Page 57 of Slap Shot Surprise
I laughed, remembering what Joe had told me about his mom. “No, thank you.”
“Glass of wine?” his father asked. “Cold beer? Sparkling water?”
“Water would be nice,” I said.
“Joe?”
“Nothing for me, thanks. Did we interrupt your dinner?”
“No, we ate a little early tonight.”
Coco brought me a chilled bottle of Pellegrino. “Here you are, darling.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, meeting her eyes, which looked full of hope. I wondered if she thought I was Joe’s new girlfriend.
“So, Mom, Dad, do you have a few minutes?” Joe asked, the worried look back on his face. “We’d like to talk to you.”
“Of course. Why don’t we go sit down?” Coco led the way past the large kitchen island to a plump, L-shaped sectional in front of a stone fireplace. She gestured toward one end of the couch, and I sat down. Joe lowered himself to my side, and his parents sat on the adjacent section.
“So,” Joe began, wiping his hands on the knees of his light brown pants. “We’ve got something to tell you.”
Nick suddenly appeared uneasy, but Coco smiled at us. “Yes?”
“Mabel is pregnant.”
Nick cleared his throat. “Does that mean what I think it means?” he asked his son.
“Yes,” Joe said, color rising in his face. “I’m the father.”
“Oh.” The smile faded from Coco’s face and she put her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, my. This is—this is a surprise.”
“For us too,” I said, attempting a laugh that quickly died out.
“I’m a little confused. Is this—is this the Mabel you just met at the wedding?” Joe’s mom asked him. “The one you mentioned at dinner afterward?”
“Yes,” he said.
I stared at him in disbelief. He’d mentioned me to his parents?
Nick tipped his head into his hand and rubbed his temples with a thumb and forefinger.
Joe seemed lost for words, so I decided to step in.
“Actually, we met because we sat next to each other on the flight here from Chicago,” I said. “We had to fly through a thunderstorm, and I was terrified. Joe held my hand and kept me calm.”
“That’s very sweet,” said Coco distractedly, looking at her son. “So then you invited her to the wedding?”
“No, that was a coincidence.” Joe glanced at me. “She was a guest, and we recognized each other.”
“Mabel, do you live in Chicago?” Nick asked.
I shook my head. “I live in Cherry Tree Harbor. About an hour and a half from here.”
“I see.” He regarded his son. “So how is this going to work?”
“Mabel would like to raise the baby in her hometown, where she has friends and family to support her.”
Nick folded his arms over his chest. “And what about you? Why aren’t you supporting her?”
