Page 62 of Rookie Season
“Come to my game tonight. If we get back.”
“I work on Christmas.”
“I know. But it would mean a lot to me if you came. You could sit in the team box. Nova and Brooke will be there for sure. Lots of family.”
“Yours?”
He shakes his head. “Not this year. One of my sisters has a new baby, so she’s not traveling. It would mean even more to have someone there for me.”
Damn.
He’s thought about this.
“What if we don’t get back?” I ask.
“Then spend it with me anyway.” His lips tip up. “You might not have much choice, but promise me.”
“Okay, I’ll go to your game.”
“And spend Christmas with me no matter what.”
“Fine! I’ll spend Christmas with you.”
His hand finds my waist, and he tugs me against him. He’s so tall I have to press up onto my toes when he kisses me. My hands creep up his chest, reach for the back of his neck, and settle for his shoulders.
“You’re too tall,” I murmur without lifting my mouth from his.
“You liked it fine last night,” he replies the same way.
By the time we break apart, it’s been minutes. Perfect, blissful minutes.
He pulls away first. “I better go pack. If I don’t leave now, I’m not going to.”
I relent and watch him leave, tossing a grin over his shoulder before he reaches the hallway. My heart flips. My stomach too.
I know what I have to do.
I call and get my dad’s voicemail. “Dad, it’s me. I think I’m going to close the bar tonight.”
“I’ve done it!” Chloe proclaims as she bursts in the front door half an hour later, filling the entire cabin with her voice. “I am a queen. A goddess. All should bow down.”
I’m padding back downstairs and wondering if anyone would notice if Ryan and I disappeared to the loft for a while.
“What happened?” Brooke asks, looking up from where she’s reading a magazine in an overstuffed chair.
“The road is open. SUVs with chains are arriving anytime. We’re getting back in time for the game.”
Cheers go up, Atlas pumping his fists in the air and Miles and Jay high-fiving.
The guys are competitive, and they don’t want to miss their chance to beat LA. Plus, missing the game would disappoint the fans.
“The team will go first, and we’ll follow,” Chloe’s saying.
We pile bags and bins by the door. Taking down the Christmas decorations feels bittersweet.
“I’m kind of bummed we have to take this down,” I confide in Nova.
“I know. But the game will be great. I never used to get playing a sport on Christmas, but it’s pretty fun. You’re coming, right?”
