Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mara
“Mara, it’s real. I went to the bank and the teller confirmed it’s a real check.”
My mom is crying, and I am too. I’m sitting in a recliner in Leo’s living room, Birdie on my lap. We’ve watched four episodes of Love Island , but we’re on a break because he had to go to a team meeting even though he’s still rehabbing his knee.
“You guys deserve it, Mom.”
“This is our future son-in-law, isn’t it? The card he sent with the check said, ‘Thank you for raising such an incredible daughter.’”
That gets me. I told Bash our two-hundred-fifty-thousand deal was off, and this is the first I’m hearing about him sending my parents a check. It’s for three hundred thousand, an amount that will change their lives.
I stop petting Birdie, and she gives me a pleading look until I start back up. She really is the sweetest dog. All she wants is to be near someone at all times, preferably while being petted and talked to.
“Mara, be honest with me. Is he buying your virginity? Your father and I won’t support that.”
I scoff. “Mom, that ship sailed a long time ago.”
“Well, women these days are having surgeries to become virgins again. I saw it online. It’s called a hymenoplasty. Can you imagine?”
“Ugh, no. Just no.”
The clinking sound of dishes in the background tells me she’s unloading the dishwasher. I didn’t tell her about Drake Harn; it would only worry my parents and I don’t want that.
“Have you seen that movie Indecent Proposal ? The marriage was ruined. There’s no amount of money that’s worth selling your body for.”
I don’t bother explaining to her that the movie was fictional. “There’s no body selling going on here, Mom. I promise. Leo just wanted to do something nice for you guys.”
“Nice?” She laughs. “This is far more than nice. We’re going to be able to pay off our house. I haven’t known life without a mortgage payment in more than thirty years.”
“I’m so happy for you guys.”
“I may even go get my hair done. I’ve been cutting it myself for years.”
“You should, Mom. Treat yourself.”
“I was thinking maybe we could go together when you’re home for Christmas. You can tell the stylist how to cut it. I don’t know what’s in style.”
I smile, because she’s been wearing her hair in a short bob for more than twenty years. I can’t imagine her with any other haircut.
“What’s in style is hair that makes you feel good. Don’t worry about your hair looking like anyone else’s. And a day at a salon with you sounds amazing, but I can only come for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Salons aren’t open then.”
“You’re bringing Leo, aren’t you?”
I cringe. I adore Leo, but our relationship is still very new. I assume he’ll want to spend Christmas with his own family.
“I don’t think we’re at that stage of the relationship yet, Mom.”
“If he loves our daughter enough to send us three hundred thousand dollars as thanks for raising her, surely he at least wants to meet us.”
“Yes, but?—”
“But nothing. Bring him home to meet your parents.”
She doesn’t ask for much. It’s a lot to ask of him to miss the holiday with his family to be with a woman he hasn’t even been dating for a month, though.
“I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise anything.”
“Well, I need to know soon. I bought a ten-pound turkey, but I’ll need a bigger one if he’s coming. I assume hockey players have big appetites. I’ll need at least a fifteen-pound one. And they’re all picked over at the meat market.”
Birdie huffs out a sigh from my lap. Can she hear my mom? Is she smarter than I realized?
“Mom, he won’t eat five pounds of turkey. I don’t even know if he’ll be able to come.”
“It’s in four days. I should make another apple pie, too. Does he like apple pie?”
“I don’t know. Don’t worry about making extra food for him; whatever you have will be fine.”
“Aunt Rhonda is making her sweet potato casserole and it has walnuts. He’s not allergic, is he?”
I roll my eyes. “Mom, let me talk to him when he gets home.”
“Home?” she practically yells. “Are you two living together? You know how your father and I feel about that.”
My day of relaxing and recovering has taken a stressful turn. I turn on the TV, open the YouTube app, and search for a video of a doorbell ringing.
“No, we aren’t living together. He’s at a team meeting and I’m at his house with his dog. That’s all I meant.”
“Why aren’t you at work?”
“I have a day off.” I play a video, turning up the volume. “Mom, there’s someone at the door. I have to answer it. I’ll let you know later today about Christmas.”
“Don’t open it. I just watched a show about a rapist who dresses like a delivery driver.”
“It’s someone I know. I have to go, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too, honey.”
“Check this out.” Leo tosses his keys on the kitchen counter when he gets back a couple of hours later, looking excited.
He bends his knee and lifts it up, then puts his foot back on the ground and gets into a squatting position. “I couldn’t do that without pain before.”
