Fire and Ice - The Epilogue
Well, here it is...the end of Fire and Ice. I'm going to miss these boys. Thanks to all of you who stuck with me...greatly appreciated.
Carol
Epilogue
One year later…
The real estate agent walked away, leaving Ennis and Jack alone.
“So what do you think?”
Ennis looked sideways at Jack but didn’t even have to; he could hear the enthusiasm in his voice, could feel it resonating off his body. Jack had been full of energy as he commented on the huge stone fireplace, the wide front porch, the outdoor kitchen out back, and the obscenely large master bedroom, never mind the pool and the hot tub and the views of Cooper Bay. Ennis could sense Jack’s excitement oozing out of every pore; he’d known it since Jack had showed him the listing on his computer.
But Ennis being Ennis, he loved to play his old role now and again to see if it still fit: the gruff naysayer, the party pooper, the one who loved to mess with Jack just to get his dander up. And Jack still fell for it every time.
“I dunno,” Ennis answered dubiously. “It’s a lot of land.”
“Five acres isn’t much.”
“You ever mowed five acres in 95-degree sun? You might want to think about that.”
“We can plant trees,” Jack said hopefully. “An orchard would be nice.”
“Who’s gonna harvest it?”
“You and me, stupid.”
“I quit ranching for hockey, in case you forgot. Damn, you’re dumber than you look.”
“Fuck you. We can get regular trees for the other part of the land.”
“Yeah, and wait twenty years for them to mature?” Ennis tried not to smile. He loved this game, especially when Jack didn’t know they were playing it.
“Okay, well, what about the house?” asked Jack, trying to distract Ennis.
“What about it?” humphed Ennis, squinting up at the log cabin he secretly loved and had from the moment he’d seen it up close. “It’s a lotta wood, Jack. What if we get termites, eh?”
“The wood’s treated, En.”
“What if we get sick of lookin’ at wood all the time? You can’t just wallpaper over it.”
“All right,” replied Jack, “but what about the bedrooms? That master alone-“
“Five bedrooms?” fake-grumbled Ennis. “Why the hell do we need five bedrooms?”
“You could have an office, and I could have a library. Plus we need guest rooms for when the family comes to stay.”
“Office? What the fuck do I need an office for?”
“For…” Jack sputtered. “For your coaching stuff. For whatever you need to do for the teams. For keeping records and stats-for-for surfing porn! I don’t know!”
Ennis could feel the frustration flowing out of Jack but he couldn’t resist a few more jabs at his expense.
“Shit,” he continued. “Five bedrooms is a lot of cleaning. And that kitchen is way more than the two of us need, even as much as you like to cook. A wine captain? Give me a break. We’re not that fancy.”
Jack sighed loudly, griped “Forget it then, I was just thinkin’ out loud” and stomped off until Ennis almost laughed out loud. He gave Jack a few moments to cool off then he followed him to where Jack stood looking out over the bay.
Ennis stayed behind, afraid Jack might take a swing at him.
“Bud?” he said softly.
“What?” Jack snapped, disappointment lacing his voice.
“I was just fuckin’ with you, eh?” he admitted, putting his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I love the house, the land…all of it.”
Jack turned to him. “Why’d you do that, then?” he grumbled, still trying to act mad and failing miserably.
“Because I like seeing you get all riled up sometimes,” Ennis teased. “You’re handsome when you’re mad.”
“There’s better ways of getting me riled up, y’know.”
“I know, and I plan on doing some of ‘em when we get back home.”
Jack grinned. “So you really like the house?”
“No, I love it,” corrected Ennis. “And I know you do too, so let’s go make an offer.”
****
Brady re-entered the bedroom with his cell phone in his hand, a strange look on his face.
“Who was that?” asked Ben Patterson, making room for Brady on the bed.
“Jack Twist,” replied Brady as he sat down. “He and Ennis are having a housewarming party and want us to come.”
“No shit?” asked Ben, smiling. “That could be fun.”
