Page 93 of Keeping it Real

“I got a puck for Uncle Alan.”He waved it in the air.“Aunt Sher, you promised we could stop by and say goodbye to Hattie before we left for the airport.Can we go right now?”

“Go,” Alek said.“And make sure you tell her I said hello.”

Finn gave him a hug.“We’ll see you in Florida.”

“Yes.”Alek winked at Sheridan over the boy’s head.“Yes, you will.”

Twenty-Four

Aunt Eileen thumpedthe rolling pin against the counter.“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.”

Sheridan stirred the simmering apples with a wooden spoon, taking a moment to savor the sweet scent of cinnamon and cardamom.It did wonders to soothe her frayed nerves.She and her aunt had been having the same argument for three days, ever since Sheridan had revealed that she and Alek were involved as more than Finn’s guardians.Always a sucker for a happily ever after, her aunt was delighted.

“Alek deserves to know the truth,” she asserted.

Thump!

“The truth isn’t germane to your relationship with him,” Aunt Eileen protested.“Jamie and Madison are gone.Besides, even if they were alive, you can’t go back and rewrite history.Does it really matter now?”

“It matters to me.”Sheridan threw down the spoon.“Jamie will always be my brother.No matter the stupid things he’s done.Alek blames him for stealing Madison away.We both know nothing could be further from the truth.He should know that, too.”

Her aunt put down the rolling pin and wiped the flour from her hands with a dish towel.“Or is this about finally extinguishing any flame he might still have for Madison?”

The softly worded question had guilt washing over Sheridan like a tidal wave.She steadied herself against the countertop.Was she that petty?She had been once.Petty enough to destroy her brother’s friendship.

Tears burned the back of her eyes.Alek still said Madison’s name with such reverence even though she was as duplicitous as Jamie.More so, even.Much more so.

“Oh, sweetie.”Her aunt hugged her.“No one is being hurt by keeping this one truth buried.But you stand to lose so much by opening an old wound.Here is your chance to finally get whatyouwant after spending your entire life giving to everyone else.”She stretched out her arms to look at Sheridan.“You deserve this.Don’t sabotage your happiness because you think you need to do what’s honorable.”

Was that what she was doing?Sabotagingher happiness?She could hear her therapist yelling “yes!”The woman had been accusing Sheridan of that for years.Of being scared to commit.Of feeling as if she didn’t deserve the same joy others had.

She dragged in a deep breath.Maybe her therapist and her aunt were right.But did Sheridan have the strength to take that leap of faith?Alek had unwittingly broken her heart before.She didn’t think she could survive it twice in a lifetime.

Except this wasn’t like before, she reasoned with herself.Alek finally saw her much differently.Things were good between them.He’d been telling her repeatedly these past few days how much he wanted her and Finn to be a part of his life for more than the season.Sure, he hadn’t said the three magic words yet, but he suggested they come out to Finn as a couple this weekend.She knew Alek well enough to know he wouldn’t do that unless he felt something deeper for her.

Aunt Eileen dropped her arms and stepped back.“Obviously, you need to do what you need to do to live with yourself.Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

Sheridan took both her aunt’s hands in hers.“I couldn’t have gotten through the past eighteen years without you.Thank you for being my second mom and for keeping me on track.”

Her aunt laughed out a sob.“It’s been a pretty topsy-turvy track, but I’m awfully glad to have been along for the ride.”

Finn burst into the kitchen.“I need your phone,” he said.“It’s time for me to check in on Hattie.Alek is going to FaceTime with us.”

She hadn’t been surprised to learn that Finn wasn’t the only one checking on Hattie multiple times each day.The clinic staff were quick to share that Alek FaceTimed the dog even without Finn being on the call.He could deny it all he wanted, but Alek didn’t tolerate Hattie for Finn’s sake.He had a real soft spot for the dog.

Sheridan smiled to herself as she handed Finn her phone.“Not too long.Alek needs to get his nap in before the puck drops.And we should get on the road to Tampa if we want to be at the hotel in time to watch the game with the rest of the families.”

“Are we taking the pies?”

Aunt Eileen laughed at him.“Uncle Alan wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The Mayhem owner had rented out an entire resort in Tampa.The families were arriving this afternoon.The team would travel there after their game in Nashville tonight.There was a watch party this evening with crafts for the kids.Thanksgiving Day would be spent beside the heated indoor-outdoor pool while a team of chefs cooked dinner for the Mayhem family.Aunt Eileen had been preparing a variety of pies all week.She’d bake them in the resort’s kitchen tonight.

Sheridan was looking forward to catching up with the WAGs.It had only been a few days since the last home game, but she’d gotten used to seeing Claire and some of the others practically every day.For the first time in her life, she knew what the companionship of a circle of friends felt like, and she liked it.She liked it a lot.

Dern wore the medallion again,thanks to earning his first assist as a pro that night.The kid danced in the aisles during the two-hour flight from Nashville to Tampa.The Mayhem had won the second game of the road trip, a hard-fought shutout against one of the league’s leading franchises.After getting over the speed bump they had suffered at their last home game, Alek and his teammates had a lot to be thankful for on American Thanksgiving.

Valentine followed Dern up the aisle, referring to the rookie as his assistant since he’d scored the goal from Dern’s assist.

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