Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Easton
We take an Uber to the north suburbs of Chicago, where Hadley’s mom lives.
Tanner is strapped into the car seat between us, but even with Hadley on the other side of the vehicle from me, her anxiety fills the interior of the car. Her gaze has remained outside the entire ride, never entertaining my jokes with more than a small smile before she turns back to the window.
“Hey.” I reach over Tanner and touch her arm. “I was meant for this moment.”
She smiles and puts her hand on Tanner’s chest. “You have no idea what she’s like.”
We pull onto a drive lined with trees on either side, and the house comes into view. My suspicion was correct. Hadley Hargrove comes from money.
Her face is visibly stricken when the huge Tudor-style house comes into view and the car rounds the circular driveway. It’s decorated for spring, flowerpots lining the steps up to the double front door. A Range Rover is parked in front, along with a Mercedes SUV.
“Whit and Sloane are here too,” she says under her breath.
She opens the door as the driver comes to a stop in front of the house, and I do the same before unbuckling the carrier to bring Tanner out. I thank the driver and meet her on the other side of the car.
She stands in front of the house, staring at it, and I slip my hand in hers, squeezing it to say I’m here, I’m on your side.
“Just so you know, my mom doesn’t believe our marriage is real, and me pushing her off all this time with your schedule has made her even more skeptical.
She’ll nitpick everything we do and how we interact.
She wouldn’t be sold on this marriage even if you had sex with me on the dining room table.
And even then, she’d just critique your performance. ”
“We both know I’d get an A-plus, but I’ll take one for the team if that’s what it takes.”
She leans her head on my shoulder, and out of instinct, I kiss the top of her head. “I’ll apologize ahead of time, but I do hope it isn’t that painful.”
“You put up with a lot for me. This is nothing.”
And I mean it. Although nothing on social media has been bad for her, everyone seems to be behind us as a family, but I know how fast that can flip. I’ve seen it. Callie took a beating with Foster, and I never want Hadley to be in that seat.
The double doors open, and I assume this is her mother standing in an expensive flowery dress. “Why are you still out there? Let me meet my son-in-law.”
Her body says welcome, her smile says I bite.
We walk forward at the same pace. When we reach the doorway and step into a grand foyer with a spiral staircase along the wall and a huge chandelier, she doesn’t hug Hadley or me.
Hadley does a quick introduction, and Margot’s hand in mine is as cold and unwelcoming.
“Oh, I figured you’d bring the baby.” Her mom glances at the carrier in disgust.
“It was a last-minute invitation,” Hadley says.
“I tried to give you enough notice, but his schedule is so busy.” She turns toward me. I find it odd since she just referred to me in third person when I’m standing right here. “You’re a hard man to nail down. Is that the reason for the impromptu proposal to Hadley?”
Holy shit, this woman plays an entirely different game than I’ve ever played.
“In season is pretty busy. I apologize for the delay, and of course… I should have asked you for her hand. I’m sorry.”
She waves me off. “Well, we all know you won’t find her father to ask, and honestly, even if I said no, she would have married you anyway.
Our Hadley does what she wants, when she wants.
” She laughs, but it only echoes in the large foyer, her humor not landing.
“Should have known in kindergarten when she refused to color within the lines.” She laughs again.
Hadley stiffens next to me.
“Well, get the little one out.” She waves at the carrier and walks away. “We’re in the dining room. Sloane and Whit got here on time.”
Hadley blows out a breath. “Round one is over,” she whispers.
I put the carrier by the door and unstrap Tanner, holding him to my chest. “I’ve never seen a mother and daughter so opposite of each other.”
“Well, she’s got Sloane. They’re more aligned. Come on.”
The dining room is a big room with two huge chandeliers. The table is only being used on one end, and there’s a high chair between two seats on the right side. Which means Tanner will be between us.
“Sloane was nice enough to let you use the high chair she uses when she comes for Sunday dinners,” Margot says.
Clearly Hadley doesn’t attend them since she’s never left my place on a Sunday to come here. Margot is simply making her point.
“Thanks, Sloane,” I say while Hadley just sits down closest to her mom, as if she’s sheltering me from the storm.
“You’re left-handed, sit on his other side.” I put Tanner in the high chair.
I see her mom’s eyes lift over the fact that I know Hadley is left-handed.
“Oh, it’s okay…”
“It’s fine.” I pull out the chair for Hadley, and she sits.
“Thanks.”
I walk around the back of Margot and put out my hand toward her brother. “Easton Bailey.”
“Whit. Nice to meet you. Great proposal.” He winks, already aware that it was all for show.
“Yes, it was adorable. My mother would’ve loved it. I could almost feel all the emotion through the pictures online.”
“Mom,” Hadley sighs.
“You must be Sloane,” I say, putting my hand in front of her sister.
She daintily takes it, her palm barely touching mine. “Calluses, such a hard worker you are.”
“Sloane,” Hadley snaps with annoyance.
“I’ll take it as a compliment. Means I’m getting my job done.” I walk back over and take my seat.
I see some puffs on Tanner’s tray that Hadley must’ve put out while I was introducing myself.
“He’s adorable,” Whit says. “How’s the adjustment been for you two?”
Hadley smiles at Tanner. “Good. He loves the bookstore. Adores Felix.”
Whit smiles. “Hopefully he and Marco will get matched soon.”
“Thank goodness Grandma hired good workers for you,” Sloane says pointedly at Hadley.
Hadley gives her a saccharine smile, and my hand fists under the table, realizing that she’s had to deal with this her entire life. Of course she doesn’t want to live in Chicago. I’d run away from home too.
