FALLING FOR THE ICE KING

Chapter 15

Damien's POV

I pull up to the practice rink and put the car in park, then immediately do as my mother asked.

Me: So, there’s a rumor going round that Scott has been seen leaving a certain bakery in his boots, bunker pants, suspenders, and nothin’ else.

Knox: You dirty fuckin dog.

Scott: That is a goddamn lie.

Me: Hey, brother, I’m just relaying what I’ve been told.

Knox: Do you get free, unlimited cupcakes for your unofficial services within the community, Firefighter Kingsley?

Scott: How many fuckin times do I have to tell you it’s not like that!

Jase: Now you’ve pissed him off.

Theo: I wonder what the Chief would have to say if he knew what you were using your bunker gear for…

Jase: Jenna wouldn’t let anything happen to Scott; she’d protect him.

I laugh as I throw my phone in my bag. It always works everyone up, and I hear my phone pinging with chat notifications all the way to the locker room.

I can just picture Scott’s face getting redder and redder. Apparently, he and Jenna are ‘just’ best friends and have been since kindergarten. Someone tried to steal Scotty’s paint pot, she pushed the kid over, and that was that—or so the story goes according to my mom.

“Damien. Captain. Where’ve you been? You’re late,”

Adam baits me.

He looks like he literally got here a second before me.

“I was at the firehouse and then talking to my mom for a second. I’m not late.”

“Sooo, Charlotte looked hot as hell the other night. She—”

I whip around, but before I can tell him to shut the f**k up, Gunner is up off the bench.

“Don’t f*****g talk about her like that.”

Adam smirks and steps back a little.

“Calm down, Gunn. Damien knows I didn’t mean anything by it. Just stating a fact.”

Gunner goes to say something again, but I put my hand on his back.

“Hey, he’s just trying to wind me up. Chill.”

Gunner gives him a long hard stare and sits back down, finishing his laces. Adam, Callan, Rex, and I all look at each other, wondering what just got into him. I knew Adam was just messing with me; he would never say anything to disrespect me or my family.

He loves them. They all do. I shrug it off and carry on getting changed. Gunner is ready before all of us and goes out to speak with the defense coach who’s already on the ice.

“Hey. I really was only joking just then. I knew it would get that wolf to bite, and I was right. We’ve got a hunch, Cap…”

Adam says as Rex wiggles his eyebrows and Callan shoves him.

“Don’t go there, man. It’s not any of your business.”

Okay, now these jackasses have my interest.

“What are you three talking about?”

Rex goes to say something, but it’s Callan who carefully says the next sentence.

“Fine. Hollywood and Sven have been wondering—”

“For a while now—”

“If Gunner is hot for Charlotte,”

Rex jumps in.

I shake my head no. No way.

“What? Charlotte?”

I ask and they all reply with a resounding, “Yes.”

“My sister, Charlotte?”

Again, they nod and say yes, but this is still not computing.

“My twin sister, Charlotte?”

At this they all shout loudly and in unison, “f*****g YES!”

Suddenly, I’m hit with a flood of thoughts all clicking into place.

He’s always doing things for her, like carrying grocery bags out of the car, coming over to join me and Jack when we’re training, or jumping at the chance to help out. He’s basically me, but not related.

Shit. I’m the f*****g jackass.

They must see this flash across my face as realization sets in.

“Boys,”

I say, and they look at me, smiling.

“I think Gunner is sweet to my sister.”

“Yep, good luck living with that knowledge,”

Adam states.

“What do you mean?”

I ask him, not getting it.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever heard. Gunn is one of the most decent people I know and great with Jack. Anything, anyone, is better than the last fucker.”

Callan nods in agreement until Adam sets off to leave.

“Yep, he’s a good guy, there’s no doubt about it. I love that dude, I do. But—”

He then pauses, building the suspense,

“—I can guarantee you that every time he touches his d**k, or thinks about touching his d**k, or dreams about touching his d**k… It’s your sister he has on his mind.”

