Fitch checked his watch.“I’ll try one of the beers.Did you have any ideas about what to do for dinner?You know any good places nearby, or?—”
“Let’s order in.”I had no desire to announce my presence to the community.I was known here, even if I wasn’t the most popular player in Toronto.The last thing I wanted was questions about why I’d punched Alek.People probably knew Jess was dating him by now, which would certainly arouse the curious, so I’d put off any local interactions as long as I could.
“Okay.Let’s get our stuff settled and get some takeout.Maybe I can make something for breakfast since you’ve had the place stocked.”
Fitch was a good guy.In hockey, I’d found people I could trust.Then I thought of Alek.Well, not everyone.
Chapter6
Not Looking Like That
Mia
It didn’t take long for news of PoCo’s hockey star’s return to get around.And like usual, I found out from Cora.
I’d started an assignment this week working nights.It was a short-term placement with someone who’d had a hip replacment, and I was hoping to be assigned a day shift by the time school was out for the summer.It was hard to sleep while Arne was home.Cora was supposed to help Mom keep an eye on him, but she wasn’t reliable.And Mom had the best of intentions, but she was limited in what she could do.
I came in from my shift late enough that I’d missed Arne getting off to school.Mom had texted that he’d made the bus.With that concern dealt with, I was ready for a small meal and as much sleep as I could get.Mom and Cora were sitting at the table in the kitchen.I opened the fridge to grab juice and make sure Arne’s lunch was gone.
Okay, points to Cora.Mom was having a bad day, so Cora must have gotten him packed and to the bus stop.
“Thanks for taking care of Arne.”I dropped into a chair, pouring juice into a glass.Drinking coffee now would make sleep impossible.
“He has his lunch, his homework, and his pj’s for dressing up.I wish I could wear pajamas to school.”
I considered.“Maybe you could.Is it against the dress code?”
Cora rolled her eyes.“I wasn’t serious.”Thestupidwas understood at the end of that sentence.
I turned to my mother.“How are you?”
She shrugged, smiling.“Oh, you know.”That was code for not good but not complaining.
“When do you see the doctor again?”
She waved a hand.“Next month.It’s on the fridge.”
Cora rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of using an old-school calendar, but Mom never missed her appointments, and Cora often did.
“I can give you a massage, if you want.”There wasn’t a lot I could do for her, but sometimes a massage helped.
She patted my hand.“Maybe after you sleep.You must be tired.”
I was always tired.
“Mom, we have to tell her,” Cora interrupted.
I straightened in my seat.“Tell me what?”Was it about Arne?
Mom frowned at Cora, but it didn’t do any good.Mom was usually in too much pain to do much disciplining.Cora and Dorian were only too happy to tell me I wasn’t in charge of them.Unless Bruce stepped in, which he did only occasionally, they were mostly free to do as they wished.
Cora looked out of the corner of her eyes at me.“Your ex is back.”
“Erik?”Why?Had he gotten an acting job up here?They shot a lot of shows in Vancouver.He owed child support and had been avoiding my calls for the past couple of months, so I didn’t know what he was doing.
She rolled her eyes.“Not that loser.The hockey player.”
I set my glass down again carefully.“Justin?Justin Johnson?”It had been most of eleven years since I had any claim on Justin.“He was just here for his grandmother’s funeral.Why would he be back so soon?”I didn’t need more talk about our local celebrity when Arne was getting interested in hockey.