Chapter 66 #2
As much as I’d love to go hang out with the team, right now, after the last couple of weeks we’ve had, there’s nothing that I would love more than to fall back into old habits and go home to celebrate our win the way Sutton and I used to back in college– cuddling on one of our beds with a pizza and a good movie.
But thanks to our early morning meeting before the game, we haven’t exactly had a chance to talk about the doctor appointment that Sutton had today, giving her the all-clear to resume her normal routine.
And with Robinsky having crashed on our couch since she’d been discharged from the hospital, theoretically that would mean he could go back to his place, but without having that conversation, none of us really know what the. . . expectations are moving forward.
“Oh, uh. . .” Cal reaches up, rubbing the back of his neck, the uncertainty on his face matching how I feel, as he glances at Sutton and I.
Dammit.
“We’d actually planned to have a quiet night in. You know. . . Sutton’s still getting over being sick and all. . .” I shrug, throwing him a look. If he chooses not to take this as a peace offering, then that’s on him.
“Yeah, I mean, we’d already made plans to hang out back home. Maybe grab some food, watch a movie.” Cal chimes in .
The side-eye Sutton gives me tells me she didn’t miss that home reference either. Strangely enough though, it didn’t feel wrong necessarily.
To anyone else, I’m sure they would miss the signs, but the internal debate raging in her mind right now is clear as day to me. And just like that, an unspoken understanding passes between us and I just know what she’s going to say before she even says it.
“Yeah, as amazing as it was to be here to support all of you, I’m just. .
. I’m still not one-hundred percent, and all the excitement from this game took a lot more out of me than I was expecting it to.
I think I just really need to head back and have a quiet evening at home, so I’ll think I’ll pass on this one.
I appreciate the invite though, really. Thank you. ”
“Oh. I get it. No worries. You absolutely should rest.” It’s hard to miss the disappointment on Bash’s face but he bounces back quickly, face brightening as he redirects his attention back to Cal and I. “You two are still in though, right?”
“Well, I should probably stay home with my girl. Make sure she’s taking care of herself, you know. She has a tendency to overdo it.” I intentionally leave the innuendo laced in my tone, knowing he will pick up on it. Thank god for Sutton, giving me an excuse to bail once more. Cal, however. . .
“Come on man, it’s your big win. The triple threat. A freaking hat trick . You can’t not celebrate such a big moment in your career.”
Cal opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again, unsure of how to argue his way out of that one.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much else to offer as a counter, either.
Adamare does make a good point. That is a huge moment and definitely something that should be celebrated.
It’s not every day you score a hat trick, even for someone in the NHL.
“Oh there you are! Finally! We’ve been looking all over for you! ”
As a group, we all turn at the interruption and my jaw drops, mind coming to an abrupt halt.
“Mrs. Davies! Keagan! It’s so good to see you!” Sutton is the first to speak, polite to a fault - as ever - while we all watch my longtime NHL star older brother guide Mom closer to our group.
“Really, dear, it’s Mom, remember ?” She’s been hoping for years that Sutton and I would end up together, so I can only imagine her reaction after hearing about us ‘dating’ through her various social channels.
I hadn’t bothered to mention it to her because honestly, unless something’s going on with either of my brothers, we don’t have much interaction these days, and I rarely go out of my way to initiate contact.
Besides which, I wouldn't want to get her hopes up or anything.
“Mom. What are you doing here?” Confusion courses through me. Not just anyone can get back into this part of the arena. Not even the parents of a player. And without knowing about it in advance to make the necessary arrangements, I genuinely don’t understand what is happening right now.
“Oh, you know.” Mom waves in dismissal, as if to brush off my confusion.
“I called your brother here, and he called and pulled a few strings.” She looks adoringly up at Keagan.
“I just happened to be passing through on the way to visit Luka, and I couldn’t not come to see you at your game since I was in the area. ”
Right. Of course Keagan managed to pull some strings.