At that, I launch off the bench and chase him down the tunnel. He laughs all the way out onto the ice, and we begin to warm up.

The coach has us working hard today, as usual. Over and over again, we push until it hurts. As the Center, I’m anticipating where everyone will be before I even lift my head and they, the same. We need to be in sync. The first line is a big deal and we all worked hard to get here.

Once practice is over, we leave the ice and go get changed for the weight room. Someone has already set the music to 90s dance anthems and that’s fine with me. I go through my routine and let my mind drift. Vivi stars front and center, unable to believe all she’s been through. Losing all your family in one blow? That’s a heavy cross to bear.

I don’t know how I would cope if anything like that ever happened to me. I can’t even comprehend it. Losing Uncle Tommy rocked our family to its core, but we banded together.

Theo and Troy’s bond with my brothers, sister, and me only strengthened that day.

My dad encouraged Aunt May to move closer to us and I’m grateful to him for getting her to do that.

It was at that point that Charlotte set about becoming the best cookie baker and babysitter there ever was. She told me she didn’t know what else to do for them. We practically all lived between the two houses and Mom helped Aunt May with the boys. Now she says it gave her the time that she needed to grieve without checking out on her sons. I’m definitely one lucky bastard.

•••

Soon I find myself walking back in through the garage door, my head swimming with thoughts of Vivi, the past, Gunner and Charlotte, and I just want to relax. So, I do the only thing I need. I shout from the mud room for the kid to grab his swimmers and floaties and God knows what else, until I’m stopped dead in my tracks.

Jack is sitting on the bottom step of the staircase. He’s been crying and looks crestfallen.

I make my way over to him and my sister yells,

“No! Don’t you dare.”

I stop, holding my arms up as if I’m being held at gunpoint.

“What happened here?”

I ask, worried for all our sakes.

A growl comes from Charlotte as Jack wails,

“This house is like being in a jail!”

I turn to my sister, trying not to laugh.

“He’s been asked to do his chores. I asked him to pick his toys up off his bedroom floor and then to come down ready to do a bit of homework. Instead, he went missing, and I found him playing with his mini sticks in your bathroom,”

she calmly states.

I feel bad for the kid. It’s really hot outside—perfect weather for playing and swimming—and she wanted him to do all that. But then he makes it worse by saying,

“We’ve got a cleaning lady, Mom. It’s her job to clean up.”

My sister raises her eyebrows at me.

“And that’s why he’s on the step.”

“How about this… You go chill out and I’ll speak with the rascal over here?”

“Fine, he’s all yours. I’m going to Chloe’s. I’ll be back in a bit to start dinner.”

She barrels straight out the front door before I can even blink. I sat down next to him.

“Listen, kiddo, when your mama asks you to do something, you need to do it the first time. It’s always kind to help out where you can. I’m betting you’ve been sitting here longer than it would have taken you to do your chores.”

He nods and whispers,

“Forever!”

I try to school my face.

“Okay, let’s get your jobs done. Then we’ll get in the pool and work on how you can apologize to your mom, okay?”

“Okay.”

He hiccups and wipes his tears.

We get busy tidying his figures, Legos and teddies away and then read his book in the hammock outside on the deck. Then we spent about two hours in the pool. Charlotte shouts that dinner is ready, and we dry off to go and sit down at the table outside.

“Mommy, I’m sorry I upset you. I know the cleaning lady isn’t here to pick up after me.”

“Thank you for saying that. We are very lucky to have all these nice things, and it’s important to remember to take care of them and the people around us. Rosie is not your slave and this is a big house, we pick up after ourselves, and your homework needs to be done on time.”

“I know. Sorry for shouting and not doing my stuff.”

“Come here.”

She gives him a cuddle and then we sit down and have a nice meal outside.

When Charlotte takes him to get bathed and ready for bed, I take out my phone and type out the text I’ve waited hours to send.

Me: Hey, Vivi. How did the rest of your day go?