“Thanks,” I say, meeting Avery’s gaze. Her eyes are dancing with laughter, her cheeks red from grinning. I’m convinced I’ll never see anyone as gorgeous as her. She pulled her hair to the side, braiding it down her shoulder, and I love how the wisps of hair are framing her face. Most of all, I love her smile. She looks happy, and that’s all I want.
Breaking from my mom’s grip, I take Avery in my arms, kissing her cheek. “I’m amazing, right?”
She lets out a long breath and nods. “As much as it pains me to tell you you were right, you were. Amazing doesn’t even cover how awesome you did.”
“That’s right,” I say, gesturing toward Jude and Jayden. “You guys better watch out—I’m coming.”
They blow raspberries at me, waving me off as Avery kisses my jaw.
“Full of himself,” Jude accuses, and yeah, I am, because I’m fucking awesome.
“He’ll get a reality check,” Jayden says, his lips curved. “Just wait.”
Rolling my eyes, I turn to my mom to introduce her properly to Avery, but I find she is looking to the left, her face twisted in disgust. Following the direction of her gaze, I see my dad is coming toward us. With Ellen in tow.
“Fuck,” I hear Jude mutter.
“Just ignore him,” Claire says quickly as Jayden lets out a long breath.
“I’m gonna take Angie to the car,” Lucy says quickly, but before she can get a hold of Angie, she is running to my dad.
“Papa!”
He scoops her up, kissing her loudly on the cheek and hugging her. “Hey, honey. Look how big you are!”
“Fucking hell,” Lucy seethes before crossing her arms, her eyes in slits.
“I miss you, Papa. Why don’t you come see me?”
“I miss you too, honey. I’ll work something out with your momma, okay?”
“Okay,” she says, hugging my dad’s neck tightly as he comes up to the group, slamming his hand on my shoulder.
“Damn fine game, Jace. Real proud of you.”
“Er, thanks, Dad,” I say, swallowing loudly as Avery’s arms tighten around me.
“Is this Avery?”
Everyone cuts their gaze to Avery, and she looks confused before glancing up at me.
“It is,” I say, looking at Avery. She looks just as distressed as I do. “Avery, this is my dad, Mr. Sinclair.”
“Oh, call me Mark,” he says, shaking Avery’s hand, and I don’t miss the way Claire glares. He was so mean to Claire the first time he met her and demanded she call him Mr. Sinclair whenever they were together. I don’t know what game he’s playing, but he has everyone, minus Angie, on edge.
And I’m the one who caused all this.
“Oh, er, Mark, nice to meet you,” Avery says slowly and I bite down on my lip.
A few seconds pass and then Dad looks around, still holding Angie, a grin on his face that I really don’t understand. “Good to see everyone.”
No one says anything to that. Not even my mom, who is nice to everyone. They’re all only glaring, my sisters-in-law looking away because this situation is a thousand shades of fucked up. I feel terrible I put all of us in the same room. But what’s done is done, and I did this, so I have to own up to it.
“Yeah, so,” I say, reaching for Angie. Thankfully, she comes to me before I place her on the ground, where Lucy scoops her up. “We are gonna head out.”
Dad nods. “Cool, going to dinner?”
I swallow loudly and all eyes are on me. Looking away, I nod slowly, but I pause when I see Coach coming toward us, his face blazing with some emotion, maybe anger.
Ah. Shit.
I shoot a glance to Baylor with desperation in my eyes. She sees where I’m looking and then she’s moving, but Coach walks right past her, coming up behind my mom.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Everything okay?” he asks and I close my eyes.
Really?
My dad’s brow rises as he takes in the giant of a man. Coach used to play for the Bruins; he isn’t a little dude, and I know I’m scared of him. So no telling what my father, who is a foot smaller than me, is thinking.
But to my surprise, he smirks. “New boyfriend there, Autumn?”
“None of your goddamn business,” Mom seethes and my eyes widen.
Aw, shit.
My mom never cusses.
“Yeah, I am. What’s it to you?” Coach says and I look to Jude for help, but he’s got a dumb grin on his face. When I look at Jayden, he’s just looking at me, waiting.
Asshole.
Obviously, since I made this mess, I have to clean it up.
But before I can, Dad takes a step toward Coach, which I think is insane for obvious reasons, before saying, “It’s nothing to me. I left her a long time ago.”
Mom glares as Coach moves in front of her, towering over my dad. Baylor pulls her dad’s hand, but he isn’t moving while he snarls, “Yeah, your loss, my gain.”
“Hardly, believe me.”
I look to my siblings for help, but they are only watching, not even moving. Fucking great.
Letting Avery go, I step between the two men. With my back to Coach, I say, “Wow, okay. There is no need for this. You’re leaving.”
“What?” Dad asks, incredulous. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing. I’m asking you to go because we are going.”
He glares, his eyes cutting into mine, and I’m finding it hard to catch my breath. I’ve always been scared of my dad—he’s always been the disciplinarian, the scary one in our family. But I’ll be damned if he’s going to tear down my mom in front of me, or if I’m going to allow Coach to go down for my douche-ass dad.
“I see how it is.”
“See it however you want, but I need you to go. You’re upsetting my mom.”
When my mom’s hand comes into mine, I clench it as I watch my dad scrutinize me. My heart is in my throat, sweat is dripping down my forehead, but I have to stand up to him. He isn’t allowed to hurt her anymore.
“Okay, great game, son. I’ll be in touch.”
