Chapter 25
MAVERICK
I don’t do families.
Never have. Not since my mom died when I was three.
That’s gotta be why, walking up the path to Sadie’s childhood home, my palms are sweaty and my heart’s racing.
But I’m not the only nervous one.
Sadie hasn’t stopped fidgeting since we left my apartment. She’d been worrying at her lower lip until I finally kissed her at a stoplight. Then she switched to twisting her hands in her lap until I covered them with mine.
Focusing on her nerves surprisingly helped me to ignore my own until right now.
Her parents’ house is well-kept, fitting right in the suburban neighborhood that’s a far cry from the ones I grew up in, in Northern British Columbia. Bouncing around from foster home to foster home, a couple of them were decent, but most of them were not.
Just then, the front door opens, and an older woman who is most definitely Sadie’s mom, judging by the red hair and wide smile, steps out, her arms already open.
Sadie drops my hand and picks up her pace, walking up the steps to the front porch and straight into her mother’s arms.
By the time I reach them, they’ve broken apart, and Sadie looks back at me with a nervous expression. “Mom, this is Maverick. Maverick, this is my mother Doreen.”
I’m reaching my hand out to shake her mother’s when I’m caught off guard by her stepping forward, ignoring my outstretched hand, and wrapping her arms around my waist instead.
“Save the handshake for Henry, I’m a hugger.”
“Mom! You could at least make sure he’s okay with that first,” Sadie protests, but as her mom steps back, she simply arches a brow at her daughter.
“Listen. If he’s your new beau, then he’ll have to get used to me hugging him hello.”
“What about consent,” Sadie grumbles, flashing me an apologetic look as she takes my hand. “Sorry,” she whispers, but I just give her a tight smile.
“It’s fine,” I whisper back. And it is. Am I used to strangers hugging me? Fuck, no. But did it feel kind of nice, for just a moment, to be greeted warmly by someone with no expectations of me? Yeah.
We walk into the house, and it’s just as homey on the inside as I suspected it would be.
The entry hall is lined with family photos, and as it opens into the living room, you can tell it’s a much-used space.
The couch is draped in what looks like hand-knitted blankets and a dozen throw pillows.
More photos adorn the walls here, most of them of two younger kids, I’m guessing Sadie’s siblings.
It’s strange there aren’t more of my Specs, and I file that away as something to ask her about.
There’s a recliner pointed toward the television, and the entire space screams a happy family lives here.
I let Sadie lead me into the kitchen, her mom still going on about something to do with her sister, I think. Honestly, this all feels like an out-of-body experience. Like I’m a spectator, watching a show from the sidelines, praying I’m not called on to perform.
Then the sliding door that leads to the backyard opens and Sadie’s dad walks in. He heads my way, and I feel my spine stiffen. My experience with father figures can be described as mixed, at best.
“Maverick King. Can’t say I ever thought I’d have you for dinner,” he says, and I relax slightly at his seemingly welcome tone. We shake hands, his grip firm. “Henry LeDuc. Can I get you a beer?”
“No thanks, I don’t drink, actually.”
That earns me a raised eyebrow. “Ah. Athlete diet rules or something? Hope you can eat some potato salad. Doreen makes it taste so good, you’ll want seconds.”
“Nah, not a diet thing, just a personal choice,” I answer, and his expression morphs to one of respect.
“Got it. How about a sparkling water? We keep them for when the girls visit.”
“Sounds great.”
He hands me a can from the fridge before turning to Sadie. “Where’s my hug, young lady?”
I watch her face stretch into a wide smile. “Hi, Daddy.”
It’s obvious Sadie grew up very differently from me. I watch her move around the kitchen with her parents, the three of them so comfortable and at ease with each other.
After a few minutes, Henry taps my shoulder. “Come on outside with me to finish the grilling? We’ll be eating soon.”
Well, this is a first. I’ve never, not once, had to deal with a girl’s dad. But I’ve seen enough movies, heard enough stories, to know what I’m in for.
And I hope like hell I don’t mess this up.
“I haven’t seen my daughter smile like that in a while,” he starts, opening the lid to a massive barbecue lined with some delicious-smelling steaks. “That idiot she was with before, her smile wasn’t nearly as big. Thanks for that.”
