“It’ll be cool if you can stay for the Cup final too.”
She makes a face. “I don’t know. I’ve already been away from Wilbur for a while. He wants me home. I’m going to have to see how he feels about me staying for the wedding.”
“Can he come?” I ask, not that I want him there, but I do want her.
“I don’t know. Let me see if I can extend my stay at the hotel, though Elli says I can stay with them. Not that I think that’s a good idea.”
I bring in my brows. “What does that mean?”
She hesitates for a second, looking back at Posey and her family before returning her gaze to me. “They’re crazy, Boon. I mean, did you hear the older one, the sister? All she cares about is herself. It’s—”
“Whoa, no. Shelli isn’t like that in real, normal life. Seriously, this wedding is making her crazy. Even Aiden says the same. She’s actually a pretty awesome woman with a huge heart.”
She doesn’t seem convinced. “The little brothers are so loud and immature.”
I give her a dry look. “They’re nineteen-year-old bros. I was just like them. Quinn is actually a genius.”
“Very sarcastic.”
“I think he’s hilarious.”
She rolls her eyes, exhaling heavily. “I don’t know. Her dad was rude to you—”
“I’m working on Shea. He’s super protective of his kids, and with Shelli, they’ve all known Aiden since he was a kid. I’m new. It’s normal. I’m handling it.” Wow, I sounded really confident there. Maybe I know the truth, but I’m still self-conscious. I really want her dad to love me.
“It doesn’t matter. You are good to their daughter,” she insists, shaking her head, and man, that pisses me off. “I really didn’t like how Elli was with her whole, ‘Give me forty-eight hours to put on a wedding for you.’ It’s very, ‘Oh, look at all my money. I can make anything happen.’ You know she has a plane? A plane, Boon.”
Keep your cool; she’s the only family you have. Especially since you don’t care for Wilbur.
I scratch the top of my head, trying to take in a breath and not get upset. “Yeah, they do have money, Mom. I do too, and you sure don’t complain when I pay your bills.”
Low blow. I know. I’m an asshole.
“You offered!”
“You’re right. Because you took damn good care of me growing up. The thing is, none of that matters. Their money is none of our business. Elli wants to give her kids the world, and you can’t fault her for that. You did the same.”
She scoffs. “I didn’t come close to that.” She points behind us, shaking her head, and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from yelling at her. I don’t understand what her obsession is with Posey’s family’s money, but it’s getting on my last nerve. She then looks at me, her eyes burning into mine. “Are you sure about this? I mean, you’re already stuck for eighteen years—”
“Whoa,” I say, holding up my hands. “Stuck? I’m not stuck.”
She presses her lips together. “Boon, I’m looking out for you—”
“You don’t need to,” I insist, my gaze full of fire. “That woman is everything to me. She completes me, Mom. I love her. I love her more than I can ever describe, and I thought you accepted that. I thought you let go of the money thing and were accepting her as part of me. That family is a part of her, and yes, they are fucking nuts, but I love them because they love her.”
“I am, but it’s hard when they’re flashing their money in my face left and right. I could never put on a wedding the way she’s—”
“They are not!”
“They are! It’s annoying as all get-out. I was fine with a wedding in the park, but no, that’s not good enough for the Adlers.”
“It wasn’t about the park. It was about her family and the dress.”
“No. Elli said I don’t want you to look back on this and regret it.”
“Because her extended family isn’t here.”
“No. Because they want to put on a lavish show!”
“Wow, this is about jealousy,” I interject, and her eyes turn to stone.
“Boon Zachariah, tread lightly,” she warns, but I shake my head.
“No, I won’t. Never once since being around them or knowing them have they made me feel inadequate or not good enough for their daughter—”
“Boon! He was asking if you could afford condoms.”
I laugh. “It wasn’t because he thinks I don’t have money. He said that because he doesn’t understand how I keep knocking his daughter up. He may be a little wary of me, but he respects me.”
Her eyes are dark as she shakes her head. “I don’t think you should marry her.”
I scoff. “I am. Nothing will stop me from marrying that woman.”
“Boon, I’m telling you, she reminds me so much of Julia. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”