Page 56 of The Forever Rule

I rolled my eyes. “Really? Dad’s the calm one. I thought you would want me to be the one who can actually sit through stress-inducing moments, and not want to wring their necks.”

“While that’s true, it’s really good for you to know your worth, and to hit back. Plus, you see your father at CU games. He’s a menace.”

“Sko Buffs,” I said with a laugh, as someone else cheered the same thing back. “It’s like a cult.”

“No, Denver Broncos fans are a cult. Even though it’s been a while since the Elway days.”

“I’d much rather be an Avalanche cult member. Have you seen the thighs of hockey players?”

Mom rolled her eyes. “That is true. And they’re constantly moving. But the whole skating around on death blades and trying not to lose their teeth? I don’t know if that’s sexy.”

“Not all hockey players lose their teeth.”

“Enough of them that there are actual articles about how many teeth they have lost and there are leaderboards. It’s a little scary.”

“Well I promise I’m never going to date a hockey player. How’s that?”

“You know you shouldn’t make promises like that. Who knows, the next man you could see could be a hot forward for the Colorado Avalanche, and then you’re married and happy and a WAG.”

“Yes, because I really want to be a WAG of a hockey player.”

“It would be cute though. Because you could always wear cute little coats and scarves and mittens when you’re in the ice rink. It would really help with my hot flashes to visit you at the ice rink.”

“First of all, most hockey players are going to be far younger than me, because as soon as they hit my age, they’re ancient in the sports world.”

“Honey, you’re twenty-nine. Please stop calling yourself ancient.”

“Only in the sports world. I’m barely able to call myself an adult at this point. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not quite sure about that. You started a new jobwith a company that I actually admire. That sounds like an adult move to me.”

I held back my wince, but I didn’t blame her for the little jab. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get out of that situation.”

My mother, a high-powered attorney who had broken through glass ceilings for most of her career, pulling others in her wake, just squeezed my hand. “I adore you with everything that I am. And you are allowed to work for horrible bosses and try to do good things. And you do. I love the microloan programs that you are working with now. And the small businesses that you were trying to nurture before. And while your old boss didn’t let that happen completely, I know you tried your best. I’m just really pissed off that you wouldn’t let me go at him legally.”

I hadn’t told my mother everything that had happened behind the scenes, because while they hadn’t had to falsify any documents in order to get me fired, the ethics code and propriety statements that I had had to sign when I had been hired meant that there was enough leeway for them to get me out. Because of that dance with Aston. It didn’t make any sense, but in the end, I was in a better place. I just hated the fact that they had pushed me down to this point in the first place.

“It’s all in the past. I’m working with people that you like, and people that I admire, and we’re going to kick Howard’s ass in business whenever we can.”

“Now that’s my competitive daughter.”

“I try.”

“So, we’ve talked about work, we’ve talked about the maintenance issues you’ve had at your place that your father will go work on.”

“I can handle them on my own.”

“Let us help. You’re our baby girl. It’s what we do.”

“If he wants to, but Icando things on my own.”

“I’ve always known you could, but asking for help is okay.”

“I really think you should look in the mirror when you say that.”

“Ouch,” Mom said with a laugh.

“That’s all I’m saying.”

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