by Aleo, Toni
“Give me the BMW, please,” Shea said through gritted teeth. The guy nodded and Shea walked towards Elli, beat red from either his angry or the cold.
“It's just a car, Shea.”
“I am not riding in that girlie ass car, and that dude is being an ass. He knows who I am, he just doesn’t want to act like it because I don’t play for Boston. Asshole.”
“Why does it matter who you play for?”
“You will learn quickly that in less you play for Boston, you aren’t shit around here.”
“You’re the leading defensive man in the league; I think that means a lot more than playing for Boston.”
“No, actually, it doesn’t,” Shea answered as the guy earlier drove a red BMW towards them, parking it in front of him. He got out and helped load their bags. Afterwards, he walked with Elli to the front of the car, opening the door for her.
“Let me ask you a question,” Elli said with a grin, the man smiled, he was her age, cute even.
“Sure.”
“You know who he is?”
“There is only one team worth anything in the NHL and that’s Boston, so I only acknowledge Boston players. And I definitely won’t acknowledge a guy that is from Boston not playing for Boston.”
Okay then.
After leaving the rental place, they headed towards Copley Place, which Shea said was a really great shopping mall. After going through Louis Vuitton and blowing more money than needed, Shea went to Tiffany’s to get his mom and sister something. Since Tiffany’s made Elli blow money, she headed for Gucci.
She should have just gone to Tiffany’s.
After dropping her first-born’s college fund, she walked out, meeting Shea in the middle of the mall. He eyed her bags, and then smiled. “Got enough?”
“Don’t ask.” Elli eyed his little blue bag, and nodded towards the bag, “Anything for me?”
“Maybe,” he said with a grin, as he took as many as her bags that he could with his one arm.
“Anyone ask what happen to your arm?”
“No, they just stare, but one of the girls in there actually acknowledged who I was and said she hoped I recovered well.”
Elli raised an eyebrow, “I’m impressed. Everyone I meet keeps asking me where the hell I’m from, then they raise their noses at me when I say Nashville. They then ask if there is even a hockey/football/baseball team there. These people are crazy.”
Shea laughed, leaning into her since that was all he could really do since her hand was full before saying, “Let’s go, my mom is waiting.”
When Elli turned onto Winthrop Shore Dr, she took in the sight of the water running up against the shore. The water was such a beautiful bluish green, it crashed up against some rocks that lined a lighthouse. The lighthouse stood tall, majestic, and beautiful. Elli had never realized how much she loved the ocean until that moment. It was like she was instantly calm as she looked out at the water that was glistening under the sun.
“We used to live in this house in the heart of Boston, but when I made it into the NHL, I bought my parents this house since they love the ocean,” Shea said as Elli turned where the GPS said to turn.
She ended up in the driveway of the most beautiful colonial home she had ever seen. The home stood tall, white siding with dark blue shutters around glamorous wide windows. The second floor was bigger than the first floor; it came out over the front door acting as a cover for the porch. The windows that lined the whole top floor were huge and poised. On the porch was a small lighthouse that must have been a replica of the one that Elli was admiring earlier, along with it was two wooden beach chairs and an end table that held a large bouquet of yellow sunflowers. The house was breathtaking.
“It’s beautiful,” Elli gasped as she looked through the windshield up at the house.
“Yeah, mom had to have it. They sold their last house and used that money to fix it up, they’ve done a lot,” Shea said with a grin as he open the door and got out. Elli followed behind him, popping the trunk as Jenna came out on the porch.
“You guys are here!” Jenna gushed, clapping her hands together, “Mark, James, come help with their bags, Shea’s arm could fall off, you know.”
Shea rolled his eyes, and Elli just smiled, oh yeah, she was gonna have a hoot of a time.
Chapter 28
After being greeted with hugs from Mark and Jenna, and kisses from Ryan, Elli sat on the bottom step with Ryan, admiring the beauty of the white hardwood floors, Elli had always loved the look of them, thought they looked classic. She made a mental note to make sure to see if houses in Nashville had them, and if not if she could get them. As she admired the rest of the house Shea argued with Grace. Ever since he got hurt, he’s had been extremely argumentative, and it was getting on Elli’s nerves, not that Elli could really say anything. She cussed him out for calling her “sunshine” for goodness sakes.
