Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
RYAN
I was about to meet Jonah’s family and my nerves were a little ragged. According to the rest of his friends, they were lovely people, but would they like me? I did have an affair with their son while I was coaching his team. I supposed that indiscretion would always haunt me just a little bit. I primped my hair in the washroom mirror at the hotel restaurant. Tempe was packed with people here for all the graduation ceremonies, so we’d decided to stay close. With a deep breath, I strode out of the bathroom and into the hotel lobby. Funny, not long ago, I was here with Laurent.
Jonah stood by a rough masonry wall painted in white, clasping his hands in front of him. A smile broke out over his face as his gaze caught on mine.
I perused the modern elegance of the lobby, all done up in retro furniture, reminiscent of the nineteen-fifties with sleek lines and rich wood. “So, have you heard from them?”
“Yep, be down in sec.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his side. “Are you nervous?” He wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Yes, how could I not be?” I edged into him, seeking his touch. In two days, we’d be leaving for our road trip with all my things. Though I was looking forward to it, I was also wanting to go home and see Mom.
A group of people strode toward us, a tall, built man with thick black hair and a shorter woman with tinted blonde hair, the woman wearing a flowing flowered dress and the man in a polo and dressy shorts. Behind them was a young man who looked a lot like Jonah, except smaller and thinner. I leaned in. “Is that them?”
“It is.” He pushed me toward them. “Hey, Mom, Dad.” He left my side to give them both hugs, then wrapped up his brother, Jason, and lifted him off the floor. “Hey, little dude.”
“I’m not that little.” Jason huffed and pushed away from him. “I grew an inch this year.”
“Yeah, okay.” Jonah scruffed his hair, then held a hand out to me. “Everyone, meet my boyfriend, Ryan Gibson.”
I stepped toward them. “Pleased to meet you all.” I met each of their gazes.
“Damn, you are a looker.” His mother walked to me and grabbed both my hands in hers. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. But Jonah says she’ll be fine.” She glanced at Jonah, smirking at her. “It’s so nice of you to go take care of her.” She tilted her head. “God knows, I’d be left to fend for myself.”
Jason rolled his eyes while his father scoffed and shook his head, his father saying, “You know better than that, Beth.”
His father stepped to me and held his hand out. “A hockey coach, huh? I hear you did a hell of a job with the team this year. Got a championship win.”
Shaking his hand, I said, “Thanks, but of course, it wasn’t just me. It was the whole team.” I freed him and set my sights on Jason. “I hear you’re at U of M for pre-veterinary medicine?”
“I am.” He lifted his chin and puffed out his chest. “It was a hard year, but I got through it with a three-point-eight GPA.” He threw a look at Jonah.
“Yeah, that’s my egghead brother.” He patted Jason on the shoulder. “What he doesn’t have in brawn, he makes up for in brains.”
“I leave the athletics to Jonah.” He gave me a warm smile. “It’s nice to meet you, man. I’ve heard a lot about you from my mom.” He came in for a side hug, patting me on the back.
My eyes widened. I hadn’t expected the hug from his brother, but Jonah had said they were close growing up. “Yes, and soon he’ll be in the NHL.” I beamed at Jonah. I knew he was going to make it. No doubt in my mind.
“Gosh, you have no idea how proud I am of you, son.” His father patted Jonah on the back, then turned his smile on me. “And you.”
“Thanks.” Dipping my head, I glanced at my black shoes under my gray slacks. I had dressed up to meet them tonight, and being a coach, I had my fair share of attire to pick from.
“Anyway, let’s go get a seat in the restaurant before it fills up.” Jonah snatched my hand and led everyone toward a tall hallway.
Beth walked beside us. “Ryan, I want you to know something.”
“Yeah? What’s that.” I snuck a peek at her profile, her nose so much like Jonah’s. I could see the resemblance to Jonah in all of them.
“I wanted you to know that I’m glad he has you.” She wrapped her hand around my arm. “Please, take care of my baby.”
The corners of my eyes pricked. That was right. He was supposed to go home this summer to them, but instead, he was coming home to my family. “Don’t worry. I’ll take very good care of him.”
Jonah kissed my cheek. “And I’ll take good care of you.”
