Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game (25 page)

“I know. But he wanted you guys to have it—we wanted
you to.”

She shook her head wildly. “But it’s too much. We
could never accept it.”

“Why not?”

“We just couldn’t!” she protested.

“But your family needs it.”

“I know….”

“Then take it. My dad was happy to do it, and I-I
wanted to do something for you guys.”

She stared into my eyes. Then she leaned over and
gently pecked my lips.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What was that
for?”

She blushed. “A kiss to make the bruise go away.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

Just as we stared each other in the eyes,
contemplating taking things further, her parents came in the back
door and found us on the floor. Thankfully, they made it in just
after our kiss. I would’ve hated to miss even that brief instant of
Maddie’s warm lips on mine, the heat radiating off of her body, and
the smell of her perfume invading my senses.

At the sight of the mess in the kitchen from mine and
Will’s altercation, Pastor Dan and Mrs. Parker both shot us
questioning looks. Maddie merely held up hand and said, “Will.” We
both then alternated from explaining what had happened to her
parents. They were both very understanding and very appreciative
that I was there. Of course, I was quick to remind them how
level-headed, strong, and tough Maddie had been. Her face had
flushed a deep maroon, but she had still given me an appreciative
smile.

After I said goodbye to the Parkers, I got in my Jeep
and headed home. It had been a rollercoaster day—meeting my dad,
Will showing up, and Maddie pulling out a gun. I didn’t know how I
was going to explain my lip to my mom. For some reason, I didn’t
think it was right to tell her about Will. In the end, she was too
interested in hearing about my day than to even ask.

***

Mom’s wedding day dawned sunny and clear. I
was eternally grateful since she was barely clinging to the last
shreds of her sanity. With all the crazy chaos of planning a
wedding coupled with pregnancy hormones, she had turned into a
weepy Bridezilla. Greg and I both did our best to step lightly
around her—afraid that anything we said or do might set her off
into Defcon mode or something.

The wedding was set for two o’clock at The First
Baptist church. Then Mom and Greg were going to take a short four
day Honeymoon to Bermuda. It was all the time they could spare,
especially with the baby arriving in a few months.

I rolled over and squinted at the clock. It was after
ten. “Shit,” I muttered, as I hopped up out of bed.

It had been a late night with the rehearsal and then
the dinner. We hadn’t stumbled in the house until after midnight.
Plus, I was partially hung-over after sneaking most of the leftover
wine at the table.

Mom and several of her friends and sister-in-laws
bustled around downstairs. It reminded me of that scene in
My
Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Yeah, it wasn’t my usual viewing choice,
but Mom had forced me to watch.

“Noah!” she called over the chatter. “We’re just
about to leave for the salon. You need to be at the church by noon
for pictures, okay?”

“All right.”

“Greg’s got your tux at the church.”

“Okay, Mom.”

The group made a noisy exit.

“Geez.”

I fixed myself some cereal and sat alone at the
kitchen table like a prisoner on Death Row eating his last meal.
After two o’clock, everything was going to change. There would be
no more “Mom and Me”. Part of her would belong to Greg, and in four
months, a part of her would belong to my new sister, which in the
long run wasn’t all that bad. I mean, I’d have more of a family
now, especially since Joe and I were mending fences with our
father/son relationship. Losing Jake and spending time with Maddie
had started opening up doors I hadn’t quite imagined.

Although part of me was still bitter, I was getting
along really well with Greg. He wasn’t entirely the douchebag I
thought he was. Most of the time, it was funny as hell watching him
try to decide whether to treat me like a son or a buddy. I think he
was even more nervous about me than I was about him. Of course, we
wouldn’t have too long together. I’d be leaving for college in
August, and Mom and Greg would be moving to a new house. They said
they wanted a fresh start. I guess I could see their point. But in
a lot of ways, it was going to make me feel even more like a
stranger when I came home on weekends to an unfamiliar house.

And once again, there would be no escaping to Jake’s.
Just thinking of him caused the familiar ache to burn its way
through my chest. It was hard imagining the summer without him,
least of all my entire future.

Damn, why did everything have to change? I mean, once
you got used to something, it had to change. People came into your
life, and then they left it. It seemed so pointless.

I didn’t have much time to piss and moan since time
was ticking. I rushed upstairs and caught a quick shower. Then I
threw on some old clothes and headed to the church. I found Greg
and some of the other groomsmen getting ready. Mom and Greg’s
wedding party resembled something out of an extras scene for a
major movie! There were ten groomsmen and ten bridesmaids.

After we took some preliminary pictures, the guests
started arriving. I pulled duty escorting people to their seats. As
I was standing in the church foyer with some of the other ushers
and groomsmen, Grammy strode up to me. “Don’t you look handsome,
Noah!”

“Thanks.” In truth, I knew Grammy preferred my
tuxedoed self far more than my usual scruffy look.

“Oh, your mama wants to see you.”

“Okay.”

I headed back to the room where Mom was getting
ready. I rapped lightly on the door. “Mom?” I questioned, poking my
head in the door. “We’re about ready to start.”

“I know. Come on in, sweetheart.”

She was standing before a huge three sided mirror.
When she turned around, I sucked in a harsh breath as a wave of
emotions crashed over me. “Wow!”