When Shea had asked which room was his and Elli’s, Elli knew things were about to blow by the worried look that crossed Jenna’s face. When she said that they would be sharing a room with Ryan and Amelia, Shea flipped. Elli didn’t care, it wasn’t like they would be having sex, since Elli was convinced he would break, but apparently he was irate about it.
“Grace put the kids in your room, before they have to see Unky Shea’s magic stick!”
“SHEA RYAN!” Jenna complained.
“Oh, please!” Grace said with a roll of her eyes. “Like it’s magical!”
“Oh, I can show you!” Shea said before sticking his tongue out at Grace like they were nine years old, while she made a crude hand motion with her hand. Elli guessed she was trying to say Shea’s stuff was limp.
Little does she know.
“Unky Shea knows magic!?” Ryan exclaimed beside a beat red Elli.
“No, honey, he doesn’t.” Elli basically groaned.
“He said he has a magic stick, though!”
“I know, ignore him,” Elli said, patting the young child’s hands.
“Shea, you guys can’t even do it, so why do you need a room to yourself?!” Grace objected, but that seemed to make Shea madder.
“Grace Caroline!” Jenna shrieked.
“Now, Grace, come on!” Mark added, “Don’t rub that in your brother’s face.”
“Yes, we can!” Shea countered. Ryan looked up at Elli.
“Do what?” The whole family turned to look at Ryan, and then they looked at Elli, waiting to see what she would say. All it did was make her to want to climb into a hole.
“Color honey, you know since Unky’s arm is hurt,” Ellis said as she turned even redder, could she be any more embarrassed?
“Oh yeah, why does he think he can do it then?” Ryan asked.
Elli shrugged her shoulders, “He probably expects me to do everything.”
Ryan made an “o” face as everyone snickered, “You have to do all the coloring? That’s not fair!”
“Who you telling?”
Ryan gave her a toothy grin, while everyone else tried not to laugh.
“I’m not sleeping in a room with my niece, nephew, and girlfriend, no way. I didn’t make those kids, you did.”
“You weren’t supposed to be here,” Grace countered back.
“Well I am here now. Put the kids in the living room, or with mom and dad.”
“Hey now, some of us can still color!” Mark said. Jenna smacked him on his chest while Grace and Shea both yelled, “Ew.”
“Really, Mark?” Jenna asked, he answered her by wiggling his eye brows, causing Grace and Shea to again, yell “Ew!”
James and Elli, the normal ones she thought, both laughed.
“Grace, the kids can sleep in the loft upstairs. Doesn’t the couch still turn into a bed, Jenna?” James asked Jenna.
“Yes, thank God you’re in this family, James, you’re the only man with some sense.”
“Hey!” Shea and Mark complained, as Jenna waved them off, gathering Ryan up in her arms.
“Want to go make some c
ookies with Grandma?”
“Sure do! Wanna help, Ms. Elli?” Ryan asked as Elli stood up.
“I gotta unpack. Plus, I think I still have some presents to wrap for a special little boy,” Elli said before squeezing his nose. She was rewarded with a giggle and a smiled from Jenna before they headed to the kitchen.
“Come on, Elli, I’ll bring these bags up for you.” James said.
“Thanks,” Elli said before following behind him, carrying some of the suitcases while Shea followed up behind them. After getting everything settled in the spacious white room, Elli looked out the windows, looking out at the endlessness of the blue ocean. It was so beautiful.
“I never want to leave,” Elli gasped as a sailboat came into view. It was damn near 30 degrees outside, what were them maniacs doing out there!
“It really is a pretty view from here. I love this room,” Shea said before lying carefully down on the bed, Elli smiled down at him before crawling beside him, cuddling up to his side. She was used to his other side, but the other one would have to do.
“Do you feel better?”