The food is already on the table, and Whit picks up dishes, handing them to his mom. She passes them to me, and I pass them to Hadley, not wanting to serve myself before she has her food. My mom would be appalled.
“Oh please, you’re our guest. Go ahead. Hadley barely eats. Are you even eating meat nowadays?” Margot asks.
“Since I was eighteen, yes.” Hadley’s words come out through clenched teeth.
Sloane laughs, but it’s not genuine. “How are we supposed to keep up with whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or what was that other one, Mother?”
“Flexitarian.”
The two of them laugh.
“Brea is trying a plant-based diet, and it’s really helped her inflammation,” Whit says.
I catch Hadley smiling at her brother.
At least there’s one person on her team here.
“So, Easton, tell me about yourself. Usually I’d know more about my daughter’s husband, but being that you swept my daughter off her fleeting feet…”
“Well… I’m from Alaska—”
“Yes, I read that. I must be the only mother-in-law who has to read about her new son-in-law online. Big family, right? Saw an ESPN video on you in your hometown. Quaint—your mom, the principal, and your dad, a teacher and coach. Just a precious little life up there.”
I inhale and pick up my wineglass. Usually I wouldn’t have one since I have to play tomorrow, but tonight might have to be an exception.
“It’s beautiful,” Hadley says.
“Oh, have you been there? You’ve met his parents. I’m the only one out of the loop.” Margot narrows her eyes at Hadley.
I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “No, my sister is pregnant, and she’s due anytime now, so my parents are waiting for her to deliver before coming down here. We didn’t tell anyone except my friends.”
“And does Honor know?” She looks right at Hadley, then glances down at the table. “I heard her grandmother is on the decline.”
“Yes, it’s getting worse from what I heard,” Sloane adds.
Hadley draws in a deep breath. “Yes, I know. I spoke with her yesterday.”
“Poor girl has been stuck here, never able to go to college or make a life for herself, and then there are other people who just toss away how privileged they are.”
Hadley stares at her plate, her fork moving her mashed potatoes around. She scoops some potatoes on a spoon and holds it out to Tanner.
“I can do it,” I say.
“I want to.” Her eyes meet mine, and I can see it’s her way of having a diversion, so I allow her.
“And you’ve been with the Colts your entire career?” Margot interrupts.
“Eleven years.”
“Remarkable.” The word lands without any warmth. “And in eleven years you never thought about settling down before now?”
Whit reaches for the bread basket, eyeing me across the table.
“I hadn’t met the right person.” I look at Hadley when I say it.
She smiles, but there’s no color on her cheeks. We’re acting here, but I don’t feel as though I’m acting.
Margot follows my gaze to Hadley and back to me. “Of course.” She lifts her wine. “And Tanner.”
I feel the energy change in the room.
“He’s wonderful,” Hadley says quickly, and I hear the way she steps in front of the question as though trying to stop a freight train.
“Of course he is, I’ve seen the pictures.” Margot’s smile doesn’t waver. “I suppose what I’m wondering about is his mother. It must be quite a situation, not knowing—”
“We’re working through it.” My voice is even and polite, just like my mother raised me to be.
“Of course.” Margot tilts her head. “It’s just that Hadley is now responsible for a child whose mother could appear at any time and completely disrupt—”
“Hadley and I make decisions about Tanner together.” I gently set down my fork. “And whatever comes next, we’ll handle it together too.”
The table falls quiet.
Sloane glances at Margot as if her reaction were based on her mother’s.
Whit, to his credit, takes a quiet sip of his wine and says nothing, but I catch the corner of his mouth creep up.
Margot holds my gaze for a moment, and I don’t look away. I’m not rude about it. My dad would be proud of how not rude I’m being. But fuck if I’m going to back down. She’s not going to attack my family.
“Well,” she says finally, her tone recalibrating seamlessly, “it sounds like you have it all handled.”
“We do.” I pick my fork back up and glance at Hadley, who has put some small pieces of green beans on Tanner’s tray.
She looks as though she’s fighting a smile.
Whit steers the conversation to baseball, which I suspect is deliberate, and for the next twenty minutes, dinner is actually pleasant. He knows the game, asks good questions, and even Sloane thaws slightly when I tell a story about Foster and a bullpen incident involving a bird.
But I keep checking in on Hadley the entire night. Her demeanor is different at this table compared to ours. Shoulders higher, chin lower, laugh quieter. She’s not the Hadley whose smile lights up the entire room or does cute voices to Tanner that make him kick his feet.
She’s smaller here. Someone who learned a long time ago to take up less space, to try to go unnoticed.
I hate everything about it, and I want to kidnap her away from here, never to return.
Somehow, we make it through dinner, and on the way out, Whit catches my arm while the women say their goodbyes to Tanner.
“That’s as good as it gets with her,” Whit whispers.
“Well, that’s not saying much.”
He nods and lowers his voice further. “For what it’s worth—Hadley’s never brought anyone home. Ever.”
I open my mouth to respond, but he’s already moving toward Sloane.
I’m not sure why he’s telling me. He knows the score. She didn’t have a choice. She had to bring me home, so what he felt was a compliment wasn’t. I’m just an arrangement for Hadley.
In the car on the way home, Hadley is quiet most of the ride.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she says.
“Do what?”
She turns to look at me in the darkness of the back seat. “Stick up for us. I don’t care what she thinks.”
I shrug. “I was just clarifying, and if you think I’m going to sit at that table and allow them to disrespect you, Tanner, and us, then you don’t know me at all.”
She watches me for a moment, then turns back toward the window. “Thank you,” she says quietly.
I don’t say anything. But I think about Whit’s words the whole way home, and I think about how I can’t wait to get back in the condo and get my Hadley back.
I think that’s probably something I should be more worried about than I am.