I’d never seen her so beautiful in all my life. Her
dress was this strapless thing with lots of shiny beady stuff on
the top part with a smooth, satin bottom, and it had a long train.
I knew it was the dress she’d always dreamed of. Her long hair was
swept back, and a glittering tiara sat on top of her head.

Mom smiled. “So, do I look okay?”

“You look more than okay,” I replied, as I walked up
to her. I kissed her on the cheek, trying not to smudge her makeup.
“You look breathtakingly beautiful.”

Tears shone in her eyes. “Thank you, sweetie. From
you, that means the world.”

“It’s the truth. You’re gonna knock Greg’s socks
off.” After I said it, I cringed inwardly. I really didn’t want to
think about anything like that—I’d already seen enough of their sex
life.

Mom stared at her reflection. “I feel so
bloated.”

I shook my head as her barely visible baby bump was
carefully concealed under the fabric of her dress. “Quit fishing
for compliments,” I joked.

She laughed. “All right.”

Grammy poked her head in. “Just a few more
minutes.”

As soon as she left, Mom turned to me. “Noah, I want
to talk to you.”

“Um, okay, but didn’t you hear Grammy?”

“Yes, I did, but I want to say something to you.”

“Okay.”

Mom drew in a deep breath, and I got the impression I
was about to hear something deeply profound. I shifted nervously on
feet, silently praying she wouldn’t start crying. Grammy would kill
me if Mom came out looking like an alcoholic raccoon with a red
nose and her mascara running down her cheeks.

“Noah, I know that things are about to change, and
our lives will never be the same. For almost eighteen years it’s
been just you and me.”

“Yeah, it has.”

When Mom took my hand in hers, I braced myself. She
was about to lay some serious shit on me. “I just want you to know
that I’ve thanked God every day for giving me you. Even though you
weren’t planned and the situation was hard, I wouldn’t trade any of
it for a second. You’ve been the greatest accomplishment of my
life.”

Holy shit. I stared at her in disbelief. The woman
was a doctor for Christ sake, and she was telling me
I
was
her ‘greatest accomplishment’. It was almost too much. I started to
feel like I was under the surface of the water again as my lungs
constricted in panic. Frantically, I took a few deep breaths to
calm myself.

“Wow…I, uh, don’t know what to say,” I mumbled.

She smiled. “You don’t have to say anything—I just
wanted you to know that. I’m sure things are going to get crazy
when the baby comes and you at college, so I might not have another
opportunity.”

Grammy rapped on the door. I squeezed Mom’s hand and
drew in a ragged breath. “Yeah, well, I’m the one who outta be
saying the thanks and stuff. You know, thanks that God gave me such
an awesome mother.”

Tears sparkled in Mom’s blue eyes. “Noah, that’s so
sweet!” she cried.

I groaned. “Stop, you can’t cry now! Grammy will kill
me!”

She laughed and gently dabbed her eyes. “Okay, okay,
I’ll turn the waterworks off.”

Grammy didn’t bother knocking again. Instead, she
threw the door open. With a broad grin and in her twangy drawl, she
exclaimed, “It’s time, sugah!”

Mom and I both inhaled deeply. When we got to the
doorway, I gave her my arm. “Ready?” I asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” she murmured. But the moment the
doors opened and she saw Greg standing before her, her mouth
widened into a radiating smile. And as much as I hated to admit it,
the look on Greg’s face was one of absolute adoration. And that’s
the only way I would have had it. She’d been through shit, and so
had he. Mom told me about how the only girl he’d ever loved had
gotten killed just before their wedding. When he started dating
Mom, she was the first real relationship he’d had in years.

Walking your mother down the aisle to get
married—it’s a really surreal feeling. When we reached the altar, I
didn’t hesitate when Pastor Dan asked who gave Mom in marriage. I
very proudly bellowed, “I do.”

It was a really nice service, and I guess I should
give Gerard his due. Of course, if he had even tried laying one
finger on me, I would have gone apeshit on him. Thankfully, he
stayed the hell away from me, scurrying around to ensure everything
was perfect for Mom.

Then after we took a million pictures in a million
different poses, we started for the reception. Greg had rented a
limo, and the bridal party rode in it to the country club. A tent
lit by thousands of twinkling lights and candles sat on the golf
course. Music billowed up the hillside from under the tent flaps,
signaling the band was already in full swing when we arrived.
Elegant tables set with fine china and crystal filled the tent, and
at the far side was a wooden dance floor.

I craned my neck, searching for Maddie. I finally saw
her sitting at table with her parents. For a moment, I was rooted
to the floor. She seriously took my breath away with how beautiful
she looked in her deep blue dress. It was pretty daring for her
with its tiny straps, plunging neckline, and rather short hemline.
Its sequins caught the candlelight and shimmered. Her dark hair was
swept away from her face in a twist with little, curly pieces
hanging down. I wanted nothing more than to jerk out the pins
holding her hair up so I could run my fingers through the silky
strands.

Trying to ignore the lovesick thoughts rolling
through my head along with the ones steaming below my waist, I
pushed myself forward and made my way over to her. “Hey,” I said as
I strolled up to the table.

She grinned. “Hi.” Her gaze roamed over me, and she
bobbed her head. “Wow, you look so nice.”

I ran my hand down my tux lapel. “Thanks. I do clean
up well, don’t I?”