The Revenge Pact (Kings of Football #1)(94)

She smiles, then gets serious. “I have too much to let go, River—you and Rae and Callie, and even Anastasia. How on earth would I ever rest in peace knowing you haven’t given me a grandkid yet? I wouldn’t! I’d be pissed off, and God or the devil—it’s up for debate—would beg me to leave. I’m not going anywhere, not now, not now, not even when I’m at my lowest do I let myself consider it…” A tear drips down her cheek, but she’s smiling. “And I’ve got you home! I… It means so much to me, River, thank you so much…” She leans her head on my shoulder, and I hold her.





28





“Where do I set this sweet potato casserole?” my mom asks breezily as she turns around from the oven inside Carl’s kitchen. “The counters are covered, sunshine.” She hums. “Here!” She sets it on the small island in the middle. “Next to the rolls. What a feast! Thank goodness you’re a good cook.”

I cooked the turkey, mashed potatoes, and the casserole. She made the rolls. I laugh.

“I made that apple salad thing!” Carl calls out as he and Dad work at the table, placing Carl’s white, worn dishes next to the silverware and paper napkins. It’s such a stark difference from the table settings at Donovan’s this past summer that I blink. Wow, this is so much better.

“Yes, you did!” I say to him. He put too much mayo in the Waldorf salad, but I never said a word.

They go back to discussing football, which my dad knows zero about, but he nods in all the right places.

June is curled up in Carl’s recliner with Oscar, Die Hard on the TV.

She’s wary of us, sending us glances every now and then, but content, and having Christmas here with them was better than my apartment. Plus, she can get up and go back to her RV any time she wants.

My mom gives me a side hug and I smile. I picked them up a couple of days ago, and we’ve spent time together. I even took them to the alien museum. Dad wants to paint a night sky inspired by the newspaper clippings, and Mom declared she’s going to design some intergalactic jewelry. It’s not the most fascinating place they’ve visited, but they loved it. We walked through campus and I showed them the main buildings and talked about my favorite classes. We had dinner at The Truth Is Out There.

My phone rings and I make a dash for it, opening the FaceTime call.

“Hey.” I breathe out as I take in River’s chiseled face, the easy light in his eyes. A long sigh leaves me. He is content there, a peacefulness to his features I didn’t even realize he possessed. Being with his mom has given him purpose and clarity. I wish I had those same feelings here in Georgia, but I don’t. I adore having my parents around and spending the holidays with June and Carl, but a sharp sense of loneliness pierces my heart when I lie down at night. Our time wasn’t long enough.

“Baby girl,” he says, his gaze roaming over my hair and face. “Merry Christmas.”

Carl jumps in. “Miss you, man! Happy holidays!”

Mom and Dad stick their heads in. “River, how was the wedding?” she asks.

“Went off without a hitch,” he tells her, then says hi to my dad.

The daily calls are what I live for, sometimes several times a day.

I pan the room for him so he can see our table and June. She scowls at him and he just smiles. He knows she likes him.

I drift out Carl’s back door and step outside. “I miss you.”

I see an exhalation leave his chest. “Same.”

I catch him up on my parents’ plans to fly out the day before school starts for an artist festival in Seattle. They intend to live on the houseboat for a few months and save money for their next destination. He tells me about his mom’s doctor appointment on the 28th in Baltimore. They’re flying out early and spending a couple of days there so Nina can have tests run to see if she can qualify. I considered flying up to meet them before school starts, but I don’t have the money. He offered to give it to me, but I also don’t want to bail on my parents during the holidays.

Callie gets on and regales me with the pictures her mom has sent her from Hawaii. She thanks me for the stuffed unicorn I sent her for Christmas. I bought it at the ski lodge and shipped it from there.

“I’m meeting with a scout after the New Year,” River tells me quietly when he gets back on. “Not Dan, the guy I met at Braxton, but one from the New York Pythons. He heard I was in town and called. We’re meeting in Montpelier.”

Joy for him rises. “River! That would be perfect for you and your mom!”

“Don’t get excited. It doesn’t mean anything. Anything can happen at the draft.”

“Houston isn’t your first choice.”

“No. I’d rather stay close to home and Mom. You still stuck on Emory?” His voice is quiet, his eyes intense.

My throat tightens. “I can’t turn down the scholarship.”

“Right. You shouldn’t. It’s your dream.” He nods, then frowns as he looks away for a moment. “I miss you, baby, so bad. I wish this were easier, but…”

Yeah. It’s not.





“Happy New Year, baby girl,” River murmurs to me. “It’s officially midnight.”

I kiss the screen of the phone. “You too.”