“Heard? Hell, they were at the bar that night. We all were. Doesn’t mean Dad isn’t going to tell it over and over again.”
There were a handful of neighbors surrounding Dad, and they’d all been at the bar that night, too. So had Gavin, who’d seen all the plays, heard all the cheers, and still had to listen to the replay.
Not that he was jealous. Winning the Super Bowl had been a damn big deal for his brother. He didn’t begrudge him the glory at all. If the shoe had been on the other foot, Gavin would be reveling in the glory and milking it for as long as he could.
“Mick, my boy, come on over and tell the guys about the winning touchdown pass.”
“Again,” Gavin murmured.
Mick rolled his eyes. “They don’t want to hear it.”
“Probably not, but Dad wants you to tell them. Maybe if you’re lucky, they’ll take up a collection for you not to tell it.”
Mick snorted and headed into the throng. Gavin stayed back and sipped his beer, listening to the story he’d heard many times before.
“Your season is looking good so far.”
Gavin hadn’t heard Tara’s son, Nathan, come up behind him. The kid was always so quiet. Of course a fifteen-year-old amidst the boisterous Riley clan could get swallowed up like a small fish in a shark tank.
“Thanks, Nathan. How are you doing?”
“Pretty good.”
Gavin knew there was something Nathan wanted to talk to him about.
“Is there something on your mind?”
Nathan glanced over to where Mick was mimicking the throw of a football.
“Yeah, kinda.”
“Go ahead. We’re family now. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Nathan paused for a second, then said, “It’s about your girlfriend.”
“Elizabeth.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you mad at her?” Gavin asked.
“No. But Mick still is. And he thinks I should be, but I’m not.”
Gavin swiveled on the steps to face Nathan. “No one should tell you how you should feel, Nathan. Not your mom or Mick or me. If you’re pissed off about what Elizabeth did to manipulate the media that day, that’s your right. If you’re over it, that’s your right, too. If Mick is still angry about it, that’s his problem to deal with.”
“I guess so.”
“You don’t have to feel whatever he feels about anything. He’ll still care about you. It’s kind of like when two people love each other, but they’re on different sides in politics.”
“You mean when one’s a Democrat and one’s a Republican.”
“Exactly. They don’t have to agree to still love each other, right? Even though they might not agree on some serious fundamental issues.”
“We talked about that in my government class. That it’s our right to stand up for what we believe in, even if we’re in disagreement with the people closest to us.”
“Exactly. Your grandparents oppose each other politically.”
Nathan’s brows popped up. “Really?”
“Yup. But they love each other like nobody’s business. And I’ve never seen two people who can argue so fiercely, especially around election time. It’ll make your ears burn. But pick on one, and the other will defend them to the death. It’s kind of like that with how you feel about something. Just because you love Mick doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything he believes.”
Nathan stared at Mick, then nodded. “That makes sense. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I kind of like Elizabeth. She came up to me today, and we sat down, and she told me how she screwed up and how sorry she was. I think that takes some guts.”
“Yeah, I guess it does.”
Nathan tilted his head up at Gavin. “I think she’s really trying, Gavin.”
Gavin bumped his shoulder against Nathan’s. “I think she is, too, Nathan. Maybe your dad will figure that out someday soon.”
ELIZABETH WAS DRAINED. PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, AND emotionally exhausted.
First the meltdown in front of Jenna, Kathleen, and Tara, and oh, God, could that have been a more horrifying moment? And then she’d sat down and had a heart-to-heart with a fifteen-year-old boy, who’d handled her apology with a maturity she hadn’t expected.
And to top it off she’d had to spend the rest of the night doing her best to dodge Mick, which wasn’t easy considering it had been his birthday party.
She wanted to strip down, crawl under the covers, and end this day.
Gavin had brought her home and had gone to take a shower. He had worked up a sweat with an impromptu game of football with his brother and his soon-to-be nephew, along with the various cousins.
While he did that, she opened a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. She headed upstairs, stripped off her clothes, and fell face-first onto the bed.
She was almost asleep when she felt strong hands sliding down her back, followed by warm lips pressed against the nape of her neck.