Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hatch
I walked into the kitchen at my parents’ house on Chicago’s North Shore around lunchtime. My mom was rinsing a plate in the sink while my baby sister Tilly sat at the counter playing with Cheerios.
“Hey!” Mom grinned and reached out to hug me, holding her wet hands aloft. At the last second she streaked my face with them.
“Mom!” I wiped my damp face dry with a dish towel. So annoying.
“Sorry, couldn’t help it. I love seeing this beautiful face.”
Since moving back to town a year ago, I’d lived in a condo closer to downtown Riverbrook, but this was where I grew up and where I gravitated to in times of stress.
Or when the woman I wanted left me to marinate in misery at the lake.
“Hatch!” Tilly held out her arms, and I did as nonverbally ordered: lifted her up off the stool.
“Tilly-Billy, you are such a big girl! How ya been?”
“Good. I found a snail in the garden.”
“Oh yeah? Sounds like the best place for it.”
My mom grinned. “She was exploring with Franky earlier.”
Francesca St. James was Rosie’s stepsister and a world-renowned expert on snails and slugs. Someone had to do it, I supposed.
“You’re getting heavy, Til. What have you been eating?”
“Cheerios. And naan. And bag-it.” That was baguette. My girl was a bread fiend. “But Mommy won’t let me eat snails. Franky says they eat them in Fratz.”
“Yeah, I heard. Sounds gross.” I set her down on the counter stool and took a seat beside her. “Everything okay here?” I asked my mom.
“Not bad. Conor is doing the hockey camp with your dad, Jason, and Gunnar this week.”
Every year my dad, former Rebel Gunnar Bond, and my uncle Jason indoctrinated the youth at the Rebels Hockey Camp.
It held special meaning for them as it was how my dad and his half-brother Jason became close after Dad connected with my grandpa Nick later in life.
This was Conor’s first year and my third.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” It would be good to focus my mind on something else.
“And Landon’s working on his app thing.” Conor’s twin Landon was a software whiz, about to launch a dating app that did something no other dating app did … I had no idea what he was doing to separate it from the pack, but I trusted my brainiac brother would make it work.
“Where’s Aurora?”
“Meeting with her Tai Chi girls for lunch. How’s the cottage? Did you get some rest?”
“Uh huh. Nice and relaxing.”
She tilted her head, raised an eyebrow, and gave me a look that pierced right through my bullshit.
“What?”
“I had a chat with Gemma. From the coffee shop in Saugatuck? She said you came in one morning with a pretty blonde.”
I’d forgotten Gemma and my mom were buddy-buddy. “Just someone I chatted with over coffee. No big deal.”
“She sent me a photo.”
“And?” I brazened it out. I’d have heard about it by now if Summer’s presence in Saugatuck was common knowledge.
“She had a ball cap on, so her face was hidden.”
“Imagine that. Someone who would prefer privacy in this crazy media-conscious day and age.”
My mother grinned. “So you won’t be bringing this mystery woman home to meet the family?”
“No, Mom, I will not. Any news on the contract front with Dad?”
Mom looked at me squarely. “What do you think about it?”
“I think that Dad must be so”—I covered Tilly’s ears—“fucking tired. You, too, Mom.”
She laughed. “A little. But your father keeps me young.”
“You said I keep you young, Mommy!” Tilly looked up from her Cheerio art.
“Such a smart girl.” To me, she said, “He’s loved playing with you on the same team, but sometimes I worry that you get overshadowed in the Theo Kershaw show.”
While I agreed with that, I didn’t want my family to be of the same mindset. If they knew I was looking to move to another team, they would be hurt. In truth I wanted to stay in Chicago. I loved being close to my family and all the friends I grew up with. I loved playing for my home town team.
And then there was Summer.
“Plenty of time for me to take a starring role. Though by the time Dad retires, Conor will somehow make it onto the Rebels and steal all my thunder.”
“Sounds like your brother.” She took a closer look at me. “I know you weren’t so keen to join the Rebels at first. You did it because your dad asked.”
My phone buzzed with a text from the man himself, saving me from an awkward conversation.
Meet for lunch? Sunny Side Up?
“Looks like I have a lunch date with Dad. You want to come?”
“I’d love to, but I have a client call in half an hour.” My mom ran an information consultancy business and worked harder than anyone I knew. “Go and spend some time with your dad. Oh, and bring Landon. He’s going to lose his eyesight if he stays in front of that screen any longer.”
