by Stacey Lynn
My parents came for dinner, loved Katie on sight and everything flowed easily—the food, the laughter and conversation and the wine Katie and my mom are drinking.
Then we turned on the game and that was when all hell would broke loose.
Katie was the first to swear.
I forgot that tonight’s game, Carolina’s first back at home since their long road trip, would be against Boston.
My brother just got sent to the sin bin for ripping off Selkin’s helmet and punching him in the face. The same guy who threw me into the boards and sent me to the hospital well over a month ago.
It’s the second time Jason has reined down his anger on the guy for what he did to me.
I’ve already sent him a text telling him to calm his tits, but I’m feeling pretty damn good too. My brother’s defending me out there and this game is getting so damn ugly it’s amazing we’re winning.
“Sit down, Dad, and have another beer.” More alcohol is probably the last thing the man needs, but I throw my arm around Katie’s shoulder and tug her tight to me. “You’re scaring Katie. Sit down and shut up.”
It’s the threat of what he’s doing to Katie that has him stop pacing. “Seriously?” He glowers at her like he thinks less of her for it.
“Oh… welll… ummm…”
“Can’t be in our family if I scare you. You haven’t even seen Junior or Joey yet. They’re worse.”
“Bullshit,” my mom says, coughing into her hand. As my dad’s glower turns her way, she pats the arm of her chair. “Come here, honey. Sit. I’ll get you your Xanax.”
“I don’t need a damn Xanax,” he grumbles, but he still listens and sits on the chair, picking up my mom and plopping her on his lap as he does it. “I need the damn refs to open their eyes.”
“Jason punched Selkin for no damn reason.” I can’t believe it sounds like I’m defending the jerk who’s the reason I still can’t walk right.
Dad glares at my leg propped up on the coffee table. “There’s a damn good reason for it,” he says, shoving a finger in the direction of my leg before turning back to the game.
My mom shoves herself off his lap.
“I’ll get you a drink, honey. Try not to shout the roof down while I’m gone.” She gives him a placating smile and kiss on the cheek, still chuckling as she heads to the kitchen. “Do you kids need anything? More wine, Katie?”
“Sure, Sonya, that’d be wonderful, I can get it though.”
“Oh don’t you worry. Us moms like caring for our kids, even the ones that aren’t born of blood.”
For a second, Katie freezes and I squeeze her closer to me and kiss her head. I have a feeling she doesn’t know that, but when she sighs and settles her hand on my stomach, I think she’s finally learning. And she likes it.
She stays that way until Jason’s able to get out of the penalty box and my dad jumps to his feet, almost forgetting Mom’s on his lap again. He barely misses tossing her to the floor.
“Damn it, John!” my mom shouts, brushing off her pant legs before fixing her hair. “You’re a damn animal.”
“You’re used to it,” he says and in the blink of an eye, he grabs her around the waist, hauls her to him and smacks a kiss on her lips. “You like it, too.”
“Gah!” I yell. “No! Not tonight! We have guests, you two!”
Next to me, Katie burrows her face into my shoulder and falls apart laughing.
“Just wait,” I tell her as we both avoid my parents kissing in between my dad shouting at the television. “This is only half the family.”
“Crap,” she whispers. “It’s a good thing I love you.”
My humor flees. I bump my shoulder to get her attention and wait until she’s looking at me. “Yes. It is.”
Her eyes swim with emotion as she registers the seriousness on my face and then she leans forward, sniffs, and picks up her wine.
My mom must have been watching us because when I catch her expression, I know she’s seen it all. See? she mouths. I don’t regret a single thing.
And I know exactly what she’s referring to. The night I asked her if she ever regretted giving up singing for my dad.
A warmth suffuses my chest, spreads and I lean back, holding Katie close to me.
I’ve got a good freaking family, a beautiful woman, and I’m exactly right where I’m supposed to be. I’m feeling pretty damn good about my current lot in life, frankly.
