“Where is the bag of dicks?” he found himself asking, his blood suddenly boiling. How dare he miss his kid’s game? Angie deserved way better.
“Fuck if I know. I hate that dude,” Jayden said, looking around, and then he paused. “Ah, he’s sitting on the visitors’ side.”
Benji glanced to where he was looking, and there was Rick with a pretty blonde and a girl the same size as Angie, playing on her iPad. “Is that his wife and kid?”
“Yeah,” Jayden said, his voice laced with acid.
That bothered him. The little girl looked Angie’s age. Maybe older. He almost asked, but then Angie got the puck, a breakaway. She rushed down the ice, leaving everyone in her dust.
“Deke, deke, shoot,” Jayden yelled and Benji scoffed.
“She’s seven, dude!”
But Angie did what her uncle said. She deked left, then right, pulling the goalie completely out before lifting the puck into the goal with ease. As she threw her arms up, Benji was screaming so loud, he was sure he was going to lose his voice. Lucy was too, waving her arms and jumping up and down as Angie grinned big, turning to give him and Jayden a thumbs-up. They both gave her a thumbs-up, and she skated away with a grin nothing could touch.
“Hell yeah!” Jayden yelled and Benji was pumped. But when he glanced at Rick to see if he was cheering too, he found he wasn’t cheering. No, he wasn’t even watching.
His fury-filled gaze was on Benji.
Narrowing his eyes, Benji looked away as the buzzer rang and the game was over. The home side was cheering loudly as the girls all wrapped around each other, hugging tightly, and Shea fist-pumped from the bench. “Let’s go over there,” Jayden said, and together they headed over, reaching Shea as he was cheering the girls on.
“Great passing, great puck control, and, Hart! That breakaway, amazing! I’m so proud of you girls. You did awesome. Now, all together. Ready? On three. One, two,” he hollered, and then together everyone said, “Glittery Butterflies!”
Jayden chuckled and said under his breath, “Ha, who would have thought that big Shea Adler would be coaching a team called the Glittery Butterflies?”
“I sure as hell did,” Benji said between laughs, but when Adler glanced back at them, they both stopped laughing. “Great game, Coach!”
“Yeah, I hear y’all,” he said dryly, but a grin pulled at his lips as Angie came toward them, waddling in her skates.
“Okay, that was awesome!” she decided, and Benji shook her by her shoulders.
“Awesome? That was freaking amazing! You’re so fantastic!” he cheered and she beamed as he undid her helmet.
“How you feel, superstar?” Jayden asked as girls passed by, congratulating Angie on a good game.
“My feet hurt and I’m tired. A nap is in order for this glittery butterfly princess,” she decided, and they both laughed as Benji picked her up, putting her on his shoulders, watching her skates so they didn’t cut him.
“Well, then, glittery butterfly princess Angie, I’ll shall carry you to your bag,” he said and she giggled.
“Thank you, good sir. Man servant, my stick, my helmet,” she said, handing Jayden her things and he took them, a grin on his face.
“Yes, yes, princess.”
Dissolving in laughter, Benji’s heart almost couldn’t handle it. It was all too damn much. Too damn sweet and perfect. Man, this was the life.
As they walked together toward the door to leave, Angie replayed the game. While Benji listened, he saw that Rick was talking to Lucy, his wife and daughter behind him, everyone looking very awkward and uncomfortable. When Rick’s face got red and Lucy glared, the hair on the back of Benji’s neck stood to attention. He looked up to Angie, but she was too busy talking and didn’t notice Rick, which was good.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Why don’t you go change? You’re all wet. Jayden will take you.”
Jayden nodded, noticing where Benji was looking, and said, “Yeah, come on, glittery butterfly princess.”
Carefully, Benji took her off his shoulders and she went with Jayden as Benji made his way to Lucy. Her mom and River were with her, and he was sure she was fine, but he needed to be there.
Wanted to be there.
Coming up just as Rick sneered, “You made a big deal about me being here, and she doesn’t even care I was here. She didn’t even look at me! Why did I come if she didn’t care?”
“She did care! She looked at you twice. I don’t know what you want, Rick. I can’t make her get up your ass,” Lucy snapped back as her mother’s hand came down on her shoulder.
“Lucy, just come on.”
“He isn’t worth it,” Baylor sneered, her eyes in slits.
“Whatever, you don’t even know shit,” Rick said to her, but then River was in his face.
“Watch it, buddy.”
“Get out of my face, old man. This has nothing to do with any of you and everything to do with her,” he said, pointing his finger to Lucy. “This is bullshit and you know it. Your family steals all my time. She doesn’t even care about me half the time.”