“Delaney said we could use the suite she reserved or sit down along the ice,” Dominic tells us as he walks ahead of us to enter the TD Garden.

“The suite could be fun,” Gio says. “Watching the game from above is always an experience.”

“But the ice is where all the action is. Especially if there’s a brawl,” I point out.

“What’s going on here?” Calvin asks. He seems to tense up at the vast mass of people lingering around.

“This is North Station,” I tell him.

“I thought we were going to hockey?”

“We are.” I point to retractable glass walls where many Bruins and Canadiens fans are vying to head up the escalators once the walls push back. “The arena is upstairs.”

“Say again?” Calvin looks at the three of us, clearly shocked by what I said.

“It’s upstairs,” Gio adds. “The Celtics and Bruins play above the station. The view is amazing.”

Gio’s right, if you’re there to look at the view. Most of the time, it goes unnoticed though because people who come to the games are used to it. I like to take a look every now and again, be thankful I’m able to go to a game.

“People in New England are odd.”

Gio, Dominic and I all laugh. Calvin isn’t thinking anything we don’t already about the folks on the “left” coast. We often have a tourist roll through town, wholly awed by our small town living. To us, it’s all we know. To the visitors, we’re living some idyllic dream, as if we’ve been plucked out of a magazine and set there for all the world to see.

The doors open and the mad rush to get upstairs starts. Gio holds us back for a few minutes to let the diehards go first. I’ve never understood why people hurry to get to their seats an hour early. I know for most it’s to watch warm-ups, but the seats aren’t the most comfortable, and personally, I’d rather wait.

“What’s the plan?” Dom asks. “Seats or suite?”

“The seats are along the ice, right?” Gio asks and we all nod. Delaney spared no expense when she hooked us up with tickets. I had no idea about the suite until we were half way here. If I weren’t feeling bad about seats to begin with, the suite definitely pushed me over the edge. I’m not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I’m having a hard time accepting I can’t return the favor to Delaney.

“Why not do both?” Calvin suggests. The four of us sort of look at each other like one of us has to make a decision. It’s not going to be me, but I’ll definitely go along with whatever is decided. I’ve never known what a luxury box has to offer, but I’ve heard stories.

“Can we?” Gio asks as we stand on the escalator. When we get to the top, he has all four tickets scanned. The lady smiles and directs us to the elevator we need to access the suite.

“Yeah, I’ve done it before. It’s nice because we can eat in the suite when the Bruins are attacking the other end of the ice,” Dominic says as he motions us to follow him.

The suite’s fully stocked by the time we get there. Delaney has clearly gone overboard and arranged for a vast selection of food to be ready and waiting for us to devour. There’s everything from wings, to nachos, to pasta, not to mention a fully stocked soda bar, which has me laughing.

“What’s so funny, Fisher?”

“Your sister made sure none of us are drinking on her tab.” The look on Dom’s face is priceless, and the snicker from Calvin causes me to laugh even harder. “Seriously, I could kiss her for this,” I say, only to realize my choice of words. My mouth shuts quickly as my gaze falls to Gio. He’s smiling, almost as if he didn’t hear those words slip out. I immediately head over to the table of food and start making a plate. In the background, I can hear Dominic on the phone with Delaney, hopefully thanking her for everything and not whining because his favorite beverage isn’t here.

“He takes advantage of his sister.” Calvin picks up a plate and starts loading an assortment of food onto it. “I hear her on the phone with him a lot.”

“Really? Like how?” I ask, only to shake my head. “You know what, it’s none of my business.”

“It’s not mine either, but I have an opinion about siblings who aren’t famous. They whine and ask for a lot without coming out and saying it.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Calvin motions toward the other end of the room, away from where Dominic is. I glance around for Gio and find he’s not here.

“He went to the restroom,” Calvin says, knowing I was looking for Gio. “From my experience, siblings tend to go on and on about the same things until the famous one gives in. The repetitiveness wears them down, and they finally act so the other will stop talking.”

“You’re very observant.”

“It’s my job and something I pride myself on. Being a police officer isn’t any different, right? Our jobs aren’t that different. I just spend more time with my employer.”

“No, I suppose it’s not, but sometimes I feel unfocused.”

“Like when Delaney’s name’s brought up?”

My hand freezes on it’s way to my mouth, which of course stays open until my brain decides to start functioning again and I close it. As casually as I can, I set my nacho filled chip down onto my plate and clear my throat. “Um… we used to be friends.”

“And you’re not now?”

I shrug. “I think as people grow up, the definition of friendship changes. I’m sure everyone wants to be her friend.”

“They do, but her circle is very limited. You’d be surprised by her life.”

“Oh, I’ve seen her in the papers,” I tell him, thankful I’ve dodged his earlier statement.