A week later, we were pulling up to Mom’s house in the ’burbs of Toronto. I’d had a great time with Jonah’s family during graduation and our trip had been loads of fun, stopping off in North Dakota to see an enormous sculpture of a buffalo named Dakota Thunder. We’d laughed like crazy at the size of the thing’s balls, which were bigger than both our heads combined. Juvenile? Yes, but we had so much stress to let off.
I drove the truck to the curb and stopped, then looked over the two-story house in brick with white windows. The big old elm tree I used to play in shaded the yard. I’d spent a lot of time here when I was little, and it seemed I always came back. “We’re home.”
With a broad grin and wide eyes, Jonah scanned the property. “Damn, it looks a lot like Minnesota.”
“Were you expecting something different?” I shut off the engine and climbed out of the truck, then rounded it to meet up with Jonah.
“No, but I guess we’re in a different country, so…” He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m just being stupid because I’m about to meet your mom.”
“You nervous?” I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. He was so adorable right now, and holy shit, we were doing this. Starting today, this was our home for the foreseeable future.
“A little.” He pinched his lips. “I have a question, though.”
“Yeah? What’s that?” I walked him toward the front door under a small gable, my heart bursting with warmth.
“Do I call her Stella or Mom?” He giggled.
“Call her mom. She’ll love that.” I kissed his cheek again because I couldn’t stay off him.
“Good. Mom it is.” With a chortle, he patted my stomach.
The door flung open, and Mom jogged down the front steps, her pixie-cut gray hair styled to look messy on her head and her blue eyes twinkling. “Ryan and Jonah, so glad to see you.” She threw her arms around both of us and hugged us tightly, then kissed my cheek and Jonah’s. “My, aren’t you both something.” She stepped back and looked us over from head to toe. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to invite you into my home, Jonah.” She grabbed his hand in both of hers and leaned in. “You know I’m a huge Maple Leafs fan, so you better get on the team.”
“Oh, I will.” Jonah tossed me a grin. “I have a great coach right here to give me pointers off the ice.”
“Well, come inside. I’ve got some sandwiches made for you. I figured you’d be hungry. I hope you like grilled cheese.” She waved behind her, and we followed her into the house.
Jonah leaned in. “She is so goddamned cute, Ryan.” He flashed his eyes at me.
“Yeah, she’s a hoot too, sort of like your mom.” Maybe that’s why I’d felt so at ease with Jonah’s mom and his whole family. They were similar to mine.
We walked through the hallway with the stairs to the bedrooms on the right, then stepped into the kitchen with wrap-around cabinets on one side and a dining table on the other, sitting in front of a set of French doors that led to the backyard.
“You both take a seat and I’ll finish these up.” She sauntered to a frying pan sitting on the glass stovetop.
“Mom, what’s the latest on your treatments?” I pulled out a slatted wooden chair for Jonah and gestured for him to sit.
“Things are going well. The lump is getting smaller. I’ll be starting chemo in a week.” She flipped a sandwich in the pan with a spatula.
My chest tightened and I glanced at Jonah, who looked at me. “Okay, guess we got here just in time.”
Jonah patted the chair next to him. “Sit. She’s fine.”
I sank into the chair. “Yeah, okay.” He was right. I was about to hover over her and take over like she was already ill.
“In any case, after we eat, I’ve got photo albums pulled out for us to look through.” She plated the sandwiches and added apple slices to them, then brought them to the table .
“Oh no…” I hung my head and rubbed my temple. Here we go.
“Yeah? Of Ryan when he was a cute little baby?” Jonah beamed at me.
“Of course. I have all sorts of embarrassing photos to show you.” As she set the plates down in front of us, she kissed my head, then took a chair at the head of the table.
“Oh good.” He rubbed his hands together, then picked up his sandwich and bit into it. “Damn, this is delicious.”
“It’s the cheese. I use a mixture of cheddar and gouda.” She watched him.
“I’m really going to love it here.” He squeezed my hand over the table. “It already feels like the place I was meant to be.”
My chest bloomed with warmth. “Because you are. You were always meant to be with me.” Picking up his hand, I kissed the back of it. “You’re mine and I’m yours.”