Chapter 41 Nick
Nick
Iglance down at Poppy, trying to gauge her reaction.
Her brow furrows slightly, and her mouth is a straight line. I don’t think she’s happy to see him.
Which I can understand based on the one phone conversation I overheard between the two of them a month ago.
I think back to how he told off Poppy for not getting that internship. How Poppy explained how rigid and unforgiving her parents are in their expectations of her. How she’s amazing in every way, but they don’t seem to care at all.
“What are you doing here, Dad?” Poppy asks.
He walks up to us. “Your mother put together a care package for you. You’ve been so busy studying and going to class, she thought you could use some snacks and other treats so you wouldn’t have to go to the store.”
His gaze falls to our joined hands. The corners of his mouth turn down, like he’s disgusted at the sight of us together.
“But it looks like you’ve been out having some fun.” He clears his throat. “Who’s this…gentleman you’re spending time with?”
I almost laugh at the thinly veiled insult. This guy thinks I’m trash. And honestly? I don’t blame him. Because compared to Poppy, I am. She’s beautiful and brilliant and perfect. And I’m a dumbass whose one talent is smacking around a puck.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Poppy’s shoulders stiffen. She turns to me, her eyes sad.
I just wink at her, hoping my relaxed expression is the quiet support she needs in this moment.
“This is Nick. My boyfriend.” She turns to me. “Nick, this is my dad, Sterling Wylder.”
I let go of her hand and reach to shake his. The handshake he gives me is brief and firm, like he doesn’t want to waste a single extra second associating with me.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Wylder.”
“Likewise.” He makes a face like he just tasted something bitter before turning back to his daughter. “I didn’t know you were dating someone.”
Poppy straightens up and rolls her shoulders back, like she’s prepping to go toe-to-toe with him. “We just started seeing each other,” she says. “But Nick and I have known each other for a while. He’s my best friend Anna’s twin brother.”
Recognition flashes in his eyes when he looks at me again. “Ah. The hockey player.” His tone is pointed. He’s not at all impressed. I’m not surprised.
“Yes, sir.”
I brace myself for him to say something biting or sarcastic about me, but he just looks at me with a stern expression before looking back at his daughter. He stares at the Hollis U hockey jersey she’s wearing.
“You should come by the house for Thanksgiving dinner next week,” he says to me. “My wife would love to meet you. And I’d like to get to know the young man who’s charmed my daughter.”
I read the context between his polite words and pointed tone. I don’t like you, but you’re dating my daughter, so I’m gonna find out as much about you as possible.
I look him in the eye. “I’d love to come.”
He turns back to Poppy and hands her the small box, then leans down to give her a quick hug before straightening his tie and pulling on the lapel of his suit jacket. “Goodnight, darling. Your mother and I will see you next week for Thanksgiving.”
“Bye, Dad.”
He walks off to a dark colored Mercedes parked at the far end of the block, gets in, and drives off.
Poppy exhales sharply. I take the box out of her hands.
“Sorry about that. My dad is…” She tugs a hand through her hair. “A piece of work.”
“I picked up on that.”
I remember as a kid Anna mentioning Poppy’s parents a few times.
I didn’t know much about them—just that they were lawyers who made a lot of money.
She said they worked a lot and were hardly ever home, and that’s why Poppy was over at our place so much growing up.
I never really gave them much thought beyond that, though.
But now, just from the few minutes of meeting her dad, I have a pretty good idea of what he’s like. A snob who thinks I’m beneath him.
“I don’t think he and I hit it off. I’m guessing he’s not a hockey fan,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.
Poppy looks up at me, brow furrowed, like she’s frustrated. “I’m sorry, Nick. He comes off like such a jerk when he meets new people.” She presses her eyes shut and shakes her head. “He treats everyone like they have something to prove. Like they need to win him over. I hate it.”
“Hey,” I say softly as I set the box down. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close. “That’s fine. He can think whatever he wants about me. All I care about is you.”
The flash of sadness in her eyes fades when she blinks. “I understand if you don’t want to come,” she says. “It’s really stuffy and formal. It’s mostly my parents’ work clients that come. My mom has the whole thing catered. You’d probably have a better time hanging out with your family.”
I kiss her forehead and rest my lips on her soft skin. “I want to go. I want to spend Thanksgiving with you.”
She leans back and looks at me. “But my parents. Nick, they’re honestly the worst during the holidays. All they do is talk about work and their stock portfolios and complain about taxes. It’s awful. My dad is going to grill you about hockey and school and our relationship…”
She trails off when I just smile. “That’s fine.
Poppy, do you think this is the first time I’ve encountered a girl’s dad who didn’t like me?
Every girl I dated in high school, whenever she brought me home to meet her parents, their dads never liked me.
Why would they? I’m a smartass hockey player who doesn’t take a damn thing seriously. I’m used to it.”
She cups my cheek in her hand. “You’re not a smartass. You’re sweet and funny and kind.”
I smile wider, warm from her praise.
“As long as you like me, wild girl, I don’t care about anyone else.”
She bites her lip. “You sure you want to do this?”
I nod. There’s no way I’m going to win over Poppy’s dad, and I don’t care one bit about that.
What I do care about is being there for Poppy. Supporting her and showing her that I’m the kind of guy who won’t go running for the hills just because her parents don’t like me.
Because if I show her that, maybe she’ll see me as more than just a fake boyfriend. Maybe she’ll want to be with me for real.
She stares up at me, those hazel eyes sparkling. Her sweet mouth curves up in a soft, hopeful smile. “Okay. Let’s do this.”