Chapter 10
TEN
Rain
I couldn’t believe I’d gotten Brian to agree to the bet so easily.
I mean, I’d gotten exactly what I wanted, which was dinner with him. But the fact that he’d agreed so fast made my heart race. And I couldn’t stop smiling and staring into his eyes like some lovestruck idiot.
Enough of that.
Breaking the mesmerizing hold of his gaze, I stood.
“Just let me clean up this stuff,” I said as I gathered the plates and bowls from dinner, “and we can watch the game.”
“I’ll give you a hand.”
I waved him off, needing a few minutes to get my hormones under control.
“Why don’t you go find the game and sit down. You want something else to drink?”
“Sure, just some water. Thanks.”
It took me two minutes to get the table cleaned off, and when I came back out, I saw the game on the TV in the front corner of the room and Brian rearranging the covers over the girls. They’d built their pillow fort in front of the fireplace along the side wall, which left the couch in front of the TV open.
Brian had closed the doors to the fireplace, as the logs were basically ash, and turned off the only lights in the room, I assume because they were on the tables closest to the girls. But that left only the TV and the faint glow from the kitchen. It made the room seem way more romantic than it should.
Get a grip.
There were still two girls in the room. Romance was probably far from Brian’s mind, anyway.
I handed Brian his glass of water as he sat on one end of the couch, and I set my glass on the side table as I sank onto the other end. My couch was an L-shaped sectional, which allowed Brian to stretch out his long legs. He looked completely relaxed, one arm behind his head as he watched the game.
“Not looking good for your guys tonight,” Brian said as the second period ended. He’d sunk even deeper into the cushions, practically lying full out. I’d lain on my side, head on a pillow that was nearly touching his leg. Only inches separated us, and it took all my self-control not to scoot even closer.
“They could still come back.” Though the 6-2 score in favor of Calgary didn’t bode well. A yawn caught me off guard, and I lifted a hand to cover my mouth.
“I guess miracles do happen.” Amusement laced his voice. “Damn, this couch is comfortable. Don’t let me fall asleep, okay?”
I made a noncommittal noise because, honestly, I didn’t think he should drive home. And yeah, my couch was comfortable and long enough to accommodate his body.
“I like your house.”
Smiling because he sounded completely relaxed, I said, “Thanks. I bought it from an older lady who moved to a retirement community after her husband died. They were season ticket holders since the beginning. She still is. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. Before her husband died, I told them I’d buy it if they ever decided they wanted to sell. Harry died about five months after that, and Kathy decided she didn’t want to live here without him. They were so close. They did everything together. And then he was just gone. Massive heart attack.”
I still got sad thinking about it. Next to me, I felt Brian shift just before his hand gripped my shoulder. The warmth of it felt like a drug seeping into my blood. Every muscle in my body went liquid, and I stilled, not wanting him to move.
“Sounds like you knew them well.”
“I did. They were the sweetest people. And Harry loved the Devils.”
“So you had a lot in common.”
Did he think I was sweet? Or just that I loved my team?
Great, something new to obsess over.
“They were members of the booster squad, and Kathy would make gingerbread cookies of the players every year.”
“Wait, I think I remember them. She gave them to the team. Small-town hockey. Can’t beat it.”
I sighed, the idea that we could screw up our team by moving to the ECHL pushing its way back into my brain. I’d managed not to let it take up space there for a few hours, but now it was back.
“You’re worried about switching leagues.”
His quiet voice made my breath hitch. I told myself it was because of the decision we would have to make about the team, but some of it was definitely just the thrill I got every time he spoke to me.
“Yeah, I am.”
“You know it’s okay to not want things to change.”
“But isn’t that just being stagnant?”
“Why fix what ain’t broke?”
“But what if we turn down a really great opportunity?”
“If the league wants you that badly, they’ll wait for you.”
We fell silent for a few seconds as I let those words roll around my head a little.
Then he said, “Anything worth having is worth waiting for.”
My breath caught in my throat. It almost sounded like he wasn’t talking about hockey now. Could he possibly be talking about me?
