AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s fine. Have a good night. I’m going to go introduce Georgia to Grandmother.”
With a curt nod, Maddox led me away. I gave a quick wave and hurried to keep up.
“Let’s get a drink first,” he said. “I could use one.”
“Hey.” I tugged on his hand to force him to face me. “I’m not upset. This is actually fun for me. I’ve never been to a party like this, and I’m having a good time because I’m with you. Your father did not offend me. It’s not my first rodeo with the backhanded compliment. I can handle myself, so please stop worrying.”
“He’s such a fucking hypocrite,” he hissed. “I don’t even like him being around you.”
“He’s your father. Your entire family is here, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. Let’s get that drink and then go find your grandparents.”
His face relaxed, his eyes softened, and he nodded. “Always the little fairy, spreading all that goodness, Tink.”
I pushed up on my tiptoes and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips just as a server approached. “What can I get you both from the bar?”
“A whiskey straight up for me, and the lady will have whatever the best beer you have is. Pour it into a wine glass, please.”
The woman smiled and nodded. “I’ll find you with your drinks.”
“Bossman, the fact that you just ordered me a beer in a wine glass at this fancy party means you’re not nearly as stuffy as I give you credit for.”
He rolled his eyes. “Keep up that smart mouth, and I’ll show you how stuffy I am when I bury my face between your thighs and make you come so many—”
“Maddox. It’s been way too long. Introduce us to your special friend.”
He didn’t miss a beat. The man could go from dirty talk to small talk faster than most people could change a TV channel.
“John, it’s good to see you here. This is my girlfriend, Georgia Reynolds. Georgia, these are Claire’s parents, John and Bev Strauss. They were also very close friends of my mother’s.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you, Georgia. We’ve known this handsome guy since he was in diapers,” Bev said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure you’ve got some good stories.” I chuckled. “Congratulations on your daughter’s marriage and the new baby.”
“Well, obviously, her marrying one of our best friends was a bit of a surprise at first, but at the end of the day, she’s happy. And that’s all that matters,” she said.
“You were all right with this?” Maddox kept his voice low as he studied John.
“What have I been telling you these last few years, Maddox?” He paused to sip his champagne just as the server found us and handed Maddox and me each our drinks. She winked at me when she glanced at the beer in the wine glass, and I smiled.
“Yeah, yeah. Life is all about forgiveness,” Maddox groaned. “Not everything is forgivable, John.”
“Agreed. And trust me when I tell you that we didn’t speak to your father for some time all those years ago when he was acting like a fool while your mother was sick. You know that. And we didn’t speak to him for weeks after Claire told us about their relationship. But cutting them off hurts us, not him. He’s always been a selfish man, Maddox. There’s no argument there. But he’s not the devil that you think he is. He does love you and Wyle, and I do believe that he loves our daughter. She certainly seems to love him. We raised her to be a strong woman, and we need to trust that she knows what she’s doing.”
Maddox sipped his whiskey and contemplated the older man’s words. “I hope you’re right about that. And I certainly hope he does better by her than he did by my mother.”
“The thing that you didn’t see was the years that your father grieved for your mother, both while she was sick and after her passing. You and Wyle were so angry that I don’t think you were able to see it. You blamed him, and I do understand your anger about what happened. But, Maddox, ALS is a horrible illness, and that’s what took her life. And carrying all this anger around is not good for you.” He placed a hand on Maddox’s shoulder.
“Well, thank you for the insight. I do appreciate it, and I will keep it in mind. But tonight is a celebration, so let’s focus on that, shall we?” Maddox tipped his glass and then pulled it to his lips.
“I could not agree more,” Bev said, blinking her eyes a few times as they were wet with emotion, and she looked over and smiled at me.
“All right. Nice to see you both. We’re going to go say hello to my grandparents. If you’ll excuse us.”
We said our goodbyes and walked a few feet away to where his grandparents were standing and chatting with another couple.
When they turned to look at us, they excused themselves, and all their attention was suddenly on me.
twenty-eight
