27. Dane

27

DANE

Today should be a great day. Morgan is taking me to lunch with her family.

Miles and Mason will be there, and it will be cool to see them again. They and their oldest brother are good guys. We got along well in New Mexico, but that was before their sister and I became a couple. I anticipate a few pointed remarks about treating their sister well, but otherwise, expect to have a nice time.

I’ll also meet Morgan’s parents today which is exciting. Not just because they’re the people who raised the woman I’m currently vying to be with as long as possible, but because her dad is Warren freaking Caldwell.

I told myself I wouldn’t get star-struck, but my mind has been spinning with potential conversations I could have with the college hockey star the entire drive to Rose Hill.

I debate if I should bring up that I had his rookie poster plastered in my bedroom or if I should ask him to come to the next playoff game we have at home. That’s the only reason I didn’t immediately notice something was off with Morgan as she drove to the small town on the outskirts of Dallas.

Now, seeing how tightly she grips the steering wheel and the worried gleam in her eye when she looks out the passenger window before making a left turn reveals the obvious.

“Everything okay, Morgan?”

“What?” She stiffens. “Of course. Why wouldn’t everything be okay?”

I snort. That’s a no.

“Are you nervous about me meeting your parents?” I level my most charming smile on her. “Don’t worry. I’m great meeting parents. They’ll love me.”

“I’m not worried,” she replies, turning down a one-lane road that I belatedly realize is a driveway when I see a white-brick home at the top of the hill.

Damn . Carter lives in Rose Hill, too, and he has a decent amount of land, but the Caldwells have more.

“What do your parents do for a living?”

“Dad is a coach. Mom is in finance.”

I whistle under my breath. Finance. Aka, loaded.

“I never knew your family was rich.” Her tiny apartment in a less-than-safe part of the city hints otherwise.

“My family is comfortable,” she replies, then shoots me a pointed look. “And before you make a snarky comment, may I remind you that you’re a multi-millionaire.”

I hold up my hands innocently. “I wasn’t going to say a thing.”

“Sure.” She smirks, following the curve that takes us up the green hill blooming with wildflowers.

It’s nice to see Morgan joking around. Things have been tense these past couple of weeks. Not that our relationship has suffered. We’re still spending a ton of time together, and our physical connection is out of this world. The only nights we’ve spent apart are when I’m traveling with the team. The moment I’m back in town, she’s the first person I call. And with her permission, I head straight to her place.

But while our relationship has progressed smoothly, an undeniable cloud has been hanging over us—more specifically, over Morgan.

I assumed she was worried about how my altercation with Aaron would impact the team, but I was able to return to play for game three in the second round of playoffs. With some incredible blocks by Cam and an impressive offense as a team, the Ranchers won the next four games, earning our spot in the Conference Finals.

Now, I have four days off before our first game against the Colorado Knights. The next few days are packed with team meetings to discuss strategy and practice new plays and defensive maneuvers we think will work best against the fast-paced Knights.

But for today, I want to have a nice day meeting my girlfriend’s family. I want to take a small step toward becoming a fixture in her life by earning her parents’ approval.

But with Morgan’s current state, I’m not sure my plans will come to pass. I can’t think of what else could be bothering her.

The shit with Aaron was handled quicker than I could have hoped thanks to the Ranchers’ internal investigation uncovering evidence of Aaron sexually harassing one of the interns working with the trainers. The prick chose to resign before things could get messy and opted out of pressing charges against me on the same day.

That was a damn good day.

Morgan and I have had a lot of good days, but until whatever’s hanging over her is cleared away, I worry our days won’t ever be great.

“Anything I should know before I enter the lion’s den?” I ask with a grin, hoping to take her mind off of whatever’s dampening her mood.

Morgan purses her lips. “Maybe don’t ask my dad about his hockey career?”

I nod. Warren Caldwell is one of my idols, but his career was short—much shorter than he would have wanted. I wasn’t planning on bringing it up unless he did.

“Got it. Anything else?”

“No.” She smiles. “Just be your charming self, and you’ll be fine.”

“You think I’m charming?”

“You know you’re charming.”

I take her right hand off the wheel and kiss it quickly. “Only for you.”

“See?” She chuckles, but her expression softens as she rolls to a stop in the wide driveway. “Charming.”

I kiss her hand again and then hop out of the car, jogging around the front to open her door.

“Thank you.” She takes my hand, and I help her out.

“It’s what a charming boyfriend does.” I wink.

She laughs.

Hand in hand, we walk up to the tall mahogany door. Morgan steps inside without knocking. I follow her lead and kick off my black sneakers, leaving them lined up next to hers.

Then, Morgan retakes my hand and takes a deep breath. “You ready?”

“Absolutely.”

“So, Dane,” Morgan’s mother begins, passing a plate of mashed potatoes to Miles on her left. “Morgan says you’re from Minnesota.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I pick up a piece of corn on the cob with a pair of tongs and put it on Morgan’s plate before getting one for myself and passing the plate to Mason.

