“Afternoon, Mr. Braddock,” Maria says as she walks in with a smile.
I give her a wave as I head out of the room to let them do what they need to do. There’s a knock at the front door, which stops me dead in the hall. Normally someone would have to buzz to get up to our apartment unless they have keys like Maria does. I look through the peephole and see Eli staring back at me. I unlock and open the door.
“Hey!” he says and gives me a nervous smile. “How ya feeling?”
“I’m good,” I say. “How did you get in?”
He holds up Dixie’s Cookie Monster key chain. “I used Dixie’s keys, but I didn’t feel right just barging in.”
“She’s not here,” I reply and open the door wider so he can step into the apartment.
“I know, which is why I came to see your dad, actually.” He gives me another nervous smile.
“I’m confused,” I say and shake my head.
He kind of rocks on his feet nervously, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. “I also wanted to tell you, since I ran into you, that I’m sorry for passing on Griffin’s concerns to everyone. I just…well, I kind of agree with him. And I want you to know that you can come to me to vent or whatever if you want. I am kind of an expert on family drama.”
Eli and Levi spent most of their lives at odds with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Casco are not huge fans of their kids playing sports for a living. They even tried to talk Eli into leaving hockey when he was struggling to make the NHL. I give him a halfhearted smile. “Thanks.”
“Griffin is a great guy, not just a great coach,” Eli tells me with sincerity in his gaze. “I know you know that, but I feel like I should remind you. Levi and I are taken, and so your options for guys this great are limited now.”
I laugh, and it sounds so foreign. I haven’t done that since…I was with Griffin. I can’t think about it. I don’t want to right now. I’m already too overwhelmed, so I change the subject. “If you want to see my dad, you’d better get in there now before he gets in the shower.”
Eli grins nervously again. What the hell is up with him? I am about to ask, but he heads into my dad’s room, knocking on the open door as he enters. I head back to my room, leaving the door open, and pick up my phone. No messages. No missed calls. I pull up the picture of Griffin and me horseback riding. I look happy. Deeply, purely, simply happy. So does he, for that matter.
I don’t know how long I’m staring at it, but suddenly I hear my dad whoop, like he does when Jude scores in hockey. What the hell is going on?
By the time I get to my dad’s room, Eli is walking out. His nervous grin has turned to one of elation and his trademark cocky swagger is back in full force. “Hey, Spinster Sadie.”
“Ouch. Thanks,” I say and make a face. “What’s going on with my dad?”
“He’s just happy.”
“Clearly, but why?” I want to know.
“Because he’s finally getting a better son than Jude,” Eli remarks with a wink, and I laugh again.
“You’re getting better with the Jude snark, Eli. I commend you,” I say and then the meaning of his words sink in. “Wait…you asked Dixie to marry you?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. I wanted to get your dad’s blessing first.”
“Oh, my God!” I almost scream in excitement. Eli shushes me, but I will not be silenced. I pull him into a hug. “This is so great! When are you going to ask her? Where are you going to do it? What if she says no?”
I pull back from the hug and see his entire face fall, and I laugh. “I’m teasing. She’ll say yes. She’s insane about you. Or just insane. Either way, she will say yes.”
“I haven’t worked out the details yet. I just wanted to do this first,” Eli explains. He starts to look nervous again, like he did when I answered the door. “I think she’ll say yes, but I know there’s a lot going on right now, and she might want to hold off. You know, until…I know it’s going to be hard to plan what’s supposed to be a happy thing when something so unhappy is happening.”
“Don’t wait,” I say immediately, my voice thick with conviction. “Do it as soon as you can. It will give us a reason to celebrate again. It’ll give my parents hope, and most importantly it will give Dixie happiness, which is something that’s going to be hard to come by.”
“You’re right.” His green eyes lock with mine. “Now take your own advice, dumbass.”
He turns and head to the door but pauses as he opens it. “Please don’t tell her any of this. I want it to be a complete surprise.”
“Stop calling me dumbass then,” I counter jokingly, but I feel like a lightbulb is turning on inside me and I won’t be able to turn it off. “Win your game tonight.”
He nods. “You’re not coming?”
“Working,” I reply, and he turns his big frame, starting to disappear through the front door. “Eli! What time do coaches have to be at the rink for a game?”
