I reached over and cupped her face. “And I’m not much help.”
“You’re amazing, Kershaw.”
“And you’re a terrible liar, Elle-oh-Elle.” I kissed her softly, hoping to ease away her worries. “You’re thinking this should be the year I call it.”
“No, not at all. As long as you love playing and your body holds up, then why not keep at it? And the team needs you.”
“Don’t know about that. I kind of hoped Hatch would be starting with me in, oh—” I checked my watch, a gift from the twins for my last birthday. “—two and a half years.” My eldest had already been drafted by LA. Of course, he could hold out for free agency and maybe get a contract with the Rebels. And I could hold on a couple more years and fulfill the dream of playing with my kid in the league, or even on the same team. Now, that would have the pundits talking.
But it was a long shot.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked.
“Just looking forward to a few days with the people I love most in the world.”
“Your teammates?”
“Har-dee-har-har.” Another kiss, this time not so soft. Damn, she felt good and smelled amazing and as my hand coasted over those curves and cupped her ass, I dreamily entertained the idea of no more six a.m. practices and eating whatever I wanted and sleeping in with my lady all the time.
“Are you seriously feeling me up in a parked car, Kershaw?”
“You got a problem with that?”
“Not at all. Just checking.”
Someone knocked on the window, making us jump. Levi Hunt stood hunched outside like a Christmas gnome (asshole was too cranky to be an elf), a crooked grin on his face.
Reluctantly, I lowered the window.
“Would’ve thought you were too old for that, Superglutes.”
“You might be, GG. Not me.” I grinned at my former teammate’s wife over Hunt’s shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Jordan. Or is it happy holidays?”
“It’s whatever you want it to be, Theo.” Her smile faltered a little as she locked gazes with Elle. “You okay?”
“Fine!” What was that? Before I could question it, she was out of the car, signifying the necking sesh was at an end.
First task of the evening: seek out the mistletoe.
Four
Adeline
“You knowsmoking isn’t as cool as you think it is.”
I squinted at my friend, Esme, who was tapping the pen thingy and frowning.
“It’s not smoking, it’s vaping, and I don’t have any intention of using it. I confiscated it from Jerryn.”
Jerryn was Esme’s fourteen-year-old brother, who should definitely not be indulging in those kinds of vices.
“Such a rascal.” My other friend, Rosie, laughed and took a sip from a hip flask. When did my friends become so …coolwasn’t the word, but whatever it was, it was something I was not.
Though a nip of whatever was in the flask might flush some warmth through my veins. I pulled the lapels of my coat tighter and huddled closer to the wall outside the Chase Manor’s kitchen door.
Mind reader extraordinaire Rosie offered me the flask. “Maybe it’ll loosen you up.”
“Is that what I need?”