My Favorite Mistake, page 15
Dogs—in our case, puppies—as it turns out, are a great distraction to have in your back pocket. When you have regular posts about an incredibly cute dog and an adorable destructor—those would be Mia and Ralph—no one is really asking about how your marriage is going, which means a lot less scrutiny on Rys and me.
It also helps that the season is ramping up as we’re gearing toward the playoffs, and we might end up fighting for a wildcard spot.
Rys seems to enjoy keeping up an Instagram just for the pups. She delights in the outfits and cute toys people send our way. The offices of the Orcas weren’t too happy about receiving packages for us, now they’re looking forward to them. Is Mia receiving a new dress, or will Ralph get a new toy?
Ralphie gets t-shirts, but they aren’t as cute as the outfits the fans send to Mia.
Hadley had encouraged Rys to do the Instagram, and she had been reluctant since the pups are only temporary, but the chance to showcase the dogs on a larger scale and find them their forever home was a very good lure, it turns out.
Although… I’m starting to suspect she might be completely in love with them, and they might be a permanent fixture in our house. Heck, I’m a little bit in love with them too. When I’m on the road, I sometimes miss Mia and Ralph, wishing I had Mia in my arms and Ralph’s warm fur as a comforting weight on my leg or lap after the game.
Instead, I have an empty, generic hotel room and room service food that tastes like cardboard.
Tonight’s game was rough, physical, and grinding from the first puck drop. Even after an ice bath, my body is screaming at me. By this point in the season, we’re all nursing a few injuries.
This year, I’ve actually gotten off pretty easy with just a lingering twinge in one of my shoulders most nights, but tonight I’d taken a bad angle into the boards and the twinge has evolved into a low, throbbing pain that even a massage couldn’t dissipate.
There’s not a lot I can do except settle in for the night in an uncomfortable sitting position, propped up by pillows.
Fern calls not long after I’ve settled on an ancient Firefly episode to lull me to sleep. It’s strange enough that she’s calling me after a game that I answer right away.
“Hey, Cas,” I’m greeted not by Fern but by Elliot. My stomach drops unpleasantly.
“What happened?” I ask.
I jerk myself upward, which forces a hiss of pain out from between my clenched teeth. I force myself to settle back into position. I can’t afford further straining the injury right now.
“Fern is fine,” he says. “She just went into early labor this afternoon. She didn’t want anyone to tell you until after the game ended.”
I run a hand down my face.
Sometimes my family is too considerate of me and my games—they often put off telling me things until the season is over. You would think after so many years of playing, I would be used to it, but it still stings every time something is over, and I get a call like this.
It makes me feel superfluous to the family unit, although I would never tell them that. They think they’re doing me a favor by not telling me, so I don’t get distracted, and no amount of arguing with them will convince them otherwise.
“How is she now?” I ask.
“Resting,” he assures me. “She did great.”
“So, can we finally know if I have two nieces or two nephews?”
Fern didn’t want to find out and Elliot, who’s known for a while, refused to tell us.
“We have a beautiful girl and a precious boy. Elijah Joel McPhee was born ten minutes before his little sister, Alyth Ivy.”
When I hear that my nephew is named after Dad, I can’t help but smile. It fits that Fern uses his name.
“By the way, Fern had your game on the TV as soon as the nurses allowed it so I would know when it was okay to call you. She wanted to be awake for it, but the labor knocked her out, so she’ll be out for a bit.”
There’s a warm curl of affection in my chest for my sister. She’s going to be such a great mother. She’s always looking out for everyone around her, already well-practiced in taking care of us.
“You want to see them?” he asks me. He’s quiet on the other end of the call. Everyone must be sleeping except for him. “I have them right here.”
“Of course,” I say immediately. I can feel my face stretching into a smile, the pain completely forgotten. “Show me.”
He turns on his camera and waves to me before swinging it over to two small cribs with the tiniest babies I’ve ever seen. They’re both swaddled tightly in striped blankets and look so delicate that I would be worried about holding them.
