Page 154 of Tangled with the Tight End

“Yeah. Okay.” She smiles over at me. “I guess seeing your parents made me realize what’s coming.”

“I hope you’ll still give us a chance.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she says. “And, you did stand up for Geese Witherspoon.”

“Geese stands up for herself,” I say playfully. “She doesn’t need me to defend her.”

“I think she liked having a man like you defend her honor.”

“No one puts Geese in a corner,” I say, striking a dance pose with my arms.

Winona laughs. “Dirty Dancing?”

“The goose version.”

Winona cracks up, her laughter filling the car and my chest.

“This needs to be made into a major motion picture!” she exclaims. “I would watch the heck out of that!”

Chapter 24

Winona

A dream is a wish your heart makes.

~ Walt Disney

“So, how was the birthday party?” Cass asks.

She had a work function last night, and I had Winona for Hire things this morning, so we haven’t talked since yesterday.

We’re driving to Declan’s for a football watch party. At least that’s what I’m calling it. He said it’s just people coming over to watch the game. But he included my sister and his brother and Daisy. Maeve, Walker and the girls might come by at halftime. I say that’s a party.

“It was fine,” I say.

“Fine?” She raises her brows. “Nothing is ever fine with you, Winona. It’s either great or amazing or wonderful … some superlative.”

She’s not wrong.

“What happened?”

“His parents aren’t fans.”

“Of yours?”

“Yep.”

“So they don’t love the idea of you and Declan.”

“That would be still up for grabs.”

“What did they say?”

“They didn’t say anything. We’re not telling them we’re dating yet.”

I proceed to tell Cass how Declan thinks it’s best to keep the news of our relationship hidden from his parents until a more optimal time.

“He’s not ashamed of me,” I assure her. “He’s just strategizing. His parents are pretty invested in his image.”