We’re all seated at a large dining room table in the Caldwell house. I sit between Morgan and Mason. Miles is across from me, next to his mom. Mr. Caldwell is seated at the head of the table.

I’ve been holding my own since Morgan and I arrived an hour ago. Mason and Miles are still cool, and we talk about doing a Mario Kart rematch the next time we get together. Miles tries to boast about his victory, but we all know if Morgan and I hadn’t been distracted by the realization our entire dynamic had been based on a misunderstanding, one of us would have won.

“Please, call me Diana,” Morgan’s mom insists with a genuine smile. “Warren and I love Minnesota,” she continues. “Are your parents still there?”

“They are.”

“How often do you get to go back?”

I shove down the image of my mom in a hospital bed. “Not often enough.”

“Why is that?”

“Mom,” Morgan interjects with a laugh. “What’s with the interrogation?”

“What?” Diana blinks innocently. “I’m just getting to know your boyfriend. Is that a crime?”

Morgan shakes her head. Mason and Miles set the potatoes and corn plates on the table. All dishes have made their way around the table.

“It’s all right, Morgan.” I place my hand on her thigh. She looks at me with a raised brow, and I shoot her a confident grin.

“Charming,” she mouths, her lips twitch.

I wink.

“Barf. Can you two stop flirting? I’m trying to eat here.” Miles holds up a forkful of potatoes in demonstration.

“So mature, Miles.” Morgan shakes her head.

“Mature Miles is my nickname.”

“Knock it off, you two.” Diane admonishes then turns to me. “I am so sorry, Dane. I swear, I raised my children better than this.”

“Hey, I didn’t do anything!” Mason feigns offense.

“We all know it’s only a matter of time,” Mr. Caldwell speaks. I expected his voice to be gruff from disuse, but he sounds like a normal guy with a deep tone.

The family around me laugh. I smile and pick up a rib. I take a bite, careful not to make a mess. “Wow.” I swallow. “These ribs are great, Mason.”

“Thanks, man.” He motions to his father. “But they aren’t as good as my old man’s.”

Mr. Caldwell shakes his head as he swallows his own bite. “That’s not true. You nailed it, son. I look forward to you taking over the grilling from now on.”

“Hey, I didn’t sign up for that.”

Morgan and Miles laugh at their brother.

“Can you say, ‘sucker’?” Miles jokes.

“What a rookie mistake,” Morgan tags on. “Notice how Miles and I never offer to help Mom or Dad cook?” She motions between herself and her mentioned brother.

“You’re right,” Diana joins in. “That means you two can do the dishes.”

Miles and Morgan share a look.

“What do you say, sis? Fifteen minutes worth of cleaning instead of hours spent checking on smoked brisket or ribs?”

“Cleaning, please.”

“Bingo.” Miles leans forward and holds out his hand for a high-five.

“Y’all are idiots,” Mason grumbles.

His siblings laugh.

“No name-calling!” Diana scowls.

“Sorry, Mom.”

“Dane,” Diana changes her tone and tries to change the subject. “Do you have siblings?”

“One brother. He’s about ten years younger.”

“Oh, that’s right. He’s trying out for the team next season, isn’t that right?”

“It is.”

“What position does he play?” Mr. Caldwell joins the conversation

I straighten and turn towards Morgan’s dad. “He’s a winger. A left-handed one.”

“So he plays right wing?”

“Yes, sir.”

“His chances of making the team must be a little better because of that,” Diana comments. “Right?”

“Possibly,” I allow. “But we have a right-handed right winger now, so it all really comes down to a player’s skill to determine if they earn a spot.”

“Of course.” Diana nods.

“By the way,” Miles interjects. “Congrats on making it to the Conference Finals. Things didn’t look good after those first two games in the second round.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Morgan stiffen.

I keep my expression easygoing and reply, “Thanks. Yeah, it was a close call, but the team pulled out a win.”

“From what I hear, you’re the one who made the winning shot in the last game,” Mr. Caldwell, once again, addresses me. “Way to keep your cool under pressure.”

I try not to come off as some sports fanboy, but I know that’s exactly what I do when I say, “Thank you, sir. That means a lot coming from you.”

Thankfully, none of the Caldwell siblings call me out on the over-the-top response. But Morgan does send me a quick grin that looks like she thinks I’m adorable.

I should be embarrassed, but I’m not.

I mean, I’m talking to Warren Caldwell. How can I not act like this is a big deal.

“What if your brother doesn’t make the team?” Miles asks around a bite of potatoes. “Will he try for another team?”

“I hope so. He’s worked hard training this past year. He’s good enough to play pro.”

“Has he thought about playing for Minnesota?” Mr. Caldwell asks. “Their new GM seems interested in doing a rebuild after their three stars retire this year. They could use a right winger.”

