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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ELLIE

“Sweetheart, it’s time for the families to go down on the ice,” Brennen’s mom said from the seat next to me.

His parents had been as nice as Daddy B said they’d be, but I was still nervous about meeting his parents in such a public way.

Of course his father didn’t remember me from when I took his class, but during breaks in the play, he did ask about areas where he needed to improve.

I was surprised a full professor would care what an undergrad had to say, but I appreciated that he asked.

I had Googled that it was customary to bring flowers on senior night, so I’d stopped by the grocery store on my way to the rink.

The lady at the counter asked if it was a special occasion, and I told her about the game.

According to her, the pink roses looked the best this late in the day.

She’d taken them out of their plastic wrap and wrapped them in white paper tied with a raffia bow to make them look fancy.

This was the first time I had ever bought flowers for anyone, and I hoped Brennen would like them.

I felt conspicuous holding them all night.

“I wish I thought to bring flowers tonight too,” Brennen’s mom said as we stood in the tunnel, waiting to be escorted onto the ice. “It’s just as well. He’d rather have them from you,” she said with a kind smile.

“I’m sure he’d like them from you too,” I offered awkwardly. I wasn’t sure what to say or even if I needed to say anything, but it seemed worse not to acknowledge her comment. She had a tinkly, if that’s a word, kind of laugh. It was high-pitched and sounded like bells.

“I assure you, he would not,” Professor Tate scoffed from the other side. I wasn’t sure if his comment was a dig until he winked at me. Brennen might look like his mom, but he and his dad shared the same crooked grin. Mrs. Tate playfully smacked her husband and gave him a stern, schoolmarm look.

“We have a little gift for him in the car, so that’ll be fine. I can’t wait to talk with you more at the restaurant. I’ve been looking forward to it all day, ever since he told me you were going to be there with us tonight.”

“Restaurant? What restaurant?”

Maybe it should’ve occurred to me that we would do something after we were finished here, but honestly, it never crossed my mind.

I figured Daddy B would have gone out with his parents, but I didn’t expect to be included in the invitation.

In hindsight, that probably was pretty silly of me. Daddy B was always considerate.

“The team chose Stone and Ivy. It’s a few blocks from here. Have you been there before?”

“No, but I’ve heard of it.”

“Oh, then you’re in for a treat. The food is to die for. The alumni association rented out the whole place, so it’s going to be a buffet style, but we’ll still have plenty of time to talk with each other.”

The announcer had called for the families to join the seniors on the ice.

Thankfully, they laid out a carpet so we didn’t have to slip and slide on our way to the respective players.

Daddy B stood in the line, and pride exploded in my chest. He’d taken off his helmet so I could see his grim expression as he scanned the crowd.

When he spied us coming closer to him, a wide-mouth grin replaced the frown that had been there moments before.

When I was within a few feet, Daddy B dropped his helmet, and it clattered and bounced on the ice.

He snatched me off the carpet before spinning me around on his skates.

My surprised shrieks were louder than I intended.

His parents laughed, but not in a derisive way.

It sounded like they genuinely thought it was adorable.

All around us, Daddy B’s teammates hooted and hollered at his silliness.

He planted a firm kiss on my lips in front of everyone.

I wanted to twirl and kiss him with my foot kicked up behind me.

“B, I brought you flowers,” I said after he stopped making me dizzy. He set me down and took the offered pink roses. The spin had bruised them a little, but they were still pretty. I bent down to grab his helmet because I didn’t want to polish out the scratches later. “I hope you like them.”

“No one has ever given me flowers before. Ever.” The wonder in Daddy B’s voice sent sunbeams of happiness shooting through me.

He liked them, and when he kissed me firmly on the mouth—again and in front of his parents—and took me for another spin, this time slower, on the ice, I had to acknowledge the truth to myself. I more than liked him.

I loved him.

There was no way I’d say it to him because that wasn’t a burden to place on him.

He was headed off in a few months to get started on his life, and I wanted that more than anything for him.

He deserved it. He was smoking hot, obviously, but he was also kind, considerate, silly, and smart.

He’d make someone a fantastic partner one day, and they were going to be darn lucky.

Until it was time to say goodbye, I’d keep enjoying every second of our time together.

And I wouldn’t allow that time to be wasted on future sadness.

“Gentlemen, families, coaches, and staff, thank you for being on this journey with us this season. We didn’t end up in the playoffs, but our stats improved in every single category across the board.

Every. Single. One. I hope you’re as proud of yourselves as I am of you.

Every game you played with heart. You left everything on the ice.

You didn’t give up. You played until the buzzer.

As a coach, there’s nothing more I could ask for.

Nothing. Thank you for the honor of being your coach. ”

The room erupted in cheers at the end of Coach’s heartfelt speech. The tears in his eyes that he didn’t bother to wipe away were the clearest signs of how important this team was to him. He was just as important to them.

“Coach, before you go, we have something for you,” Rafe called from his chair. He stood and grabbed a bag that had been stored off to the side of the podium. “The team knows how much you like a cuddle.”

The guffaws around the room shook the rafters. Even the wait staff paused at the ruckus.

“What?” Coach laughed. “I think better when I’m warm.”

