55. Leo
Leo
Ifinish the egg white omelette on my plate and set my fork down.
I glance over at Lucy, who’s sitting next to me. I grab a few of the fries from her basket and pop them in my mouth.
She lifts an eyebrow at me, her smile teasing. “You’re not gonna ask if you can steal my fries?”
I grab a couple more. “It’s not stealing if I ask.” I wink at her, and she laughs.
I’ve been smiling like a dumbass this whole night. The guys think it’s because I managed to score a goal against Richmond. I’m pumped about that for sure, but that’s not why I’m so excited.
It’s because Lucy was in the stands cheering for me. I’m happy because she wants to spend Thanksgiving with me.
That feels like a thing that couples do. And even though we’re not a couple, I like feeling like we are.
That’s probably weird, but I don’t care. I like her. So much. I want to spend as much time with her as I can. And I want to show her that I’m not going to rush her or push her into something more.
I want to show that I’m here for her, in whatever way she wants me. I want to show her that I want her in my life. I want her to be part of the things that I do.
I want her to see that she’s important to me and that I picture her in every part of my life.
I want to show her that when she’s ready for more, I’m already there.
“So what should I bring to your family’s Thanksgiving dinner?” Lucy asks.
“Nothing. My mom caters it. There’s gonna be plenty of food.
“What’s the dress code?”
I quirk my eyebrow at her. “Dress code?”
She tilts her head at me. “Your family is having a catered holiday meal. I’m guessing I can’t show up in yoga pants and a hoodie.”
I laugh softly. “We usually wear something nice but comfortable.”
She nods once. “I can do that.”
I lace my fingers through hers. “You don’t need to worry though. You can wear whatever you want.”
The look in her eyes turns shy. “I just don’t want to embarrass you in front of your family.”
“You could never embarrass me, Luce.”
Her mouth curves up in a small smile.
“You could wear my jersey. That would be pretty hot.”
She smiles. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. I’d love to see you wear my name and my number.”
I say the words before I can stop myself. That’s a dead giveaway for just how much I want her to be more than just my friend…
She glances over at Poppy, Briar, and Anna. They’re all wearing their boyfriends’ jerseys.
Nerves fire off inside of me. She’s gonna think I want her to be my girlfriend, and that’s going to freak her out and scare her away…
But she just chuckles like it’s no big deal. “Wearing a hockey jersey for Thanksgiving dinner is a no-go. Sorry.”
I let out a breath and chuckle along, relieved that she seems to take it as a joke.
“So what are you gonna wear?” I ask.
Her smile turns teasing. “You’ll see.”
* * *
I finish tying my tie in the mirror in the bathroom and make sure it’s straight.
I check the time on my phone. People will start arriving at my mom’s house in Breckenridge for Thanksgiving in a couple of hours.
I step out of the bathroom and knock on my bedroom door. Lucy is in there getting dressed.
“Come in.”
When I open the door and see her, my eyes bug out of my head.
She’s wearing this deep green sweater dress that hugs her body.
It dips a little low on her chest, giving a peek of cleavage.
The hem hits right in the middle of her thighs, showing off her legs.
And she’s wearing those tall, dark brown, high-heeled boots that she wore when I took her out for her birthday dinner.
My mouth parts open as my gaze follows the length of her body. “Oh, damn,” I murmur. “You look…Whoa…”
Her smile is bright and beautiful. “I look okay?”
I step up to her and rest my hands on her waist. I pull her against me and kiss her until she’s moaning into my mouth.
“More than okay. Luce, you look fucking amazing.”
A pretty pink blush splashes across her cheeks. “You look really handsome.”
I grin as her gaze slowly drifts along my body. “Yeah?”
She nods. “You’re hot when you dress up.”
I kiss her again, groaning against her mouth. After a minute, she leans back, breaking our kiss.
“Come on. We should get going,” she says.
We head downstairs. Lucy fills Wally’s water and food dishes.
I crouch down and give him some pets. “We’ll be back in a few hours. Be a good boy, okay?”
When I stand up, Lucy is looking at both of us with a warm, beautiful smile.
“What?”
“I like seeing you with Wally. You’re so sweet to him,” she says softly.
I kiss her, then grab her coat from the closet and help her put it on. I slide on my jacket, and we head outside to my car.
I breathe in the cold, crisp autumn air. It’s a chilly morning, but the sky is clear, and the sun is bright, making it feel a little warmer.
I drive toward my mom’s house, which is an hour and a half away.
“Wally’s really gonna miss you when we move out,” Lucy says.
