Mitchell's Power Play

Family Drama

"If I give your my credit card, will you pick up some extra stuff, like pucks and shit, that we can leave for them?"

"That's an awesome idea," Nash agreed, and Bryce nodded.

"I'll pay for it now and then we'll just split it three ways, cool?"

"Yeah," Nash and I responded at the same time.

"I'll call coach and ask when we can come to practice."

***

I had expected the house where I grew up to be in bad shape, and just like I'd expected, it was. The ranch was small and in need of a new roof. The landscaping was about the only thing that looked neat and I suspected that was thanks to Maria. She'd always been a caretaker.

"Ready?" Nash asked, and I nodded.

"No time like the present."

"Let's get the show on the road, then."

I noticed they had repainted the door a light blue. It didn't match the dark green shutters, but maybe they were next.

"Maria?" I said in surprise when she opened the door. I hadn't seen her since she was a young teenager, and she had changed. She wore jeans and a plain pink t-shirt and her blonde hair, similar in color to my own, was twisted up in some kind of clip. Instead of the tall, lanky girl she'd been, she had filled out and looked like a grown woman. Although she looked a bit more tired than I would have liked.

"Mitchell!" she gasped and threw her arms around me. I hugged her back in stunned silence, but the hug only lasted a couple of seconds before she took a step away from and glared, like she just remembered that she was supposed to be mad at me or something. Like I was the national enemy number one. I wondered, yet again, what our father had actually told her and Marshall?

Maria glanced over at Nash. I had no doubt she knew who he was even if she no longer followed hockey - and she'd been the only one in the family, other than me, that ever did. Every female knew who Nash was, at least the ones under eighty with a pulse.

"Nash, this is my sister, Maria."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Nash said with one of his killer smiles. I wanted to roll my eyes the way Sammy did, but reminded myself that he was here to support me.

"Hello," Maria answered, and while she tried to remain calm, her cheeks colored a light pink. I gave Nash a glare, but he just smirked back.

I stepped into the house that had once been my home. We hadn't really been invited in, but that didn't stop me.

It was a sentimental feeling mixed with some kind of sadness to see the house where I'd grown up. Not that I missed living there with our father. He'd never been a particularly good one. Especially not after he'd been drinking, and he preferred to spend time with a vodka bottle over having a relationship with us. But there had also been some good times, especially before mom left.

I looked around the kitchen, noting the same cabinets and laminate countertop. The fridge was new and so was the furniture, but the wallpaper was peeling and the floor had seen better days.

"What did he spend all the money on?" I asked out loud.

"Who?" Maria asked.

"Who?" I felt my eyebrows furrow. "Dad, of course."

"What money? In case you don't remember, he lost the business."

Oh, I remembered that, but that was while I still was in high school. "You mean to tell me he never got a job after that?" I asked her.