“Have you ever even said grace?” I accuse, knowing damn well he hasn’t since his family isn’t religious.
Ashton shrugs. “No, but I’ve seen it on TV.”
We all groan and Molly giggles. “Thank you, sweet boy, that would be great.”
I catch Drew rolling his eyes and laugh under my breath, before I follow Molly and Tim’s lead and lower my head, waiting to hear Ashton’s speech.
“Grace,” Ashton says. I wait several seconds for him to continue, before I realize that’s it. He literally said ‘grace.’ My head pops back up in shock, ready to stab him with my steak knife, when he chuckles. “Kidding.”
He shoots me a devilish wink and I groan on the inside, afraid of whatever is about to come out of his mouth next. “Lord, thank you for the delicious food I’m about to devour, for the people I’m about to devour it with, and for MiMi, who I’ll most definitely be devouring later. Amen.”
I groan.
Tim laughs.
Brayden and Drew both snort.
And Molly giggles, winks my way, and then says, “Dig in, everyone.”
We’re all grabbing our food, when my cell phone vibrates in my back pocket. Not sure who it is, I quickly pull it out to check, immediately wishing I didn’t.
Mom: I’m having your dress designed for the event. Can you try not to gain another ten pounds between now and then? With the holidays, they won’t be able to alter it.
Without even bothering to reply, I shove my phone back in my pocket. When I glance up, Ashton is watching me curiously. “My mom,” I murmur with an eye roll to play it off. The last thing I want to do is ruin everyone’s dinner with talk of my family.
I watch everyone grab their food, as they make small talk about Brayden’s team’s winning streak, but I’m suddenly not all that hungry. I grab a piece of steak and a salad, since they’re the healthiest items, but bypass the macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and buttery rolls.
“MiMi, don’t you love mac n cheese?” Ashton asks, eyeing my half empty plate. Before I can answer, he plops some down on my plate. “Try it, it’s good,” he says, taking a bite.
“So, tell me what’s new,” Molly says.
“Well—” Ashton begins with a glint in his eyes that tells me he’s about to out Drew and Brayden. Earlier, he joked about it, but no one actually took him seriously. I kick him under the table and shake my head. It’s one thing to mess around, but it’s another to mess with someone’s family.
“Drew and I are together now… like a couple,” Brayden says, shocking the hell out of me with the way he just comes out and announces it. I hold my breath, praying his parents don’t ridicule or disown him. But at least if they do, we’re here and have his back.
Molly glances from Drew to Brayden several times before a huge smile breaks across her face and tears fill her eyes. She stands and walks over to Drew, pulling him into a hug. “Finally,” she says through a watery smile. “Congratulations.” She hugs Brayden next, telling him how happy she is for him before she sits back down.
Ashton stares at her in shock, for the first time in his life speechless. My eyes dart to Tim, wondering if he’ll be this happy, or if he’ll be the one to give them a hard time.
“How is that going to work with you being the coach?” Tim asks Drew.
Drew stiffens. “I don’t know, sir. It only just happened, so we’re still figuring it all out.”
Tim nods, as if that answer is good enough for him. “I imagine this road will be a bumpy one. I’m glad you boys made it back to each other. If you need anything, we’re here.”
“Thank you,” Brayden and Drew both say.
And that’s it… Just like that both of Brayden’s parents accepted them being together. My heart thumps behind my ribcage, wishing these people could be my family. Wondering why my own can never be that accepting.
As if he can tell what I’m thinking, Ashton reaches over and squeezes my leg. I grant him a forced smile and go about eating my salad.
“Here, MiMi,” Ashton says, “try this.” He extends his fork of mashed potatoes toward me. I try to shake my head, but he keeps going and I’m forced to take a bite. “Good, right?”
“Yeah,” I say after I swallow my bite.
“Did you try my mom’s rolls?” Brayden asks from the other side of me. He tosses a roll onto my plate, and I groan on the inside. What the hell is up with these boys trying to feed me?
I glance over at Brayden and catch the weird look passing between him and Ashton, and it hits me. He told Ashton about my mom. Freaking great.
Not wanting to be rude, I have no choice but to eat everything they place on my plate. After the meal is over and everyone has helped clean up, Molly brings a massive plate of brownies over.
“Would you like one or two?” she asks me sweetly.
“Oh, none for me, but thank you,” I tell her.
Her brows dip together. “Is there something wrong with my brownies, honey?”
“Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones,” Ashton quips, grabbing three for himself.
Molly’s eyes go wide, and my head swings over to him, my face heating up in embarrassment.
“Ignore him. He’s an idiot,” Drew says, grabbing his own brownie. “You can only believe a quarter of what comes out of Ashton’s mouth. She’s not pregnant.”
“Yet,” Ashton adds with a wink. I make a mental note to go get on birth control as soon as possible. Too many pregnancy jokes are coming out of his mouth.
“Just have one, please,” Molly insists.
Because I don’t want to offend her, and because they look and smell delicious, I nod.
“Good girl,” she says with a wink.
As I take a bite of my brownie, I notice Ashton and Brayden both smiling at each other. And I know Brayden definitely told Ashton about my mom.
After dessert is over, Molly insists we all go out back and have an after-dinner drink by her chiminea. It’s cold outside, but the warmth from it makes it nice. Ashton and I cuddle up into one of her lounge chairs together, while everyone pairs off in the other two.
“This is nice,” Molly muses. “We should make this a weekly tradition. Remember when you used to come over every Sunday for dinner?” she asks Drew, who nods in agreement.
“Yeah, I’ve missed this,” he says, wrapping his arm around Brayden. “Being on the road got old quick.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket again, and I plan to ignore it, but Ashton pulls it out. “Sasha has formally invited you to the DELTA DELTA DELTA Halloween party,” he says with a snort. “Hell no. No one wants to see her dressed as Slutty Sorority Barbie. Oh wait. She’s Slutty Sorority Barbie every day.”
“Be nice,” I say, smacking his thigh. “It could be fun. Maybe Drew and Brayden could come.”
Before Ashton opens his mouth and says something super inappropriate about that, Brayden chimes in. “I got a text earlier from Finn. The whole team is going. I think I’ll go. I’ve been trying to be more present with them. Being team captain means you actually have to talk to the team.” He laughs. “You can be my date, Mia.” He winks.
“If he’s going,” Ashton grumbles, “then Drew and I have to go to make sure you don’t get roofied by Brayden’s dude bro friends.”