“They’re doing a long-weekend thing over Fourth of July. He said we can come whenever we want.” Brady looked apprehensive.
“I’ve never met them,” Ben replied, “but if you want to go, let’s go. You’ve obviously told Jack about us.”
Brady smiled. “Hope you don’t mind that I did. It was Jack who first encouraged me to call you.”
Ben ran his hand up Brady’s thigh to his dick. “Then I should thank him.”
Brady grinned. “You’re not mad?”
“Mad that you told him about how you’re a kept man now, living with me in Toronto, surviving on our meager minor-league salaries and my huge inheritance?” Ben laughed, lighting a cigarette. “Hell no.”
“I didn’t tell him all that. And we only live together in the off-season.”
“Don’t remind me. I wish we played on the same team like Ennis and Jack did.”
“Actually, this is better,” reasoned Brady. “If we played on the same team we’d do something dumb and get outed the first day. And this way, we get to spend time apart, and that makes it that much better when we do get to see each other.”
Ben nodded, taking a long drag. “Yeah. Doesn’t make me miss you any less, though, eh?”
Brady kissed him. “I know. Me too. But the phone sex is awesome.”
“Hard to do when your roommate is asleep right next to you,” Ben teased.
“Don’t remind me. Jesus.” Brady shook his head at the memory of an aborted attempt last season. “So…can I tell Jack we’ll be there?”
“Sure. Maybe we can get some advice, see how they handled things,” Ben commented. “I always thought it was cool how they did it-Twist retired, and then del Mar a couple months after, with no one the wiser. It’s nobody’s fuckin’ business anyway. Let them just live their lives, and if they want to come out, they can come out, eh? Fuck everybody else.”
Brady nodded, wondering if Ben was commiserating on their future as well. Brady was head over heels for the guy, and he knew Ben felt the same way after asking him to move in last year. In all actuality, Brady had to thank Jack for dumping him; if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have met Ben.
“Let me call Jack back and tell him we’ll be there.”
Ben took the phone from Brady and put it on the bedside table. “Call him later. I have something much better for us to do.”
****
Jack frowned to himself as he heard Ennis taking off his running shoes on the back porch. As Ennis entered the kitchen, he knew he was caught and Jack would be pissed.
“Ennis---“
“I know, I know,” he shook his head, stealing a piece of bread off the counter. “I had to, Jack.”
“No, you didn’t. You could’ve gone out to the pool and had a swim, like I did.”
“Swimming gets boring.” Ennis grabbed a dishrag to wipe his sweaty face and neck and plopped down on a barstool.
“Swimming isn’t as tough on your knee. You know what Brett said-keep your workouts light.”
“I am.”
“Bullshit. Running on a rough road up the mountains, dodging trucks and cars, is not ‘keeping it light’.”
“How do you know I didn’t go to the high school and run the track?”
“Oh, um, let’s see,” Jack said sarcastically as he finished seasoning the steaks and putting them in the fridge. “Both our trucks were here. Duh.”
“Maybe I ran all the way to the high school,” grinned Ennis.
“Yeah, right. You might want to run for exercise but that’d be a mini-marathon. Try again.”
Ennis smiled at Jack, who smiled back. Though they wouldn’t admit it, they loved razzing each other. Secretly it made Ennis melt when Jack scolded him, knowing how worried he got over Ennis.
“So which of your players are coming?”
Ennis thought about his high school hockey team that he had invited to the party. “Nellie, Bakes, Simmy, Poolboy, Boats, GT, Parksie…pretty much all of ‘em, eh?” he replied, using their nicknames. “Not Square, though. His parents grounded him for the mailbox incident.”
“They should have,” Jack grimaced, remembering a week ago when Ennis had to go get one of his players from the police station after he blew up a mailbox with a firecracker and he was too afraid to call his parents. “Stupid kid.”
Ennis nodded, eating a carrot off the veggie tray. “And now I’ll have to suspend him for the first game of the season.”
