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* * *
Not a single star shines in the dark and cloudy sky when we exit the Kingston jet in Philly. Cool air fills my lungs, and my fingers lace with Cooper’s, hesitating.
His lips skim over my ear. “You okay, Carys?”
“Yes,” I whisper on a shaky breath. Mom and Coach are waiting for us on the tarmac, and it suddenly all feels so real. So permanent.
Once we’re at the bottom of the steps, Cooper’s hand presses flat to my back and braces me as my mom runs over, crying.
She wraps her arms around me and holds me so tightly, I have a hard time breathing, until Coach steps in.
“Katie. Let her breathe.” He has a thick arm around Cooper’s shoulder, and when Mom finally releases me, he wraps me up in the kind of hug that makes you believe everything is going to be okay.
When we walk to the car, Cooper takes my hand in his again, and I watch my mother’s eyes grow wide. She clears her throat and smiles a tentative smile. “Have you two kids worked everything out, then?” She nods toward our joined hands, and I fight the urge to laugh at her discomfort.
Instead, I tilt my head toward Cooper. “Have we worked everything out?”
He opens the car door for me and shakes his head. “Ya think?”
“Took you long enough to come around, son.” Coach slides behind the wheel of his SUV, then looks at the two of us in the rearview mirror. “I warned you he was a little slow, Carys.”
“Aww... I told Sabrina the same thing about Aiden.” Mom turns around to face us. “What happened to you boys in high school?” She laughs, and I bite down on my lip.
“Yeah, Coop. Whatdidhappen to you in high school?” I ask, equally loving this playful banter and feeling a little weirded out by it.
* * *
“Where’s Callen?” It’s closing in on eleven o’clock at night by the time we get back to the empty house and kick off our shoes.
“He’s staying with Declan and Belles tonight. We’ll grab him tomorrow. The Kings game is Sunday night, so we thought we could do a family dinner tomorrow or Thursday after practice.” Mom brushes my hair away from my face, then gently cups my cheek.
I smile and kiss her palm. “Can we let you know, Mom? I think we’re both still a little overwhelmed by everything and may need some time to decompress before you throw us into a family dinner.”
She moves into the kitchen and makes us both a cup of tea while Coach and Coop stay in the other room to talk. Mom pushes a mug across the counter toward me, then passes me the honey and lemon. “So... how are you? Really?”
“I’m okay, Mom. My head hurts a little, but the doctor said that was to be expected. The stitches are dissolvable, so I don’t have to have them removed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a little traumatized, but honestly, I’m more worried about Cooper than I am about me. He’s acting like everything’s fine. But it’s not.”
“Oh, honey.” She sits next to me and holds her tea in both hands. “You might need to push him a little. Men like Cooper like to be the one taking care of someone, not the one being taken care of. I’m not saying that’s a good or bad thing. It just means he’s going to need a little nudge to take care of himself.” She sips her tea, watching me over the rim of her glass. “Everything between you is...?”
I squeeze the contents of the little honey bear into my mug before looking up uncomfortably. We haven’t talked about any of this since I stood in this kitchen and demanded to go to Germany. “It’s good, Mom.” I hesitate. “Is that weird for you?” I hold my breath and wait for her answer, knowing this could change my relationship with my mother permanently.
She wrinkles her nose. “A little. It’s going to take some getting used to.” She takes my hand in hers. “But honey, you never have to hide anything from me. Cooper Sinclair is a good man. And if you love each other, then Joe and I are happy, and damn anyone who isn’t. You’re bound to get a little media attention after yesterday though. So we should probably talk to Scarlet Kingston about that this week. Just so we can know what we’ll be dealing with and how to handle it.”
“No.” I pull my hand away, not wanting any part of that for either of us.
My mom’s eyes pop wide-open. “What do you meanno?”
“I’m not a celebrity, and I’m not an athlete on the Kings team. I don’t need to talk to the owner, who happens to be a social-media specialist. I’ve never wanted that kind of spotlight, and I refuse to be forced into that now.” I finish my tea and place the mug in the sink while I gather my thoughts. I know my mom is just doing what she thinks is right, but it’s not what I want.
“I’ll talk to Cooper about it, to see if he wants to meet with Scarlet, but it’s a hard no for me. No media.” I walk back over to her and kiss my mother’s cheek. “I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.” She spins in her chair and gives me themomglare. “Are you planning on sleeping alone?”
I glance down at the floor, wishing it could swallow me whole, just in the hope that I can avoid this conversation. “Umm... Do I have an option?” My voice squeaks as my cheeks flame.
“My door will be closed, dear. Unless you need me to check for monsters under the bed the way Callen does, I don’t plan on leaving my room.”
This may go down in history as the strangest conversation I’ve ever had with my mother.
