Page 39 of That Thing You Brew
It was going to be epic. I wanted to wow the crowd and the viewers but most of all, Penny.
After All-Star Weekend, it would be full speed ahead with games and wedding prep. My parents still refused to come, but I was hoping after meeting Penny, they’d like her and see how good we were together and change their minds.
Still, whether they were there or not when we said “I do,” I was getting married in three weeks.
Three weeks!
I was falling hard and fast, and if I didn’t catch myself soon, we’d be way ahead of our timeline. I didn’t want to pressure Penny into anything she wasn’t ready for.
* * *
“Welcome to Seattle,”I whispered into Penny’s ear. She was finally in my arms after we spent the last two days apart. I’d traveled with Jason, Bailey, and the team staff via charter plane and spent the last day and a half in interviews and traipsing all around Seattle for the player spotlight, plus all-star media shenanigans at the arena. Waiting for Penny to arrive this morning had been torture. “Your harp is safe at my parents’ house,” I added for good measure.
“Thanks.” She stepped out of the hug and peered over my shoulder. “You must be Daniella?”
Right.My sister had driven me to the airport to pick up Penny. I grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, Dani. I forgot you were here.” I rubbed at the back of my neck and hoped my expression was appropriately apologetic.
Daniella smirked. “You’ve got it bad, bro. It’s wonderful to meet you, Penny.” Her long, shiny black hair caught the sunlight streaming in through the windows on this unusually sunny day in the Emerald City. Or as I liked to call it, “Rain City.” That nickname wasn’t as popular, but it definitely seemed more accurate. I loved living in Colorado and found it amusing that Colorado had more sunny days per year than Florida did.
“I’m a big … fan of yours,” Penny said to my sister, taking only a short pause to get her words out. I felt my grin widen at her perfect sentence and at the revelation she knew who my sister was, aside from being related to me. “I love the way you transitioned from solo skating to pairs. You’re even more beautiful to watch in the air.”
Penny followed Daniella’s ice skating? How did I not know this? And—two long, complete sentences, easy and natural.
Pretending I was my sister at our last “lesson” must have worked. Had it been the black towel I’d worn as a makeshift wig? Was Penny picturing that now?
It amazed and inspired me how far she’d come in such a short amount of time when years of professional expertise, intervention, and therapy had failed.
“Thanks.” Daniella blushed. My hard-as-nails cynical-yet-sweet sisterblushed.
Now I’d seen everything.
I shouldn’t have worried about Penny fitting in with my family. If she had Daniella’s approval, my little sisters would love her, too. I was sure it was only a matter of time before my parents came around.
I wouldn’t hide my affection while Penny was here. I wanted them to see with their own eyes how serious I was about making this work long-term.
And how serious I was about Penny.
If they still disapproved by the end of the weekend, then I’d call them out on their hypocrisy.
I retrieved Penny’s suitcase from the baggage carousel and followed them to Daniella’s car. I’d brought something for Penny, just in case the timing presented itself while we were here.
Now seemed like a good time.
I loaded the suitcase and Penny’s carry-on into the trunk and raced around her to open the passenger-side door, catching Daniella’s approving eyebrow lift over the top of the vehicle. My sister was almost six feet tall herself, which was unusual for a figure skater, but everyone in my mother’s family was tall. We’d started off as a pair, Dani and I, and when I quit skating for hockey, there were no boys our age tall enough to skate with her. Sometimes, I still thought she harbored a bit of resentment for being forced to go solo.
Last year, she’d found a partner over six feet tall, and he’d moved to Seattle to train with her. Decent guy. I’d met him over the summer and watched them practice together yesterday when I showed up at the rink with Bailey and the Edge’s video crew. They’d gotten a kick out of me in figure skates, trying to perform some of the jumps and spins that had come so easily when I was younger, lighter, and shorter. It was going to make great content and broadcast viewing. I was a bit of a shy guy and tended to avoid our social media manager, so the Edge fans would get to see more of my personality in the filmed special.
And they had definitely gotten a heavy dose of it yesterday. My parents had brought Karina and Edyta to the rink, and within minutes, they were giving the Edge staff skating lessons.
I folded myself into the back seat of Daniella’s SUV. You’d think they’d make more leg room in the second row of these things.
As if reading my mind, Penny turned around in the passenger seat. “There’s more room up here. Wanna switch?”
So thoughtful.I shook my head. “Nah. You need a front-row seat to the awesomeness that is Seattle.” I caught Daniella’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Can we stop at Kerry Park? The view of the skyline on a sunny day is a must-see.”
“Of course.” Daniella’s eyes narrowed, understanding the veiled request we’d discussed earlier. The park wasn’t on the way to our family home in Bellevue, but Penny wouldn’t know that, would she? “And the arena afterward?”
Ah, nice.Quick thinking, sis.The arena was only a few minutes from the park, so we could pull this off as a bit of a tour. My parents weren’t expecting us until lunch.
