Chapter 18
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
BO
My parents decided to surprise me and come for a visit the week of Thanksgiving.
I couldn’t go home because we have a game the day after.
Chelsea stayed here, too, instead of going home to Florida so that we could be together; plus, she didn’t want to miss my game since it’s the last regular season home game.
She’s gotten really into coming to the games, and I love seeing her in my jersey that I gave her.
We already have plans with our friends for dinner, but I told my parents we could have an early lunch with them.
So, they made a reservation at the hotel where they’re staying, and we’re on our way there now.
They haven’t gotten to meet Chelsea yet because she’s been busy with school and she took on another student to tutor.
This one is a basketball player, and I know him.
Nice guy, but I don’t love that he’s hanging out with my girl twice a week.
Chelsea wiggles in her seat and pulls the visor down to look in the mirror for the third time.
“Babe, it’s gonna be fine. Are you worried?”
“Bo, meeting the parents … and sisters is kind of a big deal, no?” She looks at me, wide-eyed and with her mouth open.
And I don’t want to minimize it because it is kind of a big deal, but I also know they’re gonna love her. Or at least my mom and sisters will.
“You’re right; it is a big deal, but you’re amazing, and they’ll love you.” I reach over and take her hand. “And I’ll be there with you, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not scared; I just have never met the parents before. I’ve never dated anyone long enough or cared enough to get that invested. This feels big, Bo.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I guarantee that my sisters will do most of the talking. They’re talkers.” I squeeze her hand.
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” She takes a deep breath and exhales.
I’ve never seen her like this. She’s usually so confident and not so … anxious.
“Just be yourself. Try to have fun.” I pull into the parking lot of the hotel and find a spot. “Okay, let’s get this done, so we can go back to the house and watch football with everyone. Archie plays tonight.”
She nods and unbuckles her seat belt.
“Wait here.” I get out of the car and round it so I can open her door.
Chelsea always looks beautiful, but today, she’s wearing a tight, long-sleeved black bodysuit—I think that’s what it’s called—and a tan-colored skirt that has a little belt and hits mid-thigh, which is driving me crazy. Her knee-high black boots have a little heel to them.
I take her hand as she gets out of the car.
We walk into the hotel and toward the restaurant where we’re meeting my family.
Before we walk in, I stop her. “Hey, I love you. It’ll be okay.” I frame her face in my hands and kiss her.
She nods as she takes my hand again, and we walk to the table.
“Hey, everyone.”
My mom, sisters, and dad all stand and give a collective hello.
My mom rounds the table. “Hey, sugar.” She pulls me in for a hug, then turns to Chelsea and takes her hands. “You must be Chelsea. We’ve heard so much about you. I was just dyin’ to meet you.” My mom still has a pretty heavy Southern accent.
Chelsea smiles and seems to relax a little. “I am. It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Callaway.”
“Oh, honey, you can call me Lola.” My mom waves her off, then goes back to her seat.
My sisters come over next and hug her, which seems to take her by surprise, and then they hug me.
Caroline whispers in my ear, “She’s too pretty for you. You struck gold, brother.”
I laugh and nod. “Don’t I know it?”
My dad walks over to us, and he seems a little tenser than usual, but I’m not going to let it get to me.
“Chelsea, Jon Callaway,” he says formally, holding his hand out to her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Honor.”
“Oh, no, no. Call me Jon. No formalities, please.” He chuckles as he walks back to his seat.
I pull out a seat for Chelsea, and she sits down. Then I pull my chair out next to her and take her hand in mine under the table.
“So, Chelsea, Bo tells us you’re from Florida?” my mom asks.
“Yes, I’m from the Naples area.” Chelsea picks up her water from the table and takes a drink.
“Oh, Naples is lovely. So, you’re a Southern girl like me then.” She winks at Chelsea.
“I am, born and raised.” Chelsea smiles and nods.
“And you have a sister?” Mom asks.
“Yes, I have a younger sister. She just turned eighteen.”
“I did too!” Savannah says. “So, is she graduating this year too then?”
“She is.”
“Does she know where she wants to go to school yet?” Caroline asks.
Chelsea shakes her head. “I’m not sure she’s decided, but she wants to stay in Florida. I know Miami is on the table and University of Florida.”
“I’ll probably stay in state too. University of Southern California is my first choice, but we’ll see.” Savannah shrugs.
“That’s a great school. I applied there for law school,” Chelsea adds.
I look over at my dad and see him watching her with a look I can’t read. Like he’s trying to figure something out.
“What other schools have you applied to?” he asks her.
She clears her throat. “Um, well, USC, Penn, NYU, and Walker, just in case I want to stay here.” She lifts a shoulder.
“All great schools. What were your LSAT scores?” he asks her.
“Dad,” I interrupt.
She laughs. “It’s okay; he can ask. I got a one seventy-one, so I’m hoping it should get me into any of my choices.”
My dad nods. “Strong score. Well done.”
“Thank you,” Chelsea says.
“I bet your parents are proud,” my dad says.
I lean back in my chair. “Dad.”
Chelsea touches my arm. “It’s okay.” She looks at my dad. “My aunt raised us. My mother died when I was young.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Chelsea. Is your dad still living?” Mom asks her.
Chelsea shakes her head. “My dad isn’t in the picture.”
“Why not?” My dad asks.
“Dad!” I look over at him again, and he looks back at me like I’m the one being rude.
My mom clears her throat, reading the room pretty fast. “So, what does your aunt do?” she asks, trying to redirect the conversation.
Chelsea looks down at her lap for a minute, then back up at my mom. “She’s a pediatrician. One of the best in the state actually.”