Then the whistle blows, signaling another penalty.
And my dad kills all those good feels when he shouts, “Goddamn fucking rooster shitting damn it!”
“Your dad.” Katie’s wheezing, she’s laughing so hard. They’ve just left and she’s recounted and repeated every single off the wall swear word or phrase he screamed while he was here. “Your dad is so hilarious. I mean, terrifyingly huge and and such a beast but when he started cursing the roosters and the light poles and striped zebras on African plains…”
She has tears pouring down her face from laughing so hard. I’m on the couch, beer in hand, girl in my other arm, well my hand is on her back trying to keep her from hyperventilating.
She doesn’t know some of those were Dad’s more mild rants. I’ve tried to warn her we’re loud and crazy.
“Oh my goodness.” She wheezes again and throws her head back, wiping away her tears. “He is so… well, he’s something.”
I shake my head. “At least we won.”
“And Selkin is missing a tooth and will have at least one black eye tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” I tilt back my beer. “Jason will be fined for that, but I think I’ll cover it for him.” After all, he only started that fight to avenge me. It was unnecessary, but hell it felt good to see my thirty-two-year-old big brother beat the shit out of Selkin for injuring me.
The game started ugly and fierce and ended up one of the nastiest games I’ve ever seen. I’ve definitely never played in one that bad. The good news is it gets us closer to making the playoffs and higher in the division by beating them.
The bad news… Jason might be suspended a game or two, something the team can’t afford.
The game ended an hour ago and Jason must have checked his phone as soon as the team won because he responded to my texts telling him to calm his tits down with a simple response. He had it coming. See you tomorrow.
I’m certain he doesn’t care at this point if he is suspended. That tension on the team has probably been simmering since I was hurt.
The guys played their guts out for the team, and I’m guessing partly for me tonight. It’s the first time since getting injured I wish I could have been there and now I understand where Coach was really coming from.
I’m a leader on the team even if I’m not the captain. I need to be there to keep them going.
But there’s no way I’ll talk about it tonight with Katie, not after the whirlwind drama my dad put her through. Tomorrow though. I can’t wait until after Christmas. I’ll tell her before the rest of my family. If she’s taking time off, I want her doing it with me.
“Do we need to head to bed?” I ask. Her hair is at her back and I run my fingers through it. Her hair is soft, and it falls through my fingers like water. She always seems to relax when I play with it which is good, because I like the way it feels on all parts of me. “You have work tomorrow early, right?”
“I need to be there at seven.” She turns and pulls her knees to the couch, leaning forward to me. “But I’m not really tired. I’m sort of… amped… after that game.”
“Amped, huh?” I get her meaning. I’m like this after playing games and I can practically feel the adrenaline racing through her. “Need to blow off some energy?”
She gives me a look full of both mischief and wanting and I am here for it. “I think maybe I should blow something else.”
Fuck yes. This woman. I’ve never seen someone get so turned on and excited in more ways than one about a blow job. Hell if I’ll ever deny her the opportunity to do what makes her happy.
“
All right, then. Help up the gimp and I’ll take you to bed and let you rock my world.”
“You got it.”
I don’t promise to make it good for her. She already knows I will. But damn, I wish I could use my knee enough to take her in all the ways I want.
Now that I don’t have to worry about knee braces and crutches, I’m able to get around without Paulie. As much as I like the guy, I’m not sad to see him go. I’m able to walk now with a slight limp, but I’m still feeling pretty damn good about everything as I head into physical therapy. My knee is bending well, strength is improving. I’m bolstered by the fact I get to see my entire family in less than twenty-four hours and hopefully after Christmas I get a few days alone with Katie before I head back to North Carolina.
And bonus: before Katie left for home to get ready for work this morning, she woke me up with her hand on my dick, stroking firmly and slowly in some tortuously pleasing way she’s mastered. I returned the favor by yanking her over my face, eating her out while she got me off. Then I rolled her to the side, her back to my chest and I took her from behind. My knee barely hurt and I’m looking forward to seeing how else I can take her without hurting it.
