Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Oh no. Don’t make me cry, guys.”
“I know it’s not going to be easy to get back into it, but I think you’ll love what’s on the other side.”
I nodded. “I think so, too.”
Soon, we made our way over toward the bar and had cocktails in our hands within a minute. Max’s creations tonight were a mix of Coke, tequila, mango juice, a hint of thyme, with tiny cut up strawberries floating throughout.
“Bizarre, and incredible,” I said.
“God, that is tasty,” Jesse agreed.
Max nodded at us. “A yellow sticky note fell onto the ground in the back office, and I knew it was the ghost cat trying to put the idea of yellow into my mind. My first thought was mango, and then this cocktail was born.”
I smiled. “Ghost cat, helping people fall in love and helping Max make insane cocktails.”
“Cheers to that,” Jesse said.
Robbie and Andrew found us soon after. They gave me hugs, congratulating me on getting the Minton Ranch riding school back off the ground, and Robbie turned to Jesse afterward.
“Dude,” Robbie said near Jesse’s ear. “I know this isn’t the time or place, but I have some very juicy news for you.”
“I’m intrigued,” Jesse said. “Give me the short version?”
“Elliot ain’t coming back to TNU this upcoming year.”
Jesse’s eyes went wider than I’d ever seen. “You’re kidding me.”
Robbie shook his head. “Just heard from Samuelson a few minutes ago. He’s apparently already packing up his shit at the frat house, and he’ll be gone by tomorrow.”
I could see Jesse trying to hide the urge to jump for absolute joy.
“Any, uh, idea why?” Jesse asked.
“He told Samuelson he didn’t really want to talk about it, but that he thinks college is bullshit, or something,” Robbie said. “Samuelson said that sounded like bullshit, and I agreed.”
“For sure.”
“I think Elliot just can’t take the fact that his last season was shit,” Robbie said. “I used to like that guy, but I’ve really come to think he’s a dickhead.”
“I think that intuition is correct, Robbie,” Jesse said. “I think we have about ten other guys on the team who can replace him for the season and do better, too.”
“Cheers to that,” Robbie agreed.
Andrew was watching the conversation, too, and he had a smile on his face. “I’m going to have some hot gossip to tell the football team now, that’s for sure.”
“You guys should do a charity event,” Max said from across the bar. “Football players and hockey players unite and play a game of… drumroll please… puckball.”
“Puckball,” Jesse said, grinning.
“TNU fans would love it,” Max said. “All the hockey and football fans, coming together to watch you guys duke it out in a puckball game.”
“Do you have any idea how this puckball game would work?” Andrew asked.
Robbie laughed. “Yeah. What are the rules?”
“Guys, I’m an idea man, not a details man,” Max said, grinning. “Other than when it comes to cocktail ingredients, that is.”
“Well, I’d be down for a puckball game, if we could figure out the details,” Jesse said. “Especially if Elliot isn’t going to be around anymore. Holy shit, that is good news.”
As Max, Andrew, and Robbie got caught up debating what the rules of puckball would be, I pulled Jesse aside, leaning in to kiss him.
“That was insanely good news,” I added.
“I’m in heaven. I get to play my last year of TNU hockey without his face out there on the ice with me.”
“And I’m going to be at every game.”
“Alright, alright, save the makeout sessions for when you two are at home,” Kane said, walking by and carrying a big cake in his hands. “I love you both, but I don’t need to see it. You know what I mean?”
I laughed. “Wait. Look at that cake.”
Jesse was smiling already, though. “I told them to make it—”
“A hockey puck,” I said.
The cake was a gigantic chocolate hockey puck, and on top it said You’re Pucking Delicious.
“You did always say they looked tasty,” Jesse said. “I wanted to make it come true.”
“I love you,” I said.
I leaned in and covered him with more kisses, which made Kane groan in protest, but I didn’t care.
Partying here with these people tonight—a party for me—felt like the start of something beautiful.
Or maybe what I’d been searching for all along had been with me the whole time. I was still a hot mess, but every moment of that had led, ultimately, to this.
The family I still had.
The family I was making.
I had love in dozens of different forms, all around me, and the North Star of it all happened to come in a college hockey player shaped package.
And Jesse really was a star. Whether I was right at his side or mingling with others, I felt like he was with me, all night. It’s how I always felt lately, in reality.
Jesse was always there.