Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Summer
I was in Binny’s Wine Depot, trying to figure out if a twenty-five-dollar Merlot with a picture of a giraffe on it was fancy enough for Rebels goalie Noah Boden when a familiar voice sounded behind me.
“Hi, Summer!”
I turned to face Elle Kershaw, Hatch and Adeline’s mom. I hadn’t seen her since … I was going to say the wedding, but I hadn’t even seen her then. I was too busy sprinting the other direction. Now it was doubly hard to speak to her without my face turning beet red.
“Hi, Mrs. Kershaw. How are you?”
“I’m fine, sweetie. What about you?”
I must have looked especially pathetic—calling me sweetie did it—because next thing I knew I was in her arms. These Kershaws really knew how to hold a girl.
“The stuff in that article,” I said, “most of it was untrue.”
“I know. Dash Carter is a pinhead and a very, very insecure man.”
That was about the long and short of it.
She set me back. “Addy tells me you’re working for Kennedy’s company. It’s good to be busy.”
“It is. The perfect way to figure out next steps.”
“Well, as long as you don’t fall in love with the wrong person while you’re doing it!” She chuckled but then turned serious on spotting my deer-in-the-headlights expression. “Sorry, just a silly joke. My daughter was ‘figuring out next steps’ and then came Lars and Mabel.”
“You don’t like Lars?” She couldn’t possibly have anything against Mabel.
“Lars is wonderful. But there was a time when I worried that he wasn’t the best choice for my daughter.” She shook her head. “Don’t mind me. Sometimes I speak without thinking, which used to be my husband’s special talent. The longer you live with someone the more you pick up their bad habits.”
“You guys seem so well-suited. Relationship goals, according to Addy. No Tilly today?”
“Oh God, no, I can’t bring her into a wine shop. The last time I did that, I was on the hook for a hundred and fifty dollars’ worth of Dom Perignon—she loved the shape of the bottle and that was that.” She looked at the bottle I had in my hands. “How’s that? Any good?”
“I don’t know much about wine. I’m buying this for Noah—I think he’s got a hot date tonight. My instructions were to ‘get something fancy.’”
“Oh, I don’t know much either. But this nice young man might be able to help.” Elle grasped the arm of a sales associate, and within five minutes, we both had choices made.
“I tend to only buy something I know will wash down the cheese,” Elle said as we walked to the checkout.
I laughed. “You Kershaws love your cheese. I had to fight Addy for the Camembert last week.”
“If I’ve done anything right in raising my kids, it’s making sure they have a healthy appreciation for cheese.”
We paid for our purchases and walked out together.
Elle placed a hand on my arm. “Addy said she asked you to dinner but that you didn’t want to intrude.
You wouldn’t be. There’d be no one commenting on your personal life, except maybe Conor.
And possibly Aurora. Tilly would, too, if she had any clue what was happening.
But the other half of the family would be very discreet. ”
I laughed at her defense of her lovely family. “I don’t want to change the vibe.”
“Oh, please change the vibe. Say you’ll come tonight, Summer. We’d love to have you.” Her eyes practically beseeched me. “Or maybe you’re worried about Hatch?”
My heart stopped. “Hatch?”
“Addy said something—never mind.”
“No, what did she say?” Panic raced through me faster than a Formula 1 driver.
“She mentioned that you and he don’t get along? Listen, I don’t want to pry, but if he’s been a jerk to you for some reason, please let me know. I still hold some sway over my eldest’s behavior.”
Addy had said something to me last Halloween about Hatch, wondering what I’d done to offend him. At the time, I was clueless. Now he claimed it was his way of ensuring he didn’t look overly interested in a teammate’s partner. I didn’t buy it, but if he wanted to keep it to himself, I wouldn’t push.
“Oh, it’s fine. You know some people don’t gel, and I can handle Dash’s teammates.” It sounded like I was coming to dinner.
Once in the car, I debated whether I should give Hatch a heads-up. I wanted him to be chill, so I could be chill.