Merry early Christmas to me, indeed.
Essentially, nothing is getting me down today. Not this holiday season and not for the rest of the year. I strut into Lake View Physical Therapy with as much swagger as I can possibly have. I’m greeted by the beautiful sight of said expert hand-job giver talking quietly and seeming somewhat pissed off to the woman who always goes bonkers when she sees me.
Which means I’m making her day a happy one, too.
That’s right, I’ve come bearing presents.
“Natasha,” I say to the woman behind the reception desk. “Jude Taylor for Logan.”
She taps her fingers on a keyboard, smiling at the screen. “We know who you are, Mr. Taylor. You don’t have to announce yourself.” She gives me a smile which I return.
“And if you knew me, you’d know I’d like it if you called me Jude. Please.”
She gives me a nod and points toward the sitting area. “Have a seat. You’re a few minutes early and Logan is finishing up with another patient, but he’ll be with you soon.”
It’s what I usually do, finding a chair in a corner and I give a small tug of my baseball cap to cover my eyes but today, I have something different in mind.
I brace for the screech since I’ve already garnered the attention of both Avery and Katie. I give her a quick look but she still has that line in between her brows. I fight the urge to ask her what’s wrong. I already risked things for her the other day so I turn to Avery and nod my head.
“Avery,” I call and I swear the woman sucks in a breath that could clear the oxygen in the room. “How are you today?”
“Good.” Her hands flap in the air in front of her face and she starts bouncing on her toes. “I’m good, Jude Taylor. How are you?”
I laugh and shake my head. Why people always insist on calling me by both names is a mystery, yet it’s common. “Come here. I hear you’re a hockey fan.”
Her brown eyes go so large they’re saucers and it takes a gentle shove from Katie who’s now smiling at me with a questioning look on her face.
“I am. I am a hockey fan. Well, a sports fan mostly, football. Basketball. Hockey though, well, hockey is just my absolutely favorite.”
She has no shame in her rambling and now I can see why Katie likes her. This woman is well… she’s simply who she is and makes no apologies for it.
“Well, I made some calls. I got some friends on the team up here. You like Chicago?”
“Yes,” she breathes out the word and Katie comes to her side, hand at her back.
“Breathe, Avery. And calm down.” But she’s laughing too and still shaking her head at me. I haven’t told her I was doing this, but I have a bag of things for Logan and his family, too.
“You calm,” Avery hisses and glares at Katie playfully. Her red hair, pulled back into a ponytail, flies through the air and almost whips her in the face. “I’m talking to Jude Taylor.”
If she’s trying to whisper, she’s failing miserably. I decide to hurry this along before the woman really does pass out.
“All right.” I pull an envelope out of my back pocket and unfold it. “Well, like I said, I have some friends on the team up here and he’s generous, not to mention usually has some extra tickets for games and whatnot. So, since I know you’re a fan, I got him to get these for you. Underground parking pass, suite to the home game on New Year’s Day, and tickets for your whole family and any friends you want to bring with. It holds twelve.”
“What?” Swear to God, she sways on her feet, hand pressing to her chest. If this woman passes out and EMTs are called, I’m going to kick myself in the ass for doing this myself and not going through Katie.
“Yeah, it’s all here. Tickets, passes, oh, and some merchandise vouchers for your kids. They like hockey too, right?”
“They will now.” She snags the envelope off the counter and holds it to her chest. She’s shaking in that way overexcited fans can sometimes do, usually young boys at training camp signing days when they meet their heroes. It’s rare I see a woman a decade older than me if not more act as shaken. In fact, I’m certain this is the first time. “Thank you. Wow, Jude Taylor. Just, thank you so much for this. This is… well… this is…wow…”
Tears fill her eyes. I’m hoping happy ones and I’m so damn thankful when Logan walks up, holding out his hand for me to shake. “Jude. How’s it going?”