We hadn’t said a word about the incident between him and my ex. The incident where he punched out the asshole who had been a dick to me. It’s almost like it’d never happened.
But it had, and right now, it was sticking in my brain. What should I say? Should I say anything? If I said the wrong thing, it’d be so completely awkward, and I didn’t want it to be awkward between us. This was nice. Friends talking.
But wouldn’t it be so much better if you were more than friends and there was kissing?
Yes. Yes, it would.
“Brian?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Okay, now what, smart girl?
I didn’t have a clue what to say next. My tongue was tied. For the next few minutes, there was silence. The TV volume was barely audible because we hadn’t wanted to wake the girls and then I realized Brian’s breathing had become rhythmic and deep.
Lifting myself onto one elbow, I turned to look at him.
Sound asleep. His head was turned a little away from me, but I could see his eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted, his chest rising and falling slowly. I couldn’t look away. He just looked so damn…handsome. I wanted to run a finger along his lips. I wanted to lean over and press my lips against his, then curl up against his side and fall asleep, warm and cozy.
Instead, I got up as slowly as I could, not wanting to wake him or the girls. Reaching for the crocheted blanket on top of the sofa, I laid it over him as gently as I could.
Unfortunately, that meant covering up the slightest bit of skin I could see where his shirt had ridden up from the waistband of his track pants. I had the insane urge to run my fingers along that exposed skin.
You have seriously got to stop.
Sighing, I crossed my arms over my chest and considered my options.
Then I did the only thing that made any sense. I got my own blanket from another chair and lay back down on the couch, watching the Leafs come back to within one goal before losing. Then I put on the sleep music channel and closed my eyes.
I woke to whispers I couldn’t quite hear. Muted giggles. Then the low rumble of a male voice.
My eyes flew open, my heart racing. For a split second, I didn’t know where I was.
Then last night came back in a flood of images. The girls asleep on the floor. Brian asleep on the couch. And a bet on a hockey game, that no matter who won, I was going to dinner with Brian.
Sitting up, I realized I was the only one in the room. The giggles and whispers seemed to be coming from my kitchen. And I probably looked like a hot mess.
Glancing toward the kitchen at the back of the house, I caught a glimpse of Maddy leaning against the counter, but I couldn’t see anyone else. I snuck off the couch and tiptoed up the stairs to the bathroom, so I could at least make sure I didn’t look like a homeless person and swish some mouthwash so I didn’t offend anyone with my morning breath.
Back downstairs, I walked into the kitchen to find both girls clustered around Brian at the cooktop in the island, dropping chocolate chips on pancakes.
“Rainy, look what Brian made.” Krista grinned as she bounced up and down, pointing at the skillet, her hair a halo of curls around her head. “Hockey player pancakes.”
Brian looked up and caught my gaze with a grin of his own.
“Hope you don’t mind. Girls were hungry and you were out cold. We thought we’d let you sleep.”
“I don’t mind at all, unless you’re not going to feed me. Then we have a problem.”
“I think Uncle Brian made enough for the entire team.” Maddy rolled her eyes but her curved lips gave away a smile.
“Hey, I’m hungry,” He sounded offended. “Don’t worry, they won’t go to waste.”
“Did you find everything you needed?”
Brian’s mouth quirked. “Apparently, someone else has made pancakes in your kitchen before.”
“I knew where everything was, Rainy.”
Krista’s smile radiated joy.
“The girls have been a big help,” he said. “So all you have to do is sit and eat.”
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. “Let me just make some coffee and anyone want hot chocolate? Or chocolate milk?”
Maddy’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, I’ll have some of that.” Then she seemed to think twice as she looked at Brian, as if he had to agree. “Please.”
Brian just smiled and said, “I’ll have one of those too.”
Behind me, I heard Krista telling Maddy where to find the right glasses and telling everyone she’d get the forks, because I didn’t put them in the right spot and only she’d be able to find them.
I bit back a laugh because she wasn’t wrong. The utensils weren’t in any of the drawers. They were in a pullout bin in the cabinet next to the dishwasher because it was easier just to throw them in there after they’d been washed.
