22. Hana
“That’s…” Keelie stared down into her cup, muttering to herself. “I hate cheaters.” She looked close to tears. I didn’t know her backstory, but it was clear some important man in her life had hurt her through an affair.
“Fucked up,” Naomi said. She was the brashest of the women, and she didn’t seem to care if she upset Mrs. Naese’s sensibilities. Granted, from what Pax’s mother had just dropped, I was pretty sure it was my sensibilities that were smashed.
Keelie cupped the back of her son’s head and kissed his little temple before she transferred him into his car carrier.
Rosemary stepped farther into the room as she tucked a set of keys into her bag.
“He did what?” I asked. “Wait. How are you here?”
“I flew in. I have a key—I’ve never used it before. I guess I should have called first, but honestly, I couldn’t think about anything but getting to you and Paxton.” Tears trembled in her eyes. “You needed to know immediately.”
Based on her red-rimmed eyes, I realized she’d also needed to escape Mr. Naese. I swallowed as I looked at the women surrounding us. I knew from them and from Pax that he’d told both his parents not to contact him. I also knew Rosemary was a kind, loving woman—the type of mother I’d fantasized about for years. My instinct was to comfort her, so I rose. She wrapped me in one of those big hugs I’d missed very much. I inhaled her soft, floral scent and closed my eyes. Now, finally, after so many years, I felt like I was home.
“Missed you, my sweet darling,” she said against the crown of my head. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.” Her voice warbled. “Damn the man for making me think… Well, he was wrong, and you’re here. Thank goodness.”
She pulled back and rested her hands on my shoulders, giving me a onceover. “You’ve lost weight and haven’t spent enough time outside. You’re here in Paxton’s house while he’s away, so I’m guessing you’re staying here.” She smiled.
I guessed that was good, but I wasn’t going to budge for Pax’s mother any more than I would have for Aiki or Mr. Naese. I might not be ready for total intimacy with Pax, but no one was going to push me around or decide my future for me.
“Do you have anything with alcohol?” Rosemary asked, her voice cracking.
Paloma rose and headed into the kitchen. She brought back a triple shot of the tequila she’d used in the cocktails.
“Thank you,” Rosemary said before downing half the glass. She hissed and made a face. She shook her head before she returned her attention to me. “The flight attendants only gave me two tiny bottles of wine. I really needed that.”
“So…” Naomi said. “You’re here because…?”
Everyone crowded in closer. “To tell Hana and Paxy about his horrible father.” Rosemary hiccupped behind her hand. She finished the drink. “What’s going on with you, sweet girl?”
I shrugged. “I lost my job in California, so I moved here almost two months ago to work on a new project with NASA with one of my former professors.”
“Sounds like you leveled up. And you’re staying here, with Paxy?” Rosemary asked, eyebrows raised.
The liquor seemed to be hitting her system already. I wondered if she’d eaten anything—if I should offer her something. “I have been, yes. He asked me to.”
She smiled brightly, her eyes shining. “That makes me ecstatic.” The ssssss sound in that word was extra long. The alcohol was definitely having an effect. “The two of you were meant to be together. I’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for Paxy-poo to come out of his funk, pull his head from his ass, and do right by you.”
“In tequila, veritas,” Millie said.
Ida Jane shushed her, but I agreed. At least Rosemary wasn’t opposed to Paxton’s relationship with me.
“Paxy-poo?” Ida Jane whispered.
I winced. Pax detested that nickname, and I knew Rosemary wouldn’t have used it if she wasn’t sauced.
This situation, and Paxton’s privacy, could go south, quickly.
“Don’t, Idge,” Millie said. She peeked over the edge of the pack ’n play where Bree was sleeping. “You’ll start something you can’t win—even with Maxim’s support. These guys make up the worst nicknames.”
“It’s true,” Naomi said. “For a while one of the guys was called Tiddly because he had a small, er, package.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing at Naomi’s attempt at decency. Little late for that.
“Well, that’s not the worst one I’ve heard,” Mrs. Naese said. She removed her coat and set it on a barstool. Then she grabbed a glass and poured herself a mojito. After a long sip, she smacked her lips. “It’s missing the alcohol, but it’ll have to do. Actually, I probably don’t need any more alcohol. The room’s spinning.”
“I might,” I muttered.
The crew of ladies abandoned the game to settle in the kitchen, no doubt desperate to hear the rest of the story Rosemary needed to tell. She motioned me over next to her. “I’ll dish on the boys—I’ve raised three athletes, and Hugo and Devon also played hockey, so I have dirt—but first I need to give Hana some more details about the situation between our families.” She peered at the ladies, who’d edged in closer still.
