Page 63 of Slap Shot at a Second Chance

“You’re messing up my hair boy,” she said as she patted down her gray locks. “And who may these beautiful people be?”

“This is my family, Nana!” he said as he pulled me in his embrace, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and my lips lifted nervously as his grandmother stared at us quietly and I wondered what was going on through her mind.

“Stop keeping them by the door, they’ll freeze to death!” she scolded Nate as she turned around and walked back inside the house and I looked at him shocked, but he had a huge smile on his face.

Was she always like this? Did she just accept the fact that Nate called us his family without fighting?Oh wow,she really was chilled.

“Give me my grandson!” she yelled from afar and Nate yelled back his response.

“Is this how you guys communicate?” I asked surprised and he grinned as he nodded.

“Most of the time, yeah,” he shrugged and it was hard not to get frightened when she shouted. It sounded like she was scolding us. “Nana, this is Nathaniel, and this is my girlfriend, Avery,” he introduced us as Nathaniel stood in front of her shyly.

“He looks like your grandfather,” she whispered softly as she brought her hands to touch Niel’s head, smiling brightly. “A spitting image of Daniel!”

“Hmm-hmm, I look like my mom.” Niel shook his head as he moved backward and hugged my leg, hiding from Nana.

She giggled and clapped her hands, nodding.

“That’s right, you look like your beautiful mother! Look at your eyes, they could light up a dark room,” she said and I looked at Nate who still had a huge grin on his face. It felt like we werearound an older version of Nate because how could they say the same thing?

“That’s what I told her, Nana!” Nate chuckled as he sat down close to his grandmother and kissed her head and she clicked her tongue.

“I told you, you’re ruining my hair!”

“I missed you, Nana,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and she groaned, but I could see the smile on her lips. She was just as happy to see her grandson, she practically raised him.

“If you missed Nana so much, why don’t you make us that smoked salmon with pasta of yours?” She had such an innocent smile on her face, and her eyes looked so kind as she gently stroked Nate’s hand and he squinted his eyes before a huge smile grew on his face.

“Anything for my nana!” he cheered and kissed her forehead once more before he got up and ran into the kitchen.

His nana sighed as she looked at us, a kind smile on her face as she pointed to the couch.

“Sit down, Avery,” she instructed and I hadn’t realized that I was standing this entire time.Shit, I felt so nervous.Meeting parents was the worst. Even though it was my first time.

“Yes, ma’am,” I answered instinctively and she giggled shaking her head.

“Call me Beatrice.”

She waved her hand and I nodded.

“Now that he’s out of the way, we can talk,” she said as she crossed her leg over the other, turning her body to face me.

“So, are you the girl that works with him?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, my heart still not calm even though she didn’t seem hostile toward me. “I’ve been working with the Lumberjacks for the past six months.”

“Oh wow, you guys got together fairly quick,” she said and I shrugged as I wrapped my arm around Niel’s shoulder who was still shy.

“Well, I did intern with them when I was in college, but he didn’t remember me,” I chuckled nervously and she smiled as she nodded.

“Niel?” she asked simply and I nodded in agreement, we still hadn’t told him that his father was Nate and had decided that we’d break the news to my family once things were settled with Brian. “He’s a very handsome kid.” She smiled and I looked down at him.

“Would you like to hold him?” I asked, mentally cringing because Niel wasn’t exactly as tiny as he was when he was a baby, but I didn’t know what to say to her.

“It’s alright. He seems afraid of me.” She stuck her tongue out, doing something crazy with her eyes and Niel giggled beside me, when he noticed she was looking at him he stopped and pressed his face against my side.

“He’s just shy,” I said softly as I pushed my fingers through his curls, massaging his head.

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