A familiar sinking feeling lands in the pit of my stomach at the thought of her leaving. I really don’t want her to. I want her and Wally to keep living with me.
But I can’t tell her that. She wants to take things slow and have fun. If I ask her to continue living with me, that’ll make her feel pressured.
I look over at her and smile, hoping I look relaxed and happy. “You and Wally can come over and visit as much as you want after you move out.”
She flashes a small smile. “I’d like that.” She looks out the window. “So who’s coming to Thanksgiving dinner?”
“My mom’s friends and coworkers. All her neighbors. My sister will be there with her boyfriend. A bunch of my aunts and uncles and cousins will be there.”
Lucy beams. “Wow. You have such a big family. And so many family friends.”
“Yeah, it’s always crowded and loud, but it’s fun.”
When I glance over at her, her smile turns sad. “I’ve always wondered what it’s like to have such a big family. Especially during the holidays.” She glances down at her lap. “It was always just my parents and me.”
“You didn’t see your grandparents?”
“We did. My mom’s parents passed away before I was born though. And my dad’s parents passed when I was a kid.”
“I’m sorry.”
She looks at me and shrugs. “It’s okay. I guess some people just weren’t meant to have huge families.”
She stares out the window for a long moment.
I focus on the road, feeling so sad for Lucy. She’s the only one left in her family. How is that fair? She’s such a sweet, loving person. She deserves to be surrounded by people who care about her.
“Do you want a big family someday?” I ask before I can stop myself. That’s too personal. I’m prying.
But then she nods. “Yeah. I do.”
She glances down at her lap and plays with the button on her coat. “I know I’m way too young to be thinking about kids right now, but I know I want them. Someday.” She looks up at me. “How about you? Do you want kids someday?” She lets out a quiet, shy laugh. “Even though we’re still kind of kids.”
“Yeah. I do.”
She looks at me. “Really?”
I nod.
She smiles like she’s relieved. “Most guys would freak out if the girl they’re hooking up with asked about kids,” she teases. Then she shakes her head. “Not that I’m asking you to have kids with me, or…” Her cheeks flush bright red. “That’s not what I meant.”
I grab her hand in mine and kiss it. “It’s okay. I know what you meant. And I’m not like most guys when it comes to stuff like family and kids. I’ve always known that I want to be a dad. Maybe that’s a little weird.”
She gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s not. I think it’s really sweet.”
We’re both quiet for a while as I drive. Just then, I remember what Lucy told me right around the time that we first met. She mentioned that her dad has family in Scotland and Canada.
“What about your dad’s family?”
She turns to me. “What?”
“You said your dad has a few relatives in Scotland and Canada. Have you thought about getting in touch with them?”
Lucy flashes that sad smile again. “I’ve never really had the time or energy to do that. When my parents passed away, I was in survival mode, and didn’t think about much else. I should try though. Even though it’ll probably be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because our last name is so common. If I tried to do an online search for the Bailey family in Canada or Scotland, I’d probably find thousands of people. And I don’t have much information to go on. Just our last name.”
“You don’t know the names of your dad’s cousins or aunts or uncles?”
“I think one of his uncles was named Earl. Or maybe it was Errol. I’m pretty sure he said he lived in Montreal.” She sighs. “I wish I remembered more. I was a little kid when he mentioned it, and I didn’t really pay much attention.”
I’m quiet as I think about what she’s said.
She gives me a small smile. “Thanks for letting me tag along to your family Thanksgiving. I’m excited to be at a big gathering for the first time.”
A sense of urgency takes hold. I have no idea where to start or how to do it, but I’m going to figure out a way for Lucy to find the rest of her family. She doesn’t deserve to be alone.
An hour later, I pull into the tree-lined neighborhood where my mom lives.
“Oh, wow,” Lucy says as she gazes out the window. “These houses are huge.”
This is one of the nicer neighborhoods in Breckenridge. All the homes are on sprawling properties on big lots of land, covered in evergreen trees. It’s right next to a golf course with the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop.
She turns to me. “You grew up here?”
“Yeah. My parents moved to this neighborhood when I was in middle school.”
I turn onto the winding road that leads to my mom’s house. I pull into the long driveway behind a half-dozen cars.
“Holy crap,” Lucy murmurs as she gets out of the car, gazing at the front of the house. “Your house looks like a fancy ski lodge.”
I glance at the exterior of my mom’s two-story house, which is made of dark wood and river rock. “Yeah, I guess it kind of does.”
I grab her hand and lead her inside.