I looked out over the water, at the sailors and their boats, my head full of questions that I didn’t know how to answer. I bit my bottom lip as I thought about what it was I really wanted to ask my mother. Did I want to know what to do if it was love? Was I even ready for that? I took a sip of my coffee and cleared my throat.
“Maybe that is what I’m asking? Would you frown upon it if it was?”
“Heavens, Aurora. Why would I frown upon it? I think it’s wonderful, and if you are right and it is love, then I say you should go for it. If being together makes the two of you happy, then nothing in the world should stop you.”
“Not even the fact that you married his father?” I questioned, swallowing hard.
My mother sighed and sat back against the bench. “Aurora, you should know by now that what is here today for me could be gone in the blink of an eye tomorrow. It’s why I never really get upset when it disappears. I take it for what it is, enjoy it while I have it, and if it disappears, then I pick up the pieces, brush them under the proverbial rug, and I move on. I’ve lived my entire life that way—after your father, that is.”
Here she was telling me the exact thing I thought would have ended all my hurt by being spontaneous, and now here I was with a much bigger problem. Living my life and enjoying the moment had started this entire thing, and now here I was with feelings for Dylan, something that was never supposed to happen. However, I also was never supposed to see him again either.
“Seriously, Aurora, just live in the moment. Enjoy it and make the most of it. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Take things as they come.”
Then my mother did something she hadn’t done since I was a very little girl. She reached over and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug.
“Thanks, Mom,” I whispered.
“Now, I need to get going. I have lunch with Joe at the yacht club. Did you want to join us?”
I shook my head. “No, I have to get back home. Lorelai and I have a study group later this afternoon. Love you, and thanks, Mom.”
“Anytime, my dear. See you soon.”
I stayed on the bench and watched as my mother walked away. She seemed happy, happier than I’d seen her in a long time, and I really hoped that Joe was the one who’d be around for a while. He seemed to be good for her.
Chapter 13
Dylan
Coach didn’t let up on practice today. Sweat poured from my head as I stepped off the ice. My legs were killing me, and I couldn’t wait to get into the hot tub.
“Fuck, that was killer,” Knox said, sitting down on the bench beside me breathing hard.
“Three more games, boys, three more…determines if we make the playoffs or not,” Coach said as he stepped off the ice. “Don’t fuck this up,” he muttered, walking past us.
“What’s gotten into him today?” Clay asked, sitting down and squirting water into his mouth. “We haven’t had a practice like that in ages.”
“No idea,” I muttered, squirting Gatorade into my mouth.
Coach returned and looked at us. “Oh, and when you guys are finished in the showers, meet me in the boardroom.”
He looked directly at me as he told us to meet him. I swallowed hard. I’d had several meetings already this morning about what had happened Friday night at the club. I was in the clear, I already knew that, but the look on the coach’s face made me worry another hammer was about to drop.
“Let’s go, boys,” I said, standing up.
The hot tub had never felt so good. I closed my eyes and sank into the water, listening to the guys banter back and forth. We didn’t play tonight. Instead, we were heading off to our next away game in only a few hours.
“I’m going to see Stacy for a massage and some stretching,” Knox said, climbing out of the hot tub.
“Don’t forget coach wants to see us.”
“He said to meet him after we’re finished here. Besides, if I don’t get this hamstring loosened, I’ll be useless on the ice tomorrow night.”
Knox had aggravated an old hamstring and hip injury three weeks ago and had been heading for treatment since. We couldn’t afford to lose him now. “Alright, we’ll meet you there,” I said, climbing out of the hot tub and heading to the showers.
Forty-five minutes later, we all sat in the boardroom waiting for the coach to begin. I laughed at something Clay said when I caught sight of Pamela, one of our PR reps. She walked in and handed something to the coach, and then whispered something in his ear. He nodded, made a note, and then looked over at me. I swallowed hard. Something was going on.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I was about to reach for it when he stood up, making his way over to the door, which he closed. All the signs were there. Someone was in shit, and I knew damn well it was me.
