Chapter 43 Cassie
Cassie
“I have a boyfriend,” I blurt out in a rush, “but you can’t be mad when I tell you who it is.”
I take a long sip of iced coffee, just to get myself to shut up.
This wasn’t how I planned on telling my mom that me and Cole are dating. She always made me swear off dating athletes, and that only got more intense when I first declared I wanted to be a sports agent. But we’re getting brunch at a cafe near her apartment and it just kind of slipped out.
It’s been a week since Cole slipped up and called me his girlfriend.
A week since he made me admit just how badly I want this to be more than something casual.
A few days ago he nonchalantly told me he’d like to meet my mom whenever I’m ready for it, and the idea of it made my heart flutter with a mix of joy and nerves.
My mom is always going to be one of the most important people in the world to me.
What Cole and I have has to stay secret from the hockey industry, but I can’t keep that secret from her.
“A boyfriend?” Mom slowly lowers her green juice. She fixes me with a sharp look.
My mom is ridiculously bubbly and outgoing—she’s been flirting with the cute waiter every time he comes to our table—but she has a fierce edge that comes out when needed. I was a good kid growing up, and she never really needed to keep me in line.
But right now? The ‘you’re grounded’ stare is out.
“Bug,” she continues firmly, “tell me it isn’t the goalie.”
I grimace. “Okay… it isn’t the goalie.”
“Is that true?”
“No,” I admit, and she slumps back in her chair, rolling her eyes. “Look, Mom. I can explain.”
I tell her everything. How we fell for each other. How it’s fragile and new and secret, but also feels like finding solid land after years at sea. How Cole would really love to meet her.
She snorts. “He wants to meet me? Be my guest. Bring him to the bar tonight during my shift.”
“Tonight?” I squeak.
“Tonight.” She taps her pink nails against her glass of juice. “I want to meet the man who thinks he’s good enough for my daughter.”
“Nervous?” I ask Cole later that night outside my mom’s bar.
“Nervous like I’m taking the ice for a playoff game.” He does look adorably nervous, running one hand through his dark hair as he stares down at me. “Just because I know how important your mom is to you, and she sounds pretty set on hating all athletes.”
“You’ll do great,” I reassure him. “Just don’t be afraid if she interrogates you. Or flirts with you. Both are terrifyingly real options.”
With a deep breath, I lead Cole inside. The bar is cozy and warm, a real neighborhood spot just a few blocks over from the apartment my mom raised me in. She’s been a bartender here for years, and the regulars all adore her.
It’s not busy tonight, which… great. More downtime for my mom to decide whether she’s going to hold a grudge against my boyfriend.
“Hey, Mom.” I perch on one of the bar stools. “This is Cole.”
“So you’re the goalie,” my mom says. She doesn’t stop wiping down the bar, shooting a look over at where Cole stands next to me.
“I’m the goalie. It’s really good to meet you, Ms. Wells.”
“Call me Tanya. All the boys do.” She drops the cloth into the sink and shakes his hand. “Now, what are you drinking? It’s on the house.”
“Thank you. Water’s fine with me. Or anything non-alcoholic that you recommend.”
She glances up at him. “You not a drinker?”
His shoulders lift in a shrug. “I stopped in my late twenties during the season. At first, it was about longevity in my hockey career. Then it stuck.” He pauses for a moment.
“Plus… I watched someone close to me deal with an addiction. She came out the other side like a damn champion, but it made me even more dedicated to staying sober. In solidarity, I guess.”
I watch as my mom takes in this info. One eyebrow flicks up; I can tell she’s touched by it but is refusing to let it show. “Huh. Sorry to make you come to a bar tonight, then.”
He laughs, a warm and low timbre. “It’s fine, I have no problem with people drinking. In fact, making Cassie a cocktail at the end of a long day is one of my favorite things to do. It’s usually some sugary pink monstrosity, but still.”
My mom’s lips quirk up in the corner. “Sounds like my kid.” She leans against the bar, fixing Cole in her stare. “And speaking of you two, what’s the plan here? Are you treating her right? Is this serious, or are you just messing around?”
“Mom,” I interject. “Oh my god. You’re grilling him.”
Cole brushes my back with his hand, brief and grounding. “It’s okay, Cassie. I’m happy to answer any questions Tanya has for me.”
My mom sighs. “I’m just giving you a hard time because she’s my baby girl, and athletes are trouble.
You all have huge egos and crazy schedules.
Plus, she used to be a big fan of yours.
Then I heard from her years ago that she met you and you were a jerk.
Then I hear that you’re her new boyfriend.
First one she’s had in a damn long time. ”
“Gee, thanks, Mom,” I mutter. “Way to emphasize how single I was before this.”
“I just want to make crystal clear that you’re not taking advantage and that you’re going to stick around.”
Cole doesn’t miss a beat. He holds my mom’s gaze.
“Your daughter is the best woman I’ve ever known.
Cassie might have been my fan back when I was a rookie, but trust me when I say now I’m her biggest fan.
I’m going to give her everything she deserves, and just hope she lets me keep on treating her right for a long time. ”
Warmth flutters through me. “Cole,” I mumble, holding myself back from sliding my hand into his.
It’s one thing hearing from him how much he wants this to be more than a casual secret thing.
But it’s something else hearing him stand in front of my mom and declare just how much I apparently mean to him.