My laughter hitched to a stop when Brian leaned closer and said, “That little girl’ll be running the team in no time.”
He was close enough that I could smell the lingering scent of clean soap and the warmth of his skin.
“She’s so damn cute, no one can tell her no, so she pretty much gets away with anything. She’s a character.”
Maddy smiled as she let Krista order her around, following the other girl’s directions, and soon we all had plates of pancakes and glasses of chocolate milk that I made with Hershey’s Syrup, and coffee for me because if I didn’t have my coffee… Well, no one wanted that.
When Krista asked if she and Maddy could watch cartoons while they ate, I said of course and the girls made a beeline for the front room, leaving Brian and me alone and staring at each other across the island.
“Sorry for falling asleep last night,” he said. “Totally didn’t mean for that to happen.”
Nodding my head toward the small table in front of the window that looked out on the back yard, we sat and started on the mountain of pancakes Brian had made. Some had chocolate chips. Some had blueberries. I hadn’t even known I had blueberries. Must have been in the freezer.
“No problem. I’m sorry you had to sleep on my couch, though.”
“Honestly, that couch is pretty damn comfortable. Beats the one in our apartment, though it’s not that bad. I’m just sorry we’re interrupting your morning.”
“Brian, you’re not interrupting anything.”
“So no big plans today?”
“Nope, just going over to the café to talk to Erin about some plans. I’ll probably take Krista with me. She loves to help stock the pastry case and talk to everyone who comes in.”
“That girl just loves to talk. Reminds me of someone.”
I laughed, because I knew exactly who he was talking about. “Yeah, with her and Rowdy in the same room, you can’t get a word in edgewise. You’d think he raised her.”
“He and Tressy make a good couple.”
“Yeah, they do. The perfect little family.” I paused because I didn’t want that to seem bitchy. “And I mean that sincerely.”
Brian huffed out a laugh between bites. “I know what you mean. He got lucky. Tressy and Krista are great.”
“They are. And I love that they’re so happy. Sometimes, it just points out the, um, deficits in my own life.”
“So…you’re not seeing anyone?”
He held my gaze, waiting for my answer.
I shook my head. “No. Been too busy lately to even care about dating. What about you?”
“Hadn’t found the right girl.”
Did he say “hadn’t” or “haven’t”? The two held very different meanings in the context of this conversation, and my brain began to spin in circles. But if the way he was looking at me was any indication, “hadn’t” was definitely the word he’d used. Because he stared at me with an intensity that made heat skitter through my body.
I knew I should say something, let him know that I would date him in a heartbeat. That I would’ve dated him if he’d stuck around last year. That I’d be open to a hell of a lot more than just dating, including but not limited to kissing, touching, and definitely?—
“Uncle Brian, we need more pancakes.”
And the bubble we’d been in popped when Brian turned to smile at Maddy.
“Good thing I always make too many.”
Then he reached for the door to the wall oven and pulled out another plate of stacked pancakes.
“Thanks, Uncle Bri,” Maddy called over her shoulder as she made off with the plate.
“How was she last night?” he asked, still staring at the door, though Maddy had disappeared.
“She seemed to have a good time. Though she did get tense when you took that hit and got in that fight.”
He sighed heavily. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.”
“But she seemed fine the rest of the night. I actually caught her cheering a few times.”
“She seems to be fitting in. She’s made it seem almost weirdly easy. And that worries me. Because I don’t like that it’s so easy for her. Like she does it all the time. Hell, I don’t know what the hell I’m trying to say.”
“No, I get it. Most kids would be nervous in a new school, new environment. It’s probably just how she copes with a new situation.”
“So you don’t think I should be worried?”
“I think you should talk to her about it. Ask her how she’s doing.”
“I’ve tried. She just says she’s fine and changes the subject.”
“I think you just need to be there for her when she wants to talk. I?—”
“Hey, Rainy—Krista! How’s it going, kid? And you’re Maddy, right? Brian’s niece? I’m Rebel. Rain’s brother.”
I looked at Brian as we realized at the same time that my next eldest brother was about to be a problem.
