Hard Hit (IceCats 3)

That has us all laughing.

Kirby’s face is bright as he nods. “I would love that. I’m actually still a learner, but most of my buddies on the team play.”

“Fantastic. Give me your next free day, and I’ll get us a tee time.”

“Awesome. I’ll give you my number after dinner.”

Okay, okay, okay, this is going very well. Everyone is vibing, and of course, Celeste is stealing the show. Her babbling is endearing, and my dad is eating it up. “Can I hold her?”

“Absolutely,” Kirby says, getting up and handing her over the table to my dad. Celeste sucks on her bone as she leans on my dad’s chest, and I feel like I’ve been smacked dead in the face by a Mack truck.

“Look at her, Lorene,” Dad says, and my mom takes Celeste’s hand in hers.

“She sure is adorable.”

“Thank you,” Kirby and I say at the same time, and then we grin at each other.

“We wanted more kids, but Lorene couldn’t get pregnant after Jaylin,” Dad says, and I whip my gaze to him.

“I didn’t know that. I thought you only wanted me.”

“Oh, we did,” Mom says and smiles over at me. “We always said you took everything we had for more kids and turned out to be the best version of us.”

And here comes another Mack truck. I’m sincere when I say, “Wow. Thanks, Mom.”

She just sends me a sweet grin before she kisses Celeste’s hand.

“That’s beautiful. I feel the same about Celeste. Like she’s the best version of me,” Kirby says as he watches my parents with his daughter.

“Oh, my sweet boy, you just wait,” Mom says, beaming at Celeste. She exhales, and I see her face change before she sits back, looking across the table at him. I can tell by her expression that I don’t even need to hear what she has to say to know I’m about to end up under the table in complete embarrassment. She inhales hard before clearing her throat, and Kirby looks her right in her eye. If I were under Lorene Raventorn’s gaze like that, I would brace myself. But Kirby sits with a smile on his face and looking directly at her.

“I have to say, I’m very impressed by you, Kirby. So, tell me, what’s wrong with you? Are you abusive?”

Mom!” I cry out, and Dad rolls his eyes.

Kirby doesn’t seem affected. He shakes his head. “No, ma’am. I would never do that. But if I had to say what was wrong with me, it would be my overthinking and how I overanalyze situations. I have anxiety issues, but I think that’s the only thing wrong with me. Oh, Jaylin says I’m weird ’cause I don’t like candy.”

I grin. “It is weird,” I accuse with a laugh, and Dad laughs with me.

Mom doesn’t. “Okay. How do you feel about being a white man with a black woman?”

“Jesus, Mom!”

“Lorene,” Dad warns, but Mom isn’t letting Kirby out of her sight.

After a deep breath, he says, “I feel great.”

“You know some people will have an issue with it.”

He shrugs. “I don’t care about them. For me, it isn’t about skin color, shape, size, or anything like that. It’s about the person. I don’t care for Jaylin because she’s black. I care for her because she’s intelligent, driven, and beautiful.”

I am in awe of this man. I look at my mom, and she’s still wary. “You have an answer for everything, huh?”

He grins. “They’re easy questions,” he says, and I grin.

“Okay. How about a hard one, then?”

“I’m ready,” he says confidently.

“What are your intentions with Jaylin?”

Dad looks at Mom and scoffs. “Pretty sure that’s my line.”

Kirby grins over at him. “If I know anything about Raventorn women, it’s that they say what they’ve got to say and don’t hold back.”

“Son, you have no idea,” Dad teases, but then he grins so widely at me. He’s so happy, it almost brings tears to my eyes. But then I remember my mom is putting Kirby on the spot, and my knee starts to bounce once more.

As before, Kirby’s hand comes to still my leg, squeeze it for good measure as he meets my mom’s gaze once more. “Honestly?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. And you haven’t held back at all so far. Why change that?”

He nods. “My intentions are straightforward, Mr. and Mrs. Raventorn. I want to make a life with Jaylin. I want to make her happy. I want to support her in her career, and I want her to have my children.” His words leave me breathless, but he seems so damn sure, as if his words are written in stone and nothing can change them. “I know I have baggage, even more than that baby girl right there, but I can promise you, my intentions are pure. I’m not someone who plays around. I know what I want, who I want, and that’s Jaylin.”