Page 10 of Honest Boys Don’t Play

“No problem.”

I shove my hands in my pockets and watch her walk away.

Our hockey season ended early, but it doesn’t mean you can’t find me and most of my teammates in the gym or on the ice.

I push up on the barbell as my friend Daire looms over me. I wasn’t always the fondest of this guy. He could be a serious asshole and seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, but he’s actually a pretty great guy behind all the bravado. I think discovering he had a son and marrying his wife helped mellow him out.

A few other guys from the team occupy another corner of the gym, but over here it’s just the two of us.

“Dude,” he hisses under his breath. “I’m so fucking glad you finally know about the baby, because keeping my mouth shut has sucked.”

I slam the barbell onto the rack and sit straight up. “What the fuck? You knew?”

“Duh.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Bertie told Rosie, ergo Rosie told me. My wife doesn’t keep secrets from me.”

I shake my head and scoop up my water bottle. I shoot the water in my mouth and wipe away the droplets that cling to my skin with the back of my hand.

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

Truthfully, though, he’s the last person I would’ve wanted to hear that news from.

He laughs so hard he nearly chokes. “Hell no. Do you have any idea how scary women are when they tell you not to do something? I was sworn to secrecy.”

I switch places with him so that he’s the one on the bench now.

“It wasn’t that Bertie didn’t want to tell you. She was just scared.”

“Yeah, I know.” I can’t imagine how she felt and I wish she’d told me sooner, just so I could comfort her. I hate that she felt alone at all, but as someone who often keeps things to myself and needs time to think things through, I don’t blame her at all.

“We’re going to be dads together,” he goes on. “I hope you have a boy and he can be best friends with Sammy. Or maybe if you have a girl they can get married one day and we’ll be in-laws.”

If the Daire I knew a few years ago could hear himself now, he’d be horrified over how sappy he’s become.

“If I have a daughter, I’m telling her to stay far away from any offspring of yours.”

“Lies.” He grunts beneath the weight. “You don’t mean that.” He does a few reps and racks the barbell. “Seriously, though, dude. Being a parent is the coolest shit ever. The first time Sammy said dada I wanted to cry like a fucking baby. And his first steps? Don’t get me started. Nothing beats seeing that little dude grow and change. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m crushing this dad thing. I could do this ten more times, but Rosie said no.”

“You want ten kids?” I ask, only half-joking.

He wipes sweat off his brow. “Well, I said six and she laughed at me and said maybe three, but maybe I can get her pregnant with twins a few times.”

I try not to laugh. “I don’t think it works like that.”

He laughs. “I know, but in all seriousness, I love being a dad. I told Rosie I want to be a stay-at-home dad. I think she thought I was joking at first, but I’m serious. I don’t want to miss a single moment of Sammy’s life or any kid we have in the future.” He grabs his towel and wipes off his face while I start removing the plates from the barbell. “You’ll see once your kid gets here. It’s the most magical thing ever. Don’t let people scare you. Sure, it’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”

“I just hope I can be good enough for our kid.”

He claps me on the shoulder. “Trust me, if you’re worrying about it, then you’re going to be perfect.”

“We’re going to Rhode Island to tell her parents this weekend.”

Daire laughs. “Oh, boy. Good luck with that.”

“Are they that bad?”

I might’ve only been raised by my mom, and we never had much, but my childhood was pretty good. My mom never made me feel like a burden.

“I don’t personally know the Carthwrights, but they sound a lot like Rosie’s parents.” His face darkens. “Just … be prepared for them to be harsh.”