Mom folds her arms over her pink tank top like she’s trying to fend off the effect of Cole’s charm. “Well. Those are some sweet words. But you’re hiding the relationship from everyone you work with?”
“It’s just secret for now. For the good of both our careers. But Cassie’s only assigned to supervise me until the trade deadline, and after that…” His eyes slide over to me. He looks certain and hopeful. I try not to get lost in his stare. “After that, we can make decisions on our own terms.”
“Shit!” One of the drunk college kids at the nearest table spills his beer all over the floor, tearing my attention away from Cole’s eyes.
Mom groans, reaching for the paper towels on the bar top, but Cole smoothly grabs them before she can. “I got it. You two stay right there.”
Mom watches him help clear up the college kid’s spill and leans in to mutter to me. “He’s acting like a gentleman. He trying to earn points?”
“I get why you might think that, but he really is that thoughtful. Underneath the grumpy exterior, at least.”
Cole returns after trashing the paper towels.
“You ever bartend, goalie?” my mom asks him.
“Can’t say I have.”
She picks up a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses, and walks out from behind the bar. “It’s pretty simple. Pour the beers. Take the cash. Flirt with the boys for tips. Got it? Because I need to talk with my daughter alone for a minute and someone needs to watch the bar.”
To his credit, Cole doesn’t miss a beat. “Yes, ma’am,” he salutes with a crooked smile.
“You don’t need to actually flirt with the boys for tips,” I yelp, before my mom wraps her perfectly manicured hand around my wrist and forcefully leads me to a booth across the bar.
She slides into the booth, glancing back at Cole at the bar. “You were acting like you had such a hard job keeping him in line. He seems to take instruction pretty well.”
“Only because you can be very intimidating when you want to be.”
“Had to scare him a little. That’s my job as your mama.” She uncaps the tequila bottle and neatly pours out two shots. “I’ve come to my verdict, by the way. I approve.”
“You do?” I blink. “I mean, you should, because Cole is an amazing person. But you were really giving him the third degree back there.”
“Don’t sound so shocked, bug. You’ve given your seal of approval to enough of my boyfriends over the years.
” She exhales, toying with the tequila cap.
“Thirty years as a bartender helps you read people pretty quickly. I can tell how much he cares about you. I mean, god, that look in his eyes. Some people live their whole lives without being looked at like that.”
I nod, emotion welling up in my chest. “It feels really good having someone who looks at me like that. I was scared you would think I was making a stupid choice, what with the complicated work situation.”
“Sweetie. You look just like me, give or take twenty years. You’re a hard worker like me, too. But that’s where our similarities end. I love a little chaos. Whereas you’ve always been so careful and organized. I know that if you’ve decided someone is worthy, it’s a good decision.”
A smile spreads over my face, and I feel some tension in my shoulders lighten. “Thank you, Mom. That means so much to me.”
She winks at me. “Now, any other big secrets to confess? Another secret boyfriend? A new job? Are you moving to Antarctica and forgot to tell me?”
She’s joking, teasing me for managing to just this once (briefly) keep a secret from her. But there is something else weighing heavily in my chest.
“Well,” I swallow. “Actually, there is one thing.”
Heart in my throat, I tell my mom the other thing I’ve been dreading sharing with her. I tell her about running into my dad at the agency party and his thinly veiled order for me to find a new career far away from him.
Fury flares in my mom’s soft, brown eyes when I finish the story.
“He’s an asshole,” she hisses. “Just let me track him down. I’ll show him not to mess with my daughter.” She grips the bottle of tequila like she’s planning on using it as a weapon.
“Woah. Let’s take a breath before we get out the Molotov cocktails, okay?” I gingerly take the bottle from her hand and place it back on the table. “This is why I held back from telling you. I didn’t want to hurt you. Or make you feel any responsibility for his actions.”
“Sweetie, it’ll take a lot more than that to hurt me.
” She exhales. “I’m so sorry, Cassie. I’d say I wish I’d had better taste in men as a young woman, so you could’ve had a better dad.
But without John, there would be no you.
Then the whole world would be missing out.
At least he was good for one thing. One really great thing. ”
I take her hand. “Mom, don’t ever apologize for that.
You made all the best choices you could at the time.
I’m older than you were then, and I can’t imagine trying to raise a kid alone.
Honestly? The last thing I want is for you to get involved.
You sacrificed so much to give me a great life.
I don’t want you to give any more energy to my dad.
If he wants to cause trouble, then I want to face it on my own terms.”
She stares at me for a moment, her eyes shiny. “I’m proud of you, sweetie. I hope you know that.” Her hand grips mine, and I squeeze it back. “Now do a shot with me, then re-introduce me to your handsome, secret boyfriend. I need to start over and be a little nicer this time.”
She clinks her glass against mine, and we down our shots.
“Nicer just means friendly, right?” I ask, still sputtering from the burn of the liquor as we both stand up. “You’re not going to flirt with him? Right?”
Cole is scowling and pouring a Guinness for a guy when we get back to the bar.
The guy he’s serving stares at him with wide eyes. “Are you Cole Taylor? Why are you bartending—”
“You want the beer or not?”
“Yes—”
“Only people who don’t bring up hockey get their drinks,” Cole barks at the people in line. “New bar policy.”
My mom smirks and pats Cole on the arm. “I got it from here, goalie. But if you ever want to come back and pick up a shift, you’re welcome.” She catches my eye and winks. “Although either way, seems like Cassie’s going to be bringing you around a lot in the future.”