Chapter 6 #2
“They’re good folks.” What else could he say?
He’d met Sam’s entire family, and they were good people, full of advice and enchiladas.
“Hillary is a super sweet little girl. She’s really young.
You know, in that way that she’s probably been pretty sheltered all her life, but she did everything right, just like Max did.
I mean, aside from not keeping it in their pants.
Her dad’s a solid type—he’s a rodeo guy who works his ass off throwing cowboys out of the way of bulls every weekend. He’s tough, but I think he’s fair.”
“Okay, so you don’t think they’ll fuck Max over.” Bobby heaved what he hoped was a relieved sigh, because this next part was harder.
“No, but they’re going to ask for some pretty tough concessions. Max is going to have to step up and do his duty, man.”
Now Bobby blew out a hard breath. “Yeah, I totally get that. I’m not saying he doesn’t know. His mom is not feeling in charity with this.”
“Well, she’s just going to have to get over it. I mean, Max is absolutely sure this is his kid, so this is going to be her grandkid.” He was feeling a bit protective of Sam and Hillary, in fact, and ready to go to bat for them, which was crazy because he was supposed to be here for Max.
Bobby’s laugh had a sharp edge to it. “She’ll get over it. The minute she sees the first picture of the baby…”
“I’m fighting to get you guys to come down here when she has the baby, and that way you don’t have to just see pictures. You can be here for it.”
“Maxie says he doesn’t think she’s going to marry him.”
“Marry him?” That made him sit back and blink, knocked on his proverbial butt. “I didn’t think that that was where this was going at all. These kids are not that into each other. It was a fling.”
“Well, he asked her, I think, or he’s going to.”
“No. That doesn’t hold any water. Neither one of them are ready to get married. This is not a little girl who’s going to come up to Boston and be happy being a hockey wife.”
Hillary was a daddy’s girl all the way. She had a community, a support system, and a home she loved.
Not only that—Evan got the absolute impression that she was more concerned about the baby than she was Max.
“Well, that’s what I thought. He needs to focus on his career.”
“But you don’t think I should be encouraging Max to give up his parental rights or anything, do you?” Surely that wasn’t the endgame here.
“Fuck no. That baby’s gonna be a Biyalik, and we’re not going to deny that. That’s not how this works.”
Okay, that felt right, reasonable. Like his buddy.
“Cool, man. I was a little concerned there. So, Sam says he wants insurance for the baby, half the medical bills, and child support. He’s like me; he thinks the kids need to do this as much on their own as they can.”
“Huh. Are they, like, poor? I know New Mexico is a really depressed area, financially. Is it safe for them there?”
“Dude, it’s gorgeous here. And, yeah, the crime rate is a little alarming in some places, but where isn’t it these days?” Why was he defending New Mexico, for God’s sake? “And Sam is hardly poor. But he doesn’t make a million and a half a year, man. So that’s on you.”
Bobby chuckled. “Well, you know, in Boston that’s not as much money as it could be.”
“Bobby, man, you have endorsements out your ass,” he teased. “Come on.”
“Like you don’t.”
True enough. He might have been officially retired from hockey, but he still had a ton of endorsements from both hockey equipment and a few clothing brands.
He looked good in or out of clothes, he guessed.
“But Max isn’t my kid. Anyway, Sam says no long stretches up by you until the kid isn’t breastfeeding anymore. You come down to be there at the birth, and then they’ll come up for spring break, because that’s a slow time for Sam.”
There was a long pause, then Bobby cleared his throat. “Sounds like you and Sam are cozy.”
“I like him a lot.” Weird but true. Sam was tough, but strong and fair, and he loved his little girl more than life itself. There was a lot to admire about that.
“But is he hot?”
Evan’s eyes went wide. “You did not ask me—I know that you did not just ask me if I thought that your son’s baby momma’s dad was hot.”
“I so did.” Bobby didn’t sound the least bit sorry about it either.
“Well, it doesn’t matter if I think he’s hot, because he’s real conservative.” Which was a shame, but there it was.
“Are you sure?”
“Well, he has a daughter, and he’s a cowboy.” It made sense.
“So? That means he’s bi-leaning and has land and a horse. You’re a hockey player, and you’re queer as a three-dollar bill and left-leaning.”
Evan rolled his eyes, so dramatic. “At least you didn’t say I was queer as puck.”
There was a long silence, and they both cracked up, kind of hooting at each other.
The laughter slowly faded, and they both sighed, a long silence on the line before Bobby spoke again. “Jesus, what a mess.”
“Yeah, man. But you know I’ll help out as much as you need.” He wasn’t letting Max swing in the wind.
“Yeah. Yeah, I know. So I need to look at Christmas break. You’ll just email or courier anything I need to read over and sign?”
“You good with providing the insurance and support?”
