Chapter Fifteen
Alexei
Valerie, that little freaking snitch. Of course she rushed right home and told my mother I have a woman living with me.
And less than three days later, here we are on my mother’s doorstep in the suburbs to “have dinner,” which is code for my family getting to meet Ryleigh and for my mother to scope her out and decide if she’s good enough for her son.
Just fucking great.
Ryleigh has enough going on. I really didn’t want to subject her to my family and all their questions until—well, I don’t know when. But certainly not now, not until things calm down some.
The front door swings open, and with it, a burst of warm air.
Ryleigh fidgets nervously beside me, and I place my hand against the small of her back. While I’m not as nervous as she is, I’m definitely a little overwhelmed at the idea of dealing with my mother right now.
My mother, dressed in a gray sweat suit, frowns as her gaze moves past me to Ryleigh and Ella, the line between her brows deepening. “Who is this?”
And she doesn’t say it as a breezy, easygoing who’s this? It comes out in her thick Russian accent, sounding a lot more like who the fuck is this girl trailing after my son, and why in God’s name does she have a baby I know nothing about?
Shit. This is going to suck.
I lean close to my mother and whisper, “Breathe, Ma, you invited us here. And be nice.”
Her lips press together and she ushers us inside. “Come in, it’s freezing. And you have a little one.”
Ryleigh grins, oblivious to the tension between my mother and me, thank God. Once we’re inside, she pushes the fuzzy blanket down that was protecting Ella’s head from the cold, and my mom leans closer to take a peek.
“Oh, she’s brand new. Very precious, printsessa,” she coos, gently combing her fingers through Ella’s wavy blond hair.
I chuckle as I watch my mom interact with her.
She’s a grandmother a couple of times over, a role she loves and excels at, but her youngest grandchild is almost a year old now.
I have a feeling we’ll face some tough questions tonight, but I also predict that my mom will be holding Ella and singing to her in Russian at some point too.
She may come across as a hard-ass, but she has a major soft side, and babies are her number one weakness.
Actually, now that I think about it, bringing home a woman to meet my mom for the first time, it might be genius of me to bring a baby along too.
I take a deep breath and steel myself for what’s to come. “Mom, this is Ryleigh and Ella. And Ryleigh, this is my mother, Irina.”
“It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for having us.” Ryleigh smiles at my mom, taking it all in. She looks genuinely excited to be here. “Is this where you grew up?”
Ryleigh’s gaze roams over the overstuffed bookshelves and the dusty photos hanging on the wall of my sisters and me from first grade through senior year of high school.
It’s embarrassing, but honestly, I don’t care that Ryleigh’s seeing it.
I have an amazing family, and yeah, my mom is nuts, but she loves us.
When we lost my dad my senior year of high school, it only made us all grow closer as we realized how precious our time together really is.
“Born and raised,” I say proudly. Most pro-league players move around a lot, so I feel fortunate to live in the same city where my family lives.
Who knows, I could get traded in the future, and if I do, I’ll probably end up moving my entire family along with me.
Valerie would throw a shit fit at leaving her friends, but whatever.
“This is so great. So homey.” Ryleigh smiles again, shifting Ella’s sleeping weight in her arms. I can tell she’s truly impressed, and it makes my gut twist, wondering about her own family home life.
Two of my sisters appear from the hall, both with questioning looks as they take in Ryleigh and Ella standing there.
Yeah, this is going to be even more awkward than I realized.
I take a deep breath and try to smile in an attempt to reassure Ryleigh. “Tracey, this is Ryleigh.” I nod to Ryleigh. “And you remember Valerie?”
Ryleigh reaches out a hand. “Yes, of course. Nice to meet you. And good to see you again, Valerie.”
My sisters each shake her offered hand and take a moment to admire Ella just like Mom did.
But their confusion and uncertainty are obvious.
They want to know what the fuck is going on, and I can’t blame them.
Are we dating? Is she living with me? These are all good questions.
Who does Ella belong to? Too bad I’m fresh out of answers.
It isn’t like me to bring a woman home. And it’s not like I called them and talked about Ryleigh, or even told them I was seeing someone.
This is all coming as a complete shock. And to be honest, if one of my sisters brought some random new guy around, I’d probably act like an asshole to the dude.
It’s practically my job as a brother, especially since I’m the oldest.
“Where’s Jase tonight? The kids?” I ask Tracey. It’s way too quiet for her two- and three-year-olds to be here.
“He took them to pick up ice cream for dessert. They’ll be back in a little bit.”
I nod. So Ryleigh will really get thrown into the crazy tonight. I swear it’s like my sister gives those kids caffeine. Or Ritalin.
“So, Ryleigh, do you want something to drink?” Tracey asks, her voice a little louder than necessary.
Ryleigh’s eyes meet mine, and I give her a slight nod. “Go ahead. I’ll take Ella.”
Ryleigh places her into my arms and goes with my sister to the kitchen. Valerie follows them, leaving me alone with my mother.
Ma’s face contorts as she stalks closer to press a finger into my chest. “Is she yours, Alexei? So help me God . . .”
This has been my mom’s biggest fear since I was in high school. She always preached safe sex, and warned me about women who would want to trap me into parenthood and child support once I hit it big.
I shake my head. “She’s not mine.”
My mother physically sags with relief.
Some weird part of me wants to add, But I wish she were.
“Ryleigh is a woman I’ve started seeing. She’s amazing, Ma. And Ella’s mom split, so Ryleigh stepped up. It’s complicated, but it’s also not.”
My mother’s eyes widen, and she nods. “Come on. Your sisters are probably roasting her over an open flame right about now.”
I grin. Mom doesn’t know Ryleigh. She may look sweet and innocent, but trust me, she can hold her own. Even against my sisters.