Page 106 of Offside for Christmas
Ellie touched it self-consciously. "Yeah. He gave it to me this morning."
Caroline Winters' eyes immediately filled with tears. "That's so sweet. He's coming tonight, right? For our Christmas dinner?"
"Yes, Mom. He's coming."
"Good. I made extra everything." Her mother pulled her into a hug that smelled like vanilla and home. "Your father wants to have a proper talk with him. You know, about his intentions."
"Mom—"
"I'm not interrogating!" her father's voice called from the back. "I'm... inquiring. There's a difference."
"Dad, please don't scare him off," Ellie called back.
Thomas Winters emerged from the kitchen, covered in flour, carrying a tray of gingerbread houses. "If he scares easily, he's not the right man for my daughter."
"Oh, he's definitely the right man," Amber said, bursting through the front door with shopping bags and a grin. "Have you seen him? The arms alone—"
"Amber!" Ellie felt her face heat.
"What? I'm just appreciating the view you get to wake up to." Amber set down her bags and grabbed a cookie. "Also, hi, family. Merry Winters Christmas! I bought too many presents again."
"Amber, behave," Caroline said, but she was smiling. "Ellie, help me with the cookie decorating. We need at least another dozen for tonight."
Decorating cookies with her mother had been a Winters Christmas day tradition since Ellie was old enough to hold a piping bag. They worked in comfortable silence for a while, Caroline humming along to the radio, Ellie focusing on making perfect snowflakes on sugar cookies.
Amber joined them after a few minutes, her usual snark replaced by something more thoughtful.
"So," her sister said, piping red frosting onto a tree-shaped cookie. "You're really in love with him?"
Ellie glanced at their mother, who was pretending not to listen while very obviously listening.
"Yeah. I am."
"And he's staying? Like, for real staying? Not just until something better comes along?"
"He turned down the NHL for me." Ellie still couldn't quite believe it when she said it out loud.
Amber whistled low. "Damn. That's... that's serious."
"I know." Ellie set down her piping bag. "It terrifies me."
"He’s the one who should be scared. If he hurts you, I'll key his truck."
Ellie laughed despite herself. "That's... sweet? In a criminal way."
"I'm a complicated person." Amber returned to her cookie decorating. "Oh, and I rigged Secret Santa so he'd get your name. You're welcome."
"Amber!"
"What? Someone had to make sure you got a good present."
By the time evening arrived, the Winters house looked like Christmas had exploded inside it.
Garland wrapped around every railing. Lights twinkled from every window. The tree—a real one, because her father insisted—took up half the living room, decorated with ornaments collected over thirty years of marriage and family. The dining table was extended to its full length, set for twenty people with her mother's good china.
The doorbell started ringing at five PM. Aunts, uncles, cousins. The house filled with noise and laughter and the particular chaos that came with a large family gathering.
Ellie was in the kitchen helping her mother with last-minute dinner prep when the doorbell rang again at six.