Jack loved it that his boyfriend had not only gotten a coaching job, but had been recruited immediately after his retirement to coach the Cooper Bay High School varsity hockey team. “Well, it can’t be helped. He fucked up. He has to pay the price.”
“Mm,” Ennis grunted, eating another carrot.
“Stop it. That’s for the party.”
“They’re good.”
As he went to the sink to wash his hands, Jack grinned at Ennis. “You never stop, do you?”
Ennis walked up behind Jack and kissed his neck, leaning his chest against Jack’s back. “You wouldn’t want me to, would you?” he whispered, and Jack shivered. He loved the low timbre of Ennis’s voice, loved how it got raspy and rough just before they-
“Holy shit!” Jack jerked back as Ennis grabbed his cock in a reach-around. “Ennis, our whole family is asleep upstairs!”
“Asleep, eh? Perfect. Let’s have sex.” Ennis grabbed Jack’s hips.
“We have a ton of stuff to do before-“ Jack paused, all thoughts slipping from his brain, as Ennis stroked him to hardness as he nipped and licked his neck. “Ohhh….shit…don’t do that…we’re gonna get caught….uhhhhh…”
And with that, Ennis dragged Jack out to the pool where they got naked and had their second workout of the morning.
****
Jack looked around happily. Friends and family milled about the pool area, drinking, eating, and laughing. The families were getting to know each other; he saw his parents and Ennis’s sitting around a table in the shade of an umbrella, all talking. He heaved a sigh of relief at that one. His sisters had blended well with Ennis’s brother and sister too, so everything was going okay in Jack’s eyes.
Ennis, he noticed, was…different. He wasn’t nervous in front of anyone; he meandered from group to group, greeting everyone, chastising his team when they got too rowdy in the pool, taking Morgan from Lisa and giving her a little dip in the pool with her water wings on. When she squealed “Unca Ennis!” Jack’s heart gave a little leap. He wanted kids so badly, but now wasn’t the right time…but someday they would, he was sure of it.
Jack went back inside the house and put some dirty dishes in the sink. He promised Ennis he wouldn’t try to clean up while the party was going on, but he hated a messy kitchen. Friends and family wandered inside and out and around the property, looking at everything. Jack was in heaven, thinking this was life at its best, when the doorbell rang. He frowned, knowing there was a note on the front door telling everyone to come around back. He went to answer it and was shocked.
There, on the doorstep, stood Bobby Murray, the Tornadoes’ defenseman that had given them so much trouble when Ennis arrived in Cooper Bay.
“Bobby,” said Jack, not trying to hide his shock at seeing him.
“Hey Jack,” Bobby greeted him, but not moving until he was invited in. “I heard there was a party going on-some guys bought a house or something?” he tried to joke, waving a bottle of Crown Royal. “Got this for you guys as a housewarming gift.”
“Uh, thanks,” replied Jack as he opened the door wider. “C’mon in.”
Bobby stepped inside and looked up at the high ceilings and décor, and whistled. “Wow. Fuckin’ nice place ya got here.”
“Thanks,” replied Jack again, still stunned at seeing him.
“Hey,” Bobby said, turning to him, “I just want to apologize to you guys. I did some stupid shit, and I’m really sorry I hassled you guys. It wasn’t my business. And you…you two seem happy. I’ll admit it, the idea of two guys freaks me out,” he laughed, and Jack did too. “But hey-fuck it. Ya gotta be what you are, right?”
“Right,” Jack nodded, a small smile on his lips.
“So, I’m trying to be less of an asshole.”
They both laughed.
“Well, come on in and eat and drink and have fun,” offered Jack. “Everyone’s down by the pool. Jeff and his wife are here, and Marc and Pierre, and of course Ennis. And there are a lot of Cooper High players who might want to meet you.”
“Cool,” Bobby agreed as they both heard the crunch of gravel on the driveway outside.