Me
Hi! I ran into your mom and she invited me to dinner at your parents’ place. I assume you’ll be there.
Dino Boy
Well, I will be now.
Damn.
One wine delivery and a shower later, I headed over to the Kershaws’ house, a lovely ranch style home close to the lake on Chicago’s North Shore.
I’d been here a couple of times before for cookouts with Dash, but he always wanted to leave early because the Kershaws were “too much.” I’d never thought so, but now I realized he was jealous of how easy and natural they were with each other.
I pulled up and was exiting Rosie’s car at the same time as the arrival of Lars, Addy, and Mabel.
I had run a couple of errands for Lars over the last week, so I’d had a little snuggle time with his toddler daughter.
Addy was holding hands with the little sweetheart, who looked positively darling in a candy-striped pink dress.
“Hi, Mabel!”
“No!”
“Still with the nos, huh?” She was going through a phase of saying “no” to everything. “So tell me, should I have stayed and married Dash?”
“No!”
Addy laughed. “Mabel knows what’s what. Are you here for dinner?”
“I hope that’s okay. I ran into your mom at the liquor store, and she was most persuasive.”
“Of course! Glad she has the magic touch.” She turned to Lars. “Could you take her? I wanted a quick word with Summer before we go in.”
Lars scooped his daughter up. “Come on, Button. Let’s get you inside.”
Addy watched them go, then faced me. “So I’m moving in with Lars and Mabel.”
“Oh, that’s great news.”
“It is. But also maybe great news for you, too? If you’d like to graduate to a bigger bedroom, it’s yours.”
I had been trying to contribute with groceries and cooking meals, but now that my income was more stable, this would be better. Assuming I was staying in Chicago.
“I would love that. If Rosie’s up for it.”
“Are you kidding? It was her idea. Plus this way, I have a space to retreat to when I need my best girls.” She gave me a quick hug. “Okay, apologies for my family in advance. Especially Conor.”
Conor was the least of my worries. Heading inside, I steeled myself for a night of ignoring his eldest brother. Hopefully there would be plenty of Kershaws to give me cover, the first of whom ambushed me the moment I stepped over the threshold.
“Summer!” I knew Hatch’s great-grandmother Aurora reasonably well, given that she often visited the front offices—the office of CEO, Harper Chase-DuPre, in particular—to chat about what they were doing “to protect her grandson.” Apparently, she’d been calling or stopping in for years to ensure Theo was being cared for by the management. Both hilarious and adorable.
“Hi, Mrs. K.”
“I’ve told you, it’s Aurora. So I’ve been working on a new martini recipe. Try this.”
Good grief, I was barely in the door! I took a sip. “Let me see. Vodka, limoncello, and … blackcurrant?”
“Excellent palate! That one’s for you. I’m going to call it Rebel Bride, in your honor. A nice combination of sweet and tart.”
“Not Runaway Bride?”
“Oh no! ‘Rebel’ is much more appropriate. It takes a lot of guts to go against the flow of the river instead of letting it carry you downstream.”
Tears made my throat tight. Baby Mabel looking as cute as a button, a dedicated cocktail, and this family “Kershawing to the max”? I wasn’t sure I would make it.
With my martini and a bottle of red, I headed into the kitchen, arriving just in time to find Theo with his hand inside his wife’s blouse. On spotting me, they pulled apart. Slowly. How lovely to still have the hots for each other after five kids and twenty-five years of marriage.
“Sorry, I just wanted to drop this off.” I put the wine bottle on the counter beside a very attractive cheese board. A hunk of goat cheese vied for my attention with a harder cheese that was likely a mature cheddar, though the one with walnuts and cranberries also had my mouth watering.
Admit it. You’re a whore for cheese, Summer.
Agreed, Shelby Mae. Agreed.
Elle giggled while Theo pulled me into a hug.
“Summer, I missed you at Rebels HQ the other day. Heard you had a chat with Carter, which is more than he deserves after that tabloid slander. So. You gearing up to sue?”
