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I shove him lightly, but with enough force to jostle him to the side. “Why on earth would you ever want to murder me?”
“Right now?” he asks, his lips pulled tight like he’s bursting to say something smart.
“Yeah, right now. What have I done to you besides bring you this cute puppy to play with?”
“Ouch.” He snaps his fingers away from the dog, a move that’s bordering on dramatic. “You mean this hell hound trying to draw blood?”
“Why do you and Ryan keep calling him that? Shutzie is not a hell hound. He’s a shih tzu. He’s basically angelic.” I pick Shutzie up and hold his face closer to Brandon so he can see how cute he is. Shutzie, predictably, licks his face. “Now what’s your deal?”
“What do you mean, what’s my deal?” He grabs my dog from me and places him on his lap where he starts stroking his fur.
“You’ve been grumpy every time I’ve seen you this summer.” I pause and look around, making sure we’re alone. “Things aren’t going bad between you and Ryan, are they?”
“God, no.” He laughs. “Things with Ryan are great. Better than great.”
“Then what are you so crabby about?”
“Again, I’m not crabby.” Now it’s his turn to pause as he looks at me. He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again. His face softens and he takes a moment to just regard me before he hands me back my dog. “Why are you really here, Ander?”
I smile at him with all my teeth, annoyed that he’s flipped the focus back on me. “Does a man need a reason to come visit his younger brother?”
“No.” Brandon shakes his head. “It’s just, you’re usually back in Buffalo by now.”
It’s true. I am. But there’s no reason for me to go there yet. Usually for the offseason, I spend around eight weeks in Green Bay with my family then head back to Buffalo around the time Gavin comes back.
But this summer, Green Bay wasn’t the same. Brandon only came home for my cup party and he and Ryan left to come back here less than a week later. And while it was nice to spend time with my parents and get to know the two billets they have staying with them, David and Cole, it just wasn’t what I’m used to.
The season is so long, and our schedule is packed, that during the summer I like settling in. Getting back to my roots. But when part of my roots are gone, like they were this summer, I never quite got the recharge I needed.
And now, there’s no point in going back to Buffalo yet. Gavin and Connor are extending their stay in Alaska until the weekend before pre-season training camp starts. And while, yes, I love all my fellow Blizzards, they’re all either married with kids or about to be. The Tavishes were the latest to announce they’re pregnant, right after their wedding.
It’s like everyone is moving forward and I’m stuck behind. And while I’m happy for my friends, I can’t help but be a little selfish and wish that all of this hadn’t happened at once. But it did. So now I’m here in St. Louis trying to tack on some last-minute brother time with my brother who, if I’m being honest, has not seemed overjoyed about my stay.
Of course I’m not going to tell him that. So instead, I continue to smile at him as I shrug. “I’ve got all season to enjoy Buffalo.” I bump him with my shoulder. “But I only get two games a season to spend with Ryan.”
“Dick.” He laughs and bumps me back.
I ruffle his hair, and while he does look annoyed with the gesture, he also looks me in the eye as he says, “I am glad you’re here.”
“That makes one of us,” Ryan says, surprising both of us.
I turn to look at him where he’s standing at the door with Ivanov behind him. Ryan nods his chin at us. “Who’s hungry?”
“I’m starved,” I say at the same time Brandon says, “I’m always hungry.”
“Good,” Ryan says and gestures for us to get up. “Put a leash on that dog. We’re going to Mickey’s.”
“Ryan,” I say. “That’s my brother you’re talking about.”
“Trust me,” Ryan says, and gives me a wink, “I’m the dog in this relationship.”
“You pronounced whipped puppy wrong,” Ivanov says in his thick Russian accent.
“Fuck off.” Ryan laughs but heads straight to Brandon and extends his hand out to him to pull his lazy ass off the couch. “Come on. Let’s go. We can introduce your brother to Nicole.”
“The fuck we can!” Brandon exclaims like that’s the last thing he wants to do.
Ryan fixes Brandon’s hair. “Don’t be like that. It’ll be good for both of them.” He leans in close to Brandon, smirks, and says quietly, “And if they like each other, and she takes him home, we can have this place to ourselves.”