“Not why he’d go blind, Mom.”
“Oh, jerk off jokes. Hilarious. Don’t forget who washed your sheets during puberty.”
“Jerk off!” Tilly popped a Cheerio in her mouth and gave me the Kershaw grin.
The Sunny Side Up Diner was busy when Landon and I arrived, but Dad and Conor had already snagged a booth, so we headed over and slid into the red leather banquette. Everyone did the usual fist pumps and then all eyes turned to me.
Usually, I wouldn’t care if I was the focus of a Kershaw face-off involving multiple members of the fam, but today I was extra sensitive because of nosy Gemma and my mom’s questions about the mystery blonde. My concerns were proved to be founded when my dad kick-started the interrogation.
“So who is she, H?”
“Already got the third degree from Mom. I had nothing to tell her.”
“You tell your mother anything and she assumes you’re getting married.”
Married. Just the thought of Summer’s lucky escape made me squirm.
“Someone I met and had coffee with, that’s all.”
Conor eyed me over the menu. “Gemma said you came in with her, not that you met her there.”
“Could’ve met her outside,” Landon commented a la Sherlock, Cumberbatch style. “Or on any number of dating apps.”
“How’s that going?”
Landon smirked. “No chance, dude. You will change the subject when we decide you change the subject.”
I pursued the menu. A stack of pancakes would be nice with a couple of scrambled eggs. “This subject is at an end. I’ve nothing to say, so you may as well move on. How’s camp going?”
My dad held my gaze for a second, then took my cue. “Great. There are several flyers this year. A couple of girls, too.” Each year, more girls joined in, which we all loved to see. “With Gunnar going on vacation next week with Sadie and the girls, and Conor so busy sexting—”
“Hey!”
My dad ignored Conor’s interjection. “It’ll be good to have someone with more maturity there. Also, I have someone else starting, and you can show him the ropes.”
Before I could enquire further, Landon cut in.
“There’s Addy.”
We all turned to the entrance. My sister and Rosie had just come in—and behind them was Summer.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. She had said she needed to sort things out with her apartment, with her job, with Carter. But a part of me had thought we wouldn’t run into each other so soon. That I could prepare.
I was not prepared.
My sister waved and because we weren’t sociopaths and actually liked each other, she headed over with Rosie and Summer in tow. Thankfully there was no room at the inn, and they would have to sit elsewhere.
“Hey, guys! Fancy meeting you here.” My dad grinned and elbowed Conor to get out of the way so he could exit the booth.
“Sure, Dad.” Addy grinned. “Fancy meeting you at the diner where they’ve named an omelet after you.”
“The Theo is amazing. I recommend it.” Dad gave Addy a hug, Rosie a kiss on the cheek, and then stood before Summer.
“How are you doing, Summer?”
She peered up at him, her eyes wide and glossy. “Okay, Mr. Kershaw.”
“I’ve told you, it’s Theo. You need a hug?”
Her bottom lip quivered, and she nodded, whereupon my dad wrapped her up and held her for a few seconds. God, he was such a good guy.
The entire diner had ground to a halt: servers stopped delivering coffee, diners paused with forks half-raised, and all watched as my dad made it clear that Summer was one of us. She might have done one of the team dirty, but she wouldn’t be a target, not on Theo Kershaw’s watch.
He drew back. “Pretty brave to come back.”
Summer exhaled. “I have a life here, too.”
“Yes, you do.” And then to the rest of the diner, “Carry on, R-drama fans! Nothing to see here.”
That yielded a few chuckles, and everyone continued about their business, but with one eye on our corner.
Addy said to Dad, “We’re just going to grab a table over there. Talk later?”
“Sure, Twinkle. Have a nice lunch.”
I watched them go, silently urging Summer to look my way. There was a flicker of a glance in my direction, and then they were off to a table far enough away that I could pretend she wasn’t even here. Rosie caught my eye and raised an eyebrow. I gave her a quick smile.
Dad retook his seat.
Landon adjusted his glasses. “That was a nice thing to do, Dad.”
“I’ve always liked Summer. I know it had to be a tough decision for her. She’s going to be under a lot of scrutiny for a while.”
Conor picked up his menu again. “Well, it’s a good thing she doesn’t have anything to do with the hockey camp.”
Weird thing to say. “Why’s that?”
“Because Carter will be joining us as a mentor next week.”