I couldn’t tell if he was serious. He had a twinkle in his eye, similar to Hatch when he teased me. “I’ll probably take the high road.”
“Likely the wiser move.” He added a wink. “But just so you know, we’re on your side. This is a Summer family.”
Another deep voice cut in. “Dad, don’t burn your bridges just yet. You might still have to work with Carter next year.”
I didn’t know Conor well, but I did know one thing: he had the skinny on Hatch and me. He grabbed a dried apricot off the cheese board.
“Unless this is your way of telling us you’re finally going to retire and start gardening. Hey, Summer.”
“Hi, there.”
“Don’t rush my decision, Connie.” Theo gestured at the cheese board. “Here, make yourself useful and take this out to the living room.”
“Oh, wait,” Elle said. “We have that Brie, the triple cream one.” She pulled it from the fridge and unwrapped it, then sliced off a healthy triangle.
Theo eyed me. “You a fan of cheese, Summer?”
“I’m immediately suspicious of anyone who is not. That Brie’s my favorite.”
“Hatch loves it, too. He brought it over.”
Conor picked up the board. “Imagine that? Of all the cheese boards in all the world …” With a puckish glance at me, he walked out.
Was I being wooed … with cheese? I tried to think of a time when Dash had ever learned a thing about me, something I liked or wanted to do.
He wouldn’t watch Downton Abbey or take me shopping for underwear or bike riding around a lake.
He wouldn’t cook me a meal, and we always ate out or ordered in.
To quote him, it was like asking Crosby to teach hockey to toddlers—a complete waste of his resources.
He could buy me anything, but it came with strings and could never compensate for a man who listened.
Theo opened a drawer and removed a pile of red cloth napkins. “Summer, do you mind bringing these out to the dinner table? Just through there.”
“Sure. Will lay napkins for food.”
I walked in to find Hatch setting the table. He looked up and smiled, and damn, my heart told me what my mind had been trying to deny for weeks.
I had fallen for this guy.
You are one fine dummy, Summer.
Don’t I know it, Shelby Mae.
No one was supposed to fall for the rebound. That was why it was called the rebound. It brought you back to life but wasn’t supposed to be serious.
“Hi, there, Sunshine.”
Flustered, I ignored his soft tone. “Your dad asked me to put these out.”
I could have panicked and thrown each napkin haphazardly on a plate, but instead I called on my past server skills and tri-folded the shit out of them.
In setting one at each place, I used the mindless task to free up space in my brain for my current predicament and look for ways to neg the conclusion.
I was in a vulnerable place right now, susceptible to a warm smile, killer arms, and a beautifully shaped cock. Starting a new relationship was not on my agenda.
I wanted a relationship with myself first.
But you never liked easy, did you?
Bitch, please.
Shelby Mae had been quiet for a while, but now she was back, exactly when I didn’t need her. At the head of the table, I had caught up with Hatch, who watched my final napkin origami effort.
“I think you’ve done this before.”
“Fern’s Diner in Biloxi.”
“Before or after the hockey fan bar in Jacksonville?”
I loved and hated that he remembered. This man knew me better than anyone, maybe better than myself. It wasn’t as comforting as it sounded.
I wanted to be the one who figured out Summer Landry.
“Before. Though we didn’t have cloth napkins. I liked folding the paper ones into interesting shapes during the downtime.”
“Frustrated artist?”
“Frustrated something.” I met his gaze, and there I was, flirting with him again. Time to set some ground rules. “Don’t look at me during dinner.”
He raised an eyebrow. “At all?”
“If you do, I won’t be able to …”
“What, Summer? What won’t you be able to do?”
Help myself.
Thankfully I didn’t have to answer because Adeline walked in and narrowed her eyes at the two of us standing far too close together.
“H, you had better be nice to our guest.”
He clutched his chest. “When am I ever not nice?”
“Just ignore him, Summer.”
I moved away in the direction of the living room, determined to shore up my defenses with cheese before dinner.
“I plan to.”