“No, Grace pisses me off.”
“Crabby butt,” Elli teased as she intertwined their fingers, “First you blow up on me, then the car guy, and now your sister. Who’s next?”
“Probably my mom, she’ll start smothering me.”
“Temper, temper.”
Shea gave her a cheeky grin, kissing her nose, “That’s why I play hockey, to let my frustration out.”
“It’s been three days, Shea,” she emphasized.
“Hey, I was supposed to play tonight.”
“Ah, true.”
Elli decided to let it go, she didn’t want to argue with him, she wanted to cuddle. He ran his hand up her back, than back down, into the inside of her jeans. He looked down at her with half lidded eyes as he splayed his fingers along her ass. Her eyes met his, before shaking her head.
“Shea Adler, remove your hand from my ass.”
He looked stricken as he took his hand out her pants, “I never thought I would hear you say that.”
Elli smiled as she rolled out the bed, “Believe me, I never thought I’d say it”
Elli threw herself onto the floor, pulling out the stuff she bought from Gucci to hang up. She didn’t know how long she was gonna last not having sex with her man. It was gonna be a long six weeks, that’s for sure.
Elli was in the middle of hanging all her new clothes when Mark came into the room. Shea was sleeping since he had just taken his afternoon dose of pain meds. Elli prayed that when he woke up he would be in a better mood.
“Hey Elli,” Mark said as he leaned into the door, “Get dressed in something warm, I’m taking you and James out on the boat.”
“The boat?” Elli asked, “It’s freezing out.”
“No big deal, come all, let’s go fishing.”
“People do that in the winter?”
“Sure, come on lets go before Shea wakes up.”
Mark turned and Elli couldn’t help but grin. Mark just assumed she was going, which she was, but still. Damn Adler men, so damned head strong. Elli got up, looking for some warm clothes. After putting on a pair of jeans, with a grey sweater, and her black cowboy boots, she threw her hair up in the fuzzy grey hat she bought at Gucci. Before leaving, Elli went over to the bed, placing a light kiss on Shea’s head. Elli shut the door quietly, and headed downstairs.
“Ready Elli?” Mark asked once Elli hopped off the last step.
“Sure am,” Elli said with a grin.
“Alright, off we go.”
Elli had been on a lot of boats in her time, but she had to admit Mark Adler’s boat was pretty. Really pretty. It was a massive 40 foot boat, it had a generous cockpit, with a forward and aft sun lounges, it had a large walk around along with a swimming station and the operating spot, where Mark stood in his captain gear, which consisted of a captain’s hat and Shea’s jersey with the ‘C’ on the breast.
Mark sure was a sight to see.
Elli sat with a beer in hand and a large fishing pole in the other. She looked out at the large blue ocean and let out a lengthy sigh. Spending the afternoon with James and Mark turned out to be one of the best afternoons of her life. They talked about everything, it was as if Mark and James wanted to know everything about Elli, and she wanted to know everything about them. She loved learning about Shea’s family, these were his people. When the subject of hockey came up, they talked for hours, only stopping when Mark or James would get a bite and reel one in.
Elli learned quickly that ocean fishing was way different than river or lake fishing. These fish were big, massive even. After every catch, they would take a picture. Elli loved how much Mark loved James, it still blew her mind the way he treated James like a son. It was sweet, amazing really. Mark treated Elli the same way, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, giving her big grins, pinching her cheeks when she would say something funny, and Elli swore a hour didn’t go by without him say, ‘You are amazing, Elli, anyone ever tell you that?’.
Coming to Boston was turning out to be a good idea. Not only was she with Shea, but she got to know his family better. Yes, her family was livid with her, but hey, she was with someone now. Her life didn’t revolve around them anymore; it was about her and Shea now. The thought that her and Shea were about to embark on a new stage in their relationship filled Elli with such warmth that it was hard not to grin.
