Chapter Twelve Best Christmas Ever
GRACE
“So, how did everyone sleep?” I ask, looking around the huge gourmet kitchen with a little smirk, thinking of the fun Jensen and I had last night. I knew he’d like the Mrs. Clause outfit, but he really, really got into it. My legs are a little wobbly this morning.
The snow stopped sometime in the night and it’s a bright day, the sun reflecting off the snow and warming the house through its large windows.
The girls and I are all up making breakfast for the guys, who are still dead asleep.
Poor boys wore themselves out yesterday.
We cleaned up the kitchen, but the living room is a bit of a mess, with beer and wine bottles, wrapping paper, and ribbons littering the floor.
Gizmo is having a blast, pouncing on tissue paper and getting himself tangled up in the discarded bows.
Skyler looks up from the griddle, where she and Rylee are making pancakes shaped like Christmas trees and snowmen. Stacey has her arms draped around their shoulders, inspecting their work.
“Oh, I slept like a rock,” Skyler says, her eyes glinting mischievously behind her glasses. “Carson made sure of that.”
“Yeah, Zander made sure I slept very well,” Rylee chimes in with a chuckle. “Wore me right out.”
“Owen helped me pass out too,” Stacey chuckles, moving to sit on a chair we’ve pulled up from the dining table to the island for her. “Though, to be fair, I don’t need too much help sleeping nowadays. I always appreciate his assistance, though.”
Sutton, who’s manning a frying pan on the stove filled with sizzling bacon, lets out an exasperated groan.
“Okay, you all got fucked into oblivion last night. We get it! Stop rubbing my nose in it.”
I move next to her and bump my hip against hers.
“Here I was thinking you and Wilder might hit it off,” I confess. “No luck, huh?”
Sutton arches a brow and shakes her head. “Wilder? Don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice guy and all, and super hot, but I think we’re better as buddies than anything else. He’s pretty fun to hang out with.”
Dang. I suppose that makes sense, though.
I figured it was a long shot, but the idea of Sutton falling for someone on the team and joining us in Denver…
it would’ve been great. But hey, I know that’s kind of a selfish wish.
She has her life and her family in New York, and I know how important working for her family’s company is.
“Oh, well,” I sigh, dropping my chin on her shoulder. “Was worth a shot.”
She chuckles. “I appreciate the hookup attempt.”
I give her a squeeze before moving back to the task I was doing beforehand, getting out dishes to set the table.
“What smells so good?” a deep voice asks, startling me.
I gasp and jump, but before I can turn around, Jensen slips his arms around my waist.
“Morning, gorgeous.” He presses a kiss to my cheek. “How are you?”
“I’m good.” I turn to face him and slip my arms around his neck. “How are you?”
“Mmmm, well rested.” He grins.
I chuckle. “We were just talking about how good we all slept last night.”
Jensen glances around at the other girls. “Yeah, that sounds about right. You all making breakfast?”
“We thought we’d do a little something for you guys after all you’ve done for us.” I pick up the plates and slip past him toward the table. “A thank you for such a wonderful day yesterday.”
“My, my.” He grabs the silverware I have laid out and follows me. “That’s awfully sweet of you ladies.”
He helps me set the table, and as the other girls finish cooking breakfast, the rest of the guys start to filter in, lured by the delectable smell of bacon and hot coffee.
Zander walks in wearing flannel pajama pants, so exhausted that he’s struggling to pull on a T-shirt that says “REDRUM” in bloody red letters.
Wilder comes in with wild hair, looking like a grumpy lion, also in flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt.
Carson stumbles in a few minutes later, looking half-asleep and bumping against the walls, until Skyler hands him a cup of coffee.
He takes a sip and his eyes brighten immediately.
Owen strolls in looking far more put-together than the other guys.
He’s already wearing a Night Hawks hoodie and black sweatpants, smiling at the table, and casually wanders over to plant a kiss on Stacey’s cheek.
He then bends down to murmur something to her belly.
“Damn, this all looks amazing,” Zander says, as we gather around the table to sit.
“Yeah, thanks girls,” Owen nods, pulling out a chair next to Stacey.
Once we’re all seated and start passing around food, we suddenly hear the front door open.
“Hello?” a familiar voice calls out.
