Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)(136)

“No, Rio, we’re just talking.” Her tone is laced with sarcasm. “I don’t know how to answer that. Yes? It’s not like we’re going to run off and get married tomorrow, but we enjoy each other’s company. At my ripe age of twenty-nine, that’s all that matters. That’s why it’s so important that the person you’re with is your friend.”

“What happened to believing that childhood relationships don’t work out because you grow up and grow apart? You’ve known him since you were a kid. How’s that any different?”

Her expression softens. “Sometimes people can grow together. I was recently reminded of that by my son.”

“Jeez.” I cross over my chest. “Mikey?”

I look in that direction to find him still chatting it up with Ryan and Indy. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always liked him. He’s honest and kind, and I guess that’s all you can really ask for in someone who’s dating your mother.

I exhale a long breath. “Well, does he make you happy?”

A genuine smile curves on her lips, and I note the sparkle in her green eyes. It seems almost foreign because I haven’t seen her look this elated in over six years.

She glances over her shoulder, and when she does, he catches her eye and grins softly at her.

“He does make me happy.”

“He better.”

Chuckling, my mom playfully smacks me in the arm.

“So, I take it that means you’re not moving here.”

She shakes her head no. “Maybe one day, but not right now. Boston is my home, just like Chicago is yours. Regardless of what happened in that house, it is still my house. I grew up there and your nonna grew up there. I want to keep it in our family, and even though you and Hallie don’t see yourselves living there again, that house will be yours one day. I hope you take my grandbabies back there to show them where their parents first fell in love.”

Slipping my arm over her shoulders, I pull her into my side. “We definitely will. That house will always stay in the family, so don’t ever worry about that.”

She pats my back. “But if you really wanted to find a way to get me to move here, you and Hallie girl could get to work on those grandbabies.”

Laughing, I pull her in closer. “We will. Not yet, but one day, we will.”

“Love you, Rio.”

“I love you too, Ma.”

Hallie and Wren exit the house through the back door, arms linked together as they chat about something. Wren’s older brother, Cruz, follows behind, talking to Zee and Stevie.

“Go ahead. We’ll catch up later.” My mom pats my back before taking off to go find my uncle.

Still not fully wrapping my head around the idea of her dating again, I cross the yard to join my friends at the firepit. Ryan and Indy join too, where Kai, Miller, Isaiah, and Kennedy are already hanging out.

“Hey, Cruz.” I put my hand in his. “Good to see you. Glad you could make it.”

I give his sister a hug before standing behind Hallie, crossing my arms over the front of her shoulders and pulling her back to me. The twelve of us circle the firepit, some sitting and some of us standing.

“The house looks amazing,” Cruz says. “But I’ve got to be honest, I am so thankful you didn’t try to sell at the same time as me.”

“Hey!” Hallie playfully cuts in.

“Don’t get me wrong. My house is beautiful and sold for way over the asking price, but this place? You outdid yourself, Hallie.”

She smiles proudly. “Well, thank you very much.”

“When do you hand over the keys?” I ask Wren.

“Tomorrow.” There’s an edge of sadness in her tone, but I know most of her is looking forward to moving home. “Cruz is in town to help me finish packing up the moving truck, and we’ll start the cross-country drive in the morning.”

“I’m going to miss you,” my girl says.

Wren’s expression turns a bit sorrowful as she looks at her former roommate. “I’m going to miss you too. You’ll come visit though, right?”

“Definitely. Rio and I are already looking for a good time that’ll work with his hockey schedule.”

“You’re welcome anytime,” Cruz cuts in. “You’re never going to get bad weather, regardless of the time of year. And our family’s property is pretty spacious. There’s plenty of room for you to stay.”

“You mean, for all of us to stay?” Ryan asks.

There’s a collective laugh among the group, though Cruz and Wren don’t pick up on it. And why would they? Who would expect Ryan fucking Shay to be a fanboy, but we’ve quickly come to learn that he’s a huge fan of the Wilder brothers.

“Absolutely,” Cruz says. “I’m pretty sure my brothers would freak the fuck out if Ryan Shay came to visit.”

“Let alone the whole town,” Wren adds.

Kennedy cuts in. “How close are you to San Francisco?”

“Not too far, but far enough that it doesn’t feel anything like a big city,” Wren explains.

“We live in a pretty small town,” Cruz adds. “But our family’s land is large enough that we each have our own slice of it. Soon, all four of us have our own homes there, but my brothers and I each have our own place in the city too so we don’t have to commute every day while we’re in season.”