Penalty Play

by Lynda Aicher

Henrik sucked up his manners to say “Nice to meet you,” even though he didn’t feel that way. Not anymore.

  Aiden jerked his chin up and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “Likewise.”

  A car passed on the street, tires grinding over the asphalt. “I was just going to knock.” Obviously.

  “So you’re really dating my sister.” The yellow glow of the outside light cast a sinister edge to Aiden’s features. Or maybe it was the snarling doubt in his tone that did that. “Why?”

  Henrik puffed out a breath, a snarky smile forming. “Because I like her.” Fuck you, asshole.

  “Right. Why?”

  “Why?” He looked away, the defensive anger burning his throat before he shoved it back. It must be nice to have family who cared enough to ask that question. To be so protective of their own they’d grill any suitors and rally in defense if they didn’t approve. He liked to imagine he’d have been the same way with Emma—if he’d had the chance.

  He released his tide of anger on a slow exhale. “Because she’s nice. And kind. And I like being with her.” That was just the tip of the many reasons, but it summed them up pretty well.

  “What are you getting out of this?”

  And the drilling continued. Henrik loosened his shoulders, settling into the well-intentioned inquisition. This was a fight he didn’t have to win, but he respected the code enough to play.

  “Someone who treats me with respect,” he answered, leaving off the things her brother wouldn’t appreciate. Like her dominant streak that melted him in the bedroom.

  “Right.” Aiden shook his head, scowling. “She’s nothing like the other women who are usually draped on your arm.”

  “You’re right. She’s not.”

  “Then why? I don’t get it.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  Aiden glared at him, hackles raised with his layers of suspicion and distrust. “Don’t you fucking hurt her.”

  Henrik barely resisted the eye roll he’d witnessed from so many of his exes. “I have no intention of doing so.”

  “Good.”

  Or what? Fuck. This was starting off craptastically. “Can we go in?” Not that he really wanted to, especially now, but Jacqui was expecting him. Being invited to the family dinner was a huge step into the more he’d wanted, so it was time to man up and dive in.

  Or run.

  The inviting thought was cut off when Aiden edged Henrik out of the way and shoved the front door open. “I found a stalker on the porch,” he yelled into the house, shooting a smirk over his shoulder. Fucker. Henrik smiled though. He could actually come to like the asshole.

  “What?” Jacqui called back from somewhere unseen. “Don’t you mess with him, Aiden.”

  “Why not? It’s fun.”

  Henrik followed Aiden into the house, assessing the quaint space in one glance. The door opened into the family room, the furniture centered around a large, flat screen that dominated one wall. The brown carpeting had to be from the early nineties, a path worn by time from the doorway to the dining room, where he could see part of a set table. The white walls were covered in canned artwork and family pictures with one small section devoted to a cross and a statue of the Virgin Mary.

  A man rose from the couch. A head shorter than Henrik, his gray hair was combed forward to cover his receding hairline. He was stout and wide, a slight pouch of a belly showing beneath his flannel shirt. He held out his hand, firm smile in place. “Welcome. I’m Wayne. Jacqui’s dad.”

  Henrik took his extended hand, nodding. “Henrik Grenick. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  The man froze, jaw dropping a hitch before he snapped it shut. He jerked up, snatched his hand back in a delayed reaction and cleared his throat. “Henrik. Grenick.”

  Henrik nodded, that knot in his stomach twisting tighter. “Yes, sir.”

  Behind his father, Aiden was grinning like an evil fool, evidently in on a secret his sister hadn’t shared with the rest of the family.

  “No shit,” Wayne mumbled.

  “Language.” The reprimand came around the corner from beyond the dining room.

  Wayne winced, glancing away as he swiped a hand over his mouth. “Hearing like a bat,” he muttered.

  “Don’t we know it,” Aiden said, slapping his dad on the back.

  “Hey,” Jacqui said as she came into the room. Her smile lit up her face and eased Henrik’s nerves a bit. Hair flowing over her black V-neck sweater paired with jeans, she was casual and beautiful. “I see you’ve met Aiden and my dad.” She came to his side, stretching to place a kiss on his jaw. “Thanks for coming.”

