Page 78 of Fall Wherever They May

She jumps, and her hand flies to her chest. “Dear lord, Aspen. You scared me half to death.”

I saunter into the kitchen and pull a mug out of the cabinet, filling it with coffee. “Lost in thought?” I place the coffee pot back on the warmer and sit beside her.

“Just worried about you and Tucker. I messed everything up good. I’m truly sorry, sweetheart. I know today was hard foryou. It seems like it was a hard day for Tucker too.” She holds her mug in both hands, turning it this way and that.

“Well, I didn’t know it at the time, but I think I’ve found closure where my dad is concerned. I just want it to end here in this very moment. I’m afraid I’m always going to struggle with abandonment issues, but I’m going to work on that. I think I’m going to hire a sports psychologist for the team. I’ll find someone who is willing to take me on too. I also think it’s time to put Tucker in counseling.”

She sips her coffee, the steam rising from her mug. “You think Cal will take advantage of that opportunity?”

I shrug, “I don’t know, but at least a counselor will be available if he chooses to. I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but from what I gathered, Tuck thought by me dating Cal, it made Cal his dad. Like, where did that even come from?”

“Well.” Mom moves my hair off of my shoulder. “He probably has friends with step-parents. That would be my guess.”

I huff a breath. “Maybe. Cal called him "his" on the way home, and it scared me. I internally freaked out. Why do I think every man is going to walk away, Mom? It’s a genuine fear of mine.”

Mom stands and walks over to the sink, dumps out her coffee, then washes her mug. “Why is that a bad thing? Him claiming Tucker, I mean. He has been a father figure to him for the past six months now, and he hasn’t let him down yet. What makes you so sure he’s going to? Those boys have a bond so deep that I can guarantee you, without a shadow of a doubt, that if something happened between you two and y’all broke up, he would continue to fill that role.”

“I would,” Cal’s voice comes from behind me, causing our heads to turn. Fuck my life, he just heard all of that. He leans over and kisses me on the top of my head. “But nothing is goingto happen, and we aren’t breaking up . . . ever; not as far as I’m concerned, so you can go ahead and cast those fears aside. I love him, Angel, and I love you. I’ll remind you as many times as I have to that I’m not going anywhere.”

Mom winks, then sits down beside me. “See? Now, tell me how today went.”

I fill her in on the journals sitting in the backseat of Cal’s truck and tell her about the house. “He loved you, baby. I know you don’t understand why he did . . .”

I cut her off, “Mom. I get it. I don’t agree with it, but I understand it. You both did what you thought was best. I can respect that. It doesn’t mean I have to like it, though, and it doesn’t mean your choices didn’t mess me up.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

I need to come to terms with this. I need to move on and stop letting this hold me back. Ultimately, it is what it is, and I have to stop holding it over my mom’s head. It’s time to move forward and start putting that part of my life behind me.

“I know.” I stand and wrap my arms around her. “I forgive you, Mom. I know you had the best of intentions at heart. I love you for that.”

Tears slide down my mom’s cheek. “Thank you.”

I wipe her tears. “Don’t cry, Mama. It’s time to heal and move on. I don’t know about you, but we’ve had a long, emotional day, so Cal and I are going to bed.” I kiss her forehead then give her another hug.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” we both say in unison as Cal takes my hand and leads me upstairs.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Aspen

With her jaw on the floor, River sits next to me, watching Carter, who is positioned in our direct view, no less. “Oh. My. God. They do this at every game, and I’ve been missing it?”

I burst out laughing. “They have to stretch their hip flexors, so they don’t pull something. They do this at every game, River, where have you been?” The cold air coming off the ice hits me; I shiver and huddle closer to River to steal some of her body heat.

Tilting her head to one side, she studies Carter’s movements and answers, “Obviously not in the right place at the right time. Jesus. If his hips can move like that . . .” She nods toward him. “I can’t even imagine what he’s like . . .” She trails off.

“In bed?” I laugh, finishing for her. I cast a glance around, finding a couple sitting a few seats over and a row back. I lean in, cup River’s ear, and whisper low, “I can’t speak for Carter; all I know is Cal did this hip roll thing last night that had me chanting God’s name like a priest at an exorcism.”

“That good, huh?” She doesn’t take her eyes off of Carter as he tilts and rolls his hips in a thrusting motion.

Carter changes up his routine, first stretching out one leg and then the other, before bringing them back in and moving them from side to side. And just when I think he’s about to wrap up this little show of exhibitionism, he does something I would never expect: He settles into middle splits.

“Wow.” River’s eyes flash wide.

“Wow, is right. You have no idea. Those stretches aren’t just good for the ice.” I turn my body to face her. “I thought you didn’t like Carter.”

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