“Pool is out that way,” Jack pointed by the back door. “I’m gonna see who just drove up.”
Bobby nodded and took off for the door while Jack put the bottle down on the table and walked out front. He smiled widely as he saw Brady and Ben Patterson climb out of their rental car.
“I was wondering if you two got detained at Customs,” laughed Jack as he hugged Brady.
“Yeah, what the fuck? Fucking flight took forever to take off,” grumbled Brady, but with a smile. “We sat on the tarmac for, what? 45 minutes?” He looked at Ben for confirmation.
“Yeah. Fuckin’ planes. I hate to fly,” grimaced Ben as he stuck out his hand. “Ben Patterson. You must be Jack.”
“I am. Nice to meet you, finally. Brady’s told me a lot about you. I’ve seen you play-Jesus, you have a nice slap shot.”
Ben grinned as he and the two other men hauled their bags out of the car and took them in the house.
Brady looked around inside the gleaming log home. “Jeez, Jack, this is fucking gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” he replied, “but wait till you see your room and the pool.”
He took them upstairs so they could change and get comfortable, and soon they joined him outside and he introduced them to everyone, especially Ennis.
Jack had to admit, it was going to be a great weekend.
****
Five years later…
“Oh my God,” called out Jack Twist as he re-entered the Cooper Bay Tornadoes’ locker room, “this place hasn’t changed one bit.”
“Carpet’s still for shit,” grinned Ennis behind him.
“And Jesus, could they paint this place? It looks like a mortuary,” added Jeff.
Shouts greeted them from every corner.
“Twist, you fuckin’ dog!”
“You guys couldn’t leave us forever.”
“I knew they’d be back. Old hockey players never die-they just-“
“SMELL LIKE IT!” everyone chimed in, and laughed.
Jack, Ennis and Jeff looked around at all the familiar faces. Getting together for a charity game was a great way to get back on the ice for both of them; they had both missed playing but rarely mentioned it to each other. But being back here, in the old locker room that smelled and looked the same, made them both wistful for the past.
Bobby was there too, and Marc, Pierre, Blair, and of course Jeff. There were many faces Ennis didn’t recognize, but Jack seemed to know many of them. He introduced Ennis around, and it was obvious that everyone knew they were together but no one seemed uncomfortable about it. Ennis wondered if word had gotten out that they were going to play and that anyone who had a problem with it would be encouraged to stay home, but he didn’t ponder long. He was anxious to get out on the ice for the first time in five years.
It had been too long.
****
Up in the stands, about twenty rows up, sat Catherine, Lisa, and Morgan, who was now a very grown-up young lady of seven years old.
“I am so excited, I can barely sit still,” Catherine trilled to Lisa. “This is so cool, seeing them play again.”
“I know,” Lisa said, arranging Morgan in her seat with her popcorn and drink. “It’s all Jeff’s talked about for weeks- being on the ice with Ennis and Jack again.”
At that, the organist started up the music and the PA announced the players coming onto the ice. Cheers erupted and Catherine stood holding Cerys, and Lisa stood too, hoisting a wiggling Ailish.
“Girls, look!” pointed Lisa, “there’s your daddies!”
The three-year-old twin daughters of Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar looked out on the ice.
“Where Daddy?” asked Cerys.
“Daddy’s right there,” Catherine said, trying to point out Jack on the ice. “And Papa is over there.”
“Papa!” called Ailish.
As if on cue, Jack and Ennis both swung their gazes to the stands, looking for their girls. Ennis had to squint; his eyesight was getting worse but Jack couldn’t seem to convince him to get contacts, much less go to the eye doctor. They both spotted Lisa, Catherine, and the girls and waved. Nothing in the world meant more to them than playing in this game in front of their daughters. Nothing.
The End
Author’s Note: The name Ailish (pronounced “eye- lish”) is Scottish and means ‘of a noble kin.’ Cerys (pr.: “care-iss”) is Welsh and means ‘to love.’ I hope you all think those are appropriate names for their daughters. Thanks so much for reading my fic. I really appreciate it.
