Roughing

by Michaela Grey

  There were several more smudges on the paper, wiped away like maybe Stephanie was crying as she wrote.

  Take care of my baby girl, she said at the end. The letter wasn’t signed.

  Gunner looked at the letter in his hand for a very long time. And then he did the only thing he could think to do. He called Will.

  “You look fine, what’s the emergency?” Will said as he walked through the door. “I thought maybe one of your conquests didn’t want to leave and you needed my help.”

  Gunner didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead he wordlessly shoved the letter at him and sat down hard on the couch, head in his hands.

  After a few minutes, Will sat beside him.

  “Jesus,” he whispered.

  Gunner said nothing. What was there to say?

  “Are you okay?” Will asked when he’d finished reading.

  Gunner gave him an incredulous look.

  “Stupid question, sorry. Um. God, Clancy’s going to shit himself.”

  “Your brother is kind of the least of my concerns right now,” Gunner snapped.

  Will winced. “Sorry,” he repeated. “What do you need from me?”

  “I don’t know,” Gunner said, shoving his hands through his hair again. “I don’t know, I just—it just happened and she’s in the den, and I’m a father? What am I going to do?”

  “Well, can I meet her?” Will said, practical as ever.

  So Gunner took him through to the den, where they discovered Cane sitting in a chair with his feet close together and hands tucked under his thighs while Olivia sprawled on the floor with both dogs mobbing her as she giggled.

  They looked up when Gunner opened the door, and Ty broke away from the pack to come greet him. Gunner went to his knees and wrapped his arms around Ty’s heavy shoulders, letting his oldest, dearest friend give him some silent comfort. Ty twisted enough to lick his face, which made Olivia laugh again.

  “They give lots of kisses,” she declared, sitting up. “What are their names?”

  “This is Ty,” Gunner told her, rubbing Ty’s ears when he heard his name. “He’s a pit bull, named after Ty Cobb, who was a famous baseball player, and I’ve had him since he was a tiny puppy. He’s an old man now.” He pointed at Babe, currently on his back in Olivia’s lap, his mouth wide in doggy joy. “That’s Babe. He’s only two and he has lots of energy.”

  Olivia giggled. “That’s a funny name for a boy dog. I like it.”

  “He’s named after a baseball player too,” Gunner said, but he could tell she didn’t really care.

  Instead she pinned Will with a curious look that morphed into recognition almost immediately. “You’re Will Calder!”

  Will smiled at her and stepped forward, holding out a hand like the earnest dork he was. “Yep. I’m—” He hesitated briefly and recovered. “I’m your—uh. I’m Gunner’s captain.”

  Olivia nodded. “You tell him what to do, right?”

  “Well, I try to,” Will said, voice dry. “He doesn’t listen very well.”

  “Hey,” Gunner protested. Ty, the traitor, left him to go back to Olivia, and Gunner got back to his feet. “I listen.”

  “Sure,” Will drawled. He winked at Olivia. “You listen, and then you do what you want.”

  Olivia laughed, clearly delighted, and grabbed her stuffed animal from the couch. She presented it to Will with an air that clearly said he should be properly impressed.

  “Dis is Ferguson,” she said gravely.

  Will took one of Ferguson’s legs—paws?—and shook it equally gravely. “Very nice to meet you, Ferguson.” He leaned in. “What are you, exactly?”

  Thank you, Will.

  Olivia giggled, face scrunching up. “He’s a anteater!”

  Now that she’d said it, Gunner could sort of see it, the long nose and even longer tongue.

  “Not a snake, for the Racers?” Will’s voice was teasing, gentle.

  Olivia shrugged. “I like the Direwolves better anyway.”

  Something in Gunner’s chest seized and he coughed to clear it. “Would, um—sorry I didn’t offer before, but would anyone like something to drink?”

  Olivia perked up. “Apple juice?”

  “Uh—” Gunner had wine, vodka, rum, soda, and— “Is orange juice okay?”

  Olivia made a face. “I guess.”

  They trooped through into the kitchen and Gunner poured orange juice into one of the only plastic cups he had. He gave Will Coke without asking and raised eyebrows at Cane.

  Cane decided on Sprite and Gunner waited until things were quiet, the dogs making themselves comfortable in their favorite spots before he spoke.

  “What happens now?”

  Cane swallowed his sip of Sprite. “You sign papers taking custody. There are a few things you’ll need to sign, but that’s the main one.”

  Olivia reached across the counter and clutched Gunner’s wrist. “Are you gonna be my daddy for real?” she asked, voice suddenly urgent.

  Gunner hesitated, looking at Will. Will looked back at him, eyebrows raised.

  “Um,” Gunner said carefully. “Do you want me to be?”

  Olivia released his wrist and nodded. “You’re a good hockey player.”

  Will stifled a laugh in his drink.

  “There are, um, other criteria you should consider,” Gunner pointed out.

  Olivia’s face scrunched again. “Cri—what?”

  “Things you should think about,” Will said, helpful as ever.

  “Mama—” Olivia hesitated and then visibly steeled herself as Gunner’s breath shortened. “She says—” She caught herself and Gunner’s eyes burned. “She said you were… good. Good at hockey but also… just good.”

  Gunner couldn’t look at her. He turned away, staring unseeingly out the glass door at the dogs playing in the yard. He wasn’t good. He’d never been good. Wild. Chaotic. Party animal. Disorganized. Undisciplined.

  There was a hand on his waist and Gunner turned without thinking to bury his face in Will’s shoulder. Will held him, rubbing his back gently, and Gunner drew strength from him, clutching at his shirt.

  Stephanie had thought he could do this. Will hadn’t said, but Gunner knew he thought he could too.

  When he pulled away, Olivia was watching them with wide eyes.

  “Are you gonna be my daddy too?” she asked Will, sounding thrilled at the prospect.

  Will stepped away like he’d been burned and Gunner buried the hurt, pushed it deep like he always did when Will reacted that way to the suggestion that he and Gunner were together.

  “Ha, um, no,” Will said, rubbing the nape of his neck. “We’re just friends.”

  Olivia looked disappointed but didn't argue the point.

  “Does this mean you’re accepting custody?” Cane asked. He sounded like he couldn’t wait to get away. Gunner could definitely sympathize.

  He looked at Will, who looked back, calm and steady. His best friend, the man he’d been in love with for the better part of four years. Gunner took a deep breath. He thought he might puke.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I’m—uh… accepting custody.”

  The approval in Will’s eyes almost made it worth it.

  Sign up for Michaela’s newsletter here

  or follow her on Amazon here

  to find out when Two-Man Advantage is available!