I still didn’t know what had happened between Brian and Rebel. Neither of them had ever talked to me about their cold war. Maybe I didn’t want to know. But Rebel was about to realize Brian had spent the night. And he was gonna be pissed. Not that he had any right to be, but if Rebel wasn’t grumpy about something, he was either asleep or buzzed. And even when he was buzzed, he was pissy.
So him finding Brian here this early… Yeah, not gonna go well.
Then again, maybe he’d behave himself with the girls here.
Of course, no one could resist Krista’s charm and when Rebel appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, he had Krista on his back, her arms around his neck. Kids loved Rebel. Maybe because he still acted like one most of the time, even though he was twenty-eight.
He took one look at Brian then turned to me and said, “We need to talk.”
I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. I can be just as pissy when I need to be.
“Actually, I can’t think of a single thing we need to talk about right now. As you can see, I’m busy.”
Rebel’s jaw tightened, and I knew he wanted to order me around, like he had when we were kids. Back then, I’d idolized my older brothers and had trailed them like a puppy. Until hockey took over their lives, and Rocky, my youngest brother, and I had been left to our own devices.
Rebel looked like he was grinding his back teeth into dust while he decided what he would say with two children in the vicinity.
Turns out, there wasn’t really anything he could say, which made my smile widen.
“You want some pancakes?” I asked, all innocence. “Brian’s are great.”
Okay, maybe I was being a little bit of a brat, rubbing it in Rebel’s face, but goddammit, I didn’t want my brother to ruin my morning. And right now, he was totally bringing down the mood.
Then I saw Maddy glance between Brian and Rebel, saw the slight stiffening of her shoulders. And I’d had enough.
“But I’m pretty sure you already ate, didn’t you, Reb?” I looked at Maddy and rolled my eyes, trying to lighten the mood a little. “He’s kind of anal about his feeding habits.”
Then I looked back at Rebel and arched my eyebrows, making sure Rebel knew exactly what I was telling him without actually saying words. He should get his pissy mood out of my house, like now.
His brows rose in surprise, like he hadn’t expected me to stand up to him. I had no idea what was going on with him, but damn it, he needed an attitude adjustment, and it was coming soon. Just not now with the girls here. Especially Maddy, who was sensitive enough to be picking up the vibes.
And then, because my brother wasn’t always a complete asshole, he realized why I was disinviting him from visiting this morning. I saw him glance at Maddy and grimace. My mom had not raised any of us to be insensitive, and Rebel, though he had a thicker skull than the rest of us, almost always realized when he needed to cut and run.
“Uh, yeah, I did. But thanks for the invite.” He turned his rare smile on Krista then made sure to include Maddy, because he wasn’t a complete Neanderthal. “I can’t stay anyway. Just thought I’d stop to talk.”
No, he’d seen a strange car in my driveway, and he was nosy, or he’d recognized that car as Brian’s, and he’d wanted to read me the riot act. Either way, he was being a dick and totally invasive. And I was totally going to rake his ass over the coals. Later.
“Then I guess I’ll see you at the arena later tonight. Okay bye.”
Yes, I sounded like a complete brat, but no younger sister with two or more older brothers would convict me in a court of law.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Brian’s mouth twitch, like he was trying to squash a smile. So I gave Rebel the Frenchie smile, the one she gives to Sandy during “Summer Nights.” Which reminded me that if I was going to open a bookstore with Erin, we would need to include “Grease” in the store playlist.
Rebel rolled his eyes and sighed long and hard, but turned toward the door, Krista still clinging to his back.
“Talk to you later, Rainy.” Then he nailed Brian with a look. “See you on the ice.”
I huffed out a sigh as he walked to the front door, Krista chatting away.
“We should probably be going too,” Brian said when we heard the front door close. “Game tonight.”
He said that like it answered every question I might have about why he was leaving. And yeah, I got it. Players had their pregame routines. Eating schedules, naps, rituals. So many rituals. Even though our league and our players were a little…unconventional, they still had their rituals.
“I’d be happy to keep Maddy. If she wants to stay. I could drop her by your place later. I’ve got some things I have to do, and I planned to take Krista too.”
