Mia walks out of the bathroom of the suite I rented for the night. She’s in a short, red dress. Much shorter than I’d prefer, but if there’s one thing I know about Mia, I never have to be jealous. If guys are looking at her it’s because her beauty can’t be hidden and I would never want to dull her shine. As long as she comes home with me every night, then we’re fine.

“You’re beautiful,” I say, putting on my other shoe.

The neckline of her dress is conservative at least with the bare minimum cleavage showing.

“And you’re handsome,” she says, grabbing her shoes from her suitcase and bending down to put them on.

Standing up, I straighten my slacks and come up behind her, my hands grip her hips and my dick presses against her ass.

“Keep that up and we’ll never make it down there,” she says with a giggle.

She stands and I wrap my arms around her waist pulling her back to my chest. Sliding her hair to one side of her neck, my face nuzzles into the crook. “Promise me we’ll come up early.”

“I promise. Otherwise, I’m sure you’d have me in the coatroom.”

I smack her ass. “You know me well.”

Grabbing my jacket from the hanger in the closet, I shrug it on and store my phone in the pocket.

“Ready?” I ask, holding out my arm in true gentleman fashion.

Taking her purse off the suitcase, she links her arm through mine. “Yep.”

We travel down the elevator, each of us in our own head. After all, our families are about to be reunited and unlike the song says, I don’t think it’s going to feel so good.

The elevator dings open and when the doors part, the lobby comes into view. I escort her to the ballroom where Gasoline is hosting the event to congratulate their Winter Classic athletes.

“Someone needs to take away his Gasoline I think,” Mia says, hearing Dax’s voice over the DJ’s microphone in the hallway.

“Just take the microphone away.”

She laughs and we step into the large room.

“Look who’s arrived. Grady Kale and Mia Salter.” Dax points to us from the platform setup at the side of the room like he’s an announcer at a red carpet event.

You know when you’re the new kid at school and you walk into the classroom and everyone’s eyes shift to you, judging and appraising. That’s what’s happening here. I get why they’d look at Mia, she’s a knockout, but it’s clear that people are wondering what exactly is going on with us.

“Grady.” My mom beelines it over to us from the bar area, a champagne in her hand.

“Mom.” I step away from Mia but grip her hand to keep her near as I give my mom a kiss on the cheek.

I don’t hold her attention for very long, her gaze now cast to Mia.

“Mia, you look beautiful,” she says, and the two awkwardly hug, not really sure what direction the other one is going.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kale.”

My mom tilts her head. “You know to call me Sue.”

Mia smiles. “How are you, Sue?”

My mom takes Mia’s hands in hers and squeezes. “I’m good and you? I keep hearing your name on the news right along with Grady’s. Looks like you both might go home with gold.”

“Mom,” I sigh. She knows I hate it when they act like it’s a given.

She waves me off. “I’m your mom, I love you no matter what, but you’re going to win gold.” She looks at Mia. “He’s so superstitious.”

Mia grants her a soft smile. Who would think they used to be close? Mia was the daughter my mother never had. Mia, my mom, and Mia’s mom used to go out for shopping trips and spa days. Boy, have things changed and I can’t keep the shame that it’s because of me, far from my mind…at least not tonight of all nights when the results of my actions are going to be front and center.

“I guess my parents and Brandon aren’t here yet.” She scours the room with her gaze, but I don’t see them either.

“Can I steal Grady away for a second?” my mom asks.

Mia squeezes my hand but releases it. “Of course.”

I lean in close, kissing her cheek. “I’ll be two minutes.”

Mia’s eyes glance to my mom. “Take your time. I see Demi.”

Mia’s only a few steps away when I overhear her run into my dad. “Oh, Mr. Kale, nice to see you.”

“Mia? Is that you?” He pulls her into a hug, holding his scotch on the rocks in his hand. “You’ve grown into a lovely young woman.”

I stop and my mom and I watch the interaction between my dad and Mia.

He whispers something in her ear and her cheeks blush as her eyes seek me out. My dad has always been so welcoming to her. Back in the days when Brandon and I refused to play with her, he’d play her dumb princess games, wearing a tiara and jewelry just like she wanted. They even had tea parties. I never gave it much thought, but I guess to him, Mia was the daughter he never had, too.

“He’s always been fond of her.” My mom links her arm through mine.

“Yeah.”

“So, you two are...dating?” she asks, tucking a strand of her short bob behind her ear.

“We are.”

“And how are Bob and Jan with it?”

“I’m not really sure. Brandon isn’t happy, but he’s agreed to let it go until after the competition.”

She scoffs. “Why is it an issue? You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. You had no choice but to continue your career.”

My mom, always my biggest cheerleader and the one person who seems blind to my faults.

“I shouldn’t have stayed away as long as I did. He was my best friend.”

She shrugs. “I don’t condone everything you do, but you can’t control what happened when Brandon got hurt. I thought we were friends, but they turned their backs on us, too, by refusing our help.”

The insult in her voice rings out as clear as it did months after the crash. Personally, I think she’s just hurt. Jan and her, were practically like sisters.

My dad says goodbye to Mia and she leaves me with one last smile to last me until I can escape this situation and get back to her.

“Son.” My dad’s large body pulls me into him and he almost lifts me off the ground. “How are you?”

“I’m good.”

He leans into me. “I just talked to Mia. She’s as beautiful as ever. You two make a good couple.”

“You sure the Salters will let this happen?” my mom asks.

“They have no control over it,” I say.

“I’m with Grady. If the two love each other...”

