Dirty Toe Drag (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 6)

Mom grins, and I say, “Noah Willer.”

We both look at Mom expectantly, and she rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on. Neither of you knew him. Jeffery Miller.” We snicker as she continues, “And then the love who broke you. For me, it was your dad.”

I always have a hard time with my dad breaking my mom’s heart. We know the story and all, but I didn’t know that guy. To me, my dad is my knight in shining armor.

“Levi fuckface,” Audrey says grudgingly, and I wince. That dude almost killed my aunt, and I may never have met him, but even I would take his knees out—if I could get to him before Emery.

Which is doubtful.

When they both stare at me with this look, I bring in my brows. “What?”

“You don’t have a guy who broke you,” Mom says simply, and I scoff.

“Did you?” Audrey asks then, her eyes on me as she licks some frosting off her hand.

Very sanitary, but she is actually done with the frosting. I guess she is waiting for me to answer before she washes her hand, so I look down at the next tray I need to line and say, “Yeah, Ethan Kisher.”

I don’t need to look up to know they are both gawking at me. “Asher’s old best friend other than Ally?”

I nod as I look between the two of them. “Yeah, that’s why they’re not friends anymore. It was so short-lived, and I know I shouldn’t have fallen the way I did, but we were hooking up, and when I told him I loved him, he ghosted me.”

“What a little dickhead,” Audrey says, looking at my mom. “I made his fucking wedding cake. If I had known, I would have spat in it.”

Mom gives her a look. “You are why Emery is the way she is.”

Audrey scoffs. “No, ma’am. That’s you and Lucas all day.”

She ignores her and looks at me. “What did Asher say?”

“Well, of course, Emery told him, and then he ghosted Ethan. Never talked to him again,” I say simply. At the time, I never thought I would get over him, but I’ve done just fine.

Mom shakes her head. “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t tell anyone because he wanted to wait. Which actually meant he wanted to have sex with me for a while and do it without anyone knowing.”

Mom glares. “He is a dickhead.”

“Total dickhead,” Audrey says, waving her spatula in the air. “Let him order a baby shower cake. It will be on like Donkey Kong.”

My family has issues.

I grab another pan, lining it, and ask, “And the third love?”

“You really have no point here, Fal.”

I look over at my mom, and she shrugs. “It’s the unexpected love. The one you never saw coming. Since I didn’t know about Ethan, I was worried Wes was your heartbreak love.”

I choke on my laughter. “Never. He cares too much for me. I am important to him.”

My mom’s lips curve as Audrey says, “Yeah, I married the guy who made me feel like that. My unexpected love.”

I grin over at her. I love Uncle Tate. He is Audrey’s Swedish giant. They’ve built a hell of a life, with two kids, and they overcame so many issues with Tate’s injuries and whatnot. I look over to my mom. “Who is yours?”

Her eyes light up, her face glowing as she says, “Lucas Brooks. He broke me, put me back together, and has given me the world ever since.”

Oh, my heart flutters. I look between my mom and aunt. Both so powerful and loved so fully by their spouses. “While I saw Wes coming a mile away, I didn’t expect us to click like this. I knew we would have fun and we got along, but—” I pause as I search for the word. Unable to find it, I reach for the batter and start to fill each liner that I have placed. Then it comes to me. “He may not be unexpected because I knew what I was waiting for, someone to complete me and all that. But he blows me away unexpectedly every day. I have never had someone so in tune with me.”

“Oh, my love. But you’re so young,” she reminds me. “Are you sure you want to throw all your pucks into his net?”

Audrey looks at her sister. “Please only let Lucas make the analogies. Or maybe Aiden. You suck at them.”

I can’t help but laugh as Mom throws a marshmallow at Audrey. “I am amazing at them!”

“You’re not,” she says, but Mom ignores her, looking back at me.

I hold my mom’s gaze as I ask myself the same question. I don’t really have to, though; I know the answer. “There are things about Wes you don’t know, nor will you ever know. His past wasn’t easy, and my favorite thing about him is that he has risen above it all. At the end of the day, he wants to be a good man—not only for himself or me, but for his mom, who passed away. That makes my heart swell, and I want to be a part of that growth for him. I know I am young. I know some think I am naïve and silly to be so in love with him. But for me, what we have is special.”