Page 139 of Ice Mechanic

“Marriage is no spectacle, son. You know how seriously we take our commitments in this family.”

“‘Until death do us part’. I’m aware of the terms.”

“A union such as marriage is not just about commitment. Of course, that’s apartof it, but there are more responsibilities. What of your trust fund? The company that you and your sister will inherit that feeds thousands of employees? The holdings? The land titles? It’s acceptable to ignore such things when dating, but these are all considerations you should have when moving to the next level.”

“Mom, I have never cared about inheriting the business, the holdings, the land titles, none of it. All I want is April and the health and strength to play hockey until I retire. That’s it.”

Her tone is even, but a scolding lingers just beneath the words. “If you’re grown enough to speak of marriage, then you should be grown enough to understand that would-be-husbands can’t always do as they want.”

I keep my tone as respectful as I can. “I know that I can’t always do what I want, mom. But big decisions like my career and my future wife aremineto make.”

“Fine.” She huffs. “I didn’t call to argue. I wanted to confirm that you are, indeed, bringing that woman to the ball.”

“Her name is April and yes I am.”

“I’ll let the planners know,” she says stiffly.

“April is a sweet girl, mom. I’m confident you’ll fall as hard for her as I did.”

“Perhaps,” she says dryly. “But remember, darling, marriages can fail and wives can return to their maiden names, but you willneverstop being a McLanely. At the end of the day, that is whatIam confident about.”

I hang up with my mother, feeling unsettled and wondering if I should bring April to the ball or keep her a safe, far distance from my mother.

CHAPTER

FORTY

APRIL

“Eep!A shopping day! I’m so excited!” May screeches, strutting into the giant mall that we drove two hours to visit.

“I’ve shopped more times this month, than I have for my entire life,” I grumble.

“You’re welcome,” Rebel says cheekily, gliding across the floor. As she walks, at least three men—two of whom are with their wives or girlfriends—turn to watch her.

“Let’s go in here!” May grabs my elbow and steers me toward a fancy outlet.

My eyes double in size. “No way. We do not need an overpriced dress from an overpriced brand like that.” I drag both of them to the side so we’re not stopping traffic. “Before we continue, I need to tell you guys my budget and style. Something simple and right for the occasion is all I need.”

“Re-lax, April. We can buy whatever we want because I havethis.” May fans out a credit card.

I hiss, “May, no! Another credit card? Youdorealize that just because the garage is doing better now, that doesn’t mean we can spend unwisely. Between the garage’s mortgage, our housebills, dad’s nursing home fees, and your student loans, we don’t have that much left over.”

My sister flashes a smug grin. “This isn’t mine. It’s Chance’s.”

Instantly, my stomach wrenches. “We arenotusing Chance’s money.”

“Chance left very clear instructions. We’re going to buy you whatever you want—that includes shoes, accessories, purses,underwear.” She giggles.

I scowl at her, blushing fiercely.

“And,” May continues, “Rebel and I are to treat ourselves to the fanciest lunch as a reward for our assistance. Chance’s exact words.”

“You can’t spend someone else’s money.”

“Why not?” My sister counts off on her fingers. “He’s my brother-in-law, he told me I could, and he has lots of it.”

A weight presses deeper into my chest. It’s been there ever since Chance invited me to the party a few nights ago. He definitely downplayed his family’s resources by saying his parents simply ‘run businesses’.

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