CHAPTER 28 LINCOLN

I'm in my office alone—for now—when my mother walks in. Jack went down to bring my gift to Jolene, and my best little dude is running around with Cade down in the locker room.

I draw in a deep breath as I feel emotional that my mother is here.

"Oh my," she murmurs as she walks over toward me. "How handsome my boy is." She adjusts my tie and sets her palms on the lapels of my jacket, and I lean down to kiss her cheek. "You smell good, too."

I chuckle. "You look beautiful. Thank you for coming in for this."

"I wouldn't miss it." She gives me a hug, and then she pulls back. "Linc, I got the test results…if you want them before you walk down the aisle, I have them here." She pulls a piece of paper out of her purse.

"You know?" I ask, a little alarmed that the fact that my entire life might be a lie is on that piece of paper in her hands.

She nods. "I do."

"I don't know if I want to know," I admit.

"What will it change either way?" she asks.

Jolene asked me a similar question, and I told her it was for my own peace of mind. I'm not sure it changes anything. If Eddie Nash isn't my biological father or if he is…I think I'll still feel the same way about what he did to me. And I'm still a Nash. I was raised one, and I belong in this family. My brothers might be full-blooded siblings or half, but they'll still be among my best friends regardless.

"Does he know?" I ask.

She blinks and nods. "I told him."

Oh. So they both know…and I still don't.

I blow out a breath. "Tell me," I whisper.

"He's your father." She says the words as she holds out the papers, and I read the results as heat brims behind my eyes.

How different might my life have been if we'd known this all along rather than me living with his resentment my entire life?

"And you should know, there's someone else who wants to be here for the wedding," she says.

My brows knit together, and then my three brothers appear in the doorway.

That's right. All three. Asher is here even though he's not supposed to be in this building—with special approval from the commissioner—and both Spencer and Grayson made the trip.

"Aren't you two missing practice by being here?" I ask since it's not their bye week.

They laugh. "Our coaches are nicer than the coach of the Aces, I guess," Spencer says as he walks over to give me a hug.

Grayson is next, and Asher is last.

"We're missing one person still," Grayson says quietly.

"Can I talk to Lincoln alone for a minute?" my mom asks, and my brothers leave the room even though they just got here. Grayson is out last, and he shuts the door behind him so we can have a moment of privacy.

"Your father…he has some things he'd like to say to you if you're willing to listen."

I press my lips together. I guess if there's ever a time to hear someone out, it's on your wedding day…or something like that.

I want to marry Jolene with a clean slate, and the only mark on my slate at the moment is my father.

"I guess I'd listen, but I'm getting married in thirty minutes, Mom. When do I have time to talk to him about any of this?" I ask.

"How about right now?"

My brows quirk.

She walks toward the door, opens it, and nods to someone out there.

My father appears in the doorway a few seconds later. It's been nearly a month since the last time I saw him as he lay with a broken face in the hospital and I told him I wanted nothing to do with him ever again. He looks mostly healed, though there's a scar on his cheek I don't remember and he looks…older. A little more fragile than he used to be. Or maybe he's always been that way, and I didn't allow myself to see it.

I can't help a little snarl even though I said I'd talk to him.

I guess it's just catching me off guard that he's really here.

My brothers step into the room behind him, and I didn't think I'd see my entire family gathered in one room again. Ever.

Yet here they all are in my office on my wedding day.

"Lincoln," he says quietly. He shakes his head. "I'm sorry. For everything."

I press my lips together and decide to let him say his piece before I tell him I can't accept his apology. I won't accept his apology.

"I was never fair to you, and you deserved better. You always did, your entire life. You've grown into an admirable man despite my best efforts, and you found your way to the woman you were supposed to even though I did everything in my power to stop that. And for that, I am sorry. I don't expect your forgiveness, but I wanted to say that to you in front of everyone in our family."

"Thanks," I mutter, unsure what else to say. One apology doesn't fix thirty-six years of resentment.

But it's a start.

He nods, and he waits as if he wants me to invite him to our wedding today.

I won't.

This is an event for people who care about us, and after one apology, I don't believe he does care about me.

But that's not to say we can't find time later for him to put in the work.

"I'll leave you to your day. But there's one more thing…" he says, and he pauses as he looks at my mom. She nods, and then he says, "Lincoln, I'm so goddamn proud of the man you've become. You stood up to me, and you fought for your woman, and you're a brave coach. Keep being the good man you are."

With those words, he turns to leave.

I'm so goddamn proud of you.

It took thirty-six years, but I finally heard the words I've craved my entire life.

And hearing them today of all days feels pretty damn sweet.