“Eli wouldn’t turn down the opportunity,” I say, forcing myself not to think of my brother in our home state while estranged from our parents. He was in bad shape when he first came to Dallas. I’m glad I was there for him. I don’t know what would happen if he were alone.

“What about you?”

I blink. “What about me?”

Mr. Caldwell levels curious eyes on me. “Have you ever thought about playing for Minnesota?”

“At one time, yes, but I don’t think that team would be a good fit for me anymore.”

“Why not?” He presses.

“Dad.” Morgan raises a brow. “I already asked Mom to stop interrogating him.”

“It’s fine,” I tell Morgan, hoping she can see I mean what I say before I look back at her dad. “The Ranchers are a special team.”

“But you’re so far from family. Wouldn’t you want to be closer?”

He doesn’t know it, but that’s a loaded question. In theory, I want to be closer to my parents. But in reality, it’s best for us to be apart for now, at least until Dad gets his shit together.

“I have Eli here,” I reply. It doesn’t happen intentionally, but I can’t help but glance at Morgan when I say my next words, “And I have a life in Dallas I would be hesitant to give up.”

Her eyes widen just before they soften with affection. Her lips curl up into a small smile, and I have to resist the urge to kiss her.

“That’s a fair answer,” Mr. Caldwell says, drawing my attention off his beautiful daughter. There’s a glimmer of approval in his gaze. “Maybe the wife and I will get out to one of the conference games to see you play.”

“Really?” All four of the Caldwells say in unison.

I look between the siblings and their mom. They each wear expressions of shock and surprise.

“What?” Mr. Caldwell laughs. “Do you think I don’t like hockey?”

The siblings mutter under their breath while Diana beams. “That sounds like a great idea. I’m sure Morgan can get us tickets.”

She looks at her daughter.

“Oh, uh…”

“I have tickets,” I say, sliding my hand behind Morgan’s chair. My fingers brush the bottom of her hair. “I’d be more than happy to give them to you for a game.”

“That is so generous of you, Dane.” Diana grins. “Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Mr. Caldwell adds with a nod. I feel the same way I did when I was six and scored my first goal during a youth hockey game.

We resume eating our meal, chatting about less loaded topics as we do.

We’ve moved on to dessert, a peach cobbler Diana made from scratch, when my phone rings.

“I’m sorry.”

I put my phone on Do Not Disturb for this meal. Only a few people’s calls would override the setting. I slide the phone out of my pocket and see Eli’s name. I hit ignore and tune back into the conversation between Morgan and her parents.

“Come on, Mom.” Morgan holds out a plate with a small slice of the delicious dessert. “You worked hard making this. You should enjoy it.”

“Oh, no. I can’t. I haven’t exercised today and likely won’t be able to.”

Morgan’s lips turn down. “You don’t have to earn the right to eat dessert, Mom.”

“Of course, you think that, dear,” Diana says with an awkward laugh. “You work out all the time.”

“That’s not true.”

“And your body type is more forgiving than mine,” Diana continues. “If I even put on half a pound, it shows. I can’t afford to indulge.”

“That’s a toxic mentality, Mom.”

Diana’s lips flatten. “Sweetheart, I am not one of your clients.”

“No, you’re my mom. And I care about your health.” Morgan motions to the plate of half-eaten food in front of her mother. “You barely ate any of your lunch, and now you’re denying yourself dessert. You need calories to stay healthy.”

“Morgan.” Diana smiles tightly. “Enough.”

I and the other men at the table keep quiet, but we glance at one another, picking up on the tension growing between the mother and daughter.

My phone rings again, punching a hole in the argument billowing over the dining room table. I look and see Eli’s name again. My forehead creases.

“Excuse me, everyone.” I look to Morgan and then her family. “I need to take this.”

Worry flickers in Morgan’s expression. “Everything okay?”

I have no idea.

“Yes,” I force a smile that I’m not sure is convincing. “I’ll be right back.”

I scoot my chair from the table and walk out of the dining room.

I accept the call. Before I can say a word, I hear, “Dude. Have you seen the news?”

“What news?” I enter the living room and sit on the cream sofa facing the oversized windows facing the backyard.

You’re not going to fucking believe it.”

I stiffen. Eli never curses.

“What’s going on?” A sports news show plays on the TV to my left. A glance reveals they’re talking about spring baseball training.

Eli’s heavy exhale travels through the phone. “Check your sports news app.”

I want to tell him to just tell me what’s got him so worked up, but something about his tone makes me do what he says. I draw my phone away from my ear and navigate to my home screen.

I open my favorite sports app and start to scroll through the headlines. Nothing catches my eye. Then, I hear a jingle come from the TV speakers followed by, “And for all you hockey fans, this just in.”

I lift my gaze to the screen. My jaw drops when my face appears above the sportscaster.

“Dane Larson, center for the Texas Ranchers, is set to be traded to the Glacier Kings at the end of the season. Sports Central has reached out to Dane’s agent and the Ranchers for a comment. We will report more as this story develops.”

Ice floods my veins.

What. The. Fuck.