“That’s Elijah on the left and Alyth on the right,” he says. He reaches out the hand that’s not holding on to the phone and gently rubs the side of Alyth’s face with one finger. The baby, still asleep, grabs on to his finger and holds it tightly. He laughs, and I smile, relieved to see them so healthy and strong, even though a week before Fern planned to give birth.
“How long will you need to stay there?” I ask.
“Two or three days,” he says, still quiet.
Elliot keeps the camera on the twins, and I watch them happily. I’d never really thought about kids of my own but seeing my sister’s kids does stir something in me. For a brief second, I allow myself to wonder how Rys feels about kids before quashing the thought mercilessly.
“All things considered, everything seems good.”
“That’s great,” I say. “Thanks for calling.”
We stay on the call a little longer until one of the twins blinks awake and cries for—mom. Elliot hangs up with an apology, and I’m left alone in my hotel room again. I set the phone against my chest and sigh. I wish I could go straight home to see Fern and the twins in person.
I message Mills. He’ll understand if I skip practice as long as I’m on time to play the next game. One of his mottos is family first.
Will Rys want to come and visit Fern? I know the last time she saw my family, they weren’t very welcoming, but maybe this time it’ll be different. This time I can say with a straight face that she’s here to stay—if I can make her fall in love with me.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Caspian
In the beginning, Rys is reluctant about the idea of going to San Francisco to visit my sister and meet the twins. Though I can go alone, I want her to get to know my family better. They’re different from the people she met when we first got married.
Do I understand why she’s hesitant? One hundred percent. I don’t blame her, and I don’t want to force her either.
The last time we went to Santa Cruz, she felt as if my family almost ate her alive. It wasn’t that bad, but they asked too many questions, and for an introvert like my girl, that’s unacceptable. I tried my best to shield her, but I’m only one man.
Fortunately, she ends up agreeing to join me. This time, I’m sure they’ll welcome her to the Spearman family.
And so I make the necessary arrangements so we can meet in San Francisco.
Lincoln drives her and the kids while I borrow my cousin’s jet.
When I arrive at my apartment, Rys is lecturing Ralphie. “Shoes are not toys.” She shows him a pair of blue suede Gucci loafers I hate. Well, one of them looks like a piece of blue corrugated cardboard. I want to say, “good boy,” but since she’s educating him, I stay quiet.
Rys shows him his turtle. “You can chew on this. Do we understand each other?”
Before Ralph can agree, Mia notices me and prances to where I stand. I bend to pick her up, but of course, her brother has to be the first one to slobber all over my face. He loves to get attention. I pet them both and snuggle them close to me.
“He has FOMO,” Rys protests. “And by the way, I hope you weren’t in love with these shoes because…well, they’re gone.”
“You’re in trouble, big boy.” I ruffle the top of Ralph’s head and do the same with Mia. Laughing, I walk to Rys, closing the space between us. “Mom gave them to me for Christmas. I think I only wore them for New Year’s?”
“Hi,” she greets me.
“I missed you, beautiful,” I murmur just as I take her into my arms and kiss her. “Did you have a good flight?”
“It was interesting,” she says. “The kids didn’t love the fact that they had to be in their kennels. Next time I might get them a couple of sedatives to make the trip less stressful for them.”
“Thank you for coming with me.” I press her close against me. I had no idea I missed her this much until I have her in my arms.
“It’s important to you.”
“We should go to the hospital and then maybe take the kids to Uncle Aslan’s place. He has a big backyard.”
“That mischievous grin doesn’t give me any reassurances. We’re not taking them to a place where they might cause trouble just so you can irritate your brother. He already hates me.”
“First of all, he doesn’t hate you. No one in my family does.”
Well, that’s not exactly true. No one, except maybe my mother, but that’s just because she thinks my wife is a gold digger, and she’s upset because I refuse to introduce them. After Heath spoke to Lysander, Aslan, and Gatz, they all said it’d be best to keep Rys away from her.