Carol
Epilogue
One year later…
The real estate agent walked away, leaving Ennis and Jack alone.
“So what do you think?”
Ennis looked sideways at Jack but didn’t even have to; he could hear the enthusiasm in his voice, could feel it resonating off his body. Jack had been full of energy as he commented on the huge stone fireplace, the wide front porch, the outdoor kitchen out back, and the obscenely large master bedroom, never mind the pool and the hot tub and the views of Cooper Bay. Ennis could sense Jack’s excitement oozing out of every pore; he’d known it since Jack had showed him the listing on his computer.
But Ennis being Ennis, he loved to play his old role now and again to see if it still fit: the gruff naysayer, the party pooper, the one who loved to mess with Jack just to get his dander up. And Jack still fell for it every time.
“I dunno,” Ennis answered dubiously. “It’s a lot of land.”
“Five acres isn’t much.”
“You ever mowed five acres in 95-degree sun? You might want to think about that.”
“We can plant trees,” Jack said hopefully. “An orchard would be nice.”
“Who’s gonna harvest it?”
“You and me, stupid.”
“I quit ranching for hockey, in case you forgot. Damn, you’re dumber than you look.”
“Fuck you. We can get regular trees for the other part of the land.”
“Yeah, and wait twenty years for them to mature?” Ennis tried not to smile. He loved this game, especially when Jack didn’t know they were playing it.
“Okay, well, what about the house?” asked Jack, trying to distract Ennis.
“What about it?” humphed Ennis, squinting up at the log cabin he secretly loved and had from the moment he’d seen it up close. “It’s a lotta wood, Jack. What if we get termites, eh?”
“The wood’s treated, En.”
“What if we get sick of lookin’ at wood all the time? You can’t just wallpaper over it.”
“All right,” replied Jack, “but what about the bedrooms? That master alone-“
“Five bedrooms?” fake-grumbled Ennis. “Why the hell do we need five bedrooms?”
“You could have an office, and I could have a library. Plus we need guest rooms for when the family comes to stay.”
“Office? What the fuck do I need an office for?”
“For…” Jack sputtered. “For your coaching stuff. For whatever you need to do for the teams. For keeping records and stats-for-for surfing porn! I don’t know!”
Ennis could feel the frustration flowing out of Jack but he couldn’t resist a few more jabs at his expense.
“Shit,” he continued. “Five bedrooms is a lot of cleaning. And that kitchen is way more than the two of us need, even as much as you like to cook. A wine captain? Give me a break. We’re not that fancy.”
Jack sighed loudly, griped “Forget it then, I was just thinkin’ out loud” and stomped off until Ennis almost laughed out loud. He gave Jack a few moments to cool off then he followed him to where Jack stood looking out over the bay.
Ennis stayed behind, afraid Jack might take a swing at him.
“Bud?” he said softly.
“What?” Jack snapped, disappointment lacing his voice.
“I was just fuckin’ with you, eh?” he admitted, putting his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I love the house, the land…all of it.”
Jack turned to him. “Why’d you do that, then?” he grumbled, still trying to act mad and failing miserably.
“Because I like seeing you get all riled up sometimes,” Ennis teased. “You’re handsome when you’re mad.”
“There’s better ways of getting me riled up, y’know.”
“I know, and I plan on doing some of ‘em when we get back home.”
Jack grinned. “So you really like the house?”
“No, I love it,” corrected Ennis. “And I know you do too, so let’s go make an offer.”
****
Brady re-entered the bedroom with his cell phone in his hand, a strange look on his face.
“Who was that?” asked Ben Patterson, making room for Brady on the bed.
“Jack Twist,” replied Brady as he sat down. “He and Ennis are having a housewarming party and want us to come.”
“No shit?” asked Ben, smiling. “That could be fun.”
“They’re doing a long-weekend thing over Fourth of July. He said we can come whenever we want.” Brady looked apprehensive.
