Page 98 of Pucking Rebound

“And the Kansas Chiefs are playing the Houston Texans in an hour.”Which I would like to watch. That’s not a lie.

With displeasure painted across her face, Sienna looks unhappy. “You’re ditching me to watch a football game?”

“I’m not ditchingyou, Sienna,” I correct her. “I’m leaving to go home and watch a football game because it’s my day off.”And I would rather watch paint dry than spend another minute with you and our mothers trying to play Cupid. Fuck that.

Mad at me, I can feel heat radiating off my mother from across the room.

“I’ll see you out, son.” My father rises from his chair, placing his whiskey glass on the coaster as I make my way over to my mom.

Refusing to make eye contact with me, jaw twitching, she looks like she’s about to have a seizure. Leaning down to kissher goodbye, I whisper in her ear, “Stop doing whatever this is. Sienna and I are over. I met someone.”

Well, I haven’t.

But I have.

Not really.

Not at all.

Her loudhumpfmakes me want to laugh because I've pissed her off and there’s not a single fucking thing she can do about it now with Sienna and her parent’s watching.

Awkwardly, I wave goodbye to Sienna along with Sally and Travis, Sienna’s long-suffering father who never says a word, ever, and leave the drawing room which my father has already vacated.

Standing in the hall, hands in the pockets of his dress pants, my dad still looks as young as the day he met my mom and it’s more than obvious where I get my height from.

“Mom’s annoyed with me.”

He swipes his hands through the air. “You let me deal with her, and when is she ever not annoyed?” His sly grin makes me smile.

“True.”

“I’m sorry she invited Sienna and her family today. I did tell her it was the wrong thing to do.”

“It wasn’t the best day.”

“I agree. We’ll have a better Christmas next year, I promise.” Letting out a sigh, he leans in and keeps his voice low. “You’re a lucky bastard getting to leave to watch the game.”

“I could smuggle you out of here,” I suggest with a chuckle.

“Your mother will only track me down and drag me back.”

I nod, agreeing with him. “True.”

“Got a date?” He widens his mischief-filled eyes.

“Maybe.”

“That’s my boy.” He grabs my shoulder. “Go and have fun.”

“It’s just a phone call.”

“It’s neverjusta phone call.”

He’s right, it’s not. Big or small, every interaction with Lola feels special.

My dad pulls me into his arms for a hug and slaps me on the back a few times. “Good luck for the next game. We’re both coming.”

“Really?” I’m surprised and pleased as hell if they are.

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