  Stunned and warmed, he smiled down at her, arm circling her shoulders to hold her close. “My pleasure.” And it was, now.

  “Jacqui,” her father said, a warning note layered into the single word.

  “Yes, Dad?” Her smile was all innocence that Henrik didn’t buy.

  Wayne’s raised brow said he didn’t either. “A warning would’ve been nice.”

  A woman bustled out of the kitchen, all warmth and smiles. A bit shorter than her husband, her rusty-brown hair was cut short and styled to frame her round face. She wore her years and five births with a mother’s grace that said hugs were welcomed and given freely. Her bright red cardigan was a few years out of style, but still nice.

  “What are you scowling about, Wayne?” She didn’t wait for a response as she pushed by him to reach for Henrik. Completely lost, he allowed himself to be tugged down for her embrace, a kiss landing on his cheek before he could blink. In the next second he was free, and she was backing up to scan him. “You’re a big one.”

  “Uhh…” He was primed for every social situation possible, yet he had no idea how to respond to this.

  “Mom,” Jacqui admonished, sounding exactly like the woman she was scolding.

  “What? He is.” Her mother beamed at him. “I’m Mary. Jacqui’s mom. Welcome to our home.”

  “Thank you.”

  “This is Henrik Grenick, Mom,” Aiden added, still gloating from his spot behind his parents. “The Glaciers’ defenseman.”

  Her eyes narrowed and she did another quick scan of Henrik. “That explains your size. Well, come in. Wayne, get his coat. Aiden, get him something to drink. Where are your manners? I swear I didn’t raise a bunch of hooligans.”

  Jacqui laughed as both men jumped to do Mary’s bidding. Henrik handed his jacket off to her dad, enjoying the glimpse of where Jacqui got her strength from. Her mother obviously hadn’t let the men overpower her, even though she was outnumbered. And Jacqui grew up learning from her.

  “What can I get you to drink?” Aiden asked.

  “Water’s good.”

  Aiden ducked around the corner just as the door opened behind them. Henrik stepped to the side before he was plowed over by the two guys entering. He did a double take at the identical twins, seeing younger versions of their father’s face.

  They both stopped, door still open to stare at Henrik. Apparently Jacqui had only shared information about him with Aiden if the stunned looks were anything to go by. Another man pushed in behind them before anyone could speak.

  “Why are you two standing in the doorway?” The man shoved at the closest twin, knocking him into the other one. “Move.”

  The twins stumbled into the room as a little bolt of dark hair and squeals darted through the doorway. “Nana!” She launched herself at the older woman, who caught her with an ease that belied her age.

  “Hey, sweetie.” Mary planted a sloppy kiss on the little girl’s cheek before she squirmed away to repeat the process with the twins. Colin and Finn, based on her excited calls. She made a quick stop to include Grandpa and Jacqui before she spun around, scanning the room. “Where’s Aiden?” She turned an accusing glare at the man Henrik assumed was her father and Jacqui’s oldest brother, Dan. “You said he’d be here.”

  “In here, pumpkin,” Aiden called from the other room.

  Her smile beamed then she was of
f, following his voice. She dashed around the corner, another excited squeal following a moment later. A round of chuckles took up the lingering silence.

  Henrik caught Jacqui’s wide grin then turned to the rest of her family. His stomach dropped, the hair raising on the back of his neck when he found everyone staring at him with varying looks of confusion, awe and suspicion. Damn. Was there a reason why Jacqui hadn’t told them about who he was? Had she thought he’d bail, or was it something else?

  The door was still open, a petite blonde standing in it, a baby nestled to her chest. The little girl’s mother? With luck, she was the last family member he’d have to meet tonight.

  “Jacqui pulled a fast one on us,” her father said.

  “I did not,” she insisted, grabbing Henrik’s hand. “I told you I’d invited a date.”

  “A date?” one of the twins said, gaping. “He is not a date.”

  “Fine,” Jacqui huffed, adding a sugared sweetness to her voice. “My boyfriend. Better?”