The guys all let out whoops and cheers as they recognize the voice. Jayce walks right into the dining area, dressed in a slick black coat, his blue eyes warm and his blonde hair slicked back. His cheeks are rosy from the cold.
“Jayce!” Jensen stands, along with the other guys, and goes to greet our latecomer. “Hey, man! Glad you finally made it.”
“Hi everyone,” Jayce greets. “Sorry I’m late. That storm was a real sonofabitch.”
“We’re just glad you made it,” Zander says, slapping him on the back.
“You missed a hell of a day yesterday,” Owen tells him.
“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” Jayce grins, eyeing the table. “It looks like I got here just in time for the best part, though.”
“Come on, Jayce,” I wave him over. “Have a seat!”
The guys direct him to an empty chair next to Sutton and sit him down.
“Hey there,” he says to her, giving her a little nod.
“Hey,” she replies with a small wave, her cheeks going a little pink. I blink, watching them, and suddenly I wonder — if Wilder isn’t Sutton’s type, maybe Jayce is…?
I’ll have to keep an eye on that, I think. Now that we’re finally all together, we relax and tuck into our breakfast.
The air bites at my cheeks, crisp and wild with a sharp, pine-scented chill.
The girls and I are bundled together, sitting by the frozen pond Jensen brought me to last night.
We’re keeping close for warmth because we all wanted to wear Night Hawks jerseys, and so we left our coats inside — though we’re actually wearing sweatshirts under the jerseys, and other than Stacey, we’re still all very cold.
Even Sutton’s wearing a jersey with Jayce’s number.
“Sutt, where’d you get that?” Skyler asks, pointing to Sutton’s jersey.
Sutton smooths her hands down her front and answers, “Uhhh, I dunno. Jayce gave it to me. Said he didn’t want me to be the odd woman out and not have a jersey on.”
The corner of my mouth twitches as I fight my smile. Her cheeks are still pink, and I’m pretty sure it’s not just because of the cold.
The guys are on the ice, playing an impromptu game because I’m pretty sure they’re incapable of going more than a week without hockey.
Jensen’s in the center, stick tapping the ice, grinning so big, his whole face is lit up despite the red on his nose.
“Let’s go, boys!” he yells, and his voice echoes through the valley.
Carson’s crouched low in the makeshift net, a wool hat pulled down over his ears and a pair of mismatched gloves on. His outfit reminds me of the sort of silly getups he wore when we were growing up together, but Skyler’s groan signifies she’s less nostalgic about it.
“I told him to bring real goalie gloves,” she mutters, clutching her coffee in her hands. “I knew they’d end up doing this somehow, and I told him to be prepared. Does he listen? Of course not.”
I laugh, thinking about Carson as a kid, rushing out of the house without his shoes tied because he was in such a hurry. “Typical Carson.”
Owen’s skating backward now, smooth and confident, watching the play unfold.
Stacey nudges me, eyes sparkling. “Tell me he doesn’t look like he was born on skates.”
I grin. “You’re biased.”
“Obviously,” she says, not even pretending to deny it.
The puck drops and Jensen wins the draw against Jayce, spinning and passing it off to Zander on the right. Zander takes off down the ice, the wind catching his breath in quick bursts. Rylee cheers, cupping her hands around her mouth.
“Go, baby, go!”
Wilder intercepts, and Rylee groans.
“Get it back, Zander! Come on!” she orders, like an over-eager coach shouting from the sidelines. Zander shoots her a thumbs-up, appearing more than willing to do as she tells him.
Wilder shoots the puck to Jensen, who darts forward again, stick handled with that focused, determined energy I’ve seen a thousand times before.
He feints right, then left, slipping past Owen, who throws him a mock glare over his shoulder, and fires the puck toward the goal.
Carson blocks it with the flat of his stick, sending it spinning off to the side.
“Nice save!” Skyler yells, then adds under her breath, “Even if he’s going to whine about his hand later.”
Snowflakes start to drift down, lazy and soft, catching in the guys’ hair and beards, dusting their shoulders. None of them seem to notice. They’re lost in the game, chasing the puck, shouting orders and insults, laughing like they’re twelve years old.
Jensen scores next — a clean shot that slides right under Carson’s stick. He throws his arms up, turning toward me with that triumphant, boyish grin.
“Show-off!” I call out.
He winks. “You love it!”
