“Shit,” Dad hisses.
“Oh Tate, I’m sorry,” Mom says sympathetically.
“You deserve it for screwing a Todd,” Raquel says judgmentally.
“Shut up,” I snap.
“Don’t tell her to shut up,” Louise barks at me. “She’s not the one embarrassing her family and screwing up her one big shot in life. A shot that could save this damn farm.”
Before I can respond, Grandpa does. “Your aunt Louise is right, Tate. The suspension will show up on your record with the team and it might affect your draft rank. Some teams are going to see you as a problem now, and it’s all thanks to that little bitch.”
“Do not call her a bitch,” I yell. “I warned you the other night. You do not insult Maggie in front of me, ever. I wasn’t kidding.”
Grandpa looks completely offended. “You go near that girl again and I swear you won’t have to disown me. I will disown you.”
“So will I.” My grandmother speaks up for the first time since this whole thing started. Even when I ended up back here drunker than a skunk with Jace the night it happened, she didn’t say a word. The next day when I told them the whole story, from taking the job to getting caught doing the job by Maggie to the blackmail to the way my feelings for her changed, Faith Adler didn’t say a word. Not one.
“Grams…” I say softly. I didn’t think she would necessarily be an enthusiastic defender of my choices, but I thought I could count on her to be neutral at least.
But now her eyes are teary and she shakes her head. “You leave well enough alone when it comes to that family, Tate. They…they have no place in our lives. That decision was made long before you came along, and it needs to be respected.”
She turns abruptly and storms off into the house. Grandpa chases after her. Jace looks as bewildered and taken aback as I am right now. My mother on the other hand just looks fed up. She furrows her blonde eyebrows and lets out a sigh. “What the hell is it with this family and the Todds? I never understood it. Maybe if you all just gave it a rest you’d be happier.”
“Tanya, with all due respect, you don’t have to deal with it anymore, so don’t get involved,” Dad tells her.
“Hating someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die,” Mom tells him and points. “That’s all of you right now. And yeah, I got out, but my sons are still part of this shit show and I want Tate to be happy, even If it means dating a Todd.”
She marches down the porch steps and kisses me on the cheek before she gets into her car and drives off. Dad just stares at me for a moment longer from the porch and then shakes his head. “I’m very happy you dodged this bullet, Tate, but I’m still disappointed you gave the Todd family the ammunition to fire the shot. And if you do it again, it won’t be forgivable.”
He goes inside. Louise and Raquel follow, so now it’s just Jace and me. He gives me a small smile. “Well, that went well.”
We both let out a dry chuckle. He jumps off the porch, walks over and hugs me. I accept it without one of my usual quips or jokes. When he lets go, his face is more serious than I think I’ve ever seen it. “Tate, they aren’t kidding around. I have never seen Grams so distraught or angry.”
“I know. Me too,” I admit. “But I just don’t get it.”
“To be honest, at this point neither do I but I do know one thing…” Jace pauses and his expression grows sympathetic, “…you aren’t going to be able to change their minds. So are you really walking away from the family and the farm? You can’t, Tate. Please. Don’t.”
I hug him again. “Maybe if I just gave them some time…”
“Yeah, maybe,” Jace says but everything about his tone and expression says he doesn’t think all the time in the world will make a lick of difference.
I get back in my truck and drive back to the hockey house. I’m exhausted emotionally and physically. My body has been carrying so much tension since this started, and I’ve barely slept but still… When I see Maggie sitting on the front steps, I feel better: lighter, stronger, happier.
As I get out of the truck, she stands up and I walk right up to her but stop short, about a foot away. She is a sight for my sore eyes and even more so for my sore heart. She’s wrapped up in a puffy white winter coat and if she’s wearing makeup I can’t see it. She looks tired and sad but so damn beautiful. I shove my hands in the pockets of my dress coat to keep from reaching out and touching her because I don’t think that will make anything easier.
“You look gorgeous in a suit,” she says in an appreciative whisper, like it’s taboo for her to admit that. “I didn’t mean to just blindside you here, but I was out for a walk when you texted me the news and said we needed to talk, so I just thought I’d swing by. So we can have that talk.”
“I was just at the farm, telling my family,” I explain. The wind whips around us, cold and harsh which seems fitting.
“They must be relieved,” she replies.
“Yeah, their meal ticket is still intact,” I quip harshly and her face twists with pain.
“They love you, Tate, for more than just your earning potential. Even I can see that,” Maggie says.
“But not enough to let me date you,” blurt out. Maybe it’s too blunt. Maybe it’s too soon to just throw that reality out there, but I do. And she doesn’t even seem surprised by it.
“I told my family everything,” she says. “Clyde went straight down to the realtor in town and listed the farm.”
