“Tyler. Wellington.”
Leave it to me. I’ll take care of Tyler.Except he was pretty sure Rusty didn’t want him to swoop in with his father’s high-priced lawyers to do their shark act on Tyler-the-douche, no matter how tempting slamming down a restraining order sounded. Rusty was prickly about things that smelled of privilege, like lawyers. Maybe Cross could help some other way, and save that for the back burner. “Listen, we’ll be home in Portland tomorrow. We have two evenings with no games. Why don’t I come down your way? You can introduce me as your jealous new boyfriend and we can both tell him to get lost.”
A moment later, shock at his own words hit him.You’re not out as bi. What the hell are you thinking?But he couldn’t take it back when Rusty said hopefully, “You’d do that? For me?”
“Sure.” It didn’t have to mean anything. A straight friend might pretend in this situation, right?
Rusty sighed. “That’s a lot to ask. We’re a fucking two-hour drive from Portland. And two back. More if the 5 is clogged. Might be six hours on the road.”
“Like I never did twelve-hour bus trips with my AHL team? I think I can manage.”
“I should be able to handle this. Maybe I can justtellhim I have a new boyfriend…”
“Not to blow my own horn, but it’s going to be a lot more convincing if I meet him face to face. It doesn’t sound like he’s listening to you.” Cross wasn’t close to Rusty’s height. In fact, he was one of the shortest defensemen in the NHL. But he made up for it with lots of muscle and speed and an attitude he’d have no problem channeling onto Tyler.
Rusty sighed, sounding exhausted. “It’d be really cool to see you, but?”
“But nothing. I’ll be there.” He looked at his phone and tried to figure out time zones. “Maybe not tomorrow night.” A decent sleep might be important, for him to not wrap a hockey stick around the guy’s neck. “Friday? Can you set something up for, say, nine P.M.?”
“I guess.”
“Tell me when and where. It’ll be my pleasure.”
“Except? what if he threatens to out you? You’re not even gay, but he’ll think you are.”
I’m closer to gay than you realize.But this wasn’t about Cross’s sexuality, and Rusty was right. He wasn’t ready to be any kind of out poster-child. Not even high-priced lawyers could put Pandora back in that box, although they could make Tyler sorry he’d ever been born. “With zero evidence it’s just one more rumor. Pick someplace with really crappy lighting.”
“You can’t beat him up in an alley.”
“Don’t tempt me. Something slightly classier than an alley. Does he know much about hockey?”
“Not really. He works as a salesman in an appliance store and loves movies. He thought I must be rich, as a pro in the ECHL.”
They both laughed. Cross said, “I’ll dress down, it’ll be okay.”
“I guess. Thank you. I still can’t believe you’re going to do this.”
“Believe it. What’s our motto?” He’d spent some time that summer practicing with Rusty, some other high school players, and his NHL teammate Scott Edison, at the small local rink near Edison’s ranch. He’d tried to help Rusty any way he could. Including sharing a raft of inspiring platitudes.
“If you want it, make it happen,” Rusty quoted obediently.
“Damned straight. We want him disappeared back into the hole he crawled out of, so we’re gonna make it happen.”
“Thanks, Cross. I think I’m going to quit seeing guys for a while. Hooking up’s not great, dating was supposed to be better, and look how that turned out. I’m obviously not smart enough to quit picking losers. Gonna go back to me and my left hand.”
“It’s not about you being smart.” Although Rusty’s small-town innocence maybe hadn’t helped. “Or about being gay. Bozie, our winger, was hit up with a fake paternity suit his first year, with a puck bunny looking for a piece of the prize and hoping to be paid to go away. In fact, I think he fell for his wife because she blew him off, like, a dozen times, insulted his looks, and couldn’t care less how much money he made. He was like, ‘Yeah, that one, she’s perfect.’”
Rusty chuckled, though it sounded halfhearted. “At least I don’t have to worry about paternity suits.”
“Tyler’s not likely to claim to be pregnant?”
“Ha. No.”
“Good-looking guys sometimes don’t believe they have to take no for an answer.” Cross had known a teammate or two who thought looks and money were a license to be a jerk. “I’ll help you convince him.”
“I shouldn’t need help. I’m a grown man.”
“Everyone needs help sometimes.”
