Page 91 of Pucking Fate

Hearing what she went through as a mother myself now, what she was willing to put up with to protect us, I can’t help but forgive her a tiny bit. I even do something I never thought I would do again. I throw my arms around her shoulders to hug her.

“I’m glad he’s dead,” I tell her.

“Me too,” Preston agrees as he grabs us both in a bear hug.

“Me three,” Mama says, making me smile through the tears. Eventually, we break apart. While we’re all three swiping at the dampness on our cheeks, our mother says, “Please consider inviting me to the wedding.”

“What wedding?” Preston and I ask at the same time.

“Yours!” she exclaims. “It’s only a matter of time for you and Elle, right?” she asks my brother, who shares a look with Elle. “And you and Christian…well, it seems like you’re back together.”

“I guess we are,” I admit. “And I’m not ashamed of anything.”

Mama nods, then says the last thing I expected. “You have to admit…Christian is an ironic name for the man who got you pregnant out of wedlock.”

“Mama!” I huff, shaking my head at her even though there’s a smile on my lips. “Technically, I was a virgin the day Finley was born.”

“What?” our mother and Preston both asks with similar brows furrowed.

“You know what? Forget I said anything,” I tell them with a dismissive wave of my hand as I hurry inside to see my guys.

38

Christian

Ionly feel a smidge guilty about watching out the window, witnessing Maya, Preston, and their mom’s argument in the front yard while Elle stands by watching uncomfortably. I mean, if they wanted to keep it all private, they should’ve come inside first.

Mostly, I just wanted to make sure Maya was okay. After all, it’s my fault she became estranged from her parents.

It’s a relief seeing them all embrace. That’s the whole reason I think Maya and Preston came for the funeral—not to say goodbye to their father but to try to reunite with their mother.

Returning to my seat on the floor where Finley and I are helping Spider-Man save the dinosaurs from extinction, I tell him, “Your mom and Uncle Preston are back. Are you ready to head back home?”

“I wish I was going home with you,” he says, lip pouting.

“I wish you were too, buddy. But I have to get back to training. I’ll still see you on the phone, though.”

“It’s not the same,” he mutters as his action figure knocks over a triceratops.

“No, it’s not,” I agree.

I had my agent ask the team about releasing me to the Warhawks so I could move to D.C., but it was a lost cause. The Bobcats wouldn’t agree to give up their best player to the team that just whooped their asses in the playoffs.

“Maybe we can grab some lunch together before we leave town,” I offer, hoping Maya won’t object.

After last night, I think I know a few ways to convince her.

And fuck, I wish I could hold her again tonight, along with every other night…

The family makes their way inside, and I give Maya a smile when I see her glistening eyes. She joins us on the floor, pulling Finley into a hug. “You two have fun while we were gone?”

“We did,” I agree. “We’re just a little sad about having to leave soon.”

“Me too,” she replies. “If we leave now, we can make it home before midnight.”

I cringe at the thought of her and Finley driving so late. “You sure you don’t want to go halfway today and the rest of the drive tomorrow?”

“No, we have to get back. I’ve got my meeting tomorrow at the retirement center. I already feel bad for postponing it yesterday.”

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