Page 35 of The Single Dads Club
Satisfied that the problem is solved, Ryleigh gets up with the intention of checking on Ella, if I had to guess, or maybe just to give us a minute alone.
Valerie shoots me a look, and I sense that she wants to ask more about who Ryleigh is and exactly what she’s doing staying here. It’s rare for me to have a woman here, and I’m sure it’s nothing Valerie’s ever seen before.
But since I’m not ready to answer any questions about that yet, I pull her in for a quick hug. “You okay now?”
She nods. “I’m fine now.” Then she raises her eyebrows dramatically a few times. “So, Ryleigh? Spill it, bro. I need deets.”
“Shut it. Let’s eat, yeah?”
She purses her lips and pouts.
“No more questions, and I’ll take you out for ice cream later.”
“Gelato, and you have a deal,” Valerie says, smiling.
As if I could say no to that. “Deal.”
Chapter Twelve
Alexei
Valerie, that little freaking snitch. Of course she rushed right home and told my mother I have a girl living with me.
And less than three days later, here we are on my mother’s doorstep to “have dinner,” which is code for my family getting to meet Ryleigh and my mother to scope her out and decide if she’s good enough for her son.
Just fucking great.
Ryleigh has enough going on. I really didn’t want to subject her to my family and all their questions until—well, I don’t know when. But certainly not now, not until things calm down some.
The front door swings open, and with it, a burst of warm air.
Ryleigh fidgets nervously beside me, and I place my hand against the small of her back.While I’m not as nervous as she is, I’m definitely a little overwhelmed at the idea of dealing with my mother right now.
My mother, dressed in a gray sweat suit, frowns as her gaze moves past me to Ryleigh and Ella, the line between her brows deepening. “Who is this?”
And she doesn’t say it as a breezy, easygoingwho’s this? It comes out in her thick Russian accent, sounding a lot more likewho the fuck is this girl trailing after my son, and why in God’s name does she have a baby I know nothing about?
Shit. This is going to fucking suck.
I lean close to my mother and whisper, “Breathe, Ma, you invited us here. And be nice.”
Her lips press together and she ushers us inside. “Come in, it’s freezing. And you have a little one.”
Ryleigh grins, oblivious to the tension between my mother and me, thank God. Once we’re inside, she pushes the fuzzy blanket down that was protecting Ella’s head from the cold, and my mom leans closer to take a peek.
“Oh, she’s brand new. Very precious,printsessa,” she coos, gently combing her fingers through Ella’s wavy blond hair.
I chuckle as I watch my mom interact with her. She’s a grandmother six times over, a role she loves and excels at, but her youngest grandchild is almost a year old now. I have a feeling we’ll face some tough questions tonight, but I also predict that my mom will be holding Ella close and singing to her in Russian at some point too. She may come across as a hard-ass, but she has a major soft side, and babies are her number one weakness. Actually, now that I think about it, bringing home a woman to meet my mom for the first time, it might be genius of me to bring a baby along too.
I take a deep breath and steel myself for what’s to come. “Mom, this is Ryleigh and Ella. And Ryleigh, this is my mother, Irina.”
“It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for having us.” Ryleigh smiles at my mom, taking it all in. She looks genuinely excited to be here. “Is this where you grew up?”
Ryleigh’s gaze roams over the overstuffed bookshelves and the dusty photos hanging on the wall of my sisters and me from first grade through senior year of high school. It’s embarrassing, but honestly, I don’t care that Ryleigh’s seeing it. I have an amazing family, and yeah, my mom is nuts, but she loves us. When we lost my dad my senior year of high school, it only made us all grow closer as we realized how precious our time together really is.
“Born and raised,” I say proudly. Most pro-league players move around a lot, so I feel fortunate to live in the same city where my family lives. Who knows, I could get traded in the future, and if I do, I’ll probably end up moving my entire family along with me. Valerie would throw a shit fit at leaving her friends, but whatever.
“This is so great. So homey.” Ryleigh smiles again, shifting Ella’s sleeping weight in her arms. I can tell she’s truly impressed, and it makes my gut twist, wondering about her own family home life.