  Henrik’s heart expanded with his puffed chest at her declaration. He squeezed her hand, grinning at her. Yeah. He was her boyfriend. He’d never been prouder to be called that.

  “What?” Dan exclaimed. “No.” He shook his head. “That is not better.”

  “Daniel.” The sharp reprimand from their mother had all the men snapping their shoulders back. Mary bustled in front of them, reaching for the baby. “Give me the little one. All of you get in the house. You’re letting the heat out. And find your manners.” She took the baby from the woman’s arms and spun around to glare at her sons. “Hooligans, all of you. I know I raised you better.”

  It was amusing to see the three grown men hang their heads, a mutual “Yes, Mom” following. They shifted until the door was closed behind them, shutting out the air and making the room a little claustrophobic for Henrik. How had all these people fit into this tiny house growing up?

  Jacqui stepped forward as their mother headed toward the kitchen, cooing over the infant.

  “These rude jerks are Colin, Finn and Dan, my other brothers. And Dan’s wife Tory,” she indicated each person in turn then motioned to him. “This is Henrik. My date.”

  “What the hell?” Finn exclaimed. “That’s not Henrik. That’s f—” He glanced at his mother’s back, cringing. “That’s Roller. How are you dating him?”

  “How’d you meet him?” Colin asked, talking over his twin.

  “How long have you been hiding this from us?” Finn fired right on his heels.

  “Are you kidding me?” Dan glared, shock mixed with anger on his features. “Him? This is who you pick after so many years of ignoring men?”

  “Boys.” The one comment from their father had them all clenching their jaws tight, more questions obviously contained behind the time-earned respect for the older man.

  “Way to go, Jac.” This last comment came from Tory, whose grin couldn’t possibly get any bigger.

  Jacqui had gone stiff during their barrage of outraged questions, her chin lifting in that stubborn tilt Henrik knew and loved. He placed a hand on her shoulder, staring every one of the protective men down. A fierce protectiveness of his own pummeled his chest and tightened his muscles. He might understand this brother code, but he wouldn’t let them hurt Jacqui either. It went both ways now, and their evident distrust of him was doing exactly that.

  Jacqui glared at her brothers, her anger simmering off her to enflame Henrik. He wasn’t that awful, was he? Did they really think that low of him, and why? What the hell had he done to any of them? He played hockey, kept his nose clean and sometimes dated high-profile women. That didn’t make him an instant jerk.

  Yet these men had apparently classified him into that category, had tried and convicted him before he’d spoken. Another round of judgments levied based on hearsay.

  “You are all dicks,” Jacqui said, disgust heavy. “Every one of you.” She eased Henrik’s coat out of her father’s hands. “Sorry, Dad.” The apology was soft, but her expression was hard when she turned around. “Let’s go, Henrik.” She shoved past the scowling men and whipped the door open without looking at any of them.

  Henrik did though. He had no problem glaring at each brother in turn. “I’ve done nothing to you and I care about your sister. You might give that a thought.” He followed Jacqui into the night, closing the door behind him.

  An instant round of loud voices exploded from the interior, but he was too focused on Jacqui to care about what was being said. He hustled down the path to catch her around the waist. She froze, going stiff as he stepped in front of her. Her head was lowered, and he enfolded her in his arms, heart aching for her pain.

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled into her hair, wishing like hell that’d gone differently. Only he had no clue what he could’ve done to change the outcome. “I’m so sorry.” It was all he could think to say.

  “It’s not your fault,” she mumbled against his shoulder. She sniffed, chest hitching. “I’m sorry they treated you like that. It wasn’t about you.”

  But it was. “Maybe they’re right.” They obviously wanted better for their little sister. Better than him.

  “Shut up.” She shoved at his chest, a soft jab that didn’t move him. “They’re not right.” Her conviction was firm in her expression when she looked up. “They’re stupid, overprotective idiots, that’s all.” She cupped his cheek. “It has little to do with you.”

  “Would they have acted that way with another guy? Someone from your school?” And the thought of Jacqui bringing home another guy to meet her family soured his stomach with sick jealousy. Irrational yet there.