“That’s amazin’. Good for her!” Mom claps her hands together.
The rest of the meal goes smoothly, but I catch my dad and Chelsea looking at each other more than once. Almost like they’re in a staredown. I’m not sure if I should be proud of my girl for not being intimidated by him or be angry with my dad for making things awkward for her.
After we eat, we go into a cocktail area with smaller tables. The girls sit down first, and my dad grabs my arm and leans into me.
“I need to speak with you upstairs for a moment.”
“Now?” I look down at his hand on my arm. Then I look up and see the look in his eye that tells me this isn’t up for debate.
I lean down and give Chelsea a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be right back. You’ll be okay?”
She nods and smiles tightly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“This won’t take long.” I kiss her again.
My dad and I make it to the elevator before either of us speaks.
“Dad, what is going on? You’re acting strange and honestly rude, and I don’t appreciate it. Is this because you told me not to date her?”
He laughs, but it’s not because it’s funny. “Oh, son, you directly disobeyed me. And in a way, if the circumstances were different, I’d be proud of you for it. But the fact of the matter is, they’re not.”
“What does that mean?”
The elevator doors open to the penthouse, and I follow him in.
“Bo, we don’t want to keep the girls waiting, so I’m just going to get to it.
I’m officially being nominated for the United States Supreme Court.
I got the call from the president yesterday.
We knew this was a possibility, of course, but the time has come since Justice Blackburn passed away last month. ”
“Oh my God … okay … congratulations! This is amazing news, Dad.” I throw my arms around him, expecting him to give the kind of hug you give when you’ve just achieved your life’s dream.
But his arms barely come up. He pats me on the back—brief, mechanical.
I pull back, brows furrowing. “What’s going on, Dad?” I take a small step back, hands open in front of me. “I still don’t understand what the problem is here.”
“Son, you know what the process is. They will dig into every part of my life, my career. All of it.”
“And there’s nothing to be worried about, so again, what’s the problem?”
“Chelsea. She’s the problem.”
“What?” I shake my head. “How is Chelsea the problem?”
“Bo, have you ever asked her about her parents?”
“Yes, her mom was killed, and then she and her sister went to live with her aunt.”
“You’re not answering my question. Have you ever asked her about her dad? Like, why didn’t they go live with him?”
“No, I’ve been letting her tell me things about her family at her own pace because I could sense there was more to the story and I didn’t want to push her.”
“Well, let me give you the full picture. And, Bo, let me just say again that if the circumstances were different, I would give you my full blessing, but they are what they are, and we have to deal with this the best way we can. She really is a lovely girl, and I really am sorry.”
“Dad, I’m losing my patience here. What do you think I don’t know?”
“You might not remember, but when you were about eleven, there was a national manhunt. A man had brutally shot and killed his wife, then fled the scene. This man, who was a career criminal, as well as an addict, an alcoholic, and the list goes on—anyway, he was a bad man, and he managed to evade authorities for weeks. They would get leads, then he would be gone. Well, they finally caught him in Arizona. He was on America’s Most Wanted, and it was all over the news.
As the FBI was getting closer to catching him, they thought he might be heading to California.
I don’t know why, but for some reason, I had a fascination with this guy, so I watched and read every alert that came through to California authorities.
As I was researching him, I found out that he and the wife had two young daughters. ” He pauses and looks at me.
I do remember that happening, but vaguely because I was so young. I know where he’s going with this, and the pieces of the Chelsea puzzle fall into place. I wave him on to continue.
“Bo, those little girls were in the house when it happened. Do you know what kind of psychological damage that can do to anyone, but specifically a child? And don’t get me wrong; my heart breaks for her and her sister, but, Bo, that was a national manhunt. This will be brought up in the hearings.”
He walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. I pick it up and remove it immediately.
“Respectfully, Dad, I don’t give a fuck about any of that.
That’s your life, not mine. You want me to be involved in your life?
Then you have to accept that Chelsea is part of my life.
Because I don’t give a flying fuck about any of this.
And, yes, it is absolutely important in her story, but it doesn’t define who she is.
You don’t even know her. You don’t know how strong she is, and you telling me all of this makes me admire her even more for everything she’s accomplished.
So, no, Dad, I’m not letting her go now or ever. ”
I start to walk away, but he stops me with his next words.
“Bo, you have to think about this. Please. If you don’t care about the family, that’s fine.
I get it; you love her. But don’t for a second think this won’t affect you too.
” He huffs. “You’re on national television every weekend and for the foreseeable future as well.
Do you think people won’t find out who she is?
Her past? No, she’s not on any of the public records for the case, but, Bo, her father is on her birth certificate, and that is public record.
If anyone wants to find out who she is, they can get that information.
Do you really think she wants all that aired out on TV?
Because my guess is, she doesn’t, and that’s why she hasn’t even told you about it.
If you really want to be with her, she needs to tell you the truth about everything, and then you need to lay out a very realistic picture for her of what your life will be like.
Because you won’t just be a famous quarterback.
You’ll always be my son, and like it or not, you have familial responsibilities.
Let her make that choice before you drag her into the spotlight. ”
We stand there, staring at each other. My heart pounding in my chest. And I’m angry because he’s not completely wrong.
I need to know why she hasn’t told me any of this.
Why she’s fed me pieces of information instead of everything.
Why she can say she loves me, but doesn’t trust me completely to share this with me.
And, maybe worst of all, I need to know if her being with me is going to break the beautiful, carefully guarded heart of the woman I can’t stop falling for.
“I have to go.” I turn and press the button to the elevator, and my dad doesn’t say another word.