When I asked Elliot to let me know when Mom was visiting the babies, he told me she wasn’t invited to see them. Fern warned her that until she went back to therapy, she won’t be allowed to meet her grandchildren.
I haven’t asked Gatz if Mom has met Soleil, I assume she has, but then again, I didn’t know there was an issue between Fern and our mother.
“You went silent. They hate me, don’t they?”
I shake my head. “No. It’s Mom. We have to make sure we keep you away from her.”
“Why?”
“She’s intense.”
Rys stares at me for several seconds before saying, “I get it.”
The tone is unsettling, but I don’t read much into it. I have enough things to worry about. I clap. “Well, let’s get ready so we can head to Santa Cruz to meet the babies.”
When I call Elliot to confirm Fern’s room, he tells me the babies are doing great, and the family was sent home a day earlier. Aslan and Keaton let us leave the kids with them before driving to Santa Cruz to meet Alyth and Elijah.
“Rys, it’s so nice to see you again. I hope my brother is treating you right. If not, call me, and I’ll remind him how to behave,” Fern says, walking toward her and giving her a big hug. “I didn’t know you’d be here today, but I’m glad. The last time you were here I was too exhausted to contain the savages. My brothers can be quite irritating. I apologize.”
“How are you feeling?” Rys asks, ignoring what my sister just said.
“Tired. No one warned me these two would ignore the schedule I set up for them. They hate sleeping at night or when I’m trying to rest. Luckily, I have an army staying around to help us.”
I arch an eyebrow. “An army?”
She gives me a smile as if saying, right, I forgot to tell you about our current plans. Fern is the one who keeps me updated about everything that’s happening with the family, except the pregnancy has taken a lot of her energy, and I’ve been too busy with Rys to reach out to her. We probably need to correct that. I’d hate to grow apart not only from her but the entire family.
“Well, Cory, who I think is sleeping, took time off from the company and the bar to help us. Benedict, Atzi, Heath, and Teagan, Elliot’s niece, are here too. They’ve been a godsend. I don’t know what we’d do without them.”
Rys is the one who stares at Fern and asks, “Benedict is here?”
I’m not surprised that Benedict Farrow is here. He’s not only one of Heath’s closest friends, but he’s also part of the family. In a way, we adopted him when he moved from New York to Stanford to study medicine.
“Is there a problem with that, Rys?” Ben steps into the living room.
She takes a step back. “You’re here?”
“Of course, I’m here. They’re my family.” He looks at me. “Really, I told you to stay away, and you married her?”
I shrug. “What can I say? She’s pretty irresistible.”
Ben shakes his head. “No, just no.” He looks at Rys. “Have you talked to Avery?”
“Yeah. Have you?”
“No, she’s mad at me because I didn’t tell her about your relationship.” He huffs. “There wasn’t a relationship to begin with, but even if I was allowed to talk, she wouldn’t believe me.”
I’m glad I contacted him and warned him about the wedding, the media hounding us, and the narrative we’re using. He wasn’t happy, but as he told me, he has my back.
“So, when can we meet the babies?” I ask because the last thing I need is to discuss Rys with the family.
Fern checks her watch. “Probably an hour. They should be waking up in thirty minutes. Hopefully, Elliot will be back by then. He went to check on a construction site which isn’t too far from here.”
Fern looks at Rys. “Why don’t we get you something to drink and you can tell me all about the puppies? I’m dying to meet them.”
As they head to the kitchen, I sigh with relief. Fern has welcomed her, which means Rys is officially a Spearman. I just need to convince her we’re meant to be together.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Rys
Yesterday was unexpected.
All of it.
I think that’s what I get when I’m around Caspian. There’s never a dull moment, and thankfully, all of them were good moments, not like the last time I met his family. The twins are adorable. Watching Caspian with them made my ovaries explode, and my biological clock demanded I have a few Spearman babies.