Shea was the kind of man one considered spending the rest of their life with. Elli could see her and Shea together for the rest of her life, having kids with greenish blue eyes, and long dark hair. Hopefully bone straight like Shea’s and not the fuzzy mess she had. Shea would make a great dad; he loved Amelia and Ryan like they were his. He was a good man, the kind of man that held her when she cried, bathed her when she was sick, and planned the most amazing parties, just for her.
He was a keeper.
The more Elli thought about it, the more she thought that if he did leave, get traded, or whatever, she would go. She would have to. After feeling like she almost lost him, when he was laying face down on the ice, she felt she would do anything for him, go anywhere. Life without Shea wasn’t even possible, she couldn’t even fathom it.
She loved him.
Elli stood slowly, right as her reel started going nuts.
“Elli, babe! You got something!” Mark yelled, but Elli wasn’t listening.
She loved Shea.
She loved him so much it hurt her chest.
No, wait, that was the pole hitting against her chest.
“Shit!” Elli yelled, dropping her beer and taking the pole in her hands. Whatever was on the end of the line was huge and strong. When the massive fish flung itself out the water, Elli let out a girlie scream, causing Mark and James to laugh.
“Oh, hell, El, looks like a wolf fish to me!” Mark yelled, smacking Elli on the back like she was one of the guys.
“A what?! Shit it’s strong!” Elli grunted as she reeled her little ass off. Why weren’t these men trying to help her!?
“Massive strong fish. I got one last time I was here,” James said as him and Mark made their way to the side, looking over the side as Elli continued to reel her ass off. After what seemed like an hour of reeling, Mark got out a hook looking stick, and pulled on the line, finally helping Elli to get the fish up. When Mark flung the fish overboard, Elli let out a horrid scream.
“It has teeth!” Elli screamed jumping up on the chair she had been sitting on, receiving herself a round of laughter from James and Mark as they admired the fish.
“Damn, Elli, you got a big one. We’ll have to weigh it.” Mark said, hooking the ugly blue fish in the mouth and holding it up. The damn thing was as big as she was, and Elli was on the big side.
“I say close to 30 pounds, it’s a biggie,” James said, leaning in closer to look at the fish’s face.
“It’s a beaut, good job, Elli,” Mark said before sending her a grin, “Damn good job.”
> “Okay for one, that damn thing is ugly as all get out, and for two, I just sat there.”
Finally realizing, she loved Shea, not that she was gonna tell them that.
James and Mark laughed long and hard before Mark picked the fish up, motioning for Elli to come over, as James pulled out a camera. “Come on now, Elli, come hold your beaut, so we can get a picture,” Mark said, Elli shook her head.
“I ain’t coming anywhere near that thing, it’s got damn teeth!”
“Come on now!” Mark said more sternly, so Elli went, grabbing the pole slowly, before holding the fish up. It was almost as long as she was, and damn near the ugliest thing she had ever seen.
“Smile Elli!”
Yeah, right.
Shea had never laughed so hard in his life.
The picture he held in his hand had him almost busting a gut as he laughed. His beautiful girlfriend stood on a boat holding a massive fish up, with a look of horror on her face. The fish was as big as she was and Shea couldn’t believe she got it out of the water all by herself. Grace and his mom stood beside him, laughing as hard as he was.
“Oh, Elli, your face is priceless!” Jenna gushed, before kissing Elli’s cheek and turning back to the stove.
“I tell you what, that damn thing was ugly as all get out!” Elli complained in her thick accent. With Shea being home around his Boston speaking family, Elli stuck out like a sore thumb.
“I can’t believe you got it on the boat, Elli, I’m impressed!” Grace said, before leaving Shea’s side to go to James.
“I’m having the damn thing stuffed for her Christmas present, it will look good over you guys bed,” Mark said with a grin just for Elli. Shea didn’t think Elli thought he was funny, though.
“He has teeth, Shea. Tell them they are crazy,” Elli pleaded beside him, looking at her picture, shaking her head.
“Honey, you did good. You should be proud,” he said, smiling down at her.
“Proud of that? He’s ugly!”
“He’s a beaut!” Mark complained as he came over looking at the picture, “Wicked pretty fish.”