I don’t say anything as he turns, kissing the top of Angie’s head before looking at Lucy. “I want to see my granddaughter.”
Lucy’s lips tremble as her eyes narrow further. “Cover your ears, Angie Lynn.”
Breaking from my mom’s grip, I take Avery in my arms, kissing her cheek. “I’m amazing, right?”
She lets out a long breath and nods. “As much as it pains me to tell you you were right, you were. Amazing doesn’t even cover how awesome you did.”
“That’s right,” I say, gesturing toward Jude and Jayden. “You guys better watch out—I’m coming.”
They blow raspberries at me, waving me off as Avery kisses my jaw.
“Full of himself,” Jude accuses, and yeah, I am, because I’m fucking awesome.
“He’ll get a reality check,” Jayden says, his lips curved. “Just wait.”
Rolling my eyes, I turn to my mom to introduce her properly to Avery, but I find she is looking to the left, her face twisted in disgust. Following the direction of her gaze, I see my dad is coming toward us. With Ellen in tow.
“Fuck,” I hear Jude mutter.
“Just ignore him,” Claire says quickly as Jayden lets out a long breath.
“I’m gonna take Angie to the car,” Lucy says quickly, but before she can get a hold of Angie, she is running to my dad.
“Papa!”
He scoops her up, kissing her loudly on the cheek and hugging her. “Hey, honey. Look how big you are!”
“Fucking hell,” Lucy seethes before crossing her arms, her eyes in slits.
“I miss you, Papa. Why don’t you come see me?”
“I miss you too, honey. I’ll work something out with your momma, okay?”
“Okay,” she says, hugging my dad’s neck tightly as he comes up to the group, slamming his hand on my shoulder.
“Damn fine game, Jace. Real proud of you.”
“Er, thanks, Dad,” I say, swallowing loudly as Avery’s arms tighten around me.
“Is this Avery?”
Everyone cuts their gaze to Avery, and she looks confused before glancing up at me.
“It is,” I say, looking at Avery. She looks just as distressed as I do. “Avery, this is my dad, Mr. Sinclair.”
“Oh, call me Mark,” he says, shaking Avery’s hand, and I don’t miss the way Claire glares. He was so mean to Claire the first time he met her and demanded she call him Mr. Sinclair whenever they were together. I don’t know what game he’s playing, but he has everyone, minus Angie, on edge.
And I’m the one who caused all this.
“Oh, er, Mark, nice to meet you,” Avery says slowly and I bite down on my lip.
A few seconds pass and then Dad looks around, still holding Angie, a grin on his face that I really don’t understand. “Good to see everyone.”
No one says anything to that. Not even my mom, who is nice to everyone. They’re all only glaring, my sisters-in-law looking away because this situation is a thousand shades of fucked up. I feel terrible I put all of us in the same room. But what’s done is done, and I did this, so I have to own up to it.
“Yeah, so,” I say, reaching for Angie. Thankfully, she comes to me before I place her on the ground, where Lucy scoops her up. “We are gonna head out.”
Dad nods. “Cool, going to dinner?”
I swallow loudly and all eyes are on me. Looking away, I nod slowly, but I pause when I see Coach coming toward us, his face blazing with some emotion, maybe anger.
Ah. Shit.
I shoot a glance to Baylor with desperation in my eyes. She sees where I’m looking and then she’s moving, but Coach walks right past her, coming up behind my mom.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Everything okay?” he asks and I close my eyes.
Really?
My dad’s brow rises as he takes in the giant of a man. Coach used to play for the Bruins; he isn’t a little dude, and I know I’m scared of him. So no telling what my father, who is a foot smaller than me, is thinking.
But to my surprise, he smirks. “New boyfriend there, Autumn?”
“None of your goddamn business,” Mom seethes and my eyes widen.
Aw, shit.
My mom never cusses.
“Yeah, I am. What’s it to you?” Coach says and I look to Jude for help, but he’s got a dumb grin on his face. When I look at Jayden, he’s just looking at me, waiting.
Asshole.
Obviously, since I made this mess, I have to clean it up.
But before I can, Dad takes a step toward Coach, which I think is insane for obvious reasons, before saying, “It’s nothing to me. I left her a long time ago.”
Mom glares as Coach moves in front of her, towering over my dad. Baylor pulls her dad’s hand, but he isn’t moving while he snarls, “Yeah, your loss, my gain.”
“Hardly, believe me.”
I look to my siblings for help, but they are only watching, not even moving. Fucking great.
Letting Avery go, I step between the two men. With my back to Coach, I say, “Wow, okay. There is no need for this. You’re leaving.”
“What?” Dad asks, incredulous. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing. I’m asking you to go because we are going.”
He glares, his eyes cutting into mine, and I’m finding it hard to catch my breath. I’ve always been scared of my dad—he’s always been the disciplinarian, the scary one in our family. But I’ll be damned if he’s going to tear down my mom in front of me, or if I’m going to allow Coach to go down for my douche-ass dad.
“I see how it is.”
“See it however you want, but I need you to go. You’re upsetting my mom.”
When my mom’s hand comes into mine, I clench it as I watch my dad scrutinize me. My heart is in my throat, sweat is dripping down my forehead, but I have to stand up to him. He isn’t allowed to hurt her anymore.
“Okay, great game, son. I’ll be in touch.”
I don’t say anything as he turns, kissing the top of Angie’s head before looking at Lucy. “I want to see my granddaughter.”
Lucy’s lips tremble as her eyes narrow further. “Cover your ears, Angie Lynn.”
