Page 26

CHAPTER 26

(Not In) the Mile High Club

LUCY

Wednesday, November 27

A tticus ended up between me and Kellen on the plane. We’re in first class—thanks, hockey player salaries. They chatted, I stared out the window.

Since the last Kellcy Fake Dating Planning Committee meeting on Saturday, it’s been a busy week for all of us. The team traveled, then returned to Fort Collins for a home game. I was wrapping up the Blizzard food and coat drive, which was a huge success thanks to the players dropping off cases of canned goods and brand-new jackets.

Tuesday morning, there was a vanilla oat milk latte and a piece of crumb cake waiting on my desk with a note: Good luck with your interview -K

The video interview with Winchester FC went really well. I probably won’t hear for a few weeks, and I’ll be busy enough that hopefully I won’t keep thinking about it. I hardly had time to recover when Kellen walked in to check how it went and ask what he should wear to dinner with my father on Thanksgiving. It was a good distraction, especially when he shut the door to my office and pushed me up against the wall.

Then he left to get ready for the home game that night.

Between that kiss and the stolen one at the KFDPC meeting on Saturday, I’m embarrassingly desperate to get him alone again. I couldn’t have him spend the night on Saturday because we’ve not revealed to anyone that our fake dating has turned decidedly real. We haven’t even directly acknowledged it to each other.

We arrive at Mom’s house at nine o’clock at night, and she’s waiting at the front door with the biggest smile on her face.

“Hi, Mom.” I wrap her in a giant hug.

“Hello sweetheart, welcome home.” Mom’s voice is muffled against my shoulder.

Even though I never lived at the vineyard full-time, it’s always felt like home. To me, my mom is home.

“Atticus.” Mom envelops my brother in a long embrace. She gets so angry when my father ignores him, dismisses his accomplishments, overlooks the man he’s become. Atticus melts into her arms and looks more like a little boy than a hulking hockey player.

Kellen lingers behind us. We told him earlier that our mother is in on the fake dating scheme. In fact, when I told her, she giggled in delight.

Mom leans back and releases Atticus.

“Mom, this is Kellen.” I almost finish with my fake boyfriend , but I can’t say that out loud any more.

“I’ve heard all about you and how wonderful you are. Come here for a hug.” She pulls Kellen in and gives him her special mom hug. He’s stiff for a second but then relaxes his shoulders. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

Lordy, Mom. My face heats.

“Mom. Not sure I called him wonderful?” Did I? I didn’t tell her that this thing between me and Kellen is turning more than fake, at least not directly. But I’m sure she caught the idea when I explained all the things we were doing to convince the team owner that we’re together.

“Thank you for having me.” Kellen stands up straight when Mom releases him. He’s got a sweet blush creeping up his neck.

“Well. Happy you’re here. And I was absolutely delighted when I heard of this plan to stick it to my asshole ex.” Mom smiles at each of us. “Come on, come in, drop your stuff in your bedrooms and let’s have a glass of wine.”

We follow Mom into her house. She waves down one hallway and looks at Kellen.

“Kellen, there’s a spare bedroom next to Lucy’s. She can show you.” Mom looks at me and winks.

I give her a warning glare.

“Come on.” I wave Kellen to follow. Atticus heads down the other hallway. His bedroom is near our mom’s on her side of the house.

“Do you feel weird about this?” I ask Kellen as he grabs my bag from my hand. The thing is, it doesn’t feel weird to me. It feels normal. Like one of Atticus’s friends coming home for Thanksgiving, or January, or Raleigh. Not some stranger.

“Nope. I don’t feel weird.” Kellen stops right behind me when we get to the two open doors. “And your mom seems great.”

“Yeah, she is pretty wonderful. We’re lucky.” I turn to face him, but as soon as those words are out of my mouth, I remember Kellen’s story about his mother and stepfather. How terrible he was, and how his mother took the stepfather’s side. Shoot.

“You are lucky.”

“Was that insensitive?” I swallow hard. “Sorry, I forgot for a second. About your mom.”

“Insensitive?” Kellen shifts on his feet, his Blizzard-branded duffel in one hand and my rolling suitcase in the other. “No way. I’m not jealous of other people having good parents. I’m happy to see people loving and supporting their children.”

“Like you do,” I say .

Kellen locks eyes with me and his mouth twitches. That mouth.

The things he did with that mouth.

I’m happy I made the decision at the retreat to give in to a physical relationship with Kellen. The problem is, I’m not sure I’ve protected my heart like Raleigh and I discussed I should. I’m afraid it might have a complete mind of its own at this point.

We stare at each other for a second.

“That’s your room.” I point to the one across from mine, willing my heart to slow its roll in my chest.

Kellen nods. “I’m gonna go call Ava. I’ll join you guys in a few.” He disappears into his room and shuts the door with a gentle click.

I shut myself in mine. It’s not a child’s bedroom—I was never a child while Mom’s lived here. It’s decorated in greens and grays and looks like something out of a Pottery Barn catalogue. I’m not sure why it’s even ‘my’ room.

Because my mom made it that way. I don’t thank her enough for being the amazing person that she is. She’s kind and welcoming and always on my and Atticus’s side. It’s easy to forget that not everyone has that.

Mom refills my wine glass with a fresh bottle of the delicious Merlot from her vineyard. It feels so good to relax and hang out with her, Atticus, and Kellen.

The boys only have one glass each. They have a game Friday night and were all given strict instructions not to party too hard over Thanksgiving or eat too much unhealthy food. But Atticus convinces Kellen to go out for a drink later, my brother mumbling something about me stealing his best friend.

“Did Lucy tell you Ava is obsessed with her dog?” Kellen glances at me .

“Is she? That’s so sweet.” Mom shakes her head. She’s already asked him a hundred questions about his daughter. And Kellen shared a hundred pictures of Ava from his phone.

“She’s responsible for his name.” Kellen shakes his head. “Again, sorry about that, Lucy.”

I shrug and smile, my chest warming at the easy way Mom and Kellen are interacting.

“Mister Barky?” Mom attempts.

“Mister Barky McBarkface.” I lift my wine glass up. “Ava wins the best name award for sure. I’ll admit it’s a bit of a mouthful.”

“Seriously, you do not have to keep that name.” Kellen chuckles.

“Maybe I’ll shorten it to MBM. Or even M. That’s a lot easier to say.” The second glass of wine is making me feel light and silly.

Mom laughs and shakes her head. “I can’t believe you took Ron’s dog.”

“What was I gonna do?”

“Hmm.” Mom narrows her eyes a bit and smiles at me fondly. “Still, Lucy, one of your weirder life choices.”

“Maybe.”

“She’s going through a midlife crisis,” Atticus says matter-of-factly.

“I’m only thirty-three.”

“A one-third life crisis?”

“You’re only a few years behind me, brother.”

“Four years! That’s a lifetime.” Atticus pretends to look deeply offended.

I groan and can’t help but laugh.

Kellen watches our banter and chuckles.

After the boys head out for their drink, Mom and I finish up in the kitchen and sit on the couch to chat about the details of our lives. When I’m falling asleep on the soft cushions, she leads me to my room and tucks me in like I’m eight years old again.

I text Kellen from the warm, comfy bed.

Me

Hope you’re having fun! Good night

Kellen responds immediately, like he’s watching his phone instead of living in the moment with my brother.

Kellen

Good night, my turkey. Sorry we couldn’t hang out tonight

Me

No problem. Have fun with Atticus, chicken

Me

Oh, see that? Yours is a food and mine is an animal but both can be either

Kellen

I smile and fall asleep with my phone on the pillow next to me.