  “Probably.” She stretched to kiss him, soft and reassuring when she’d been the one hurt.

  He tucked her head under his chin and held her as close as he could without crushing her. Silent vows flew through his head, promises to protect her, keep her safe, treasure her like she deserved. “Should I beat them up for you?”

  Her chuckle eased some of the tension that strung her muscles tight beneath his hands. “Mom doesn’t like it when they come home bloodied.”

  “We could do it on the ice.” He’d take each one of them down if she asked.

  “They’d probably enjoy it too much.”

  The creaking hitch of the front door opening shot into the brisk night air. Jacqui flinched, muscles tensing again, but didn’t turn around. Henrik lifted his head to stare down the four brothers as they made their way to them. His arms tightened around Jacqui, prepared to protect her from the next attack, if that was what this was.

  The oldest, Dan, cleared his throat, hands jammed into his jean pockets. “Jac. Henrik.” He held Henrik’s gaze, his solemn intent clear even in the darkness. “We’re sorry about that. It was rude.”

  Her rough snort was muffled against his chest. “You think?”

  “Come on, Jac,” one of the twins pleaded. Finn? “You should’ve warned us.”

  “Why?” She spun around in Henrik’s arms, his coat still clutched in her hand. “So you could prepare a better attack? Dig through the internet to build up ammo before you even met him?” Her shoulders trembled under his hands. From the cold or anger?

  Henrik caught the guilty expressions on the four men, and understanding dawned quick and clear. Her silence had been to protect him, nothing more. She’d tried to give him a fair chance with her overprotective family instead of bragging about who she was dating.

  “Sorry, Henrik,” the other twin said, stepping up to extend his hand. “Colin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His grip was firm and welcoming, a peace offering Henrik accepted with a nod.

  Jacqui squeezed Colin’s arm. “Thank you.”

  “We’re just worried about you,” he said, stepping back.

  “Because of me,” Henrik stated, voice firm. “I have no intention of hurting her. But I will defend her.”

  “And so will we,” Finn insisted.

  “She’s our baby sister,” Dan added, tone sharp.

  “She�
�s my girlfriend,” Henrik said, staking his own place in Jacqui’s life.

  “Stop,” Jacqui barked, jerking out of Henrik’s hold. “All of you. I’m not some weak flower that needs to be coddled and protected. God.” She jammed a finger at her brothers. “I’m not a little girl anymore, so back off and let me live my life.” She spun before they could respond to jam that finger in Henrik’s chest. “And that includes you. I can take care of myself, so if you have grand ideas of stuffing me in a padded corner, you can forget them.”

  Henrik could only stare, lost on where the accusation was coming from. “I’ve never treated you like that.”

  Her lip quivered before she whispered, “Not yet.”

  What? His brain shorted out once again, unable to follow her.

  She spun away before he could gather his thoughts and stormed past her line of brothers. They all turned to watch her stomp up the walkway and into the house. The solid thud of the door slamming closed hung in the following silence. What just happened?

  “Nobody puts baby in the corner,” Aiden mumbled.

  Finn snorted a laugh, and Colin elbowed Aiden in the ribs. “Shut up, asshole.”

  Aiden glared at his brother, rubbed his injured side but stayed quiet.

  Henrik’s pulse pounded in his neck, his hands fisted tight against the urge to punch something. She couldn’t make a statement like that and walk away.

  “Is she sick again?” he asked the line of men who’d turned back to study him, his mind scrambling through options and implications behind her words. His chest tightened, skin turning clammy at the dreaded thought of losing her to cancer.

  The brothers shared a quick exchange of looks, Dan finally answering. “She told you about the cancer then?”

  “Yes.” Some, a bit, but evidently not enough. He would be digging up everything he could find on leukemia when he got home. “She said she was in remission.”

  Dan nodded. “She is. Has been for a while.” The others all took an interest in anything that allowed them to not look at Henrik.

  He stepped closer, needing to see the men’s faces more clearly. “So what am I missing?” Almost eight years. Her words hounded his memory until a chill dug deep into his bones.