Power Play (Nashville Assassins: Next Generation Book 2) Read online

  I smile, thinking that’s cute, but by the way my mom is looking at her, she doesn’t think so.

  “How nice.”

  Her gaze moves to me, and I glare back, to which she looks away quickly. “I named Boon, Boon, because it means blessing. I knew that, no matter what, I was blessed to have him.”

  Posey smiles curtly. “Yeah, I wish that were the case for me. Alas, I’m named after a doll my mom pulled out of a cabbage patch.”

  I chuckle lightly, moving my hand along her shoulders, squeezing her neck.

  “I like my name, though,” she says, meeting my gaze, and I nod.

  “I love it,” I admit, and her eyes light up. I want to say the nerves fly away, but that leg is still bouncing. She’s getting one hell of a calf workout for sure.

  I look back at my mom and see how she is scrutinizing us. “So, with your mom as the owner of the Assassins, did she just give you the job? Or did you finish college?”

  I’m legit confused right now. Posey swallows hard and I want to stop her from answering, but she doesn’t seem affected by my mother. “I did finish college but decided not to pursue a career in my major since I was offered this job. I’ve been running plays for the Assassins for a couple years now, and our head coach of special teams thought I would be a good fit on a more official basis.”

  “Oh, so your mother didn’t hire you?”

  “Well, it was ultimately her decision, but the head coach suggested it.”

  “Interesting.”

  I can only blink, and when Posey looks at me, an expression of pure panic in her eyes, I shake my head. It’s fine, I mouth, but she doesn’t look convinced.

  I’m not either.

  Back and forth, they go, my mom grilling her as Posey answers. It continues throughout the appetizers, and if my looks could kill, my mom would be in trouble. I don’t understand what is going on here. I don’t know why she is treating Posey like this. I didn’t do this to Wilbur! My girl, though, she’s a champ, answering with nothing but respect. I can tell she is totally anxious, but she won’t back down.

  “Mom, you good?” I ask once dinner is served.

  I feel Posey’s gaze on my face as my mom meets my gaze. “Of course, sweetheart. Why?”

  My eyes burn into hers, and I look toward Wilbur, who is more into his meatloaf than he is this conversation. “Just making sure.”

  “I’m fine, honey,” she says as Posey’s phone sounds. She rushes to put it on silent and then brings her brows in. “I hate when people have cell phones at dinner.”

  I gawk at my mom. “Seriously?”

  Posey pushes back from the table. “I’m so sorry. Excuse me.” She answers the phone and gets up, heading toward the lobby, and I direct my gaze to my mom.

  “What the hell is your problem?”

  Mom shakes her head, laying down her fork and setting me with a look. “My problem is that girl is not for you.”

  My jaw actually drops. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “For one, she’s what? Ten?”

  I glare. “Not that her age matters, but you know she’s twenty-one. You asked her!”

  “I don’t care,” she whisper-scolds. “She doesn’t even look like your type. When did you get into thicker girls?”

  “Wow. What the ever-loving fuck? Have you looked at Wilbur?” He doesn’t even look up; he just continues to eat. “That is not okay. She’s fucking perfect.”

  But my mom actually shakes her head. “I don’t get it, Boon. I thought Julia was swimming in money, but Posey gives her a run for her money. She comes in here in shoes that cost more than my car payment!”

  I blink. “What in the world are you talking about?”

  “Her family, Boon. They’re crazy rich. The owner of a hockey team? A Hall of Famer? Her sister was on Broadway? Honey, why can’t you stay in your lane? Do we not remember how things played out with Julia?”

  I run my hand down my face, completely and utterly flabbergasted. “This isn’t happening.”

  “Do you think they’re gonna accept you? Julia’s family barely did, but I don’t think this one will. You are an employee, not husband material for their child. And I love you, baby, you know I do, but I can’t let you get hurt again.”

  I’ve never experienced the kind of anger that is coursing through my bloodstream right now. All the insecurities I have when it comes to my relationship with Posey are being thrown in my face, and I almost don’t know how to handle it.

  “Boon, it’s obvious you care for her way more than she does you. She doesn’t even look at you. She just sits there, rigid. You made her out to be funny and fun, but she has hardly talked—”

  Okay. Talk about me all you want, but not Posey.

  “Because you’ve been grilling the hell out of her!” I yell, and I don’t care who hears me. “That’s unfair. The moment she said what her parents did, you decided she wasn’t for me. She was nervous as hell to meet you, and you—”

  My words drop off when Posey comes up beside my mother, her phone down at her side. Mom looks up at her, and Posey takes a deep breath. “I’m so sorry for taking that call. One of the questions you missed was about my health. I have a thyroid disease, and that was my pharmacy with news they couldn’t fill my prescription, so I had to deal with that immediately.”

  Mom seems caught off guard. “Oh, it’s fine.”

  But it’s isn’t fine. Posey’s eyes are dark and focused on my mother. “And while my parents haven’t met Boon as my boyfriend, they will absolutely adore him because he is a good man,” she says, her shoulders back, and I want to scream out in victory. “They don’t care about money or social standing. This isn’t the 1920s. They care about how he treats me. And he treats me like the queen I am.”

  There’s my girl.

  My mom is speechless as she looks away. “With our experience—”

  “I am not Julia. Boon knows that, and I thought you would give me the benefit of the doubt to realize I’m not either.”

  Mom presses her lips together, her eyes cutting back to Posey’s. “You can understand my worries.”

  She shrugs. “Sure, but I would hope you’d give me a chance before you cast judgment,” she says simply. “Yes, I’m not showing my feelings for Boon all out in the open like he does with me. He’s comfortable with you. I am not. You have no clue what I feel for him because I haven’t shown you. I shouldn’t have to, in all honesty, because as long as he is happy, then what is the issue?”

  A silence falls over the table, and my mom scoots her chair back, standing up so that she isn’t being looked down on. I stand up with them, just as she says, “I don’t like your tone, missy.”

  “My name is Posey,” she says sternly. “And I apologize for my tone. I hadn’t realized I had one, but I don’t like my relationship with Boon being questioned. I have never in my life met anyone like him. No one has ever touched my soul the way he does. He makes me feel like I am the only person in the world he wants to see, touch, and talk to, and that is something I’m not willing to allow anyone to doubt. You can doubt me all you want, but my feelings for Boon, you are not allowed to touch.”

  “I can and I will if I feel you don’t feel for—”

  “I love him,” she says very firmly. Holy shit, did Posey just say that? Everything inside me explodes, and my heart screams for her. My body tingles, and I wish she’d look at me. I’d tell her I feel the exact same and wrap her in my arms, but she keeps her eyes on my mother.

  “I love him more than I love myself most days, and I would never hurt him. I have the bar set crazy high for my romantic expectations, given how much my parents love each other, and Boon exceeds them. I push him to be a better player, and he pushes me to be a better coach. We challenge each other, but we love even harder. My day doesn’t start if I don’t speak with him. You can think what you want about me, but as long as he loves me and wants to be with me, I will be with him.” She’s holding her breath as she turns, walking around the table to where her bag is