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“I haven’t seen you in, what…five years?” “More like six. But anyway, I was just leaving.”
“Stay far away from Flynn’s sister… That’s a path you do not want to walk down. He’s overly protective of those girls, and you’d have to be crazy to test him like that.”
My entire life—all my successes—are because Jameson stepped in and stepped up when we needed him to, at great personal expense.
“Sorry, I just didn’t like the way it felt like I was some secret you were hiding.”
“Let’s get absolutely clear on one thing. I wasn’t refusing to take responsibility; I didn’t know that we had a kid together. I fully accept responsibility for not listening to your voicemails. It’s my own fault I didn’t know. But I need you to understand that if I’d known about Graham, I absolutely would have been here for you and for him.”
“I spent the last six years raising our kid without you while you were off living your NHL life...most of it was really fucking hard, but much of it was also undeniably amazing. And I hated you for missing out on both parts.”
I was just trying to survive.”
I’m glad you can make it. It’ll give us a chance to talk about how you know my little sister so well, and why you’re going to stay away from her from here on out. I’ll text you the details about the practice,” he says, and the line goes dead.
“We’re not in college anymore, Drew. You’re not going to win your way into my bed with cheesy pickup lines, followed by a cheeky grin.”
I return to the couch, but I can’t get comfortable enough to restart Sweet Home Alabama.
“What’s normally most comfortable when you feel like this?” “Curling up in a ball.” “Let’s do that then,” he says. “Obviously, I need to know if Melanie ever signs those divorce papers, so we’ll finish the movie that way.”
“You know what I hear really helps with period cramps?” he says. “If you say sex, I’m going to punch you in the face.”
“Did we really just do that?” “I hope so, because if I wake up tomorrow and find that this was all a fever dream, I’m going to be so fucking pissed.”
Oh shit, is his mom trying to play matchmaker here?
“He’s great with kids.” “He’s great with his son,”
“H-how did you know?” “Besides the way Drew looks at him? Graham is a carbon copy of him at that age. Even the way he speaks is the same. Reading on the couch with him was like getting to revisit my son’s childhood.” She pauses for a moment as her eyes fill with tears. “I’m not sure how we got here, but I’m sure glad we’ve arrived.”
“You must love showing this picture off any time Drew brings someone home.” “That would require him having ever brought a girl home.” “What?” I let out a nervous laugh. “He’s never even had a girlfriend he brought home?” “He always insisted that the first girl he brought home would be the woman he was going to marry.”
“Let me repeat myself so we’re absolutely clear here,” he says, his voice taking on an icy tone I’ve never heard before. He doesn’t sound anything like himself. “It’s. None. Of. Your. Business.”
“If you ever speak about the mother of my child and my future wife that way again, you and I are done. For good. Understand?”
“I was today years old when I learned that you’re: A, a dad, and B, in love. I didn’t even know Audrey existed.”
You can’t commit to a lifetime with someone based on that infatuation because, eventually, it will fade. There are a lot of tough times in life and in a marriage, and if anything less than love is at the foundation of the relationship, things will eventually start collapsing.”
“You show her you’re the type of person worth building that foundation with.”
You don’t decide you want to start a family with someone just because you’ve seen a couple clips from the highlight reel.”
“Being part of my and Graham’s life means seeing the messy parts too. And it means sticking around when things get ugly.”
“Walshy’s dropping some truth bombs tonight.”
“What if she doesn’t have weaknesses?” I ask. “We all have weaknesses,” Zach says. “And if she isn’t showing you hers, she doesn’t trust you.”
“Show up for her. Give her reasons to trust you, to reveal her weaknesses so you can make up for them. Be the one to show her what unconditional love looks like.”
“I appreciate the thought, but the only name I wear on my back is my own.” He leans in so close his lips graze my earlobe and the sparks of desire shoot straight through me. “Don’t worry, baby, one day my last name will be yours.”
“Family secret,” he says with a shrug. “I can’t tell you unless you marry into my family.”
And just to make sure you have lots of reasons to think of me while I’m away, I’m sending you a little care package.”
I neither confirm nor deny their theories.
He lifts one shoulder and gives me a little smirk. “Let them wonder.”
“Audrey, everything is a you and me thing.
Pretty sure I’ve made it clear that you’re my future wife. But sure, you can call yourself my girlfriend if you need to put a label on this.
“Now is the only version of me that matters, because it’s the one you’re stuck with. Forever.”
“There is no bar. I’m not comparing you to anyone else, and never will. You’re it for me.”
“I hope you remember that request, because I’m about to disrespect the fuck out of you.
“Last time you played against us,” McCabe reminds me, “you scored a hat trick. Colt’s never forgotten that. The least you can do is to do it again, this time for us.”
“I had to learn to be smarter than my emotions.”
I’ve already decided it’s Boston or nothing.”
“You are my sun, Audrey. You’re the center of my whole universe, the star that Graham and I are lucky enough to orbit around. And you always will be.”
