Book 1 of the Mayer Familly series
After a messy break-up from her NHL all star hockey player boyfriend of 2 years, Allison Mayer winds up from Colorado to New York, a new Job, and a clean slate. She swore off dating athletes, especially hockey pla...
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Once we got back, the next few weeks till Christmas were filled with games and traveling; After I announced to the press about Allison and me, they ate it up. A few articles wrote about it, and it was hot news saying that the islanders most eligible bachelor was taken, a lot of women were very disappointed James would jokingly tease, but I really didn't care.
Most of the women I have been with in the past reached out to me to see if the articles were true, and I told them yes. Still, when they tried to ask more, I ignored them; whenever we were at the bar, I made sure I was still polite, but no one came near my lap, and each time a woman tried, I stood up and replied, "uh uh not today Satan" which would make James and our teammates crack up laughter.
We were doing decent with the remaining games, and we were trying hard to make it to the finals, but now it was Christmas. We are flying back home to spend it with my family, and I was pretty excited since it's going to be a first for them to have me bring a woman over to celebrate with them.
When we got there, we settled at my dad's, and then we all went out to eat since my sister was working Christmas eve. Still, the following day she and my nephews came early in the morning, and we were woken up with 2 rowdy boys jumping on Uncle Danny's bed, but she loved it and started to wrestle with them while I was trying to hide from the chaos under the covers.
We had breakfast, opened the presents we sent over before we got there, and watched the boy's faces light up. While my brother-in-law, dad, and I gathered around the living room to help our nephews play or set up their new gifts, I would hear my sister and Allison in the kitchen laughing and talking as they prepared a simple Christmas dinner.
My dad noticed each time I would go up and check on them, and he would smile every single time he would see me either pull her close to me or just to see her smiling back from me from across the room, each time I would feel the staring, but I didn't care. Right before dinner, my dad called me over into his bedroom and sat me down on the bed.
"Son, I think this has been the best Holiday celebration I've ever had since your mother passed," he says with sadness laced in his tone.
I started to feel the guilt of me just not really being there for him since she passed; I knew that nothing I could say would bring her back, and seeing him always depressed was something I selfishly wanted to avoid too. I felt like a terrible son at times, but I just had to grieve the way I knew how.
"Dad, I'm sorry I haven't been around much," I say honestly. "oh, don't be sorry son I understand, plus your career keeps you busy, but your mother would be so proud of the man you are today. She always worried about you," rustling through his dresser.
"She worried about me? But I was fine; I make a lot of money, I'm good at what I do, why would she have to worry?" I asked.
"Son, it isn't always about money or fame, and you know that all your mother ever wanted was to see you happy, settled down, and in love, she wanted you to find someone who would look at you like how I look at your mother" picking up a wooden box from the dresser drawer and walking over to the bed.
