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“Just had to get things in order.”
“Agreed,” I say, leaning on my forearms. “Excited for the wedding circus game?”
Dad laughs. “You kids need to leave Shelli and Aiden alone. They just want to celebrate their love. It’s nice.”
I roll my eyes. “I have to do a group dance.”
He chokes on his drink. “That’s unfortunate.”
“It is,” I say gruffly. “I don’t want to.”
“I can tell.” He chuckles softly. “But it’s going to be a great time, especially the game.”
“So, you’ll play?”
He nods eagerly. “I’m already training. I have two objectives—get a goal, and slam your brother into the boards.”
I laugh loudly. “Great goals, Dad.”
“I thought you’d enjoy them,” he says with a grin, and soon our appetizers appear. “How’s Ally’s season going? I haven’t been able to make a game.”
I nod, a little too enthusiastically. “She’s killing it. They’re undefeated right now, which is awesome.”
“She’s always been a badass setter.”
“I know. I’m not sure how she is going to walk away.”
He scoffs. “She won’t. She’ll join a club, or hell, go back and coach.” I nod in agreement. “Or even scout.”
We share a grin. “I’ll tell her that.”
“Good. She’s a damn good girl.”
“Yeah.” I feel the heat creeping up my neck. I want to burst with how great she really is, but I know she wants to wait. I guess she’s right. It probably is for the best.
“So, I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you to lunch.”
I look up just as I take a huge bite of a mozzarella stick. “It crossed my mind,” I say around my chewing. “Am I in trouble?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all. You’re my good kid.”
I jerk my head back in surprise. “Am I?”
“Yes, you never cause issues. You’re level-headed and make good choices.”
I eye him. “Aiden makes good choices.”
He gives me a dry look. “That boy has seen more ass than a toilet seat. And somehow, he still landed a great girl. He had me worried he would turn into a younger me.”
I grin. “You turned out okay.”
He flashes a grin back at me. “Because of your mom.” We share a laugh. “And then Stella and Emery, man…” He doesn’t need to say more for me to nod in agreement. “But with you, you’ve always been good. Always had a good head on your shoulders. Always make the right decisions, the smart ones, and never really live on the edge.”
I feign hurt. “You’re making me sound really boring.”
He laughs. “I don’t mean this to offend you, bud, but you tend to be. And there is nothing wrong with that. It makes you who you are, solid and trustworthy.” Not sure where he is going with this, but that doesn’t keep me from reaching for another cheese stick. “Which is why when Aiden told me you started sleeping with Ally, I had a mini heart attack.”
My hand stops midway to my mouth. I meet his knowing gaze, and I swallow past the lump that appears in my throat. “Aiden told you that?”
