“No, I’m not going.” Mills grunts.
Uh-oh, that sounds like the meeting was a clusterfuck. “What happened during the meeting?”
He closes his eyes and sighs. “They’re releasing me from my contract. The doctor isn’t sure if I can skate again.”
“You can,” Hayes assures him.
I want to punch him in the face and tell him, you’re a few months too late, fucker!
“I can make that happen,” Hayes insists.
“Only if I move in with you?” Mills groans.
“No, you don’t have to move to Baker’s Creek. We’re setting up a practice, and you can visit us often. We’ll treat you until you’re ready to go back,” Hayes promises, and his conviction is contagious.
I want to say, yes, let’s do this. We will make that knee better as a family.
Which is why I vomit some words I never thought I would say in my entire life, “Just give the guy a chance and pack your things. Arden could use a break from the hockey life. Hayes needs us. Skittles already forgave him.”
Mills arches an eyebrow. He knows what I mean with that. We made a deal. If she forgives him, we go with him. I guess pigs can fly and Hayes can change enough to make that woman give him a second chance. “She did?”
I nod.
“It’s not just me. Henry and Pierce need you, too,” Hayes says in a big brotherly voice. “We’ve been working our asses off to ensure that everything runs smoothly. There’s a lot we have to figure out, but we have plenty of time, and hopefully, you two will help.”
Mills rubs the back of his neck. “Fine. You’re going to have to help me pack because I can’t leave Arden’s stuff behind.”
“Let’s take the essentials,” Henry suggests. “We’ll have Sophia come back for the rest next week. She’s the only one of us who can travel around.”
Hayes looks at me. “How about you, Beac?”
“Don’t worry about my shit. I can borrow clothes from all of you, and my bandmates can move my stuff when the studio is ready.”
I guess this is it. I’m going on an all-paid vacation to hell with my brothers. I grin. Let the fun begin.
Chapter Six
Grace
“The most boring man on the planet broke up with me.” I tap my chest a couple of times, outraged at what just happened earlier. “He dumped me.”
My cousin, Harper, introduced me to Hardy Roberts during her birthday party. She thought we’d be a match made in heaven. Stick to what you know—plants. Matchmaking isn’t your thing, Harp.
“This is the last time I let anyone introduce me to the ‘perfect guy,’” I complain.
“Stay single,” Dad suggests. I give him an unamused glare.
Mom’s jaw drops. “But you were breaking up with him. How is it that he turned things around on you?” I love how she humors me. “What happened?”
“He said, ‘This has run its course, Grace.’ I mean, it’s not like we’ve gone out for a long time or we’ve had s—”
I’m interrupted by my father’s sudden cough. This is precisely why my brothers are so immature. Dad might be able to take down criminals, but he behaves like a teenager sometimes.
“Sex is normal, Dad.”
Mom rolls her eyes. “Mason, you either let her tell the story without the gagging noises and the immature remarks or leave the kitchen.”
“My princess shouldn’t have…” He pauses and shivers. “She’s just a kid.”
“I’m almost twenty-eight,” I remind him, and I want to add that maybe I’m too old to be called princess.
He gives me a once-over and says, “Too young.”
This man is exasperating. He doesn’t have a problem while I’m on the clock working for his organization. But when it’s about dating, I suddenly turn into a two-year-old toddler who should move back home because I’m a baby.
“And just so you know, this didn’t go beyond four dates. I still can’t believe I was dating him—and he’s the one who broke it off!”
“Gather some data, analyze it, and maybe run a background check before you even give out your phone number.”
I roll my eyes. Only my father could come up with something as ridiculous as treating my dating life as a project. But maybe he’s not that off. It makes me wonder how he dated when he was my age. Maybe he’s like Seth and had the occasional one-night stand when he had time. I know he wasn’t like Nathan, who’s been with his girlfriend forever.
“No, I think I should give up men.”
“You have my vote.” Dad smirks.
I groan.
“You know what they say.” Mom, who always has some wise advice and tries to look at the bright side, says, “You have to learn how to weed your garden, and the only way is by knowing what plants are good for it and which ones are…useless.”
She doesn’t always make sense, though.
“That doesn’t make sense. Maybe you were trying to say, kiss a few toads to find a prince?” Dad looks at her unamused. “Stick to what you know, Ainse.”
“Be nice, and I might remind you what I do best later tonight,” she teases him, and Dad takes her into his arms and kisses her.
My parents are one of the most adorable couples I know. I want to find the kind of love they share. Pure and eternal. It’s impossible when I keep kissing orangutans. I can’t even find a decent toad.
I make gag noises to stop them. They might be cute, but seeing my parents making out is a hard limit.
Dad looks at me and grins. “It’s normal…you know.” He changes his pitch pretending to sound like me.
He’s about to walk out of the kitchen when he halts, looks over his shoulder, and says, “The meeting starts in five minutes, Gracie. Text your friend so he can connect with us. I think he should take a break while he’s dealing with his family. But what do I know?”
When Dad leaves, Mom looks at me. “Are you okay about the breakup?”
I shrug. “Yeah. It’s just so frustrating. I asked him why he thought it wasn’t working.”
She frowns. “You knew it was over.”
“Yes, because he’s boring and dumb. I can’t have a mature conversation with him. I want to know what is wrong with me.” She is about to speak, and I shake my head. “No, don’t give me your usual, ‘there’s nothing wrong with you.’ I am twenty-seven, and I haven’t had a steady boyfriend. At this point, I think I’m a virgin—again.”
She sighs. “Well, what did he say?”
“He got upset because I’m over-analytical. Then, he went ahead with the list of flaws. I’m always texting or on the phone in the middle of my dates.” I pause, drink from the lavender tea she prepared for me when I arrived. “He’s jealous of Beacon. He doesn’t even know him. He’s been living in Baker’s Creek for a month.”
I swear this is like a bad joke that never ends. What’s the problem with me? Your best friend interrupts our dates. If I keep going out with a guy, Beacon points out all his faults, and it leaves me not wanting to date the poor guy.