64. Calvin
CALVIN
When Garrett started blowing up my cell yesterday evening, suggesting that I join them for Christmas, I thought he was joking. But then, a plane ticket arrived with my name on it, and I realized that he was serious.
I had to decide if I was going to blow off my plans, hop on a plane, and spend the next few days with my girl.
Who am I kidding? Of course that was exactly what I was going to. I didn’t even have to think about it.
So I got up this morning, lied to Sienna about my plans for the next few days, packed my carry-on, and went to the airport.
I landed a few hours ago, checked into a hotel, and spent the afternoon running around town, trying to buy last-minute gifts for Sienna’s brother and her parents, whom I haven’t seen since I was twelve and know hardly anything about.
But without tooting my own horn, I think I might have nailed it.
I bought Sienna’s weeks ago. I wanted to give it to her before she left, but she wanted to wait until she was back and we had more time together.
It was the first thing I packed, and I’ve checked at least five times that it was safely tucked into my carry-on.
I hadn’t really stopped to think about what I was doing; it was all too much of a whirlwind until I was standing outside this building, watching what felt like the entire town disappearing inside.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event like it.
Sure, there are always loads of things happening at work around this time of the year—fundraisers, visits to the kids in the hospital, appearances on shows, and interviews with others.
But a community event like this…never. Not even back home in Texas.
The holidays were a family event. We stayed on the ranch and celebrated together.
It was never lonely; our family was incredible.
But now I’m starting to realize what they might have been missing out on.
They might have invited people in, but they hardly ever ventured out, and the only reason my sisters and I knew our neighbors was that we went to school with them.
As far as I can remember, Mom and Did didn’t have any friends.
If they did, I certainly never saw them.
I wonder if they’d had some outside influences, how their opinions of me might have been different.
I’ve done a lot of things in my life that should have made me nervous, big games that should have rocked my confidence, but I’ve never felt as uneasy as I did walking into this community center, wearing what is arguably the most hideous Christmas sweater that was ever created.
I mean, the thing fucking sings for Christ’s sake.
There was a part of me that thought it was a joke when I found it waiting for me on the bed of my hotel room. As soon as I turned up here and discovered that everyone was wearing something equally as ugly, I figured Garrett wasn’t actually playing a prank on me.
And when I walked inside and spotted four other people wearing the exact same sweater, a weird feeling came over me.
Have I been invited into the family before I’ve even met the parents?
I’d been kicked out of my own, and they knew me from the day I was born.
But as much as my head was spinning, as soon as I focused on my girl sitting alone at a table with an empty paper plate and plastic champagne flute, all was forgotten.
All I needed was her.
And the second she looked up into my eyes and discovered I really was standing in front of her, like an early Christmas gift sent from Santa, everything wrong in my world shifted into position.
Her smile of joy, the twinkle in her eyes is something I will never forget. Neither is the kiss we fall into as if we haven’t seen each other in months, not just over twenty-four hours.
“Alright, alright, put him down already,” a deep voice teases.
Reluctantly, I stand up straight, putting an end, I’m not ready for, to our kiss.
Sienna stares up at me, her eyes still wide and shellshocked.
“Hey, man,” Garrett says, stealing my attention from his sister. “We’re so glad you could make it.”
Before I know what’s happening, he pulls me in for a hug.
“I haven’t seen her smile like that since I arrived,” he confesses quietly in my ear. “Think I’m gonna win Brother of the Year.”
I’m laughing as we part, and there, right behind him, are their parents.
I don’t really have any memory of them from that summer; I was too enthralled with their daughter.
Their dad, Martin, steps forward first and holds his hand out. “Good to see you again, son. It’s been a few years, I understand.”
I barely hear the second half of his sentence; I’m too fixated on the fact that he called me son.
I can’t remember the last time someone did.
My chest contracts, and my eyes dart to Sienna.
She smiles reassuringly at me.
“Hey, it’s good to see you again too,” I say finally, sliding my palm against his.
“We’re glad you could join us at such late notice.”
“Me too. Sienna always talks so fondly of spending the holidays here.” I glance around the room at all the people enjoying themselves. “And I can see why. Sweaters aside, of course.”
Martin chuckles while his wife, Sally, scoffs, but it’s all in good humor as she shoves her husband aside so she can say hello to me.
But she doesn’t just shake my hand. Instead, she steps closer and pulls me in for a hug.
A lump crawls up my throat as she wraps her arms around me. It’s been so long since I’ve had a hug like this.
“We’ve been hearing so many things about you,” she says softly.
“All good, I hope,” I say as we part, hoping like hell they can’t hear the quiver in my voice.
She smiles coyly at me, and it reminds me so much of Sienna.
“Of course. We wouldn’t have invited you otherwise.”
“You guys all knew about this?” Sienna asks.
“Maybe,” her mom teases.
“When did you plan it?”
