“Zander is going places. Kid’s got a mean wrist shot,” Grady said, taking Karson’s attention away from his beautiful wife.

“Yeah, he got me in the shin earlier,” Karson laughed and Grady grinned.

“He reminds me a little of your game. He’s vicious, hungry, while I was always the laid-back one.”

Karson scoffed as he shook his head. “No, you were the nervous one, but it worked for both of us. He’ll be great.”

“Yeah, I think so, especially with me as his dad and you as his uncle.”

Karson knew that had to be hard for him to say, but it really meant a lot to him. “Absolutely.”

“Flynn, on the other hand, there could be six of each of us helping him and that kid won’t make it. He can’t even skate yet.”

Karson smiled. “He has heart. He’ll get there.”

“I sure hope so. I don’t want him to be a designer, but he loves decorating the house with Rachel. Kind of scary,” he said with a sheepish grin. “He’s a great kid.”

“He’s my favorite,” Karson admitted. “Zander is a bully.”

Grady laughed. “Yeah, he is. But again, good kid, just too damn competitive.”

“Have no clue where he got that from,” Karson said, and they shared a knowing look as they both grinned.

Sucking in a deep breath, Grady nodded. “Can I talk to you over there real quick?” he said, pointing to the garage.

Karson eyed him, a grin playing on his lips. “Wanna kick my ass?”

Grady laughed. “Shut up and come on.”

As he got up, Karson kissed Lacey’s temple as he untangled himself from her. “Be right back.”

“You okay?” she asked and he smiled.

“Yeah, Grady wants to beat me up,” he joked, but Lacey didn’t laugh.

“Don’t joke like that,” she warned and he grinned.

“It’s good. I’ll be back.”

Heading to where Grady stood, Karson crossed his arms, a little cold since he didn’t have Lacey’s body heat. “What’s up?”

“I want to apologize.”

“For what exactly? We have a pretty extensive history, Martin,” he teased and Grady nodded, a grin pulling at his mouth.

“First when I hit you for dating my sister. I was pissed ’cause I didn’t trust you to care for her. I didn’t think you could make her happy. I was wrong.”

“Accepted, next.”

Grady shook his head, a grin pulling at his lips as he continued. “I’m sorry for hitting you with my stick in the neck that one time.”

“Forgiven. Sorry for that time I slashed you in the back of the knee.”

“It’s okay ’cause that one time I ‘fell’ on you, I really was just trying to drop an elbow in your back.”

“Yeah, I felt it, but then I came back at you, slamming my stick in your back.”

“I had to go to the chiropractor because of that. It was bad,” he said with a laugh. “But that one time I slammed you into the glass, dude, sorry.”

“Man, I was sneezing blood for a week!” Karson yelled, but with a grin on his face. “But it’s cool ’cause that time I shot the puck at your face, I mean, I could have really hurt you.”

“Yeah, thank God, I ducked.”

“No shit,” Karson agreed and they both started to laugh.

As their laughter subsided, Karson took a long pull of his beer and he smiled. They had tried to kill each other for the last nine years. It was kind of stupid. They both loved the same girl; why couldn’t they just let go and accept it? More him than Karson, of course.

“But really, King,” Grady said slowly. “I’m sorry for keeping you guys apart. For helping my dad. I never knew what he did to you, and that was shitty as fuck. He kinda manipulated me until I realized what he was doing. I know he’ll never apologize, but I will, and I am sorry. I watched for nine years as my sister just went with the motions of life. She didn’t live. But then when I saw you two in her apartment, the way the color was in her eyes again, her face bright, I wanted to be mad, but it was hard when I could see how happy she was.”

“She completes me, man. I told you that back then.”

“Yeah, you did, and I’m truly sorry for the shit you two have been through. It’s obvious you two belong together.”

Karson grinned. “We do. I mean, after nine years, we still love each other like we were never apart.”

“That’s special, dude,” Grady agreed. “And I hope you can forgive me, but if not, I understand. Just know that you guys have my blessing, and I look forward to future blood-matches—I mean, holidays together,” Grady joked and Karson laughed.

Shaking his head, he said, “You have my forgiveness, dude, and let’s hope that over time, things will get better.”

He nodded. “I think they will.”

“As long as your dad lets us be.”

“Yeah,” Grady agreed. “I’ve tried to talk to him, but he’s gung ho on getting Lacey back in Chicago, where she ‘belongs,’” he said, making air quotes.

“I think Rachel might be there with him,” Karson said slowly, not wanting to piss Grady off but also trying to get the info he needed.

Grady shook his head. “She loves my father because she didn’t have a dad growing up, but she agrees that he was wrong for that he did. Plus she loves Lacey like a sister. She won’t try to hurt her.”