Jules sits down at her desk and switches me over to her laptop. “What do you mean reset?”
“We didn’t date. We went from what we had”—which I’m not about to discuss with Juliette—“to married. She wants me to woo her.”
“Oh, for the love of God. Seriously? She said woo?”
“Yeah. Why?” I ask, not liking the sound of that.
“Let’s just say she’s more like her brother than she probably even realizes. I hope you’ve got a plan because these Kingstons can be a real pain in the ass.”
“I do,” I tell her just before the door to the hotel room opens, and Boone and Jace walk in. “I gotta go, Jules.”
“Hey, Jules,” Jace calls out, sugary sweet when he hears her name.
Too bad I want to punch him in the face.
“Jace Kingston,” Jules yells. “You little shit. If you so much as—”
I end the call before she can finish her sentence and pocket my phone.
Guess Jules wants to punch him too.
Boone’s smile grows as he looks at the phone. “Dude. Is your mom the hot supermodel?”
“No, asshole. She’s my cousin,” I growl.
He smacks my back and drops down onto the bed where I was just lying. “Cool. Guess we’re at the nickname stage of our relationship already. Can I call you little Kingston?”
“I’m not a Kingston.”
“He’s not a Kingston,” Jace says at the same time as me.
“Chill, guys. I was kidding. It would be pretty gross if you were, and you still married his little sister. I mean, I’m pretty open-minded, but that crosses a line. Okay, how about I call you cradle robber?”
“Boone,” Jace warns.
“I kid. I kid. Fine. I’m just trying to lighten the mood. You two have to put this shit behind you before either of you get on the ice tonight. We can’t have our captain and our goalie ready to fight each other instead of the other team.”
My damn phone vibrates again, only this time it’s Lindy’s face on my screen. It’s a selfie she took of us kissing at the chapel the other night, then set as my contact for her. And instead of her name, Wife flashes there. Damn. I wonder what she’d do if she knew she did that.
Jace sees it too and grumbles, “Go on and answer. I’ll wait.”
“Yeah, I bet you will.” I take a few steps away and answer, “Hey, princess.”
“Fucking hell,” Jace bitches.
“Hey, hockey boy.” Her smile lights up her face. “I got my present. Thank you.”
“Real original. Already resorting to buying her love?” her asshole brother trash-talks.
“Was that Jace?” Lindy asks, her smile gone.
“Yeah. Boone’s here too,” I tell her and watch her eye twitch.
“Can you put Jace on the phone please?”
He takes the phone from my hand, his chest puffed up like a fucking peacock who just got exactly what he wanted. “Nobody should have to buy your love, Lindy.”
“My husband sent me his jersey so I could wear it tonight while I watch the game, you big bully. He knew I wouldn’t want to keep wearing your name and number, not now that I know what a jerk you are.”
God, I love this woman.
“Kingston is your name too, kid,” Jace chastises.
“Not for long. Maybe I’m going to take Hayes as my last name. It sure looks nice on a Revolution jersey. Nicer than Kingston. Now put my husband back on the phone and go away unless you want to hear me tell him exactly what I’m going to do to him when he gets home, wearing this jersey and absolutely nothing else.”
Jace’s face grows red with mortification mixed with outrage, and Boone’s lights up with excitement. “Dude, yes. I wanna hear.”
“Shut the fuck up before I break your face too, Boone.” Jace shoves Boone to the door before I even get the chance to lose my shit.
“Bus leaves in ten minutes, Hayes. Don’t be late,” Jace warns before he slams the door shut behind himself.
“Princess, you can’t say stuff like that in front of your brother.”
“Yeah, but his reaction was worth it.” She moves in front of the mirror in her hall and angles the phone so I can see my name and number eighty-eight on the back of her jersey. “But I really do like my present. Not that I’m some needy little bitch who wants you to buy her things. This was just very thoughtful.”
“Don’t thank me too much. I might have had an ulterior motive for buying it.” I run my tongue over my lip and picture her on her knees. Basically, the image she just scarred her brother with.