“I expect each of you to help me ensure Hana and Paxton get their fair shot. That’ll mean a lot of support and maybe some lying to keep Paxy—er, Paxton’s dad out of the way for a bit longer. I don’t want the garbage can of a man to know I’m here. Yet. I’ll slap him with my divorce decree as soon as I’m ready.” She stared down in her drink and mumbled something about the best years of her life.
“Hey, now! I don’t lie,” Naomi said.
“No, honey, you tell it like it is, which is why you’re going to lead the press charge,” Rosemary said. She pointed at Millie. “You have a sweet face, so I bet you could get away with a few fibs.”
“Erm…” Millie turned bright red.
“We’ll work on it,” Ida Jane said, sticking up for her friend.
“Great.” Rosemary took another long sip of her drink before she grimaced. “Damn, that liquor’s making it hard to think. Well, let’s see…” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “There’s something you and Pax don’t know. That’s part of why I’m here. In high school, Sawyer wanted to adopt you.”
I gaped. “Wh-what?”
“Well, I did, too, of course. Always. You were my darling girl. But you clearly had a family, and I found it odd, even then, that Sawyer was interested in you. I mean, you know the man. I may love him, but his head permanently lives up his ass.”
“I think you’re the coolest mom I’ve ever met,” Naomi murmured. “I want to be you. I take back all the mean thoughts I had about you when Adam told me you and your husband tried to pressure Naese into ditching Hana the second time.”
Rosemary lifted her glass in salute. She wobbled a little, and the tip of her nose had turned red. “Not sure Paxy—er, Pax will agree with you, because I had no idea my husband was a cheating cheaty cheater. The absolute bastard. If I’d known, I would have left his butt years ago. As it is, I’m more than ready to let him take the medicine he most richly deserves.”
Poor Rosemary. She’d spent decades with Sawyer Naese, and now she was in her estranged son’s kitchen spilling secrets and tears with women she didn’t know. This couldn’t be how she’d seen her life playing out.
Supportive noises and pats came from all sides.
I blinked, shocked by the surrealism of my situation. “I don’t understand…”
“I need to start at the beginning, honey,” Rosemary slurred. “Problem is, I guess I don’t know exactly where that is.”
“Um…maybe the fact that my mother and Pax’s dad were… uh, they were together?” I pressed my hand to my stomach, which heaved and twisted. “That’s…”
“Horrifying,” Keelie whimpered.
“You had no idea?” Ida Jane asked Rosemary.
“Nope, none. I mean, he was a hockey player. Never got called to the NHL, but he was good. I traveled with him until our older boys came along, and he wasn’t cheating then. I know because he was in my bed every night. That came after Paxton’s brothers.” Rosemary inhaled and grimaced, staring into her empty glass. “He met your mother in Manhattan. I don’t have all the details, but it wasn’t a—what do you call it?” She pursed her lips as she stared into her empty glass. “It wasn’t just a hookup.”
The women around me shifted, likely not enjoying someone their mother’s age using their slang—or the story Rosemary had to tell. They were all married to professional athletes, and they were well aware of the women throwing themselves at their partners.
“There’s something seriously wrong with a culture where women try to incite cheating so they can brag about fucking a professional athlete.” Naomi shook her head, a frown pulling at her thin, perfect eyebrows.
“Totally agree,” Rosemary said. She faced me again, taking my hands in her trembling ones. “But this was a full-blown affair. He started making up excuses to go to New York or to scout a potential kid for the program—he’s a coach for the University of New Hampshire. He did that for years, I realize now.”
“What does that have to do with adopting Hana?” Paloma wanted to know.
Rosemary blinked, clearly pulling herself out of a memory—or the alcohol haze. “Right. Yes. Well, it was obvious that your mother wasn’t much of one to you, and I was worried about both you and Aiki. He’d fallen into the wrong crowd. Sawyer was worried about you following down that path. We talked about it often.”
It was hard not to worry. My older brother had turned sullen, then mean. I nodded as those memories washed over me.
“Well, Sawyer was very worried he’d get physical with you, and I wasn’t going to let that happen.” Rosemary puffed out her cheeks as she blew out a long breath. “So Sawyer and I talked to your mother.” She studied me. “She never said anything?”
I shook my head, but dread had built in my belly, turning it heavy. “Yeah, actually, she did. I just didn’t understand it.”
“What did she say?” Keelie asked.
I sucked in a breath as my stomach pitched. No, no, no, no, no… That couldn’t be. Paxton and I couldn’t have the same… “That I sure had proven to be her meal ticket.”