I saw him working through the pros and cons. Saw the hesitation, saw him look at Maddy, who just happened to look over at that time and caught him staring at her. Almost as if she’d read his mind, she started to frown then made her way back to us.
“What’s wrong?”
Immediately, Brian’s mouth twisted into a grin. “Not a damn thing. Chill, little girl. I need to get back to the apartment to get ready for the game tonight, and Rain wanted to know if you wanted to stay with her and Krista so you’re spared the tedious rituals of a hockey player. Anyway, I need to get going.”
My lips twitched, but I just barely held back a smile.
“But it’s, like, morning.” The look on Maddy’s face was almost comical. “The game isn’t until tonight.”
“You’re welcome to come to the rink with me. I want to get some ice time this morning. After last night, I think I need a little extra warm-up time. You can hang out in the stands, do some homework.”
Maddy’s eyes widened. “Uh, I think I’ll stay with Rain.” She glanced my way for a bare second. “If it’s okay with her.”
I kept my smile calm. “Yep, that’s perfectly okay with me, if you don’t mind being busy. I’ve got to make a stop at the bakery to talk to Erin, then we’re going to help my mom bake cookies, and we can always use more hands. She makes hundreds to give out to practically everyone in town."
I wasn’t even kidding. My mom baked Christmas cookies for an army.
“I like Erin.” Krista started to bounce with all the enthusiasm of a seven-year-old hopped up on hot chocolate and pancakes. “She makes yummy scones. Can we get scones? I love scones!”
“Yes, we can get scones, and we can have them after lunch. But only if you eat lunch. Deal?”
Krista whooped, shouted, “Scones!” and took off to take a lap around the living room.
Brian watched her with a wary amusement, shaking his head. Even Maddy seemed to be a little exhausted at her energy. But she didn’t change her mind about staying.
“Then if Maddy’s okay with helping you out today, I need to leave so I can get to the arena.”
I wondered if he realized that Rebel was probably heading to the arena too, hoping to catch him there. And since I couldn’t do a damn thing about that, I tried not to think about it. They were both big boys. They needed to figure their shit out. But I really, really wanted to know what the hell their deal was.
“Brian?”
“Yeah?”
His eyes met mine and I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to say to him other than, “Kiss me, please,” which totally wasn’t going to happen. Even I knew there were limits to my appeal, and asking him to kiss me while his niece and my almost-niece discussed the various types of scones available at the bakery was one of those limits.
But I really wanted to kiss him. To stand on my toes and put my hands on his cheeks and feel that dark red stubble on his cheeks against my palms and press my lips against his. Hard.
And for someone who usually got what I wanted, I felt more than a little frustrated.
Yes, I was spoiled, but I knew it, and I tried not to let it dictate my attitude. Meaning, I recognized that I was and tried my damnedest not to be a bitch when I didn’t get my way. And right now, I knew I wasn’t going to get my way.
“If I don’t see you before the game, have a good one.”
His lips curved in a quick smile, there and gone almost before I realized it.
“Thanks.” Then he turned to Maddy and grinned at her. “Try not to have too much fun without me.”
Maddy rolled her eyes, but she had a smile lurking around the corners of her lips, which quickly disappeared when she glanced at me. Still, she didn’t look at me like she only tolerated me, so I figured that was a win.
“I’ll see you after the game, Uncle Brian.”
A twinge of jealousy caught me in the midsection, but I shut that shit down fast because it was so damn stupid.
Brian looked at me again and nodded his head toward the front of the house. “Walk me to the door?”
My brows arched, but I followed him to the door as the girls turned on music from Descendants , currently Krista’s favorite movie.
“Thanks again for keeping Maddy busy. I think…she needs the distraction.”
“Of course.”
“And I’m sorry about falling asleep here last night. I don’t want to cause you any issues with your brother.”
I shrugged. “Rebel can be an asshole. You know that. Just ignore him. He doesn’t control my life.”
He didn’t respond to that, but he held my gaze for a few seconds before turning and walking out the door. I wanted to go to the window and watch him walk away, but I knew I had an audience of two young girls.
So I turned with a grin.
“Who wants to get a sugar high?”