Love you ladies.
“Hell-o lovah . . .” Everly whispers as she walks into my condo. “Seriously, you didn’t say that man was panty-melting hot. How is Easton okay with that man protecting you? Isn’t he worried about your body and his body . . . you know?”
“You’re crazy. You realize that, right?”
Kenzie tosses me my coat and looks at her watch. “She knows. We all know. Now let’s move it, ladies. I can finally catch one of my brother’s games, and I don’t want to be late.”
“Me either. Have you seen the way those men stretch on the ice? I swear my TikTok feed is filled with hot hockey boys lately. It’s like the sports gods know how over football players I am by this point in the season.”
I slip my arms in my coat and grab my purse. “It’s a good thing you’re not allowed to date any of the Kings players then, isn’t it?”
“Who’s dating one of my teammates?” Callen asks, having caught the end of the discussion when he and Maddox walked through the door.
Evie stomps her feet. “Why are dumb and dumber here?”
“Play nice,” Kenzie tells her as she takes my hand. “Now let’s go.”
My family purchased the Philadelphia Revolution from my oldest brother Max’s wife’s family years ago. And one of the first things he did was institute the same rule here that Scarlet has at the Kings stadium. We have two box suites. One is for the family to enjoy themselves. The other is for VIP guests, who we’re expected to mingle with.
If you’re one of my brothers, sisters or me and you’re at a game, you’re expected to pop into the VIP suite at some point and make nice. But as we pass it tonight, I can’t help but wonder if I wouldn’t be better off staying in there with my friends instead of going into the family suite.
I know Max and his wife, Daphne, will be here because I spoke with him earlier to make sure there was room. Most of my nieces and nephews are teenagers and rarely come to the hockey games. It’s hard to make them all when there are so many more hockey games than there are football games. Home football games get the majority of us there, most of the time.
“Easton told me Becket and Jules were coming with Blaise, which means there’s a good chance Lenny will be here too,” I tell Kenzie. “Am I awful that I’m hoping Mom and Brandon skip this one?”
“No, you’re not awful. But you have to face her soon, Linds. It’s almost Christmas. You don’t want to let this ruin your holiday.”
I square my shoulders and walk into the suite, taking a quick glance around.
I see Max and Daphne. Jules and Becks. I was right—Lenny and her husband, Bash, are sitting with them. And India is here with the kids. Okay, I can handle this.
“Lindy,” Becks is the first to see me, and the smile on his face does me in. He wraps me up in a big-brother bear hug, and it’s like I can finally breathe. Jesus. I forgot how much I miss my family.
“Hey, Becket.” I squeeze him back and kiss Jules on the cheek when she joins us.
“So, kid. Does this mean you’re my daughter-in-law and my sister?” Becks jokes, and Jules smacks his chest.
“Don’t let anyone hear you saying that, Becket. It makes us sound like the Clampetts.”
“I’m just teasing her,” Becks chuckles and moves on to Kenzie, not making a big deal out of anything. Okay. New favorite brother.
Everly walks over before I even take my jacket off and hands me a glass of wine. “Here,” she whispers. “Take the edge off. You’re practically vibrating with nerves.”
She taps her glass to mine. “Salut.”
“Salut.”
“You know, according to the Kroydon Kronicles, you shouldn’t be drinking.” Lenny eyes me as she and Max make their way over to me.
Max shakes his head. “Like she’d be the first of us to be pregnant before she got married, Eleanor.”
His wife, Daphne, shakes her head. “Whatever, Maximus. Like you were the one who had to carry around a bowling ball for nine months.”
I sip my wine while Everly laughs quietly. “I always forget how crazy your family is.”
“Uh . . . guys?” I hold my glass up. “I’m not pregnant. Promise.”
Lenny leans in and kisses me. “Good. Enjoy all the fun you get to have with him before you have a baby. Now is when you get to screw on every surface of your home without having to worry about waking the kids up.”
Max gags and walks away, while Everly taps her wine glass to Lenny’s beer bottle.