Page 51 of The Slapshot and the Single Mom
He lets out a drawn out groan as I back out of the driveway. “How long is that gonna take?”
Maggie glances at me before answering him. “Well, it’s about twenty minutes from here to Jack’s place. Then we’ll get in our car and go straight home.”
I glance in the rearview mirror to see him crossing his arms and staring out the window. “Why couldn’t you have picked me up in our car? I just wanna go home.”
“I can take you home,” I whisper to Maggie. “I’ll bring your car to you. If you want, I mean. If that’s easier for you.”
She looks at me, eyes wide with distress. “You sure you don’t mind?” Her whisper is barely audible.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I did. Let me just take you two home. Leave your keys with me. I’ll bring it right over. I can have my friend Connor follow me and give me a ride home, or I can call an Uber or something if he’s not around.”
She stares at me for a few seconds, considering, then Liam says, “Please, Mom? Please just let him take us home.” The kid sounds near tears, and that’s what does it.
“Okay,” she says. “Take us home.”
Nearly an hour later, I’m knocking on Maggie’s door, her car keys dangling from one of my fingers.
She answers right away, looking just as frazzled as when I left her. At least she’s not giving me the blank mask she had on right after we picked up her son. That look seems to be reserved for her ex.
“Here are your keys,” I say, holding them out and dropping them in her upturned hand. “I parked in the spot marked with your apartment number. I assume that’s correct?”
She flashes a smile and nods. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to help.”
She examines my face again, the way she does when she wants to make extra special sure that I’m being honest. After glancing back inside the house for a second, she steps out onto the landing and pulls the door closed behind her. “I really appreciate this, Jack. Taking me to get Liam, bringing us home, and now bringing my car to me as fast as you could?” She shakes her head, blinking rapidly like she’s about to cry. When she sniffs, I can’t hold back anymore.
Reaching for her, I wrap her in a hug. “Hey. It’s not a problem. Any of it. I’ve told you before, I want to make your life better. As long as I’m succeeding at that, I’m a happy man.”
She lets out a choked, watery laugh and sniffs again, giving me a squeeze and releasing me. “That’s all you need to be happy, huh?”
“Well, I mean, I wouldn’t be mad about winning the Stanley Cup next season.”
This time, her laugh is a little more normal. “Makes sense.”
“Are you okay?”
Another sniff, but she nods. “Yeah.” She draws in a deep breath, crossing her arms over herself and looking off over my shoulder. “It just sucks, you know? I know he didn’t really show it today, but Liam’s a great kid. He doesn’t deserve for his dad to keep jerking him around like this.” Her lips press into a firm line, and she lifts her chin like she’s preparing for battle.
“What are you going to do?”
She meets my eyes, unflinching and resolved. “I’m calling my attorney first thing in the morning. I’ve let his bullshit go unchallenged long enough. Partly because I just barely paid off my attorney from the first time through the court system. I’m guessing this time will be worse. Kyle will fight me. There’s no goddamn reason he should since he clearly has no intention on ever following through with anything. He should be happy he can just throw money at the problem and make it—us—go away. He’s made it obvious he doesn’t really want anything to do with either of us anyway.”
A stray tear makes its way down her cheek, and I pull her into my chest again, my heart twisting at the sight of her pain. “I’m sorry, Maggie,” I whisper against her hair. “He’s an ass who doesn’t deserve you or your amazing kid.”
She lets out that watery laugh again, reaching between us to wipe her face. “He was terrible to you.”
I shrug. “His dad just dumped him. Again. I’d be in a foul mood in his shoes too.”
“Yeah. Same.” She steps out of my embrace, meeting my eyes with a wobbly smile. “Thanks again, Jack. You’ve been wonderful today. I’m sorry this is how you’re meeting myson, but …” She spreads her hands and shrugs, an eloquent expression of the helplessness she feels.
“Is there anything else I can do?” I hook a thumb over my shoulder. “I can run and get a pizza. Or we can all go see a movie? My treat.”
Shaking her head, she cracks a real smile. “You don’t even have your car.”
“Delivery exists. And you could drive us to the movies.”
Before she can answer, the door opens behind her, and Liam pokes his head out. “Oh. It’s you.”