“Whoa Dad, slow down. We just started seeing each other.”

He rolls his eyes playfully and smirks over to me like ‘get real, man.’

My mom’s hands go up in the air defensively. “I’m just saying, they will not like Grady dating Mia.”

“I’ll talk to Bob, we can’t let this feud stop something magical from happening.”

Between both my parents, I think my dad might be the true romantic.

Just as I’m about to tell them to just let me handle it, Dax’s voice rings out on the microphone again.

“SALTY!” he screams and all heads turn to find Brandon and his parents in the doorway. “Ladies and gentlemen, the infamous snowboarder, Brandon Salter.”

Brandon smiles, pushing up his black-rimmed glasses. Mia breaks across the room to hug her parents. Both of their eyes scan the room until they land on us—their enemies—the Kales. This might be harder than I suspected.

---

Midway through dinner, Mia and I have done a great job of keeping our parents from having to say anything more than pass the salt. Yes, our wonderful sponsor was thoughtful enough to sit us all together at the same table.

“So, Bob, did you see the new box store going up right at the city line?” my dad asks Mia’s dad.

Mia’s knee knocks mine, but I’m not sure how she thinks I can actually stop them from conversing.

“I did, I heard some folks are going to protest it.”

My dad cuts his chicken. “I wish them luck. It would put a lot of people out of business.”

Bob nods, forking his salad. “That’s the truth. Did you hear that the Hendersons went out of business?”

“Really?” My mom looks up from her plate. “That’s upsetting. It was always the three of us.”

Hendersons being the third most popular B & B in Cedarwood. The fact they went out of business isn’t great news for either family sitting here, but it was common knowledge that the Hendersons were never great on the paperwork side of running a business.

“Yeah, they’re moving down to Florida now,” Jan speaks up, her lips in a frown. “I guess they have college friends there.”

“Well, I suppose that’s a silver lining,” my mom chimes in. “Brandon, how are you doing?”

He looks up from his plate. “I’m good. Going to start teaching snowboarding at Klein’s starting next season.”

Both my parents look up, surprise and happiness etched in every line of their faces. “That’s wonderful,” my mom says.

Jan and Bob look at their son with proud smiles. “They reached out to him and although he won’t be teaching any tricks, they think he’s insight will be helpful.” She gives him a look of warning. “He just loves snowboarding.”

Mia glances at me and I want to tell him how awesome it is, that I’m proud of him, but I’m afraid to come off condescending or like I’m talking down to him, so I sit back and take a sip of my water.

“That’s wonderful, Brando! You’re so great with kids.” Mia smiles at her brother.

“Salty!” Dax screams from across the room with a group of snowboarders. He waves him over.

“Excuse me.” Brandon wipes his mouth and stands up, leaving his napkin on his chair.

Everyone’s gaze follows Brandon until he’s nestled into the group of guys giving fist bumps out.

“He’s really thriving,” my mom says and I close my eyes. “I mean after the accident...what we all feared.”

Neither Bob or Jan look up.

“He’s great,” Jan quips, moving her green beans around her plate.

“I know, that’s what I meant...” my mom trails off and Mia’s knee hits mine again.

I shrug not really knowing what she expects me to do. Put a partition in front of them?

“Listen, Sue, we’re able to live in a small town together, we can surely have dinner together. Let’s just stay away from the topic of the accident,” Bob chimes in, and Mia gives me a pleading look.

“Can we please stop this?” I say, and Mia’s shoulders deflate. “Can we just move on?”

Jan drops her fork, wiping her tense mouth and placing her napkin on the table. “Move on, so you can screw another one of my children over?”

“Jan!” my mom says.

“Sue, I’m sorry, but I can’t be on board with this relationship.”

“My son is a great person and if he loves Mia...”

“Mom,” Mia begs.

Jan looks to her daughter with loving eyes and then to me and all the warmth drains from her expression. “I’m sorry, baby, but what you see in the boy who ruined your brother’s career and almost his life, I’ll never know.”

“Now, Jan, he didn’t ruin it.” My dad places his fork down.

Jan turns to me, her eyes testing, prodding. What does she know?

Mia swivels in her chair, directly in her mom’s line of vision.

“It was an accident, Mom. Grady is really sorry for not coming around and—”

“Forgetting your brother. That’s what he did. He went on and got everything that should have been Brandon’s.”

I watch Bob’s hand move under the table to his wife’s leg in an attempt to calm her.

“Jan, I can reassure you—” I start.

She places her hand in front of my face. “You have no idea how hard it is to look at you, please do not speak to me.”

“I will not allow you to talk to my son that way.” My mom throws her napkin on the table.

Mia swipes a tear from her face.

“I’m doing this for your own good.” Jan places her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “He won’t be there for you long term. He only cares about his own success, that will always come first.”

“You’re wrong! My son is caring and compassionate. Now, I don’t know why he and Brandon lost touch, but I’m sure there are reasons. If Mia can accept them, then I think you should back off.” My mom’s shaking hand grabs her champagne glass.

“Caring is not a word I’d use to describe your son,” Jan says.

“Mom, he was like a second son to you once.” Mia is racked with tears and I slide my chair out, but Mia doesn’t move.

“Enough,” I say a little too loudly, causing people from nearby tables to glance over.

Mia turns around, her makeup smeared down her cheeks. My heart hiccups seeing her this upset.

Jan sits back with a smug look on her face and I see Brandon making his way over from the corner of my eye.

“The accident was my fault. I’m the reason Brandon was hurt.”