“I might have just sent Avery into cardiac arrest.”
He snickers and drops my hand. “Happens at least once a week around here. We get used to it. Ready to get to work?”
“Yes, sir.” I turn to Avery and give her a wave. “Take care, Avery, and Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Jude Taylor. And thank you. Thank you so much.”
“It’s Jude,” Katie says under her breath. I can tell she’s surprised at what I’ve done, but happy about it too. I have no doubts she’ll show her appreciation later. And as I walk away, I laugh as I overhear her say, “Goodness, Avery. Stop looking at the man’s ass.”
Logan and I reach the table where we usually start and I’m quick to hop on the table. First, I hand him the bag of shirts and gear for his family, along with tickets to a different game, but their seats are right behind home bench. Thought his boys would get a kick out of that.
After he thanks me, much quieter but no less surprised than Avery, I lay back on the table to get started. I know the drill. He’ll give me some warm-up stretches, test the flexibility and strength in my knee and then he’ll throw me on the bike to warm it up more.
He gets to work, quieter than normal. He’s not the chattiest guy, but we usually talk about our week, how the hockey teams are doing. We talk about football some too, so I almost expect him to talk about who’s making the playoffs since most of the teams have been decided except a few wildcards. He keeps his lips pressed tight together while he goes through the measurements, almost frowning as he does so.
Worry punches my gut. “Everything okay?” I nod at the tool he’s used to measure the angle of the bend in my leg as he tosses it down.
“You’re looking good. Ready for the bike?”
“No, I mean, everything all right with you? You’re quiet today.”
The man juts out his jaw. And shit, this isn’t good. That worry tightens into a vise around my chest and then I watch as his gaze roams the room. I follow him, notice he stops on Katie who’s now talking to a girl who looks to be a teenager, black hair in long braids and dark brown eyes wide on Katie as she speaks to who I assume is the girl’s mom.
I can’t help but linger on watching Katie work for a moment before I realize that’s what has Logan so upset.
“Katie? What is it?” She hasn’t talked about the issue with her boss in a couple of days. But now that I think about it, she also hasn’t mentioned gettin
g time off work.
He ignores my question and points at a bike on the far wall in the corner. All the others are free, but I always take the corner one. It gives me a small semblance of privacy in this wide open room.
“You going to tell me or make me guess?” I ask under my breath as we move.
Logan waits until I’m on the bike and usually he tells me to get to it and goes and does whatever else he needs to while I warm up, but today he stays, one hand on a handlebar, his back to the room, and he starts the bike for me like I’m incapable of doing it myself.
“Got word your last week here is after Christmas. She know?”
Oh, so that’s what it is. He’s not stupid. After the day I took her to lunch and he was waiting outside the building for us to get back, he’d told me I had to be more careful. I’d played it off, repeating we’re friends, but he’s too smart to be fooled by me.
Probably because he sees how I can’t keep my eyes off Katie when I’m here regardless of how much I try.
“Not yet.” I start pedaling the bike. “I was planning on telling her after Christmas.” Which was my original plan but he doesn’t need to know that’s changed.
“That’s two days away.”
I’m not an idiot. I know how to use a calendar. “Yeah, I know, but plans weren’t finalized until yesterday.” I stop pedaling. I know this guy is married. But he’s also only her co-worker, sure they might be friendly, but Katie hasn’t exactly talked about him too much so I don’t know how she’d feel about him questioning me. And frankly, I don’t owe him a damn thing. “I’ve got this covered. She’ll know when she needs to and the rest will be up to Katie and I to decide what’s next.”
“She’s a good girl. I don’t want to see her hurt.”
My hands tighten around the grip on the handles. It’s the first time I’ve actually considered she might not want anything with me if I do leave. But she’s the one insisting I can’t stay here for her. Let’s face it, other than my parents, she’s the only reason to be in Chicago now that I’ve got my focus back on the team and my recovery and not feeling sorry for myself.
