Intercepting Love (Second Chances #5)(38)

Sighing, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? You don’t even know this guy. You’ve known me for years.”

“It’s not always about that,” I said. “Sometimes things just happen.”

He scoffed, “Yeah, and sometimes things change.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Luke shook his head and sighed. “Nothing, Kate. I’ll get over it eventually.” Taking my hand, he kissed it and let go. “I’ll be around if you ever need me.”

My heart ached for him because he was my friend and I’d hurt him. He was Luke Collins, though. He’d be back in the playing field before tomorrow.





Each second we got closer to my uncle’s house, the more I regretted ever even considering letting Kate join me. She already knew a lot from what she’d read in the papers, but there was so much more that only certain people knew … those people happened to be my family, especially my parents. They had no qualms about rehashing them all with me, but I could only pray they showed some manners with having Kate there.

My family had always been accustomed to money and success. One way or another, whether it be in business or sports, each generation had all excelled in something. I was the first one to put that legacy in jeopardy.

“Cooper, are you okay?” Kate asked, placing her hand on my leg.

Taking her hand, I lifted it to my lips and kissed her knuckles, one by one. “Yeah, I’m fine. You know, it’s not too late to take you back home.”

She scoffed, “Please, I can handle your parents, Cooper. Honestly, how bad can it be?”

“You have no idea,” I grumbled.

If she only knew how f*cked up they were. Other than my uncle, I didn’t really know much of my family on the eastern side of the United States. They were scattered from Virginia all the way down to Florida.

“Well, if it gets too bad we can tell your parents to go to hell and leave, right?” she asked. “They can’t expect to make you feel inferior and you sit there and take it. I’m sure you love your parents, but I for one am not going to listen to them downgrade you.”

“So you don’t care if they approve of you or not?” I asked curiously.

She shook her head. “No, I don’t. The only person that I want to approve of me is you. Would you care if my parents didn’t like you?”

“Actually, I would,” I replied. “If they didn’t it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it’d be nice to know they thought I was worthy of you. Do you think you’ll ever introduce me to them?”

Smiling, she tilted her head the side and bit her lip. “Hmm … we’ll see. I’ll think about it and let you know. They retired and moved to a cabin in the mountains, so it’s not like I get to see them that much. I’m pretty sure they’d like you.”

Kate looked amazing in her little blue sundress and her golden hair in waves down her back. As far as looks went, she would definitely be accepted by my family, but Kate didn’t come from wealth. My mother would see Kate as being after only one thing … my money. The only woman they’d ever accepted was Claire. Then again, I’d never been serious about another woman since her; hence, the reason why they’d never met anyone else.

When we pulled up to my uncle’s house, there were about fifteen cars parked in and around the massive sized yard. I could hear them all laughing in the backyard, so after taking a few deep breaths, Kate and I walked down the path that led straight to them.

Please don’t let my family screw things up, I mumbled silently to myself.

Opening the gate, I walked through first with Kate following along behind me. Joel had a massive sized pool where a handful of kids and teenagers, who were most likely my cousins, were swimming while the adults all congregated on the deck, eating and drinking.

My mother was up there chatting away with a lady who I had no idea who she was. In fact, I didn’t recognize anyone other than my parents and my aunt Sadie; she was my uncle’s wife, and she always reminded me of Catherine Zeta-Jones. She used to love it when I’d tell her that.

“Are all of these people your family?” Kate asked.

Putting my hand on her back, I slowly led her across the yard. “I think so. I don’t recognize a lot of them, but then again I hadn’t seen my family on this side of the country in years.”

“Which ones are your parents?”

I pointed in the direction of my mother and father. “Okay, the woman with the short, brown hair and wearing the yellow top is my mother. She may look sweet, but she’s not. My father is the man beside her with the gray hair, wearing the green polo shirt. As far as sports go, his father was the grandfather I told you about that got me into football. My father, on the other hand, pursued a career in golf. It’s strange because I can’t play golf worth a damn.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better I can’t play it either,” she laughed. “Both of my parents play, but I was never coordinated enough to get it. The only sport I was good at was track. I love to run. Now is your uncle Joel your mom’s brother or your dad’s?”

“My dad’s,” I told her. “Can’t you see the resemblance?”

“Cooper, darling,” my mother interrupted, holding out her arms to give me a hug.