And then Abbott adds, “And he’s my boyfriend, not my best friend.”
Carl’s hand goes limp in mine so I stop pumping it. But then he blinks. His brown eyes wider than they were a minute ago. “Nice… nice to meet you.”
He’s stunned but not horrified. He genuinely seems to mean it. Pennie grins. “Okay boys, onward we go. Also, if I ever need to burn something down I’m doing it here so I can call on these dudes. You all have some very hot firefighters.”
Abbott, Aspen, Andie, and I get into his car with the Cup strapped in with a seatbelt next to Aspen. It’s slightly uncomfortable because there’s a ton of press shooting videos and snapping pictures. No one has asked who I am except the PR dude. On the car ride over, Aspen says, “Ronan signed the papers. Gave them to me today.”
“What? Aspy that’s fantastic!” Abbott exclaims. In the ongoing, so far subdued, battle for Andie, Bentley suggested we get Ronan to officially sign away all rights. He said that the Barlowes might figure out he’s the dad and manipulate him into working with them.
“He also provided a handwritten letter explaining that he did it because he believes I am all the parent Andie needs and that he trusts my choices implicitly and would not want my parents or his involved in Andie’s life,” Aspen drops another happy bomb as we drive toward the wharf. “Honestly I’m not sure what I’m more impressed by — how reasonable he’s being or that he knows how to use implicit in a sentence.”
She laughs at her own joke but it’s a little bit strained. This has got to be a double-edged sword for her because he’s giving her what she wants, but that also means he’s officially rejecting Andie. I watch her face in the rearview as she reaches over and smooths her daughter’s light, fluffy hair. “Luckily, she’s got two uncles to give her strong male role models.”
I smile and Abbott smiles back but it fades when he realizes the parking lot is already full and we have nowhere to park. “I’ll find a parking spot, you take the Cup and go,” I tell him and hop out of the passenger seat. I run around the car. People are gathered in the parking lot and crowded under the tents, which are filled with food and games. Patti has her mobile ice cream truck in the corner, serving up the Barlowe Hat Trick.
Everything looks exactly like it should. Except Abbott isn’t getting out of the car. I stand in front of his open door. “Go! People are waiting. And you have a speech to give.”
“I want you there.”
“I’ll be ten minutes, tops,” I promise. “Let me do this for you.”
He hesitates but gets out of the car. Aspen is already holding Andie and opening the back door behind the driver’s seat so Abbott can grab the Cup. The crowd notices we’re there and starts chanting his name. I grin and wink. “Go.”
“I like it better when you’re chanting my name,” he whispers and kisses my cheek after he grabs the Cup. It’s so weird, my whole body freezes for an instant, like we’ve been caught doing something wrong. It’s horrific mental muscle memory and I’ll be happy when I’ve broken that ugly instinct.
I hop in the car as he heads into the crowd. People cheer so loud I hear them through the closed windows. I manage to find a spot half a block away and force myself not to jog back, even though I want to get there as fast as possible. But I’d look like a swamp rat if I run in a suit in this heat. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and say hello.
“Mr. Barlowe? This is Andy McKenzie from the accounting department at—”
“Hi. Sorry. Can I call you back?” I ask, feeling bad about cutting him off but the crowd noise is getting louder as I get closer and I don’t want to miss more of this celebration than I have to.
“No need. I just wanted to reiterate what my colleague said. Your account is closed. Your final payment was made by wire transfer from a bank in Boston,” he announces.
I’m about to argue because I don’t have an account at a bank in Boston, but then I look up and see Abbott’s PR guy from his former team. In Boston. I thank the accounting rep and hang up. I make it to the crowded parking lot and immediately get pulled aside by my parents. I don’t see Abbott again until he’s about to give his speech.
He’s up on a small, raised stage that I rented. “Aspy, can you and Andie come up here. And you too, Declan.”
I make my way up behind Aspen and Andie. Abbott gives a fantastic speech about how supportive the entire town was of him growing up, how much he loves living here, how happy he is to share the Cup with everyone. And then he pauses and swallows hard. “And I wouldn’t be here without the support of my sister. She’s never let me down, never stopped supporting me. And I haven’t always been worthy of support. I have had some dark moments, so if you’re a young player out there, never give up. And if you love a young player out there, thank you. Your support is everything to us following our dreams.”
He looks over at me. “And thank you to my partner, Declan, for putting together this day for me and for the town. I love you.”
I don’t know what I expected to happen next. There are no gasps of horror or boos. There is a short, collective moment of silence and then a round of roaring applause. And a hell of a lot of phones get raised up as he takes my hand in his. But that’s it. The sky doesn’t fall. His current coach, standing next to Pennie by the ice cream truck, doesn’t look irate. In fact, he’s clapping too. I hope he’s not just a good actor.
“Let’s celebrate! I’ll be over on the back deck of Hawkins Lobster Shack, posing for photos for two dollars a pop, for the next hour. The money will go to the Maine Lupus Foundation,” Abbott says and puts the mic in the stand and lets go of my hand to lift the Cup again.
Later that night, the crowds of happy strangers are gone and it’s just my… our family and friends. I walk over to Abbott on the back deck where he’s watching the sunset. I wrap an arm around his shoulders. “Happy?”
“Yeah.” He grins. “Because I have you.”
“Did you pay my medical bill?”
He nods. “And don’t even think about paying me back.”
“I could kiss you right now,” I tell him.
“Well, there’s nothing stopping you now.”
And so I do.