“I’ve never met them,” Ben replied, “but if you want to go, let’s go. You’ve obviously told Jack about us.”
Brady smiled. “Hope you don’t mind that I did. It was Jack who first encouraged me to call you.”
Ben ran his hand up Brady’s thigh to his dick. “Then I should thank him.”
Brady grinned. “You’re not mad?”
“Mad that you told him about how you’re a kept man now, living with me in Toronto, surviving on our meager minor-league salaries and my huge inheritance?” Ben laughed, lighting a cigarette. “Hell no.”
“I didn’t tell him all that. And we only live together in the off-season.”
“Don’t remind me. I wish we played on the same team like Ennis and Jack did.”
“Actually, this is better,” reasoned Brady. “If we played on the same team we’d do something dumb and get outed the first day. And this way, we get to spend time apart, and that makes it that much better when we do get to see each other.”
Ben nodded, taking a long drag. “Yeah. Doesn’t make me miss you any less, though, eh?”
Brady kissed him. “I know. Me too. But the phone sex is awesome.”
“Hard to do when your roommate is asleep right next to you,” Ben teased.
“Don’t remind me. Jesus.” Brady shook his head at the memory of an aborted attempt last season. “So…can I tell Jack we’ll be there?”
“Sure. Maybe we can get some advice, see how they handled things,” Ben commented. “I always thought it was cool how they did it-Twist retired, and then del Mar a couple months after, with no one the wiser. It’s nobody’s fuckin’ business anyway. Let them just live their lives, and if they want to come out, they can come out, eh? Fuck everybody else.”
Brady nodded, wondering if Ben was commiserating on their future as well. Brady was head over heels for the guy, and he knew Ben felt the same way after asking him to move in last year. In all actuality, Brady had to thank Jack for dumping him; if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have met Ben.
“Let me call Jack back and tell him we’ll be there.”
Ben took the phone from Brady and put it on the bedside table. “Call him later. I have something much better for us to do.”
****
Jack frowned to himself as he heard Ennis taking off his running shoes on the back porch. As Ennis entered the kitchen, he knew he was caught and Jack would be pissed.
“Ennis---“
“I know, I know,” he shook his head, stealing a piece of bread off the counter. “I had to, Jack.”
“No, you didn’t. You could’ve gone out to the pool and had a swim, like I did.”
“Swimming gets boring.” Ennis grabbed a dishrag to wipe his sweaty face and neck and plopped down on a barstool.
“Swimming isn’t as tough on your knee. You know what Brett said-keep your workouts light.”
“I am.”
“Bullshit. Running on a rough road up the mountains, dodging trucks and cars, is not ‘keeping it light’.”
“How do you know I didn’t go to the high school and run the track?”
“Oh, um, let’s see,” Jack said sarcastically as he finished seasoning the steaks and putting them in the fridge. “Both our trucks were here. Duh.”
“Maybe I ran all the way to the high school,” grinned Ennis.
“Yeah, right. You might want to run for exercise but that’d be a mini-marathon. Try again.”
Ennis smiled at Jack, who smiled back. Though they wouldn’t admit it, they loved razzing each other. Secretly it made Ennis melt when Jack scolded him, knowing how worried he got over Ennis.
“So which of your players are coming?”
Ennis thought about his high school hockey team that he had invited to the party. “Nellie, Bakes, Simmy, Poolboy, Boats, GT, Parksie…pretty much all of ‘em, eh?” he replied, using their nicknames. “Not Square, though. His parents grounded him for the mailbox incident.”
“They should have,” Jack grimaced, remembering a week ago when Ennis had to go get one of his players from the police station after he blew up a mailbox with a firecracker and he was too afraid to call his parents. “Stupid kid.”
Ennis nodded, eating a carrot off the veggie tray. “And now I’ll have to suspend him for the first game of the season.”
