“Almost as good as you,” she whispers before looking up at me. I kiss her chin.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“No, really. I love my dad. You know I do. He’s been my hero my whole life, but then you came along. I’ll never love anyone the way I love you.”
How my mom could ever question this beautiful angel is beyond me. “Right back atcha.”
She beams as our lips meet, and I gather her hair in my hand. When we part, her eyes search mine. “Want to tell me what happened with your mom?”
I can’t. “No, lovely. Not tonight.” Not ever.
I look away, but she turns my head back, her hand holding my jaw. “Is everything okay?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. She said some things I didn’t agree with, and I told her she didn’t need to be in my life.”
She swallows hard, and it’s so difficult to look her in the eye, knowing the woman who raised me doesn’t think Posey is perfect like I do. “She doesn’t want you to marry me, does she?”
I close my eyes, leaning against her hand. I feel her gaze, and I know she wants to know what was said, but I can’t give my mom the power over Posey that her words have over me. I’m not saying I agree with my mom or that I have doubts about marrying Posey—that’s all a done deal for me—but I hate that my mom doubts us. Elli and Shea may have been upset we sprung a wedding on them, but they never doubted us.
No one has…but my mom.
And that hurts.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I think it does. You’re upset.”
“I am,” I admit, cupping her neck. “But I am marrying you, and you’re having my baby. We will bring home the Cup, and really, nothing else matters.”
Her eyes search mine. “Are you sure?”
I lean my forehead to hers, and I force myself to smile. “Absolutely. I love you, Posey Adler, and only you.”
“Don’t forget our little bit,” she says, cupping her belly. “Whenever things get rough, that’s what I do. Think of it.”
I meet her gaze, and the warmest smile fills my face. “That’s a fantastic idea. Our little bit.”
“Or peanut.”
“Or puck.”
She brings in her brows. “Puck?”
“Why not? We both love hockey, and isn’t it the size of a puck?”
She shakes her head. “According to my app, it’s the size of a cherry.”
“Wow, that’s small.”
“Really small.”
“Now, I want cherries.”
Her eyes light up. “Yes, cherries.”
“Where can we get those?”
“No clue,” she says as her shoulders fall. “Maybe you can find some after golf tomorrow.”
“I can.” I love how she can distract me from anything. “Damn, I love you.”
She kisses my nose. “I love you too. And don’t worry. It’ll work out with your mom.”
“Maybe.”
“Is there something I can do to make it better?”
Don’t be rich? I won’t say that, though. I shake my head. “Absolutely not. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
She kisses me again. “I could say the same about you. Thank you for being so awesome about pushing the wedding back till Monday. It really means a lot to me and my mom. She’s gonna go get my grandparents and Amelia and Chandler with the kids. It’s gonna be awesome.”
“Whatever makes you happy, lovely.”
She rests her face on mine, lacing our fingers together. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m more than sure.”
I am. I really am.
I wish my mom could see and support that. I’ve never had a life without her. She’s always been there for me. My constant supporter. I hate the thought of pushing her away because of the person I am in love with and making a life with, but what choice do I have? I either choose to live life without my mom or without Posey. Only one of those scenarios is impossible to me, which I’m pretty sure makes me a fucked-up son. But why should I have to choose? I get that she doesn’t think the world of Posey and her family, but can’t she support the love I have for them? Can’t she see I am beyond happy? Doesn’t she want that for me?
I want that for me.
Which is why it’s so easy for me to choose my future.
Chapter Five
Boon
I think it’s a myth that hockey players are good golf players.
Or maybe I just suck big donkey dick.
When I shank the ball to the left toward the cart path for the second time this morning, I try not to slam this stupid club into the ground. Instead, I turn to my future father-in-law with a bashful look on my face and confess, “I may suck at this.”
Shea laughs from where he is lounging in the golf cart. He’s entirely too big for it, but he somehow fits with one leg on the front and his coffee cup in his hand. “I wouldn’t say suck… You are super tense. Nervous. Am I making you nervous?”
I scoff. “No.” Fuck yes. The last time I was this close to him, he popped me one. “I’m fine.”
Great, now I sound like Ross Geller from Friends. I’m fine. Fine!
“Yeah, you’re totally fine.” He laughs as I start toward him. “Get in. We’ll drive a bit and drink some coffee. Maybe make them Irish, calm you a bit.”
“You are a great man, Shea Adler.” I get in, taking a thermos cup from him. He then fills mine before I add, “As your daughter tells me often.”
Shea beams. “Posey. Man, that’s my baby girl,” he says proudly before handing me a bottle of Jameson. I open the bottle with my teeth as he continues. “She’s always had a special place in my heart. I think it’s because she reminds me most of Elli. Both my girls are like their mother, but especially Posey. Headstrong, stubborn, gorgeous, and frustrating as all hell.”
“Yeah, Posey is all that,” I say, laughing before taking a sip of my now very strong coffee. “She is the most unconfident confident woman I have ever met.”
Shea grins. “At least she’s unconfidently confident. Elli was unconfident, and man, it drove me crazy.”
“Really? I would never imagine that from her.”
“Not now that she is loved right. But she went through some real issues with weight gain and then weight loss, her family was awful to her, and then she had this shit dude she almost married. She didn’t know how to love herself, and it took me loving her really hard for her to learn how to do the same. Since then, I’ve never looked back. Made it my mission to love her enough that she could do it for herself.”
“Wow,” I say, studying his profile. The love of Elli and Shea Adler is one for the movies, but listening to him speak of her, just him and me, it’s amazing. Do I look like this when I talk about Posey? I want to love Posey enough that she loves herself even more than I do. She deserves it. She’s stunning!
“With Shelli, it was different. She knew what she wanted and went for it. Aiden Brooks. Did I want them together? Nope. As you know, Aiden didn’t have a very good reputation before Shelli, and it worried me. But to my surprise, he is perfect for her. Shit, anyone who can handle her and her bridezilla ways is worthy of marrying her.”