If he wants to take me on a date, he needs to arrange that. I’m not dating a man who can’t be romantic.
“Plenty of things to do for free.” He winks. My heart picks up again. Doug’s forgotten.
I nod. “I’ll let you know Thursday.”
Chapter
Two
Ari
The first thing I do after I leave Cody—heartbroken Cody—at the concession stand, is head to the parking lot and pound on Doug. Some might say violence isn’t the answer, and I’d usually agree with those some, but this is the only way to get through to someone like Doug. It’s not the first time I’ve warned Doug to quit bullying Cody. It’s like the man’s emotional maturity never left high school.
“Fuck, Meyer. You and your damn iron fist.”
“Leave him alone.”
“I hate that grouchy little prick. He stuffed jalapenos into my hot dog bun. Nearly burned my mouth off.”
If I don’t bite my lip, I’m gonna laugh my face off. Doug fucking deserves every fiery jalapeno, but Cody is a grouchy thing. I find it adorable. Besides, I know it’s a front for something. A protective shield. I want to crack it open so badly and make him smile.
I’ve caught him smiling. Smiling at me. I know he likes me. Maybe not as much as I like him, but there’s a spark there.Pretty sure his boyfriend’s fake because he was uncomfortable after what Doug did. All I could think up on the spot was that job thing. Canadian Thanksgiving is three weeks from now. I have that long to get him to date me—or think up another reason I need to keep my concession stand job. If that’s the only way he’ll let me be close to him, I’ll work there forever.
It wasn’t a total lie. We could always use the extra money in the Meyer house. Currently, there are six of us, and with the way Dad multiplies, there could be news of another Meyer any day now. He has a new girlfriend, so it’s a matter of when, not if. I just spent my last fifteen dollars of spare cash. The rest of what I have has to go to gas for my truck.
And that date, if I get it.
There is some cool free shit we could do around town, but I’d love to take him for dinner. Cody deserves something special.
“Talk like that to him again and you won’t have to worry about jalapenos burning your tongue because I’ll rip it out.”
“Fuck, okay. I’ll leave him alone.”
“Was that so hard?”
“Just … don’t punch me for this,” he says, holding up his hands. “But what do you see in him?”
An image of Cody pushing his black-rimmed glasses up his nose tugs my lips into a smile. The dark feather of hair that falls over the lenses, hiding his shy eyes from me. I ache to push that hair off his face. Even his sour expression when our team meanders over to his stand sends my heart skating across invisible ice. There’s something else too, though, tugging me in his direction. Something too sad. Something too painful.
It holds him back. Robs his potential. Crushes his spirit.
“I see starlight.”
Brilliant lights scattered through utter darkness.
“You’re fucking odd, Meyer,” he says.
Don’t I know it?
Pretty sure Rita’s Cody’s mom. They have the same pretty brown eyes. She gives me the job because I’m charming. I have to be charming. Merc sure as hell ain’t the charming one, so I gotta be. Merc’s the eldest of us Meyers. He looks after us, even when he’s away. Or, well, looked after us. I’m twenty-four now and don’t need looking after, but we band together as a family to look after each other.
Since hockey’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I work full-time during the day, I tell Rita that I can work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings.
“I need someone to sweep and mop the arena and help Cody with whatever he wants. Think you can handle that?”
I salute her. “Yes, ma’am.”
She likes me. I know she does. That shine in her eyes says so. “Also, he’s always walking to his car in the dark. Don’t like that. You look like a strong guy, Ari. I’ll pay you an extra hour’s wage to make sure he gets to his car okay.”