“No thanks needed. Sadie’s a wonderful woman.” I lean against a post at the edge of the covered deck area and look at her father. “Her ex didn’t deserve her.”
Henry looks at me, respect clear on his face. “No. He didn’t. The question I have to ask is, do you?”
It’s a fight not to shift on my feet. He’s not pulling any punches. But while whatever I have with Sadie might have started off unconventionally, and with zero feelings involved, I’m not shying away from the fact that things have changed.
“I like to think I do.”
“I’ve heard about you. About some of the things that land you in the media.”
Ah, shit. I knew this was a possibility. That he’d bring up my past actions. The fact that I’ve never bothered to explain myself to the media before could bite me in the ass now. What proof do I have for her dad that I’m not the reckless asshole the press makes me out to be?
“But I also know better than to take what I see in the media at face value.”
Thank fuck.
“I appreciate that. There’s truth to some of it, but there’s also more to each story,” I say calmly, hoping my tone belies the tension I feel. I keep my gaze steady, not wavering from Henry as he studies me.
“It’s not my business what actions you’ve taken in the past, as long as they don’t negatively impact my daughter. But it will become my business should you choose to act in a way that puts her at risk now or in the future.”
“Understood.”
Henry nods. “Good. Now, let’s get these steaks off the grill and go eat.”
Pushing off the post, I follow him inside. Sadie makes her way over to me and wraps an arm around my waist. “Everything good out there? He didn’t give you a hard time, did he?”
I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Nothing I wasn’t expecting.” She still looks worried, so I rub my hand up and down her back. “It’s all good, Specs.” The lines on her face smooth out for the most part, just in time for her mom to bustle past with plates of food.
“Here, let me take some of that,” I say, reaching out to lift one of the dishes from her hands.
“Oh, thank you, Mav. We’ll set it all on the table and dig in.”
Soon we’re all seated around a wooden table that reminds me of one owned by a foster family I lived with.
I can remember loud chaotic meals seated in these light wood chairs, fighting over who would get the last bread roll.
There were good moments in my childhood, interspersed throughout a lot of bad.
And being here with Sadie’s parents is bringing up those good memories again.
Doreen makes sure we’re all well-fed, and the conversation is surprisingly easy. Her parents don’t pester me with questions about baseball or my injury, and I find myself relaxing more and more as the evening goes on.
When it’s finally time for us to leave, I’m not surprised by Doreen’s hug this time. It’s longer and tighter than the first one she gave me.
“You two come back next weekend when Sienna’s in town, and I’ll make lasagna.” She pats my chest. “I make the best garlic bread you’ve ever had.”
“Thanks, Doreen.” I give her a genuine smile. Then a larger hand lands on my shoulder, not my injured one, thankfully, and I turn to face Henry. We shake hands again, and then I am surprised when he, too, pulls me in for a brief backslapping hug.
“Take care, Mav.”
“Will do.”
Goodbyes said, I take Sadie’s hand, and we walk to my car. I open her door, and once she’s in, I move around to my side and climb in.
The first part of the drive home is quiet; Sadie just looks out the window at the city going by. But at a stoplight, I sense her shift in her seat, and glance over to find her looking at me.
“Everything okay?” I ask, gripping the steering wheel.
“Yeah,” she replies, reaching out to take one of my hands, bringing it to her lap. “Are you okay? I sort of got the feeling you were a little uncomfortable at first. I’m guessing you’re not used to the whole meet-the-parents thing.”
I squeeze her hand gently. “Can’t say I’ve ever done it, seeing as you’re the first girl I’ve ever wanted to be with for more than a few hours of fun.”
She makes a happy sound at that statement, and my lips turn up in a smile. “But your parents are great. You’re lucky to have them.”
“Will you tell me about your parents?”
My jaw clenches tight. “That’s not exactly a pleasant conversation. Let’s not ruin tonight with it.”
I’m hoping like fuck she’ll drop it. And thankfully, after a long few seconds of silence where I can feel her gaze on me, she does.
If I had it my way, I’d never let Sadie know the full depths of the shit I went through as a child.
Her light doesn’t need to touch that darkness.
Which means I need to deal with Eli, and soon. Before he becomes a problem — and not just a secret — between me and Sadie.