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“I’m not a mood killer.”

“You refuse to talk to Michael, and you called him a culprit.”

Dad glares at his friend. “Because he is. He stole something precious from me.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. If I wasn’t so invested in the game, I’d get up and walk out. I’m over the topic. This isn’t the first conversation they’ve had about our marriage.

Uncle Colton snickers. “By something precious, you mean Isla?”

“Your son stole my chance to walk my only daughter down the aisle.”

The arena erupts around us, startling me. On the Jumbotron, they replay the incredible save our goalie just made. And I missed it live. Dammit.

“Dad—”

Ignoring me, he sets his elbows on his knees, leans forward, and squints at Uncle Colton. “You wanna know what the worst part is?”

Michael’s dad smiles. “How it makes you act like a big baby?”

Dad rolls his eyes and then shakes his head. “I’ve spent years imagining that day. Imagining every detail of how I’d bring my baby girl to the altar so she could marry a man who would love her immensely and treat her right.” He glances at me and then focuses on Uncle Colton again. “If it were Meg instead of Isla, you’d be upset too.”

The amusement fades from Uncle Colton’s face. He narrows his eyes, chewing on his cheek. “That’s fair.”

“Finally.”

Uncle Colton tilts his head. “But you’re forgetting something.”

“There you go again.” Dad groans, throwing his head back.

“Xander, you spent years announcing how Michael would be the next big thing in the NHL. You’ve watched every game since the Phantoms brought him up. And you’ve been rooting for them, even though it’s not your home team.”

“Of course I have. He’s your son, and I’m very supportive of my friends’ kids.”

“Ooookay.” Uncle Colton fixes his focus on my dad, turning away from the ice completely. “Should I remind you how many times over the years you said you hoped our kids would end up together?”

Dad opens his mouth and then closes it, his jaw working.

Uncle Colton straightens, a triumphant smile on his face. “That’s what I thought.”

“It’s not relevant in this situation,” Dad mutters, folding his arms once again.

“It is. They’re together. Married. And most importantly, they’re happy. This is the happiest I’ve seen my kid in a long, long time, and I’m sure it’s the same for Isla.”

“That’s not the fucking point of this conversation.”

Uncle Colton throws his hands in the air.

People around us glance in our direction, making me wish I could disappear into my seat. This is getting out of hand, but they are both dead set on ignoring me, so I can’t stop them.

“Then what is the point?” Uncle Colton asks.

Dad focuses on the ice, the corners of his mouth dropping. He’s silent for a few moments, then sighs. “My baby girl got married to the love of her life, yeah, but I wasn’t there. Hell, they didn’t even tell me. I found out about it along with the rest of the world six months later.” He glances at me and then quickly looks away. “It hurt like motherfucker.”

My heart squeezes, and guilt swamps me. I don’t really have a leg to stand on. We could’ve easily told our families about our elopement, but we didn’t. I was so focused on my Olympic dream, everything else faded into the background, and I was the one who suggested we keep it private. Michael didn’t love the idea, but he always supports me.

I hurt my dad’s feelings…and his reaction is absolutely valid.

Uncle Colton clears his throat. “How about we fix it?”