Of course, I won’t.
Am I falling in love with him?
I can’t deny it, but the season is coming to an end, and as much as I’d love for this fairy tale to continue, I was reminded by Benedict that I don’t belong. It’s not like he implied it, but I watch him and Heath’s friend, Atzi, be part of the Spearmans. They fit so perfectly with the rest of the brothers and sisters.
Well, except Ben isn’t trying to be a friend to Cory. As I said, yesterday was pretty eye opening. Avery is right, Benedict is just friends with her. I’ve never seen him look at her the way he looks at Cory. He treats her as if she’s a goddess. And maybe the last time we were in Paradise Bay he came along to see her, and not to spend time with Avery.
Sadly, I also learned that I could never become one of the Spearmans. I’m barely a Holland.
Dad keeps to himself. His family never includes us. Mom…well, my mother is another story. She’s always keeping herself away from everyone, including her family. Milly and I are close, but now that she has Ernie and the kids, she only needs me to babysit them or to keep our mother away from her.
Still, everyone was welcoming and warm toward me. Keaton and Aslan asked me about adopting Mia. I told them she’s not ready yet, but as soon as she is, they’d be the first ones to learn about it. Though, I warned them that we’re going to try to find a house that’ll receive Ralph and Mia.
I hate to admit Leyla was right, it’s going to be hard to find them a home. However, Aslan and Keat didn’t say never mind, but will they be open to adopting my big boy too?
This morning, Cas suggests we head to Jane’s for breakfast. It’s a small restaurant in Pacific Heights. I accept immediately. Since I’m in town, I plan to take the kids with me to check on the animal hospital.
“Shouldn’t you be training instead of having breakfast?” I joke.
He shakes his head. “Not yet. I have a couple more hours before I have to be in Portland. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? We can have fun in the airplane—become part of the mile-high club.”
I wouldn’t mind saying yes. My entire being aches for Cas when he’s not around and needs him when he’s close. I’m going to miss him.
He caresses the base of my neck with his knuckles. There’s something about him that makes my insides quiver with just a slight touch. I want him to take me to his apartment and make love to me before he leaves. It’s not like we didn’t spend all night naked, making up for all the time we’ve been away from each other. Yet, my body is still needy for him.
“This is how you think you’re going to beat my team, Captain?” I move my gaze to find Thad Roderick standing right next to our table. He nods once. “Polaris, it’s nice to see you with your husband. How’s the marriage?”
I glare at him. It’s on the tip of my tongue to remind him I go by Rys, but I don’t waste energy on him.
“Go away, Roderick,” Cas orders, waving his hand toward the exit.
“Why? I’m here to see my good friend Caspian Spearman and his lovely wife. Isn’t that what your people claim?” He leans closer. “Except, we’re not friends, and you fucking stole my girlfriend. That’s the truth. Since you couldn’t get a spot on the Sharks, you decided to take my girl? How are my sloppy seconds?”
“Shut the fuck up!” Cas stands up.
“Do you have any idea what your publicity stunt created?” Thad turns to look at me. “Was it worth it to drag Cameron through the mud? She’s innocent. Now her life is upside down because of you.”
“Me? You were sleeping with your best friend.”
“It’s what I need when I’m between games. You never put out. What was I supposed to do? I wanted things to work out for us. I tried, but you only wanted your five minutes of fame.”
“This isn’t about fame. And I recall you begging her never to leave you again—but she will. You’re not who she loves.”
Okay, I’m still being petty but he’s ruining our breakfast.
“Maybe it’s not fame but a way to get to me because I chose her and not you.” Thad points at Caspian. “He’s only using you to get to me. Has he told you why he hates me?”
I turn to look at Cas, who glares at Thad.
“We used to be friends. Best friends. It was back when we were both in college.” Thad grins. “We shared girls back then, and it seems like we still share them. But that’s not why he loathes who I am. He wanted to be on the Sharks, but I got the spot. Not him.”
