“Wanna talk about it?” he asked.
For some crazy reason, I did.
“Payton’s twelve. He’s the youngest and there’s the biggest age gap between he and I than between me and my older two brothers. He’s always been the baby, you know?” I had no idea why I told him anything, but it didn’t matter. He asked and I needed to vent.
Asher nodded. “Believe me, I understand about the baby in the family.”
I smiled a little thinking about his little brother. “That’s right, you do.”
Asher sat back, pulling me with him. His arm curled around my shoulders, feeling comfortable and just…right.
“It’s not exactly the same, because Caleb’s still a baby, but there’s no denying it’s not the same for him as it has been for me.”
I nodded because he was right. “Well, Payton’s always been a little different. I guess, it is for me, too, because I’m the only girl, but I’ve kind of always been one of the guys.”
Asher snorted, but didn’t say anything.
“Anyway, Payton’s never been into hockey like the rest of us. He’s always been a bit more broody.”
Asher’s fingers toyed with my hair and before I could think better of it, I turned my face into him, inhaling deeply, enjoying the spicy scent he wore.
“What does he like to do? Maybe he wouldn’t be acting out if he didn’t have to play hockey.”
Asher
A trace of bitterness laced my words, but I didn’t know if Jordan picked up on it or not. I knew all about being forced to do something you didn’t want to do. The difference for me, I’d found my passion and as long as I could do both things, I’d compromise.
Maybe if Payton could find the thing he loved, he could work something out that would keep him out of trouble.
To my surprise, Jordan snuggled into my side. I wanted to comment, ask what went on in that beautiful head of hers, but feared breaking whatever spell we were under. I didn’t want it to end.
“It’s crazy you say that. Bobby, Joe, and I were just saying the same thing. But Dad would never let Payton quit hockey. One, he’s too good, even if he doesn’t like it. Two, hockey’s an institution in our family. Everybody plays. My uncles. My cousins. I have an aunt who plays for the US National team.”
“Wow. That’s cool. But that doesn’t mean Payton doesn’t have something else he’s interested in.” Like me, I wanted to say but didn’t because we were talking about her brother not me.
Jordan sat up straight, putting some distance between us I regretted until her hands gripped my arms. The intensity in her gaze had nothing to do with the thoughts running around in my head, but heaven help me, her lips were just inches away.
“You mean like you and your music,” she asked.
“Well, yeah.”
We’d already discussed hockey wasn’t my passion. In fact, that very conversation had been the catalyst leading to a week of complete radio silence from Jordan. She hadn’t even been eavesdropping on my nightly jam sessions in my backyard. I knew because I’d been spying on her window. Unless she’d been sly about it, Jordan hadn’t been listening to me sing.
Which was fine. I’d been surprised when she told me she liked listening in the first place. I just figured her not opening her window meant she was still upset with me. And that kind of sucked.
“Asher,” she said, pulling me away from my thoughts and back to the present.
“What?” Man, I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to spend every waking minute with her. What did that mean? I’d never felt this way about anyone before.
“I just thought of something. It might be a long shot, me looking for something that isn’t there, but what about music?”
“What about music?” I asked.
Her shoulders fell a little and she rolled her eyes. “For Payton!” She grabbed my hands, further distracting me from the words coming out of her mouth. “He’s always got his earbuds in listening to some weird band or another. What if we got him into music?”
“We?” I’d do just about anything Jordan asked me at this point, but was she asking?
“What if-” She bit her lip.