“Yes, we know, and that’s why we got you this.” Rafe handed Coach the bag. He wasted no time opening it, and his stunned silence quieted the room. The team had gotten a quilt made from pieces of the players’ practice jerseys. Normally, Coach Hampton was stoic, but he choked up on the stage again.

“Matty’s brother made the quilt,” Daddy B whispered in my ear.

“Benji, your quilt is awesome.”

Matty’s brother, who sat across from us, blushed at the attention his gift had generated. Matty had been right about how sweet his brother was. He’d been just as worried about meeting me as I’d been about meeting him.

“You made that? It’s lovely,” Mrs. Tate chimed in. “How long did it take you?”

“Around a month? But I was working on it full-time, so that helped,” Benji answered sheepishly.

“I didn’t know quilting was a full-time job,” Mr. Tate said. “How lucky are you!” He was so enthusiastic that he completely missed how uncomfortable Benji looked.

“Well, it wasn’t by choice exactly. I was between jobs and not in school, so plenty of time on my hands.”

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Mr. Tate sounded genuinely remorseful. “My mouth gets away from me sometimes.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be taking a few grad classes this summer, so my quilting time will be drastically reduced,” Benji answered. “And then starting a full course load in the fall.”

“What are you studying, dear?”

Benji looked sheepish. “A master’s in counseling with a specialization in art therapy.”

“Psychology is my subject!” Professor Tate exclaimed with loud enthusiasm. “I know a little about it.”

Daddy B rolled his eyes, Benji blushed, and Mrs. Tate told him to stop yelling. His ruddy cheeks gave us all a clue as to how much he was enjoying the open bar. Benji glanced around, looking like he wanted the floor to swallow him up.

“I’m looking forward to your class in the fall.” Before it could get any more uncomfortable, Matty asked Benji to come with him to meet another player. They left the table, and my buffer was gone.

“Mrs. Tate, you were right about the food. It’s delicious,” I said shyly. “This place has been on my list to try forever.”

“It’s one of my favorites. The options change fairly often, but the clam chowder is always on the menu. I like to come down here and work in the afternoons.”

“Daddy B said you’re a teacher, right?” It took me a second to register what came out of my mouth. The man in question turned and looked at me with amused eyes. His mom smiled. In a panic, I glanced at Professor Tate. He looked nonplussed.

“Yeah, that tracks.”

I was more than a little surprised by his dad’s nonchalance.

“Sorry, inside joke,” I added in a desperate attempt to smooth over the moment.

“No, it’s not,” Daddy B said firmly. “I’m his Daddy.

” The stubborn set of his jaw wasn’t usually seen off the ice, but it was on full display here.

He’d thrown down the gauntlet and dared either of his parents to pick it up.

As for me, I just wanted to sink into whatever was below the cellar of this restaurant, never to be seen again.

“Sweetheart, it’s fine. I’ve been married to a psych professor who specializes in sexual behavior for twenty-seven years. There’s no kink that hasn’t been discussed at our kitchen table.” Mrs. Tate reached over and patted my hand. “In fact, Brennen’s father and I…”

“Oh fuck no, Mom!” Daddy B shouted in horror. “Do not finish that sentence. Do not finish that thought. Absolutely fucking not.”

“Do you think your generation invented sex? Or kink?” Professor Tate interjected.

“I’m well aware we didn’t, but you’re my parents, and you’ve had sex exactly once. Once ,” Daddy B dictated.

“Well, if you want to think so, then I’ll let you,” answered his mom with a roll of her eyes.

“As for the other, apparently my husband was aware of Brennen’s interest, but regardless, there’s zero reason for you to hide yourself.

If Brennen’s your Daddy, then that’s that.

I hope he takes care of you in the ways you need. ”

I appreciated her support, but I was at a loss for words.

With no other alternatives to occupy me, eating my dinner became the most urgent task in the world.

As for a response, I finally settled on a mumbled “Thank you.” Daddy B’s hand found mine under the table, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze.

A quick peek at his face reassured me that he wasn’t upset anymore.

“Please feel like you are free to be yourself. Whatever that looks like. Nothing good ever came of pretending to be someone you’re not.” I was at a loss for words. “Actually, I’m so relieved to meet you,” Mrs. Tate added.

“Relieved?” That seemed like an odd word choice.

“We usually see much more of Brennen, but suddenly, he had a new roommate and disappeared off the end of the earth. He’s obviously been busy with you, and it’s pretty obvious he’s a smitten kitten,” Mrs. Tate said with a happy laugh.

“I’ve got kinks, but that’s not one of them,” Daddy B injected. My face flushed tomato red, but he just laughed and pulled me close for a temple kiss. “By the way, we are going to the cabin for a few days over spring break.”

“Getting ready for move-in?”

“I hope so, and I just want to get away and relax before all the graduation stuff starts happening.”

Professor and Mrs. Tate glanced at each other, engaging in that unspoken communication that couples who have been together forever have mastered. After the mind meld, Mrs. Tate said, “How about we come up for a day? We can figure out what you want to change and get rid of before you move in.”

“Sweet. Let us know which day, and we’ll get some steaks and grill out.”