Page 15 of Keeping it Real

“I haven’t told you this enough, but I love you, Sher.I wouldn’t have made it to the top of the game without you by my side.I’m so grateful to have you for a sister.”Her aunt swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek.“Hopefully, you will never see this letter.Once you’re settled into your own life with your own happy family, I’ll change this caveat.For now, though, I’ll rest easier knowing Finn will be taken care of should anything happen to Madison and me.I have no doubt that together, you and Alek will give my son the very best life.”

“I knew it!”Finn cried from the doorway of the office.“Dad promised you would take care of me.”

An anguished sound escaped Sheridan’s lips as her nephew charged into the room and stood before Alek.The color was back in his cheeks and his blue eyes danced with delight.

“I don’t remember going to my dad’s games when he played,” Finn gushed.“But now I’ll get to see all of yours.Are we going to live at your house?”

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.Probably because everyone inside it was holding their breath.Alek met his mother’s gaze above Finn’s head.She looked genuinely stricken.She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no pearls of wisdom emerged.

He looked back down at Finn.The little boy’s cheeks began to lose some of their rosiness as the moment stretched.Alek’s temple began to throb harder.

You’d never take it out on Finn.I know you too well.Your honor is bigger than your bluster.

The words were out of Alek’s mouth before he could stop them.

“Yeah, Finn.You are going to live at my house.”

Sheridan’s groan of dismay was drowned out by Finn’s whoop of excitement.

“Yes!”He hugged Alek’s waist.“My dad was right.You are the best.”

The reality of what he’d just done made Alek’s throat grow thick.

Finn dropped his arms and headed to the door.“I have to tell Hattie we are going to live in Milwaukee.”He spun back around to face Alek.“Oh, I almost forgot.Do you have a backyard?”

The question caught him off guard.“Um, yeah, sure.Big enough to build a small rink if that’s what you want.”

“Cool!”

Alek felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on him as soon as Finn was out the door.But the only ones he was interested in belonged to Sheridan.And they were shooting daggers at him.

“How could you encourage him?”she demanded as she unsteadily rose from her chair.

Her aunt moved to placate her.“Hold on a second, Sheridan.Maybe this isn’t such a bad idea in the short term.”

Sheridan recoiled at her aunt’s perceived betrayal.Eileen ignored her, turning to fix Alek with a hard look.

“I assume you have health insurance?”

“Of course.”

The older woman nodded.“Good.Finn needs refills of his asthma meds.”

“I’ll call our GM and get it taken care of right away,” Alek told her.

“No!”Sheridan shouted.She turned to Collin.“You said this could easily be fixed in the courts.How do I make that happen?”

“Sheri, honey.That will take some time to sort out,” her aunt said.“We need to deal with the here and now.”

“I’m not handing over my nephew to him.”She flailed her arm in Alek’s direction.“Not to someone who thinks this is a joke.”She aimed her next words directly at Alek.“Because it’s not a joke to me.None of this is.And that little boy is all I have left.”

Alek was pretty sure his heart stopped when her voice cracked.

“I’ll take care of his asthma meds,” she continued.“And I’ll take care of Finn.”

“How?”her aunt demanded.“You can’t take him to Spain.Not with his guardianship all messed up.Where will you live while that gets straightened out?The house belongs to the bank.And this bar ...”Eileen actually growled.“Well, any income from it is lost to you and Finn, thanks to your idiot brother.”She shook her head as she mumbled Jamie’s name and what sounded like a few choice expletives.“You should take Alek up on his offer.If for no other reason than Finn seems happy with the situation.”

“And why wouldn’t he be?”Sheridan cried.“Alek just promised him an ice rink, for crying out loud!How am I supposed to compete with that?”

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