Jack loved it that his boyfriend had not only gotten a coaching job, but had been recruited immediately after his retirement to coach the Cooper Bay High School varsity hockey team. “Well, it can’t be helped. He fucked up. He has to pay the price.”
“Mm,” Ennis grunted, eating another carrot.
“Stop it. That’s for the party.”
“They’re good.”
As he went to the sink to wash his hands, Jack grinned at Ennis. “You never stop, do you?”
Ennis walked up behind Jack and kissed his neck, leaning his chest against Jack’s back. “You wouldn’t want me to, would you?” he whispered, and Jack shivered. He loved the low timbre of Ennis’s voice, loved how it got raspy and rough just before they-
“Holy shit!” Jack jerked back as Ennis grabbed his cock in a reach-around. “Ennis, our whole family is asleep upstairs!”
“Asleep, eh? Perfect. Let’s have sex.” Ennis grabbed Jack’s hips.
“We have a ton of stuff to do before-“ Jack paused, all thoughts slipping from his brain, as Ennis stroked him to hardness as he nipped and licked his neck. “Ohhh….shit…don’t do that…we’re gonna get caught….uhhhhh…”
And with that, Ennis dragged Jack out to the pool where they got naked and had their second workout of the morning.
****
Jack looked around happily. Friends and family milled about the pool area, drinking, eating, and laughing. The families were getting to know each other; he saw his parents and Ennis’s sitting around a table in the shade of an umbrella, all talking. He heaved a sigh of relief at that one. His sisters had blended well with Ennis’s brother and sister too, so everything was going okay in Jack’s eyes.
Ennis, he noticed, was…different. He wasn’t nervous in front of anyone; he meandered from group to group, greeting everyone, chastising his team when they got too rowdy in the pool, taking Morgan from Lisa and giving her a little dip in the pool with her water wings on. When she squealed “Unca Ennis!” Jack’s heart gave a little leap. He wanted kids so badly, but now wasn’t the right time…but someday they would, he was sure of it.
Jack went back inside the house and put some dirty dishes in the sink. He promised Ennis he wouldn’t try to clean up while the party was going on, but he hated a messy kitchen. Friends and family wandered inside and out and around the property, looking at everything. Jack was in heaven, thinking this was life at its best, when the doorbell rang. He frowned, knowing there was a note on the front door telling everyone to come around back. He went to answer it and was shocked.
There, on the doorstep, stood Bobby Murray, the Tornadoes’ defenseman that had given them so much trouble when Ennis arrived in Cooper Bay.
“Bobby,” said Jack, not trying to hide his shock at seeing him.
“Hey Jack,” Bobby greeted him, but not moving until he was invited in. “I heard there was a party going on-some guys bought a house or something?” he tried to joke, waving a bottle of Crown Royal. “Got this for you guys as a housewarming gift.”
“Uh, thanks,” replied Jack as he opened the door wider. “C’mon in.”
Bobby stepped inside and looked up at the high ceilings and décor, and whistled. “Wow. Fuckin’ nice place ya got here.”
“Thanks,” replied Jack again, still stunned at seeing him.
“Hey,” Bobby said, turning to him, “I just want to apologize to you guys. I did some stupid shit, and I’m really sorry I hassled you guys. It wasn’t my business. And you…you two seem happy. I’ll admit it, the idea of two guys freaks me out,” he laughed, and Jack did too. “But hey-fuck it. Ya gotta be what you are, right?”
“Right,” Jack nodded, a small smile on his lips.
“So, I’m trying to be less of an asshole.”
They both laughed.
“Well, come on in and eat and drink and have fun,” offered Jack. “Everyone’s down by the pool. Jeff and his wife are here, and Marc and Pierre, and of course Ennis. And there are a lot of Cooper High players who might want to meet you.”
“Cool,” Bobby agreed as they both heard the crunch of gravel on the driveway outside.
“Pool is out that way,” Jack pointed by the back door. “I’m gonna see who just drove up.”