“Yeah, but I’ll need a figure.”
“I’ll get that at breakfast tomorrow.”
“Breakfast, huh? La-di-da.”
“Shut up, prick.”
Bobby snorted, the sound so familiar it made him want to see the son of a bitch. “Look, I’m just trying to figure everything out. I got a pissed-off wife, a bunch of broken fucking bones, one asshole kid, and a grandbaby on the way.”
“Eh. Max isn’t an asshole; he’s just eighteen.”
“Yeah, young, dumb, and full of cum.”
Evan rolled his eyes and crashed back on the mattress. “We could wish that that was all he did.”
They both started laughing again, and then Bobby sort of made this odd noise.
“You cool, man?” He didn’t want Bobby talking to him if he was hurting.
“It just occurred to me that at Christmas, I’m going to be a grandfather. Man, I got a fourteen-year-old, a ten-year-old, and a six-year-old. There is a good chance that there will be at least one more.”
“I suggest stopping.”
“Yeah, yeah, me too. I wonder if they just could snip me real quick while I’m in here. No one would ever have to know.”
He couldn’t help his smile. “I bet that could be arranged. Man, you wouldn’t even have to tell her. Just—”
“Yeah, not nice, but a fun idea nonetheless.”
“Or just tell her. I mean, if she needs babies, she can work with a children’s charity.” He grinned at the idea. Lord have mercy.
“Yeah, we know that won’t happen. She would murder someone during her first long committee meeting.” Bobby snorted. “Patient as a saint with kids. Killer instincts with adults.”
He nodded instinctively. Christ yes. “She’s a barracuda, man. You know I love Annette, but, my God, she can chew a man’s dick off without even opening his pants.”
That had Bobby bursting out laughing. “Jesus, what an image. You suck so hard.”
“You have no idea.”
“Ew, I have two images in a row.” Bobby complained. “Two images that I can’t get out of my head now. I don’t want to think about it. You’re an asshole, Bruiser.”
“I just don’t want you to be lonely while you’re in the hospital. You can think about all these things. It’s great.” Evan pondered his toes where they stuck out at the foot of the bed.
“Screw you. Look, call me tomorrow and tell me what all stuff you ironed out. I’ll want everything in writing. I imagine they will, too.”
“And you can have your lawyer look it over if you want. It’ll be fine.
I know it will. This Sam is a reasonable guy, and Hillary’s a good kid.
So is Max. Nobody wants to hurt anybody.
But I got to tell you, even if Max proposed, I just don’t think they’re that into each other.
Not like they were when they were having a fling at spring break. ”
Bobby sighed. “I don’t want to think about my oldest flinging or spring-breaking or, to be honest, impregnating some poor little Mexican girl. Is she Mexican?”
“Her last name’s Mexican. I assume so. I mean, they all speak Spanish a lot, and they don’t sound any different than anyone else here, so… Fuck, I don’t know, man. I guess I could ask, does it matter?” Evan rubbed the back of his neck, feeling it prickle a little.
“No, I’m just curious.” Bobby chuckled. “It’s the only thing I know about her. I’ve never even seen a picture of the girl.”
“Oh, she’s pretty. They’ll make a pretty baby.”
“Well, I guess that’s good, so long as it’s a pretty baby who can play hockey. I’ll be happy.”
“I’m fairly sure this baby will have a bigger chance of being a rodeo cowboy… I don’t think they really have hockey here, Bobby.”
“It’s mountains; there’s snow, so there’s got to be hockey. What’s wrong with these people?”
Privately, Evan thought it was more a matter of cash. This wasn’t the richest state on earth, and hockey cost a lot of money. “I don’t know, I’ll look around. I mean, I suppose that would be important that your grandchild have some hockey access when he or she is of an age.”
“Damn right.” Bobby yawned, and Evan would swear he could hear his jaw pop.
“Hey, I can let you go, bud. I’ll get back to you after the meeting in the morning, huh?”
“Sure. Sorry. Still get pretty tired.”
“Of course you do. Drink your collagen smoothies and shit, rest all your poor bones, and get well before the season starts.” He stood up and headed to put on his robe. It got fucking chilly out here at night.
“That’s the plan.” Bobby yawned again. “Thanks again for doing this. I owe you so bad.”
“You do.” Evan chuckled. “Night, man.”
“Byeee.”
They hung up, and Evan sighed, realizing he’d stood and started pacing.
This shit was…well, it was out of control, and—
A sharp knock came to his door. “Uncle Evan?”
Fuck, just what he needed.
He opened the door. “Hey, Max, come on in. What do you need?”
“I asked her to marry me.”
Oh Jesus. “Yeah?”
“She said no.” Max frowned at him, mouth an angry slash. “I’m doing the right thing, and she had the audacity to tell me no?”