Page 117 of Rebound
That’s a brilliant idea. I follow him to the bar, ordering an old fashioned. Mr. Callahan orders a whiskey and we both watch our wives across the room, charming everyone they meet.
“Your playing well with the team,” Mr. C says.
“It’s mostly them,” I say automatically.
Mr. C looks at me through narrowed eyes. “I’m sure it is. Doesn’t mean you’re not having fun with them.”
I can’t deny that. Practices have been easier and so have games. If nothing else, the guys have come to terms with the fact that only Lavinia gets to make decisions about her life and if she wants to be married to me, there’s nothing they can do about it.
“Listen, Roman.” Mr. C turns to face me fully. “I can’t say you’re my first choice for my daughter, neither was Josh, for that matter. Lavinia is a killer on the ice, but in life, she’s soft and she trusts people easily. As a father, I have to protect her while I let her make her own decisions and it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I see the way you look at my daughter and that makes this a little easier to accept.”
I take a sip of my drink to hide my surprise.
“Thank you for that, Mr. Callahan.” I appreciate his trust in me. There aren’t many Titans players who played with my father whom I speak to, and even back then, he was always my role model. It used to drive my father crazy, any time I wore my Aiden Callahan jersey. I still remember the smell of burning fabric from when I was nine and he threw it into the fireplace because Mr. Callahan stole a chance from him to score a goal.
I chase the memories away with a sip of my drink.
Mr. Callahan looks at me for a long moment, his expression never revealing anything, before nodding once. “If you’re going to call my wife Melanie, you might as well call me Aiden.”
Look at that. Making headway with everyone but the team. I look for Lavinia and find her immediately, talking to Drew and laughing at something he’s saying. That can’t be right. I know for a fact Drew isn’t funny. Must be sisterly love.
Someone slaps the bar next to me and I look over to see Ford. He’s tried to tame his hair, though it’s still wild. His greyeyes look at me with mild curiosity. “Are you wearing women’s perfume?”
“Must be Lavinia’s.”
He waves down the bartender to order a drink.
“I wondered how you smelled good for once. That cologne you wear always gives me a headache.”
Is he negging me? “Thanks for the reminder, I’m running low.” Behind me, I swear Aiden laughs. It’s a gruff noise, so he could just as well have been clearing his throat.
“I’m trying to help,” Ford says, shrugging lightly. I can’t get a read on this guy. I know he’s an Everett and he obviously didn’t follow in his family’s footsteps of owning half of Boston. As someone who has a very contentious relationship with his family, I can understand him wanting to distance himself from them.
“I appreciate it.” I nod. “But if it’s not my wife’s opinion I don’t really care for it.”
Aiden claps my shoulder and squeezes. “Hope you’re not saying that for my benefit.”
“I respect you, sir, but I wouldn’t care who you are,” I say. “I’m not going to be nice for the sake of it, and I’m not going to respect you if you haven’t earned it.”
Aiden gives me an appraising look, and I can almost see him wondering if I'm really Asher Maddox’s son.
“Have you ever considered relaxing?” Ford asks wryly. “I hear yoga is good for that.”
“You do yoga?” I ask, a bit dubious about that.
“I had a girlfriend who was a yogi. She dumped me after two weeks, though.”
“She put up with you for two whole weeks? She must be a saint.”
Next to me, Aiden laughs, and even Ford cracks a smile. Across the room, I meet Lavinia’s eyes, and her brilliant smilehits me right in the solar plexus. I’ve never cared what anyone thinks of me, except when it’s her. I want to be the man Lavinia deserves to have next to her.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to ask my wife to dance,” Aiden says. He walks over to Melanie and it’s like no one else is even present in the room. It’s just her and him.
“We need you to solve a debate,” Reese says, walking up to us. “Between Holden and me, who’ll win a fight? Hypothetically speaking. For funsies.”
“You’re the only person I know who says funsies and I have two pre-teen sisters,” Ford says.
“Gen Z’s would probably cringe at funsies,” Holden says.