Bobby nodded and took off for the door while Jack put the bottle down on the table and walked out front. He smiled widely as he saw Brady and Ben Patterson climb out of their rental car.
“I was wondering if you two got detained at Customs,” laughed Jack as he hugged Brady.
“Yeah, what the fuck? Fucking flight took forever to take off,” grumbled Brady, but with a smile. “We sat on the tarmac for, what? 45 minutes?” He looked at Ben for confirmation.
“Yeah. Fuckin’ planes. I hate to fly,” grimaced Ben as he stuck out his hand. “Ben Patterson. You must be Jack.”
“I am. Nice to meet you, finally. Brady’s told me a lot about you. I’ve seen you play-Jesus, you have a nice slap shot.”
Ben grinned as he and the two other men hauled their bags out of the car and took them in the house.
Brady looked around inside the gleaming log home. “Jeez, Jack, this is fucking gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” he replied, “but wait till you see your room and the pool.”
He took them upstairs so they could change and get comfortable, and soon they joined him outside and he introduced them to everyone, especially Ennis.
Jack had to admit, it was going to be a great weekend.
****
Five years later…
“Oh my God,” called out Jack Twist as he re-entered the Cooper Bay Tornadoes’ locker room, “this place hasn’t changed one bit.”
“Carpet’s still for shit,” grinned Ennis behind him.
“And Jesus, could they paint this place? It looks like a mortuary,” added Jeff.
Shouts greeted them from every corner.
“Twist, you fuckin’ dog!”
“You guys couldn’t leave us forever.”
“I knew they’d be back. Old hockey players never die-they just-“
“SMELL LIKE IT!” everyone chimed in, and laughed.
Jack, Ennis and Jeff looked around at all the familiar faces. Getting together for a charity game was a great way to get back on the ice for both of them; they had both missed playing but rarely mentioned it to each other. But being back here, in the old locker room that smelled and looked the same, made them both wistful for the past.
Bobby was there too, and Marc, Pierre, Blair, and of course Jeff. There were many faces Ennis didn’t recognize, but Jack seemed to know many of them. He introduced Ennis around, and it was obvious that everyone knew they were together but no one seemed uncomfortable about it. Ennis wondered if word had gotten out that they were going to play and that anyone who had a problem with it would be encouraged to stay home, but he didn’t ponder long. He was anxious to get out on the ice for the first time in five years.
It had been too long.
****
Up in the stands, about twenty rows up, sat Catherine, Lisa, and Morgan, who was now a very grown-up young lady of seven years old.
“I am so excited, I can barely sit still,” Catherine trilled to Lisa. “This is so cool, seeing them play again.”
“I know,” Lisa said, arranging Morgan in her seat with her popcorn and drink. “It’s all Jeff’s talked about for weeks- being on the ice with Ennis and Jack again.”
At that, the organist started up the music and the PA announced the players coming onto the ice. Cheers erupted and Catherine stood holding Cerys, and Lisa stood too, hoisting a wiggling Ailish.
“Girls, look!” pointed Lisa, “there’s your daddies!”
The three-year-old twin daughters of Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar looked out on the ice.
“Where Daddy?” asked Cerys.
“Daddy’s right there,” Catherine said, trying to point out Jack on the ice. “And Papa is over there.”
“Papa!” called Ailish.
As if on cue, Jack and Ennis both swung their gazes to the stands, looking for their girls. Ennis had to squint; his eyesight was getting worse but Jack couldn’t seem to convince him to get contacts, much less go to the eye doctor. They both spotted Lisa, Catherine, and the girls and waved. Nothing in the world meant more to them than playing in this game in front of their daughters. Nothing.
The End
Author’s Note: The name Ailish (pronounced “eye- lish”) is Scottish and means ‘of a noble kin.’ Cerys (pr.: “care-iss”) is Welsh and means ‘to love.’ I hope you all think those are appropriate names for their daughters. Thanks so much for reading my fic. I really appreciate it.