CHAPTER THREE #2
Logan: No, he won’t. He won’t be that bad. It’s a sports game of some kind, so that will distract him. He’s a lot more like Pops when someone turns on sports than he likes to admit. I caught him watching sumo wrestling the other night.
Me: You’re right, he’ll be busy watching the match. Not a game, it’s a match. The field is called a pitch. That’s almost everything I know about rugby.
Logan: I got you. I don’t know anything either, but I can be a buffer and help you talk to his sister and ask questions so you don’t have to. We can both learn about the sport that has delicious men all over to watch.
Me: You better be careful talking about hot men around my brother. I, for one, am only going to pay attention to the hottest one. Cade is head and shoulders above the rest.
Logan: First of all, Asher is my husband, and he knows I love him more than anything, so don’t start shit, Sister.
Secondly, I know for a fact you’ve only met like two of his teammates.
I also know you’re full-on twitterpated and all about this guy, so no one could catch your eye even if they tried.
Me: You might be right. Why do you have to be right so much?
Logan: Because I’m awesome and you love me. We will be there and have fun…don’t tell Asher I said this but get laid by that mountain of a man! You deserve all the good things, including amazing orgasms.
Me: See you in a couple of days. I also know you’ve been hanging out with Jane and Nicky too much. Okay. I gotta pack!
Mayson had better end up with some amazing girl, or they’ll never measure up to my brother-in-law. Focus girl.
I quickly get packed and have everything in two bags, including my laptop so I can work when Cade has to go to his workouts.
I’m supportive and know it’s literally his job to work out, but my body wasn’t built to spend hours in the gym.
I’m happy doing my workout video at home a few times a week, and that’s that. A gym rat I will never be.
I take my bags and head toward the front room so I’m ready to go as soon as Cade gets here.
Shut it. You’d be this excited if you were me, and you know it.
I mean he’s smart, sweet, funny, tall as a tree, with that dark brown hair that isn’t super long, but past the point that it looks like he just needs a haircut and to where it’s just long enough to grab onto easily and is sexy as all get out.
As I’m setting my bags down by the door, I hear my mom’s voice.
“You gettin’ ready to leave, Hanna?” I push my glasses up and head into the kitchen where I heard her call out from.
She’s sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of her and a pad of paper, no doubt about to make a grocery list for the next few days.
She looks up at me as I sit down across from her.
“So you’re going to spend a few days with your new guy?
” I nod, knowing she’s not done speaking.
Mom nods and continues. “Seems like you two have been spending a lot of time getting to know each other. I know not in person, but you’ve had your face glued to your phone more than I’ve ever seen before.
” I nod because if you saw Mom’s face, you would know she only paused.
There wasn’t a period at the end of that sentence.
“Your brothers both seemed to be somewhat impressed by him, which is high praise.” She takes a sip of coffee before she asks me what she really wants to know. “It’s just you and me. Does this Cade guy feel like he’s something special, something real to you?”
I sigh and take a moment to find the right words.
“He is. I know we’ve technically only been on two dates, but we’ve talked for hours and hours and…
he’s funny, smart, kind, and he sees me, not just my future limitations.
He’s close to his parents and sister, so he gets how I feel.
I just…I don’t know…he makes me feel like I’m all he sees when we’re talking.
” Mom leans forward and squeezes my hand.
Anna
Oh, my girl. I know she appears confident and independent, and she is both in a lot of ways, however, I know she’s also always been more uncertain when it comes to relationships, especially with guys.
She hasn’t voiced it, but I know she’s worried about someone seeing her eventual blindness as too much and her not being worth the effort, but a mother knows.
I know she’s a smart, beautiful, caring woman with a good head on her shoulders, who, for the right man, will be the perfect partner.
Now, I have not met this boy face-to-face yet, other than seeing him at the family dinner at the clubhouse, but between what Zane and my boys have said about him and the look my girl gets when she’s texting or talking to him, I have a feeling he might be the one for her.
