“Bennett!” Crowler was the first to greet me, his hand up as he stood in line.
I met it, fitting my palm into his, and we clasped each other across the back.
Behind him, Bubs and Babs gave me a hug. Neither knew that this killed me, because they were supposed to be Melissa and me.
I gave each of them a smile and a hug back.
Carlster was next, sporting a full beard.
Then came Samsonite, famous for quoting Dumb and Dumber for an entire evening once, and the only one who didn’t give me a warm greeting. Instead, she gave me an uneasy smile, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “Jonah.”
I nodded. “Yo, Sams.”
It’d been like this since Melissa died. She and Sams had been roommates.
I shared a look with Carlster, who only raised his eyebrows with a small shake of his head. He and Sams had some type of relationship, but I didn’t know what it was. He moved forward in line, along with the others, and Sams moved behind me.
I glanced back over my shoulder. “So your sister scored these tickets?”
She nodded, looking away. “You know hockey?”
“I know a bit. Which player?”
“Franklin?”
I nodded. He was good. He wasn’t the team’s star, but he was one of their best. “I think I read he was recently divorced.”
“They aren’t serious, but my sister...” She looked past me, hugging herself. “She knows how hard our stuff is and offered it up as a getaway. I’m glad you came.” Her gaze found mine on that last statement.
Right. Melissa.
I stiffened. “It’s been a hard…year.”
“I’m glad you stayed in medicine.”
I frowned at her.
She saw my look. “I mean, you could’ve taken time off, but then sometimes you don’t come back.”
I nodded. “It’s the only thing keeping me going.”
“I get that.”
* * * *
Because life is like that, Sams had the seat next to mine on the plane. Halfway through the flight, she turned to me. “She talked to me about you, you know.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “About what?”
“That you never talked about your family.”
“Oh.”
“I have friends at your clinic, and I asked them,” she blurted. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to pry into your life, but they told me they never see you with anyone. Like, around town. Your clinic is in a small town. They’d know. Are you…” She stopped, staring ahead at the seat before her. “Are you alone going through this? You shouldn’t be. I… I loved Missy, but I have Carl, and I have my family. You shouldn’t be alone, Jonah.”
I gave her a smile, knowing she was trying to read me, and I didn’t let anything show. Everything was locked up inside. Like a jail cell. I’d spent my whole life perfecting this skill.
“I’m doing okay, Sams.”
That was all I said. I’d been lying since I started medical school, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed adding extra lies on top of the necessary ones.
She searched me, studying, but after a bit, she let out a breath of air. Her smile seemed more genuine, more relaxed. She slouched back in her chair. “Good. I didn’t… I mean, I just wanted to do what Melissa would want. She’d worry about you. She’d want you to be with people who love you.”
Fuck me.
I gave her another one of my easygoing grins. “Can you believe we actually have a full weekend away? How about getting some drinks and starting it off the right way?”
She hit the button for the flight attendant. “I am down for that.”
* * * *
When we landed, everyone turned their phones on.
I didn’t.
I bought a prepaid one on the way out of the airport. I’d be using it for the weekend.
“What happened to your other phone?” Crowler asked when I gave him the number.
“Stopped working. I’ll take it in when we get back, get it fixed.”
His head bobbed up and down. “Cool. We got an Airbnb for the weekend, but there’s a pub not far from it. Want to grab a beer while the chicks get ready?”
“I will get a drink wherever you want this weekend.”
“Right on, my medicinal brother. Right. Fucking. On.”
Chapter Ten
JONAH
Turns out I was the only one who understood hockey.
When we got to the game, I tried to explain the rules and penalties, but by the time we got through the first period, the girls told me to save my breath.
Even so, watching hockey was a rush. I’d forgotten how much I used to love this sport. In Canada, hockey was a way of life, a religion to some.
I’d never played. No way would they let a Bennett play. The other players wouldn’t have touched the ice if I got on it. So I watched and cheered, got drunk with Tanner a few times.
I missed those times.
A pang filled my chest.
I missed my family. I missed Brooke, Tanner, Kai.