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I know Max and his wife, Daphne, will be here because I spoke with him earlier to make sure there was room. Most of my nieces and nephews are teenagers and rarely come to the hockey games. It’s hard to make them all when there are so many more hockey games than there are football games. Home football games get the majority of us there, most of the time.
“Easton told me Becket and Jules were coming with Blaise, which means there’s a good chance Lenny will be here too,” I tell Kenzie. “Am I awful that I’m hoping Mom and Brandon skip this one?”
“No, you’re not awful. But you have to face her soon, Linds. It’s almost Christmas. You don’t want to let this ruin your holiday.”
I square my shoulders and walk into the suite, taking a quick glance around.
I see Max and Daphne. Jules and Becks. I was right—Lenny and her husband, Bash, are sitting with them. And India is here with the kids. Okay, I can handle this.
“Lindy,” Becks is the first to see me, and the smile on his face does me in. He wraps me up in a big-brother bear hug, and it’s like I can finally breathe. Jesus. I forgot how much I miss my family.
“Hey, Becket.” I squeeze him back and kiss Jules on the cheek when she joins us.
“So, kid. Does this mean you’re my daughter-in-law and my sister?” Becks jokes, and Jules smacks his chest.
“Don’t let anyone hear you saying that, Becket. It makes us sound like the Clampetts.”
“I’m just teasing her,” Becks chuckles and moves on to Kenzie, not making a big deal out of anything. Okay. New favorite brother.
Everly walks over before I even take my jacket off and hands me a glass of wine. “Here,” she whispers. “Take the edge off. You’re practically vibrating with nerves.”
She taps her glass to mine. “Salut.”
“Salut.”
“You know, according to the Kroydon Kronicles, you shouldn’t be drinking.” Lenny eyes me as she and Max make their way over to me.
Max shakes his head. “Like she’d be the first of us to be pregnant before she got married, Eleanor.”
His wife, Daphne, shakes her head. “Whatever, Maximus. Like you were the one who had to carry around a bowling ball for nine months.”
I sip my wine while Everly laughs quietly. “I always forget how crazy your family is.”
“Uh... guys?” I hold my glass up. “I’m not pregnant. Promise.”
Lenny leans in and kisses me. “Good. Enjoy all the fun you get to have with him before you have a baby. Now is when you get to screw on every surface of your home without having to worry about waking the kids up.”
Max gags and walks away, while Everly taps her wine glass to Lenny’s beer bottle.
“You know, Everly, there’s always this weird line where I want to say these things to my little sister but somehow still feel weird about saying them in front of you.”
Evie and Gracie grew up with Lenny basically as a member of their family. Their parents are close. Lenny’s husband, Bash, is Evie’s godfather.
“It’s not like I’m a blushing virgin, Len,” Everly swallows her wine, and Len scrunches her face up.
“So.” Len turns back to me. “Have you talked to your mom yet?”
Jules and Kenzie turn toward our conversation, and I suddenly feel bad. I’m not happy with my mom, but it feels weird talking about her with everyone.
“No. Not yet,” I admit.
“You need to call her, Lindy,” Len lectures gently.
“She hasn’t called me either,” I defend.
“Sweetie.” Jules takes my hand in hers. “If you want to be treated like an adult, you’ve got to act like one. And sometimes that’s realizing this is your mother, and you owe her your life. Literally.”
“If I say I’ll call her, will you all let me watch my husband warm up?”
