Misadventures of a Rookie (Misadventures #11)(54)

“You know, Gus used to wake up at five, hit the ice for two hours, and then go to school,” Dad said before beaming over at me. “I’d watch him and think, this kid is going somewhere.”

When my mom started to cry again, I rolled my eyes. “It was one game, guys. Relax.”

“It’s a big deal. We’re all so proud of you,” Bo said beside me, leaning into me. “It’s a huge achievement.”

“It is,” Mom agreed, reaching over and squeezing the hand that held my puck.

I should probably let it go and hold my mom’s hand, but I almost couldn’t believe it was mine. It was such a beautiful goal.

We were up by three and killing the Hurricanes. It was awesome. I was playing hard, but I really wanted a goal. I wanted to leave my mark. With ten minutes left in the second, there was a breakaway, and I rushed with Zordekiyi, hoping to give him some room to score. What surprised me, though, was that no one guarded me. They went after him, so he passed the puck to me and I went five hole right through the goalie’s legs, scoring number four for the team.

It was fucking amazing.

The crowd.

The lights.

The goal song.

Everything. It was just insane.

I still had goose bumps just thinking about it. I wanted to go back. I wanted to play on the ice for the rest of my life, but I wasn’t sure about my future. I’d find out more in the morning, and that did nothing but give me anxiety.

“I remember when you asked for hockey stuff.” Mom started to blubber, and I scoffed, leaning into Bo. “I was so proud.”

“Sorry. I didn’t realize she’d be this emotional.”

“Oh, shut it,” Mom yelled at me as she looked at Bo. “He was so little back then. So adorable. He was a figure skater for a good couple years until he decided he didn’t like the tight pants.”

Bo smiled sweetly beside me. When she first got to the restaurant, I thought something was wrong. She seemed a little upset, but once she met my mom, she lit up. Or maybe it was my mom who lit up and Bo was feeding off her. I’m unsure, but I wanted to know. Maybe I could get her to come back to the hotel with me. That would be fun. We hadn’t had hotel sex yet.

Leaning into her, I was going to whisper that in her ear, but her kid brother peered over at me. “Dude, tight pants?”

He was a funny kid. I hadn’t really gotten to hang with him, but I liked him so far. It was obvious Bo loved him. That was a given. With a grin, I pointed my fork to my mom. “Hey, she made me, but don’t worry, I found my calling.”

“That’s so cool,” Davis gushed, and I smiled as my mom placed her beer down, taking over the conversation.

“And boy, did he. He worked so hard to catch up with the other boys. Even when we were getting back together, he still worked even though it was an emotional time, huh, Nate?”

Dad nodded as he held my gaze, such pride in his eyes. “He has a work ethic that can’t be denied. He gets that from you, Lauren.”

She beamed at that. “You’re right, he does.”

“I get it from both of you.” I glanced up from my food to my mom. “It was a team effort. I wasn’t easy.”

“He sure wasn’t,” she laughed as her gaze fell to Bo’s. “He drove me absolutely wild, I swear it, but I’m just so damn proud,” she cried, and my dad leaned over, kissing her temple, and when I glanced at Bo, she was just watching them with a look I didn’t understand on her face. Almost like longing. “Bo, did you know he skipped the draft so that he could go to college and get a degree? Because he didn’t want to ever be without an education? I mean, how’d I get so lucky?”

“You made him who he is. You did this,” Bo said then, and I couldn’t stop looking at her. She was so beautiful. “I mean, like he said, it’s a team effort, and not many parents can be this proud of their child that they had a hand in every step of the way.”

“That’s the darn truth,” my mom gushed, this time tapping Bo’s hand.

A grin pulled at my lips as I watched her help Davis with his cup before looking over at my mom. “How did you do it?”

My mom looked up, wiping her eyes, a little confused, as was I. “What do you mean?” Mom asked, still drying her eyes.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to pry, but Gus told me the back story, and I’m so intrigued by it. How did you raise him at such a young age, and so well? I mean, everything you’ve said, how he has such wonderful work ethic and how he went to school before just going in. Like, players don’t do that. So how? I’m just so blown away by that. By you, I mean.”

A silence fell over the table—well, except for Davis, who was playing with his peas, not paying a bit of attention to anyone. Some would think Bo was sucking up to my mom, but she wasn’t. I could see it in her eyes. She was genuinely intrigued by my mom. But then, everyone should be. She did the impossible. I could have become a shit kid, but she didn’t let me. She stood beside me, and she loved me enough for two people until my dad came along.

In my opinion, she was the best mom ever.

Mom cleared her throat as she shrugged. “I don’t know, hun. I just did. I didn’t have any choice. I had no support, no one wanting to be there for me—”

“And I’ve apologized for that,” Dad added, and I laughed out.