just hated the way Courtney worked you over."

Matty shrugged. "She was a bad choice, okay? I get it now. She wanted my money and the status, or whatever. And she used the fact that her ex was a dick to her to get in with me. She duped me, is that what you want to hear? She duped me and we got married and we had that threesome and she made me feel like shit for being into guys too. She made me feel like less of a man. She was a horrible person and it was stupid of me to marry her. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No!" Dom said, closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh before he opened them again. "Look, Matty, I don't want to make you feel bad. I don't. I just want you to be aware that you're the kind of guy who people sometimes … use to their advantage. It doesn't mean you aren't great. It just means they're shitty and you have a hard time seeing that."

"Antoni isn't shitty!" Matty argued. "If you talked to him for two fucking minutes, you'd see that. He's not like Courtney or the other guys who've borrowed money from me. This time it's different."

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Yeah, thanks. You've made that perfectly clear!" Matty said. "Thanks for the fucking ride, man."

"Don't walk away!" Dom said but Matty stuck up his middle finger and went into his house, slamming the door behind him.

Fuck him.

Dom didn't get it and he never would.

Even if it wasn't different this time, even if Antoni was somehow conning him, at least Matty would know he was helping the kids.