Page 25 of That Thing You Brew
“I can’t believe I’ll never talk to him again.” His words were laced with sadness and anguish. “I really want to go to his funeral. He’d be so mad if I missed more games. But I need closure, you know?”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “You should go,” I said firmly and clearly. “Bereavement leave.”
His eyes widened. “No stutter,” he said. “Does that mean you’re comfortable with me?”
I shook my head. “P-probably n-not. M-maybe soon?”
“That would be a wish come true for me,” he said. “I’ve been afraid to talk to you all these years. But yesterday … I don’t know. Something kicked in and I knew I just had to find you and see if you were okay.”
“G-glad.” There was so much more I wanted to say.
“Me, too. Seems providential, doesn’t it? The timing. The inheritance clause.” Xavier’s eyes bored into mine. A tear leaked out, and he brushed it away with his thumb.
I sighed and wished with everything I had that I could overcome this awful stutter.
Sooner than later.
I didn’t want to muck up my wedding vows.
Wedding vows!
Oh my…
CHAPTER7
Xavier
“I’m coming back for the funeral,” I said to my father. After Penny left, I’d stayed up late looking for flights and called Dad at 6 a.m. Central European Time. “And I’m going to marry Penny to save the chateau because you don’t want it. You can’t stop me.”
I rubbed my eyes and pinched my forehead. We’d been talking in circles for almost an hour. “This is exactly why I have stayed away.” Dad’s words came tight and fast, with notes of his former thick accent returning. “Your grandfather’s manipulation has no boundaries. I want no part of it. You shouldn’t play into it, either.”
Suffice it to say, my father had not been supportive of my intention to bend to Opa’s will—literally—and marry Penny.
“Well, then, you don’t have to be part of it. I don’t need your permission.”
Iwouldlike to get Penny’s father’s blessing though. I tried to picture that conversation.Hi, I’m Xavier. I want to marry your daughter so we can save my family’s chateau. Oh, and I’m also a pro athlete who travels and will hardly be around from September through April, May, or June, depending how well my team plays.
Yeah … if I was on the receiving end of that, the answer would be a resounding, booming, shotgun-holding get-off-my-property-and-never-come-back-hereNO.
Maybe I’d skip that for now.
“Are you planning to move there? Ever?” My father’s voice dropped an octave, and his accent thickened. “Who vill oversee it vhile you’re living in America? What about your career? How you vanted to stay single because families aredistractions?You don’t think the upkeep of an estate that size on another continent von’t be a distraction?” There was more than a little hint of sarcasm there but also pain. I’d judged him harshly for his choices, time and again.
He was right, though—I’d said that families could be distractions. Over and over, for many years, and to everyone. In private, in public, to the press. Xavier Schwann wasn’t going to let a relationship distract him. I’d learned to cultivate a response that wasn’t arrogant or judgy; I didn’t want my teammates to think I thought they were making mistakes by getting married or starting families, and I didn’t want a public reputation as ladies’ man. No one who knew me would believe that I was, but rumors about Penny and me could ignite bad press, which would be a whole other kind of distraction. I’d always been shy around girls and avoided the ones who hung around the team, hoping to snag a player. I’d never imagined a scenario where I would focus on or care about anyone or anything as much as hockey.
This situation was different, but the fans wouldn’t see it that way when the news got out. Penny and I weren’t dating. We hadn’t been high school or college sweethearts. Although, technically, Penny was still in college and I had taken some online classes.
This, for now, was a business arrangement. And I had the resources to hire a company to manage the chateau. As long as I didn’t get distracted, I was on track for my performance bonus, and that would help, too. Perks for both of us. I get the chateau; she gets to visit it. She could even travel Europe to see all the great symphonies, at my expense, if she wanted. I’d help her with her speaking, and she could make my toffee coffee on game days. Maybe she could even teach me sign language.
I wanted Penny to have the chance to spend more time on her music. Married to me, I’d pay the bills. She wouldn’t have to work at the Coffee Loft. She’d insist on it, because she wouldn’t want to leave Tasha high and dry for rent and expenses. I’d be happy to take care of their rent for the next year—or longer, if she’d let me.
When this season ended, we could date. Travel. I could learn if the Penny I’d imagined while daydreaming in the café matched the Penny in real life.
And if she didn’t, or if she couldn’t fall in love with me, we’d split.
Split.
Why did just the thought of that little word feel like a stab to my heart?
