Twenty-One
"WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA THIS afternoon?" his mother asked when Seg walked into the kitchen early the next morning.
He shrugged. "Completely up to you. I've got morning skate, but then I thought I'd take you to lunch. Maybe head over to the Oasis since it's supposed to be nice." The restaurant that overlooked Lake Travis was one of his mother's favorites in town. Since Seg didn't do much eating out, he tended to go to places he knew she enjoyed when she was here.
"That sounds perfect." Deb sipped her coffee. "I like Roan."
Well, that was random. Seg pulled his head from the refrigerator and peered over at her. "I'm glad."
"Y'all are cute together."
Seg choked on a laugh. "We're not cute together," he argued.
"But you are." Her grin widened. "But neither one of you is as cute as Liam."
"I won't argue with you there."
She turned to face him. "Did you ever plan to have kids?"
He was shocked by the question, but he knew he shouldn't be. His mother often asked random questions, but this quite possibly could've been the most off-the-wall.
"I hadn't given it much thought. I mean, sure, I wanted them. One day."
"Is that because you thought you were gay?"
Pouring milk into his coffee, Seg cast a quick look at his mother. "No." He put the milk back in the refrigerator and shut the door. "I'm serious when I say that hockey has been the most important thing in my life. Even above relationships."
"Until Roan." Her smile softened.
"Yes." Seg felt a blush creep up his neck. "Until Roan."
"They say when you know, you know."
Whoever "they" were … they were right. Seg had known right from that first look.
"Where did you meet Roan anyway?"
"I told you. At a bar."
His mother's curiosity had increased, it was evident by the way she crossed her legs and rested her arm on the table. "You did mention it." Her grin said she was happy his answer hadn't changed. "Did he approach you? Or vice versa?"
Seg sipped his coffee. "I approached him."
"That makes sense."
Seg's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How do you figure?"
"When the two of you are together … " She smiled again. "It's obvious you've got a good handle on the situation. Although I can tell Roan's into you, I can see a little hesitancy there. Like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Looking away, Seg pretended that didn't hit too close to home. How his mother could get that from Roan in the short time they'd spent together, he didn't know. But it was true. Seg got the sense that Roan always had one foot out the door, ready to throw up those protective walls if necessary. Seg only prayed he never gave Roan a reason to run from him, because the guy's running shoes didn't have much tread left.
"Well, I'm going to shower and then call Marjorie while you go to practice. Then we'll meet back here around one?"
"That's the plan."
Deb got to her feet and walked over to him. Seg watched her, then leaned down when she went on her toes to kiss his cheek. She patted his other and smiled warmly.
"I'm happy for you, honey. I knew one day you'd find what you were looking for."
When she walked out of the room, Seg stared into the empty space behind her, smiling to himself. He had found what he was looking for.
Even if he hadn't known he'd been seeking it.
"HE ROLLED OVER!" MILLY SQUEALED. "Oh, my goodness. Did you see it?" Her eyes widened as she shot Roan a shocked look over her shoulder.
"I saw it."
Her expression sobered. "Has he done that before?"
It was clear Milly wasn't happy that she wasn't the first one to see the milestone, which was kind of amusing. "Only once."
Milly's lip protruded in a pout. "You have to tell me these things from now on."
Laughing, Roan said, "I'll be sure to do that."
Milly's small hand covered her rounded belly and smiled over at AJ. "One of these days, we'll have a little one rolling over, too."
"We will," AJ agreed, smiling at Milly.
Roan had come over to Cam's at his request. Milly had driven out to their house so she could go to the event at the children's home with Gannon, but when she got there, she admitted she wasn't feeling well. Since Gannon needed someone to assist, Cam had offered his services, and Roan had agreed to come chill with Milly. Not long after he and Liam arrived, so did AJ, as well as AJ's brother, Hudson. Teague hadn't been far behind. So, the six of them were having a regular old party right there and the homeowners weren't even present to stop them.