Damn it, I do. I love everything about him, and the life we’ve built together. Being here with our friends, enjoying this beautiful day, happy and carefree…
Skyler sighs and shakes her head before adjusting her glasses. “Carson’s taking this way too seriously for a pond game.”
I chuckle and bump her with my shoulder. “He made a pregame speech, Sky. There were hand gestures.”
“He also has war paint.” Sutton points out. “Out of cocoa powder.”
Dropping her chin in her hands, Skyler gazes out at Carson with a goofy little grin. “Yeah, he’s lucky he’s cute.”
Carson catches the puck, then winces and shakes his hand, clearly having forgotten he didn’t bring the right gloves.
Stacey waves her finger in Owen’s direction. “Owen’s doing that thing where he pretends he’s not competitive, but he’s absolutely trying to body Jensen.”
I let out a snort, watching the two men jostle each other a bit. “Please. Jensen’s been captain since college. He’s reading the ice like a chessboard.”
“Meanwhile, my goalie just yelled ‘You shall not pass’ at the puck.” Skyler leans back and laughs.
“Well…” Sutton shrugs. The wind picks up her hair and I spot that flash of teal. “It worked.”
Rylee flips her long hair over her shoulder and crosses her arms and tilts her head as Zander zooms by, saluting her.
“Zander looks like he’s one bad turn away from eating the ice.
Serves him right after he had me check several times last night for frostbite on his balls.
If he falls, I’m naming the baby Karma.”
Stacey chuckles. “If Owen pulls a hamstring, I’m naming ours Patience.”
“Those are both great names for what you’ll need in motherhood,” I say.
Skyler snorts. “Or therapy.”
The guys let out a cheer and share high fives, looking like they’re having the time of their lives.
Rylee smiles softly. “I like seeing them like this. Stupid, but happy.”
Stacey’s gaze is tender as she absently rubs her hands over her belly. “Yeah. Like puppies who think they’re wolves.”
Carson tries to block a slapshot, but without boards, the puck sails into the snowbank and disappears.
Skyler sighs. “And that’s gone forever. Congratulations, nature wins.”
We watch the guys skate to the snowbank and they just stare at it for several moments.
Grace furrows her brow as we watch them. “They’re all just staring at the snow like it’ll cough the puck back up.”
Sutton snickers. “Haha! This is why arenas exist.”
Zander lets out a shout and suddenly darts off of the ice.
“What was that?” Stacey asks. “I missed something.”
Rylee laughs. “Zander just yelled, ‘It’s fine, I’ll find it!’ and ran into the trees.”
Skyler grins. “Someone tell him that’s not a side quest.”
A few minutes later, he reemerges, holding the lost puck up triumphantly. The guys cheer and waste no time getting back to their game.
“God, how lucky are we to have each other?” I say out loud, my chest warming and my cheeks stretched wide with my delight.
“I know, right?” Skyler laughs.
“So fucking lucky,” Rylee nods.
“Couldn’t have imagined this a couple years ago.” Stacey’s voice is soft, her loving gaze locked on Owen.
“Yeah, lucky…” I glance at Sutton and am surprised to see she’s still staring at Jayce, appearing almost fascinated by him.
Oooh, I want to clap my hands in excitement… but I hold myself back. I did get too eager about the idea of her and Wilder, just for that to not work. Better let this play out on its own and see what happens.
“I know this sounds sappy, but I’m pregnant so you have to indulge me—can we get a group hug?” Stacey asks.
“Of course!” I exclaim as we all swarm around her in a tight embrace.
“Thanks you guys,” Stacey says, teary-eyed.
We all stand up and gather around Stacey, throwing our arms around each other in a big group hug.
Jensen skates by that moment, snapping my attention back to him.
Fuck, I’m so in love with him. I remember the first time I saw him, by a pool in Miami, and I had no idea then what he’d mean to me.
I was just looking for some fun then, but I found the love of my life.
He catches me staring and grins before skating to the pond’s edge. I jump to my feet and rush toward him. He grabs my waist and pulls me into a hungry kiss. When he pulls back, he looks down at me, love shining in his eyes, and asks, “Are you happy?”
Cupping his face in both my hands, I nod. “I couldn’t be happier. This has been the best Christmas ever. I love you, Jensen. With all my heart.”
“I love you too, Grace, and I always will.”