“That’s great!”
“The rest and ice are helping.”
“I’m so glad.”
He’s following all the doctor’s instructions for rehab, hoping to avoid surgery and be back on the ice in as little as four weeks. Surgery would mean a much longer absence from playing hockey.
I give him a quick kiss and he wraps me in a hug, his clean, masculine scent and strong arms calming me.
“My parents got the check,” I say, pulling away to look into his eyes. “They’re so grateful. You didn’t have to do that.”
His lips pull up in a smile. “I did it because I wanted to.”
“It means the world to me. You changed their lives.”
“It was a small thank you for raising the woman I love.”
My lips part with surprise. It’s soon, but I’m feeling it, too. I was just too afraid to say the words in case he’s not there yet.
“Really?” Tears well in my eyes.
He kisses me. “Really.”
“I love you, too, Leo. I know we just got together, but ... I never get tired of you. That’s never happened to me before.”
The corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles. “I’m sure you’ll get tired of me at some point. But that doesn’t mean we’re not great together.”
“I’m easily annoyed,” I admit.
“I’m aware. I used to annoy you by existing.”
He puts his hands on my hips, pulling me close. I put my palms on his chest, a smile tugging at my lips.
“I used to annoy you pretty easily, too.”
“Now you’re my girl, though. It was worth all the fighting, wasn’t it?”
I never thought I wanted to be any man’s girl . But I love the sound of him calling me that.
“So worth it.” I take a deep breath, my smile dropping. “I know this is unlikely to happen, and I totally get that. We just started ... dating? Have we had an official date yet?”
“No, but I plan to fix that very soon.”
“Right. Well, when I talked to my mom earlier, she asked me to bring you home with me for Christmas. I can definitely tell her no, but she wanted me to ask you.”
He considers. “I’m going to see my parents on Christmas Day.”
“I know, I get it. Don’t worry about it.”
“What if we go see my parents on Christmas Eve and yours on Christmas Day?”
I think about it for a second, then nod. “We could. My mom would be over the moon. But wouldn’t your family be like, ‘Who is this and why is she here when you’ve only been with her for like ten minutes?’”
“Nah. If I tell them you’re important to me, that’s all that matters.”
“And your family is in Indianapolis, right?”
“A suburb. About forty-five minutes out of the city. We’ll make it work.”
I furrow my brow. “My mom can be a lot.”
“I’d expect no less from the woman who raised you.”
I laugh. “She’s a different lot than I am. I’m a very toned-down version of myself around my family.”
“It’ll be good. My parents will be thrilled to meet you.”
Meeting his parents. It’s a big step, but I feel ready. I want them to like me.
His expression turns serious. “I need to tell you something. It’s not easy for me to talk about.” He shakes his head and looks away. “I had an older brother. Kyle. He died of leukemia when I was eleven and he was thirteen.”
My heart cracks in half. “Leo. God, I’m so sorry your family went through that.”
“It was ...” He clears his throat, emotional. “The hardest thing any of us has ever experienced. But Kyle was adamant that he wanted us to keep living and he happy.”
I fight the well of emotion in my throat. “He was only thirteen, and he thought like that?”
“Cancer made him grow up fast. It was brutal. But my parents ... They still talk about him. There are pictures of him all over their house. I just want you to know so you aren’t surprised.”
I nod. “I appreciate that. I’d love to hear about him.”
“It’s weird. I don’t like bringing him up myself, but I like hearing my parents talk about him.
When I’m home, I feel him there. I feel the good times and the bad ones.
I like seeing pictures of him at their house, even though it would be too painful for me to put a picture up in my own.
I leave it all there when I go. It’s just how I live with it. ”
“I get that. There’s no right or wrong there. You just do what feels best to you.”
He gives me a sheepish look. “I’m going to warn you—my mom is desperate for grandchildren. If I tell her not to say anything, she’ll still sneak in hints.”
I put my hands on his shoulders, grinning. “Don’t worry. I can handle your mom. The only big question we need to worry about right now is what we’re going to eat while we finish Love Island .”
“New relationship rule—if you’re held hostage, you get to choose where to order food from for forty-eight hours after.”
I arch a brow, impressed. “Look at you, joking about it just like me. I’m going with Chinese.”
“I’ll order the food and change back into my sweats.”
“I’ll get the show ready. Teamwork makes the dream work.”
He kisses my forehead. “We better relax while we can. I have a feeling the holidays might be ... interesting this year.”