Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 132951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 665(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 665(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mildred,” Izzy says once they part.
“You can just call me Dred.”
Isabelle’s eyebrows rise. “Dred?”
“It’s what my friends call me.”
“Oh, right. That’s cute.” She takes Mildred’s hands in hers and glances between us, like she’s trying to fit us together. “It’s just so nice that Connor has finally brought someone home.”
“Izzy,” I warn.
“What do you mean?” Mildred asks.
“Well, he’s never brought anyone to meet us before.” Isabelle pats my arm. “He’s always been so private.”
“I wonder why,” I grumble.
Mildred hugs my arm. “Obviously you were waiting for the perfect woman to come along, and it was me.”
I smirk down at her. “Obviously.”
Isabelle grins. “I like her.”
“Me, too.” It’s not a lie. I enjoy Mildred more than I should.
The Terror begin to arrive, bringing the stuffy down several notches. Though most of them are here to support Mildred, not me, I’m thankful they showed up. Having the people she cares about here to insulate her will make this manageable.
Lexi and Roman make their way over to us, Callie trailing behind, flanked by her sister, Fee, and Tally, the Terror head coach’s daughter. Both Fee and Tally attend Tilton, a local university.
Callie does not look excited to be here. She’s half-hidden behind her sister.
Lexi gives Mildred a hug.
“Everything okay with Callie?” Mildred asks.
“She’ll be fine.” Lexi’s smile is knowing.
I drop to my knee. Last year it would have put me at eye level with Callie, but she’s grown, so now I have to look up. “How’s my favorite future pro goalie?”
She shrugs, and her bottom lip trembles.
“It’s okay, Callie,” Roman says.
She spins and throws her arms around Roman’s waist. He’s become like a father to her—not a replacement for the one she lost in a boating accident a couple of years ago, but someone who fills that hole in her young heart.
“She okay, Coach?” I ask Lexi.
Roman crouches, then brushes away Callie’s tears as they have a whispered conversation.
Lexi drops her voice. “She had a little crush, and she’s sad about it.”
I frown. “A crush? On who?”
“On you,” Mildred says gently. “Did you not realize that?”
“I thought I was her favorite player.”
“You are.” She squeezes my arm. “She’s not the only one who likes the bad boys.”
I gaze down at her. “Only the baddest, apparently.”
Callie holds Roman’s hand and stays tucked into his side as she approaches.
I drop to my knee again. “Got a lot of big feelings today?”
She nods.
“Want a hug?”
She shrugs.
“You mad at me?”
Another shrug.
“I’m not going to take Mildred away from you,” I assure her.
“But you’re marrying her,” she whispers.
I nod. “I am.”
“Because you’re in love with her?” Callie whispers.
“We’re very important to each other.” It’s not a lie. “But you’re very important to me, too.”
Her lips pull to the side, and she fidgets with the friendship bracelet on her wrist. “Did you only come to my games because of Dred?”
My cold, mostly dead heart cracks. “I came to see my number one fan. And so did Mildred. But it gave us a chance to get to know each other.” Again, it’s not untrue. “She’s hard not to like.”
“She is,” Callie agrees.
I open my arms.
She wraps hers around my neck and whispers, “Roman says you’re too old for me, anyway.”
I laugh. “I think that’s true.”
Callie hugs Mildred, and then she reattaches herself to Roman.
More of my fiancée’s friends congratulate us. Mildred visibly relaxes once she’s surrounded by her Babes. I envy her easy friendships and the way people rally around her. Mildred is exactly what the Grace family needs. They just don’t know it yet.
More than once I catch my brothers-in-law casting judgmental glares at Mildred’s friends. I swirl the ice in my scotch—I needed something strong to get through this—as Julian and Bryson finally decide to acknowledge me.
“Connor.” Julian tips his glass.
“Julian.” Fuckhead. I lift my own glass in reply. “Bryson.”
“Your sisters seem to like your girlfriend,” Julian observes.
“You mean my fiancée.”
“Mm... It’s a little strange that this is the first time we’ve met her,” Bryson adds.
“She comes to my games all the time.” Again, it’s not untrue.
“So she spends a lot of time with these guys.”
“If you’re referring to my teammates, then yes.”
“Doesn’t that concern you? Your girlfriend being such good friends with a bunch of hockey players?”
“I’m a hockey player,” I remind them.
“Yeah, but you come from better stock,” Julian says snidely, tipping his chin toward my friends.
“I can see the allure.” Bryson claps me on the shoulder and tsks. “But marrying down?”
“Better than sucking my father’s dick all day every day,” I say through a dark smile.
Julian chokes on an ice cube.
“Connor, I hope you’re behaving yourself.” Mother appears at my side, looking a little frazzled, but still perfectly put together. She doesn’t try to touch me.
“Just talking about how nice it is to be rich and entitled.” I scan the room, searching for my bride-to-be. She catches my gaze, head tipping slightly.