“It was all a bit last minute,” Garrett explains. “I messaged yesterday afternoon, floating the idea, and Calvin was on a plane this morning.”
“Floated the idea?” I question. “You sent me the ticket before I’d even agreed.”
“I figured that if you said no, you weren’t serious enough about her, so …”
“Garrett,” Sally snaps.
“What? Just because he’s a kickass hockey player, it doesn’t mean he's automatically good enough for Sienna.”
My cheeks heat as they talk about me being good enough. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ll ever consider myself worthy of Sienna. All I can hope is that they see something in me that allows me to stick around.
“Enough of that,” Martin says. “He’s here, and it’s Christmas. Garrett, go and get Calvin a drink.”
Garrett disappears without question before Martin and Sally tell us they’re going to give us a few minutes to catch up and disappear into the crowd.
“I can’t believe you’re really here. And that they managed to get you a matching sweater.”
“I hardly doubt they were sold out. Have you seen the state of this thing?” I ask, making her laugh.
It’s the sweetest fucking sound.
“You’re not wrong. I thought last year was bad. Mom has really outdone herself with this one.”
“It really is something. When I first saw it, I thought maybe they hated me.”
“No, it’s Mom’s weird way of saying she loves us…apparently.”
Garrett appears with a beer for me before quickly wandering off again.
“Were the guys mad that you bailed on them?” she asks as I take a much-needed sip.
“No, they were too dumbfounded that I was going to my girl’s for the holidays. Meeting the parents and all that…apparently, it’s a big deal.” I try to play it off like I wasn’t nervous, but I think she can see through the act.
“They already love you. You have nothing to worry about.”
“They love me as a hockey player,” I point out, aware that Martin is a fan.
“That’s one of the reasons, yes. They know you’re a good person, too.”
I want to argue, to ask if she told them about our time apart and what they thought of me then, but I’m too scared to bring it up.
Sienna snuggles closer, resting her head on my shoulder. My arm wraps around her waist, holding her close.
I’m aware that we have eyes on us. Word has most certainly gotten around that a professional athlete has joined them. Thankfully, everyone is being respectful and staying away right now. I have noticed a few guys go over to Martin and dig for information, though.
“So, what do you think so far?” she asks. “It’s a little crazy, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s great. I’ve never done anything like this,” I confess.
“Are you hungry? You should come and try the food we spent all day making.”
She takes my hand and leads me toward the food table. It’s vast and full of everything anyone could possibly want the night before Christmas.
“You did all this?” I ask in awe.
“Oh, no. Not all of it.” She starts pointing out the dishes that she worked on this afternoon, and I make sure to take one of everything. She watches me with a smile on her face as she loads up a second plate for herself.
“How long are you staying for?” Sienna asks once we’re back at the table.
“I’ve got the same flight home as you.”
Delight flashes in her eyes.
“You don’t need to be back before then?”
“Nope, I’m all yours. As long as you want me, of course. I know you and your family have plans. If you don’t want me hanging around, I’ve booked into a hotel and—”
She reaches up and presses her palm over my mouth.
“I want you here for everything.”
I smile, and she drops her hand.
“About what you said earlier…” she hedges.
“Which part specifically?”
She looks down at her plate, her cheeks heating. “The bit about me being your girl,” she says so quietly it almost gets swallowed up by the Christmas music spilling from the speakers in the corners of the room.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Are we like…is this…what are—” She cuts herself off when I laugh.
“If you’re asking if we’re official, if you’re my girlfriend, then the answer is yes, if you want to be.”
Her eyes hold mine; there’s so much hope and happiness within them that it makes my heart skip a beat.
“I want to be.”
“Then that’s it. You’re my girl,” I say, entwining our fingers and lifting her hand so I can brush a kiss on her knuckles.
She whimpers as we connect, shifting in her seat as if she’s uncomfortable.
“Everything okay, darlin’?” I tease.
“Y-yeah. I just…Did you say you booked a hotel?”
“Yep.”
“So we don’t have to stay at my parents’ place?”
Fire shoots through my veins. “We can if you want to. I know your family traditions are important to you, and if you want to wake up there in the morning, then—”
“I want to wake up with you,” she interrupts. “And I don’t think we should be in my parents’ house for what I have planned.”
My eyebrows lift, and I drop my head so I can whisper in her ear.
“Tell me more about these plans, darlin’. I’m all ears.”
“I want you,” she breathes. “I want…I want everything with you.”
“That’s a relief because I want everything with you. You’re the only girl I’ve ever pictured a future with, and I’m ready to stop picturing it and start living it.”
“How are you so perfect?”
“I’m far from that, darlin’. But I’m doing everything I can to be worthy of you.”
“You are. You’re everything. My everything.”
My fingers twist in the hair at the nape of her neck, and before I can stop myself, my lips are on hers.
“I love you, Sienna,” I confess when I pull back a little, both of us breathless. “I always have, and I always will.”