Garrett (Cold Fury Hockey 2)

I shoot Olivia a quick glance and we grin at each other.

Maryana throws her phone back in her purse and turns to us. Clapping her hands, she says, "Okay...I'm feeling the need to cook something for my girl. Your mom is here to baby you for a bit. I have the best new herbal tea I found that has natural immune-system boosters."

Olivia rolls her eyes. "You don't have to cook, Mommy. And no thanks on the tea. I've tasted some of the vile concoctions you've made before."

"Nonsense. I'm cooking...your favorite meal too."

"Veggie lasagna," I say automatically, realizing that I know what her favorite food is.

"Exactly," Maryana says with a smile, and then walks back up to Olivia. Her hand comes out and she touches her daughter's face, a world of care and concern reflected. "How are you really doing, sweetheart?"

Olivia practically melts back into her mother's arms and says, "I'm fine, Mom. Better now that you're here."

The scene is touching, and I realize that this is probably my cue to make myself scarce. Olivia hasn't seen her mom since Christmas, and I'm sure they have a ton of catching up to do. I know that they talk on the phone a few times a week, but they need some alone time to talk about Olivia's condition.

"I think I'm going to head on home," I tell them as I walk toward the door. "Give you two some time together."

Maryana pulls out of Olivia's arms and levels a stern look at me. "Nonsense, Garrett. You're going to stay and eat dinner with us, and of course, you'll stay the night too, if you want. I'm sure you two want to pick back up on what I so rudely interrupted."

I suck in a surprised gasp of air and nearly choke on my own saliva. Olivia just rolls her eyes and says, "Jeez, Mom."

"What?" Maryana says as she looks between us in confusion. "You're a grown woman, he's a grown man, and were you or were you not in the middle of doing very grown-up things to each other?"

"Yes, but--" Olivia starts to say, but her mom rolls right over her.

"I was young and in lust with your father once, so I know how great the sex can be at this stage in your relationship."

Olivia winces and I snort in amusement.

"Okay, Mom...enough of the sex talk." Olivia groans and then turns to me. "But yes...I'd really like you to stay. Unless you have to get home?"

I shake my head with a smile. "I'd love to stay for dinner, although I think I should head home tonight. I've got an early-morning team workout and then a drills practice."

"Excellent," Maryana says as she grabs her purse. "I'm just going to run to the grocery store and get the stuff we need."

"No, you're not," I butt in. "I'll go to the store and get everything you need. You stay here with Olivia and get caught up."

With eyes shimmering in gratitude and tenderness, Olivia smiles at me, and I feel fucking on top of the world.

--

Groaning, I push my plate away from me and slide my chair back just a bit so I can stretch my legs out, giving a little relief on my stomach. I ate two plates of Maryana's lasagna and I'm thinking it now may be my favorite meal.

I spent the majority of time just watching Olivia and her mother interact. They're extremely close, but then again, I already knew that, based on what Olivia had told me. I see where she gets her free spirit from, although her mom borders a little on the wacky side. They are both women that express their love through touch and tone. Maryana would reach out to stroke Olivia's hair as they talked, and sometimes Olivia would hold her mom's hand. Their voices were soft and full of tenderness and respect.

Olivia spent most of the dinner going back over everything regarding her cancer. While she had told her mom most of it, there were still some holes to fill in. It was an emotional conversation, especially when Olivia told her mom about the prognosis.

"So, Garrett," Maryana says after she takes a sip of her wine. "Tell me more about yourself."

"Not too much to tell. Midwestern boy, blue-collar parents who are happily married. A younger brother who is in grad school and a younger sister who just graduated college and has no clue what she wants to be."

"And you a professional hockey player," Maryana says with respect.

"I've been fortunate," I tell her humbly. "There's a lot of great talent out there today."

"Bullshit," Maryana says. "Olivia's told me all about your career. Two Stanley Cups, first line on the Cold Fury. You have superior talent, I'm betting."

"And work ethic and passion," Olivia pipes up with pride. "I'm not sure anyone loves the game as much as Garrett."

I lean over to sneak a quick kiss from Olivia, but her mom stops me with another question. "So, Olivia tells me you were quite the player before you two met?"

One eyebrow raises at Olivia, and she snickers. Turning back to Maryana, I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward. "Oh, yeah. What exactly did Olivia tell you?"

"Just that you were the king of the one-night stand. Never been in a relationship before."

I cut a smirk over at Olivia, then look back at her mother. "Now...that's not exactly true. I have been in a relationship before. For three years, actually."

Olivia gasps and lurches forward in her chair to look at me. "What? You never told me that? When?"

Chuckling, I tweak her under the chin. "My last three years of high school. Kelly McCrimmons. We lost our virginity to each other and then, sadly, she crushed my young heart."

Sympathy floods Olivia's face, and her mom makes a sound of dismay. "Oh, Garrett," Maryana croons. "Tell us what happened. Is that what drove you to be the man-whore that Olivia says you were?"

I choke on the water I was sipping when she says that and direct a hard look at Olivia. "You told your mom I was a man-whore?"

"Maybe not in those words," she says cheekily. "But I did use king of the one-night stand for sure."

"You're rotten," I tell her with a grin, and then look back at Maryana. "It's not that tragic of a story. I mean, what do people know of love and commitment when you're that young? She cheated on me, I was crushed, and then I moved on."

"And then you've never been in another relationship since," Olivia points out to me. "What's that been...eight years? You have some issues, baby."

I snort and reach out to pull Olivia from her chair. She willingly comes onto my lap, and a quick glance at her mom shows her very much enjoying watching her daughter and me interact together. She's a woman who wants her daughter to be happy, and since I can tell I have Maryana's stamp of approval, I know without a doubt that Olivia is happy.

Wrapping up Olivia tight in my arms, I rest my chin on her shoulder and say, "I don't have issues. I haven't thought of Kelly or our time together in years and years."

"Then why are you relationship-averse?" Olivia asks.

"Clearly, I'm not," I point out.

"But you were," she counters.

"Actually...I don't think I ever was. My parents have an amazingly long marriage, and I respect that. I honestly think I've just been young and carefree. Sowing my oats, so to speak. It's what dudes do."

"That is true," Maryana says sagely from across the table. "Men do that. Women do too, but not as often as men."

"Besides," I say as I give a quick kiss to Olivia's neck and then stand from the chair, dislodging her from my lap, "I was just waiting for the right girl to come along. Now, I'm going to clean the kitchen while you two go in the living room and relax."

"He's like the perfect man," Maryana says in wonder.

"Pretty damn close," Olivia agrees with her mom. "But I'm going to help with the dishes too. Mom, you cooked, so go in the living room and relax."

"Sounds peachy," Maryana says as she picks up her wineglass and practically floats into the living room. Olivia and I grab the plates and leftover lasagna, carrying them into the kitchen. We stand side by side at the sink, scraping and rinsing the plates.

Olivia bumps into me and murmurs, "My mom likes you. A lot."

"I like her too," I whisper back. "She's pretty fucking cool."