Calvin adjusts his large frame in the leather chair. “The real Delaney is nothing like you see in the media. She prefers to stay home and watch movies, over going to a party or a club. When you see her, it’s out of obligation. Either a director wants her someplace, or a company wants her dressed in their clothing, so they pay her to be in the right spot for a photo.”

“Really?”

He nods and starts in on his plate of food, leaving me to my thoughts. For years, seeing Delaney in the news, I thought she enjoyed having her picture taken, the glitz and glam that comes with being a Hollywood star, and the all-night parties Heather often read about. She used to tell me the things she read about Delaney, the things she was doing and what was going on in her love life. I never knew it was all a ruse.

“My wife used to keep me updated on Delaney, and we’d go see her movies when they would come out.”

“Used to?”

I nod and look at the ice where the teams are warming up. The arena is starting to fill up with people, and the noise level is getting louder. “She died almost two years ago, but up until she became sick, she was one of those people who bought every magazine and read it cover to cover. Of course, with Delaney being our local hero, everyone kept tabs on her.”

“I think coming home was the right thing for her,” he adds. I agree, mostly because I know her family is happy to have her home for the holidays. “You avoided my statement though.”

“About what?” I ask, pretending I don’t have a clue as to what he’s talking about. Honestly, I feel like I’m in some warped version of reality television where the guys sit around and talk about their feelings, not the women. I think Calvin and I need to open a bottle of wine and light a few candles.

Calvin laughs. “It’s okay. I get it. She’s easy to crush on.”

“I don’t have a crush.”

He nods. “If you say so.”

I do say so. I don’t have time for childhood crushes or any other flirtation game, especially when it comes to Delaney. It’d be pointless considering how different our lives are. I’m here, a full-time single dad raising an impressionable young daughter, and Delaney’s everywhere, she doesn’t need my baggage to slow her down. Not that I’ve considered being with her or even stand a chance at being someone in her life. I’m no different than everyone else in town. We’re all star struck where she’s concerned.

“So anyway, how long have you worked for Delaney?” I ask, steering the conversation in a different direction.

“A few years now. I came on after Delaney had a run in with a stalker.”

“And your family is okay with you being here?”

“I’m not married. I’m also one of eight kids so if I’m not home for the holidays, my mother doesn’t necessarily miss me. She has a dozen plus grandkids running around, taking up her attention.”

“One of eight, huh? I thought I had a problem with my sister growing up, always in my stuff, bugging me every five seconds about whether one of my friends liked her. I can’t imagine having seven of them.”

Calvin laughs and nods toward Dominic. I turn to find him chatting with a few guys I don’t know. “That’s what I’m talking about. Our suite is private, and they shouldn’t be in here. I should go find our seats before I say something Delaney won’t like.” He gets up and tosses his plate in the trash. I make the quick decision to follow him down. In the corridor, we run into Gio, who tells us he’ll be down soon.

We find our seats quickly, and except for almost zero legroom, which affects Calvin more than it does me, but the seats are fantastic. “Do you like hockey?”

“I’ve only seen it on TV. I stick mostly to basketball and football. Delaney is nice enough to take me to the Laker games and bought season tickets to the Rams.”

“You seem to be more than a bodyguard.”

“Nope,” he says matter-of-factly. “I’m just the guy who doesn’t beg her for attention or disrespect her in the media.”

His jab against the media gives me pause. I feel like I’m missing something, but I’m not sure what. I know I can look her up and see what’s been going on in her life or even listen to the women who gossip like birds on a telephone wire, but I’ve prided myself on staying out of the Ramona Falls rumor mill as much as I can. Being a part of it when Delaney came back was enough to last me a good year or two. Besides, you never know who’s telling the truth.

Dominic and Gio join us in time for the national anthem. Gio’s excited and asks the arena photographer to take our photo. I’m sure for him, being away from his mayoral duties for the night is a reprieve.

Within seconds of the puck dropping, the Bruins score. A majority of the fans cheer, while the rest boo.

“Boston is a tough crowd,” Calvin yells into my ear.

“It’s the rivalry. If you have time, you should have Delaney take you to Montreal. The city is beautiful. It’s a bit cold, but there’s an underground walkthrough, which has shops and restaurants to check out. The Cathedral is a sight to behold during the holidays.”

“She mentioned something about going iceskating at Rockefeller Center.”

“Sounds like Delaney. She loves to skate.”

“So I’ve been told. I think skating extends my guard duty into hazard pay. I believe there has to be some rule about a man my size being on blades.”

I point to defenseman Zdeno Chára. “If he can do it, so can you, big guy.”

Calvin gives me a side glare, making me laugh. I need this, though. I need to feel like I’m free from the stress, even if it’s for a few hours.