Despite his early retirement last season due to a career-ending injury, having played in the NHL as long as he had, he still has a ton of connections.
And a ton of guilt over not being around for his younger brothers that he apparently feels he now has to make up for.
Doesn’t surprise me he would do something like this just because Mom asked.
Luka though, he’s all the way up in Vancouver, and Keagan lives down in Colorado still near Mom and Dad, so they’re not exactly “in the same neighborhood,” which meant one or both of them absolutely planned this in advance.
. . and Mom probably wants something from me again .
Crossing the last few steps over to our little group she leans in to hug Sutton first, kissing her on one cheek and then the other, and I catch the overwhelming scent of her perfume.
Resisting the urge to close my eyes at the onslaught of memories that try to force their way back in, I paste a well-practiced smile on my face.
I’m nothing if not great at playing middle-child after all these years. She turns to hug me as Keagan takes his turn hugging Sutton, before reaching out to shake hands with several other of my teammates. Great, everyone’s just chummy. Love that.
“You just happened to be in the area?” I don’t have to use air quotes to indicate the skepticism I’m feeling over her unexpected appearance.
“Oh well, you know.” She waves dismissively.
“We’re here now, and we’d love to visit with you.
We should all go out to dinner.” Mom looks pointedly at me before sending a knowing smile over in Sutton’s direction.
By all of course, she means Sutton and I, not Cal.
Not the rest of the team. Just my meddling mother, my long-absent older brother, and the girl I care about most in the world.
Sutton looks to me for guidance. She knows better than anyone the.
. . challenges I’ve had over the years with my family and she’s had my back every single time.
And I know if I asked her to, she would come along without hesitation, without a second thought.
But looking over at her now, I see it there, the underlying exhaustion she hides well beneath her smile – a smile that’s not unlike my own practiced one.
She wasn’t lying when she said that tonight took a lot out of her, and not just from the excitement of watching the game.
Having to go out to an unplanned dinner with my mother who always seems to have some sort of hidden agenda is something she has done countless times in the past, but I can’t ask that of her again. Not right now. Not like this.
Biting back the annoyance I feel and the disappointment at my hopeful evening of a quiet hangout with my girl going straight out the window, I fight the urge to snap something rude, instead reluctantly inclining my head in Cal’s direction.
“Actually, Sutton’s been really under the weather recently and her doctor made it very clear she still needed to take it easy for another week or so.
” Ok so that’s a lie, but whatever. “She came to the game tonight under the condition that she would head straight home after to rest and I was supposed to be her ride.”
I pause, a momentary hesitation over what I’m about to offer him .
Mom tries to interrupt but I cut her off before she has a chance.
“I know you were hoping we could visit, and I would love the opportunity to catch up with you both since I rarely get to see either of you these days. Robinsky, would you mind doing me a solid and seeing that Sutton makes it home safe?”
There ya go, man. An easy out for tonight’s partying and a chance to hang out alone with Sutton. I’m handing this one to you on a silver fucking platter. Don’t screw it up.
Momentary disbelief crosses his face but he quickly recovers, reassuring us that of course he would be happy to help make sure Sutton gets home safe and he would try to catch up with the guys later.
The rest of the group has just stood by, watching this whole damn interaction as if it were their favorite soap opera; their heads literally bouncing back and forth between my family, and myself, Sutton and Callum.
Adamare, at least, looks disappointed that neither Callum or I will be in attendance for tonight’s festivities.
His girl however, has a knowing gleam in her eye, a calculated look that she sees more than she is letting on.
To her credit though, she lets it slide, simply smiling as she grabs her husband’s arm and drags him down the hall with the rest of the group following in suit as they make their goodbyes.
Sutton gives me one last questioning look. You sure?
I nod subtly, gesturing for her to go with Cal who is now waiting patiently off to the side, and I watch with a pang of regret as they walk off in the other direction without me.
Well damn. Guess it’s off to dinner with my family. Love that for me.