“I think he’s someone special to you, and you wonder if it’s too fast to feel that way. Am I right?” Hanna nods and confesses what I’ve been suspecting to be true.
“Mom, it’s just…it’s like we can talk for hours about everything and nothing.
I just like spending time with him. It doesn’t matter what we’re talking about or doing.
It definitely doesn’t hurt that he’s the best kisser I’ve ever…
and he’s so sexy. But honestly, it’s more than that.
It’s—” I stop her with a squeeze of my hand.
“It’s like he touches a part of your soul that no one else has ever come close to?
” I watch her eyes go big for a moment in realization before she nods in acknowledgment.
I continue talking, feeling a bit of déjà vu as I had a similar talk with Asher when he was wrestling with his feelings for Logan a few years ago.
My kids are all smart, but sometimes they just need to get out of their heads. I blame their dad for that.
“Sweetheart, I learned some truths a long time ago about love and relationships. The first is don’t compare the timeline of your relationship to anyone else’s.
Everyone has a different story and different pace.
If your dad and pops had gotten their way, we would’ve gotten married on our second date.
We still moved fast for a lot of people.
Your brother and Logan had their own journey on their own time.
You go at your own pace, whatever that is.
Second, if this feels like something special, be open to exploring it.
Yes, it opens you up to a chance at being hurt, but you won’t find genuine love if you don’t give it a chance.
We only live once, and love is the most important thing.
Love of family, friends… just all love is important.
” I take a sip of coffee and tell her exactly what I told my boy, Asher, when he was struggling to accept that Logan was meant to be the one for him.
“You know your grandma was a smart woman. She was also a woman who loved with every inch of her being. I know I haven’t been as successful as she was in that, but I believe I’ve gotten as close as I can.
” I shake my head to get myself back on track.
“Anyway, your grandma said something when I was wrestling with accepting spending the rest of my life with your pops and dad. Remember, this was the eighties, and things weren’t as accepted back then as they are now.
She sat me down at her table, just like we are now.
She looked at me and surprised me with what she said.
She told me that if you’re lucky enough to find the love of your life, the one you want to stand next to during the good and the bad, the one who makes your heart beat faster when they cross your mind, if you’re lucky enough to find that, the rest doesn’t matter.
Family, friends, acquaintances—if they really care about you—only want to see you happy.
Many people in this world never find that kind of love.
If you’re one of the few who’s lucky enough to, don’t let fear of being different stand in your way.
Love is love. I know your relationship isn’t different in the obvious sense, like mine with your dads or Asher’s with Logan, but it has its own challenges.
There may be people who tell him you’re going to be more work than it’s worth in the future or that he’s going to wander while he’s on the road.
If this is real between you two, be the calm in the storm for each other.
Hold on to that love, and everything else will fall into place. ”
I can see I’m getting through to my girl as her eyes glass over.
She starts to say something, but we both hear a truck pull up, and her phone dings with an incoming message.
I wave her off. “Go spend time with your guy. Maybe next time introduce him to me properly.” She hurries over and gives me a quick hug.
“Thank you, Momma. Love you!” She scurries off, and I can’t help the words that come out.
“Remember protection! I’m not quite ready for another grandbaby!” I hear her laughter as she closes the door.
She thinks I’m joking, but my little Daisy is a handful and a half on a good day.
She’s way too much like her dad, hell, like all my kids.
Not one of them has ever been considered easy, but I wouldn’t have them any other way.
I raised strong kids, and they’re all strong adults now, though sometimes they need a little reassurance.
Nice to know I’m still needed sometimes.
I hear the back door open, and a moment later I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around me.
Jackson kisses my cheek and snuggles into my neck, like he likes to do.
“Did I just see that boy come and pick up our girl, and did she have bags with her?” I feel the smile come over my face.
This man isn’t going to adjust that well to his little princess being in love.