Chapter Twenty-Nine
Maverick
We’re in Jagger’s massive game room, playing darts—myself, Jagger, Mitchell, and Dad—while the girls are marveling over Jo’s closet, if I had to guess. There’s a laundry room downstairs that’s easily the size of at least three one-bedroom New York apartments dedicated to all of Josephine’s clothes. She can’t even fill it, that’s how big it is, but I guess with my brother’s new contract, she’ll have no trouble filling it soon, if she wanted to.
“What’s up with you?” Dad asks, standing beside me as he prepares to shoot darts next.
“With what?”
“How do you feel about Rocky potentially, most likely, getting a professional contract?”
“I feel great about it, obviously.” I frown as I look over at him. “Why?”
“I don’t know. It’ll change things. She’ll be gone a lot.” Dad throws a dart and hits the outside corner of the board. I’m kind of glad he’s not great at something for once.
“I’ll be going pro soon, too. I’m signing as a free agent the minute the season is over. Maybe before then.”
“You decided?” Dad turns to me. He’s a huge man, but not bigger than me, not anymore anyway. When I was little I used to think of him as a bear, muscular and warm. I still think of him like that, but now I’m also a full-grown bear, and being beside him like this always reminds me of that.
“I did. If I do the accelerated program that I was accepted into, I can be done with classes by the summer, so I’ll get the degree you guys want me to get that I’ll probably never use, and I’ll hopefully get a decent contract.”
“Decent?” Dad chuckles, then turns to my brothers, who are examining Jagger’s liquor collection, which he probably hasn’t even touched yet. “Guys, your brother thinks he may have a chance at a decent contract in the NHL.”
“Decent?” Jagger laughs.
“Bro, shut the hell up. You’ll be able to buy this mansion twice,” Mitch says with a laugh, then looks at Jag. “Not that there’s anything wrong with this mansion.”
“You think I’m going to take offense to that?” Jagger shakes his head with a smile. “Imagine Grandpa’s face if he were alive to see this. I think about that a lot, you know? Our grandparents didn’t have money to afford shoes, and look at us. It’s borderline exorbitant.”
“It’s not borderline exorbitant, Jag. It is exorbitant,” Dad says.
“Damn, we’re blessed,” Mitch adds with the shake of his head.
“We are, and don’t you ever forget it,” Dad says. “So, what does Drew say about the free agency thing? Do I need to speak to him?”
“No, Dad. I’m an adult.” I shoot the dart and hit the middle target. Drew is Jagger’s agent, and will be mine the minute I can sign.
“Right, but do I need to speak to him?” Dad raises his eyebrow.
“I guess you can.” I roll my eyes.
My dad’s never going to let me sign anything without looking at it first, so there’s no point in pretending that would ever be the case. It’s a good thing, though. I’m fortunate to have people who know sports contracts beside me.
“Do you know where you’ll sign? You had a few teams interested,” Mitch says.
“Not yet.”
“Tell me you’re waiting for the girl you’re in love with to sign to a city first, without telling me you’re waiting for the girl you’re in love with to sign. I’ll go first,” Jagger says, smirking.
“Fuck you. I’m not waiting for that.” I shoot him a glare.
“But you are in love with her.” Mitch looks way too pleased that he caught me in that one.
“I’m not going to deny it.” I shrug a shoulder.
“What?” Dad nearly shouts, then laughs. “When did this happen? Is that why she’s avoiding you like the plague?”
“Something like that.”
“Damn, dude. Don’t fuck this up. Keke is like your soul mate,” Jag says.
“He’s not wrong,” Mitch adds, still looking at the alcohol in front of him. “This looks expensive.”
“Did you tell her you’re in love with her?” Dad asks.
“No. I just . . . I don’t know. We sort of hooked up and then I told her she should date other people.”
“What?” Dad looks bewildered. “Who the fuck does that?”
“And why?” Mitchell adds, looking equally as bewildered.
“You are so weird,” Jagger says.
“You’re one to talk, Mister Let’s-hook-up-casually-and-not-fall-in-love.” I shoot him a look.
“Well, it worked out for me. I’m engaged.”
“And you, Mister I’m-going-to-date-this-girl-and-fall-in-love-with-her-and-then-break-up-with-her-and-pine-after-her-forever.” I shoot Mitchell a look.
“I was seventeen,” Mitchell says as if that’s any excuse for what he did. “I didn’t know any better.”
“I don’t know how or where our parenting went wrong, but the three of y’all are a mess,” Dad says, shaking his head. “And here I thought your mother and I having a normal, stable relationship was enough.”
“You kind of set the bar pretty high,” I say.
My brothers mutter their agreement behind me.