Chapter 19
Nineteen
Ky
“Don’t look at me like that,” I mutter, my requisite bucket of buttery popcorn in my hands. “Or I’ll be forced to bring up parenthood again.”
He pales as he drops down beside me, scowl deepening.
Then he sighs.
“We talked about it.”
“Who talked about what?”
A fluttering wave of both palms and fingers, a la jazz hands. “Parenthood,” he grits out. “She’s scared too.” A glance in my direction as I open my mouth, determined to make him understand that he and Joey will be amazing parents.
But then he keeps talking…and his words successfully shut me up.
“We’re going to time it so the baby’s born in the off-season.”
I blink.
Then again.
Then I’m setting my popcorn to the side and lurching to my feet.
He hops to his. “Ky—”
I hug him tightly. “I cannot wait to be an auntie. I’m going to spoil the heck out of your kids.”
His arms come around me. “I just got used to the idea of one kid, now you’re throwing kids, plural, at me?”
“You can’t just have one,” I murmur, even as I’m wondering if I’ll ever get there myself when I can’t even—
No.
Enough.
I’m not shadowing this happy moment with bullshit from the past.
Not when Colt and I—
As though he’s plucked the direction of my thoughts out of my mind, he pulls back, hands going to the tops of my arms.
“Kylie,” he begins.
“Don’t,” I murmur. “I…” I exhale. “It’s new and he makes me happy and I already have enough shitty thoughts circling around in this brain of mine.”
His focus stays on me for a long, long moment.
Then he slides one hand up my arm, along my neck, and cups my jaw. “Okay.”
I relax.
“But if he hurts you…”
“Is this where the obligatory I’ll kill him if he hurts you speech comes in?”
“Don’t,” he echoes back to me. “I almost lost you once, kid, and you’re the only family I have left.”
I lean into his touch. “That’s not true.” A beat. “Not anymore.”
A sigh that speaks of a thousand things—our deadbeat dad, losing our mom, his career going up in smoke, me getting hurt…and the family we’ve both become part of since coming here.
“No,” he agrees, pulling me into a tight hug. “Not anymore.”
Then he nudges me back to my chair, sits down beside me.
I stare at the ice below, aware of the players skating around the rink, but not really processing anything they’re doing.
Because of that sigh.
Because of the hope in my brother’s hug.
Because of the way he nudges his foot against mine and grins when I look up at him.
“You’re the teacher and yet you’re talking about spoiling my kids. Aren’t you supposed to be the one to set boundaries and shit?”
Despite myself, my lips twitch. “You’ve been in my classroom and you think I have any hope in hell of setting boundaries?”
He laughs, nudges my foot again. “You’re not fooling anyone. Your kids adore you.”
“Damn right they do.” I wink at him. “Of course it’s probably because I bribe them with candy.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?” Damon asks.
Again.
His protective older brother tendencies coming out in full force.
“I’ll be fine,” I say. “I have a new crochet pattern to mess up and plenty of wine to drink.”
“Joey told me to remind you not to skip ahead on episodes.”
I press my hand to my chest, above my heart. “Tell her I swear on the Holy Ghost of Bravo TV I will not get ahead on our shows.”
A chuckle. A shake of his head. An indulgent smile.
There’s movement down the hall, drawing his focus, and the flickering muscle in his jaw has butterflies taking flight in my belly as I follow his gaze.
Colt is standing there, out of earshot, but reclined back against the wall, arms and ankles crossed, making it clear he’ll wait as long as it takes.
And he has, hasn’t he?
Waited for me.
Been patient for me.
Played his ass off tonight to “make it worth my while.”
My brother sighs, shakes his head. “Fine. I won’t trade him.” He glares down the hall. “Yet.” Then he turns back to me, face going soft in a way I know he’s not aware of—not really—but one that I also know means his thoughts have turned to Joey.
Because he loves her more than his next breath.
“I’ll let her know about you swearing on the Holy Ghosts,” he says, tugging my ponytail. “Text me once in a while, yeah, kid?”
I swat him away. But I agree to the texts…in my way. “Eight dozen memes coming ‘atcha.”
“Brat.”
“Butthead.”
“You’re the butthead.”
“No, you’re—”
Laughter has me turning to see Joey and Colt standing just a few feet away, both grinning widely.
Colt turns to Joey. “Here I thought they were discussing something serious.”
“Nah,” Joey says. “This is what they normally do.”
“Bicker like they’re eight years old?”
I scowl. “I’ll have you know we’re bickering like we’re at least ten.”
“Twelve,” Damon interjects.
“Thirteen,” I say on a grin.
Joey smirks. “Six,” she adds. “If you’re lucky.” Then she comes over and hugs me, promising to talk soon.
“Kick some road trip ass,” I tell her.
“Expect Beth to call you.”
My heart squeezes and I nod, waving goodbye.
“Who’s Beth?”
“Joey’s mom.” Well, technically, her adopted mom, but the qualifier isn’t necessary. She’s Joey’s and Damon’s Joey’s…so now both Damon and I are Beth’s.
And John’s, her adopted dad.
“When Damon and Joey first started sniffing around each other, we banded together to make sure they didn’t screw up the best thing that happened to them.” I grin. “And now we talk once a week, figuring out how to—”
“Drive them crazy?”
I laugh. “I think you mean take over the world.”
“Why do I feel like you and Blake and Beth are now going to be a terrible trio?”
“I think you mean the most powerful trio to take over the world.”
He chuckles as he tucks my hair behind my ear. “I hope you’ll use your powers for good.”
“Absolutely not.”
His laugh is startled, but then he’s tugging me closer…
“Okay?” he asks as he winds his arms around me.
I nod. “Better than okay.”
He smooths a hand down my back. “So?”
“So what?”
“So did I do enough to secure lunch…or maybe even breakfast?”
Sighing, I tap a finger to my lips. “I don’t know. It was only two goals.”
“And three assists,” he protests. “That is definitely lunch-worthy.”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
He leans a little closer. “I bet I can convince you.”
Another shrug. “Maybe I want to be convinced.”
Hot brown eyes are the last thing I see before he’s kissing me. Firm lips, a sleek tongue darting into my mouth, a warm hand on my back, drawing me flush against him.
And no fear.
No past.
Just Colt and me and—
A wolf-whistle pierces the air.
—the entire training and support staff and roster of the Sierra roaming the arena’s hallways.
Two of whom are grinning at me and Colt when I look up, breaths coming in rapid succession, legs like jelly, lips desperate for more.
“Not a word,” Colt growls at Lake and Knox.
“You know that has absolutely no chance of working.”
He scowls down at me.
Then shrugs and shakes his head, a begrudging smile on his gorgeous face.
“I know.” A wink.
“The more important question is…did I convince you yet?”