The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3) - Odette Stone Page 0,76
better gift and when everyone was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready for our guests, I slipped into the bedroom to process my feelings.
His gift exemplified how mismatched we were. Every time I felt hope that we might move forward in our relationship, I was again reminded of how uneven we were as a couple. I didn’t cry, but I left the kitchen because I needed to get a hold on my emotions.
Sniper lay on the bed, his head on my lap as I tried to figure out why I felt so sad. When the door opened behind me, I knew it was Mica, coming to look for me. He sat down beside me and studied me. He didn’t speak. Instead, he just absorbed my energy.
“What’s wrong?”
I smiled and shook my head.
He picked up my hand. “Tell me.”
“I think I should have bought you more than a stupid sweater.”
Surprise crossed his face. “I love my sweater.”
“Everything I do is small. I want to do big things for you.”
His smile lit up the room. “Do you like your new car?”
“I love it.”
He shrugged, still amused. “I love my sweater and you love your car. I think we’re even.”
“You know what I mean.”
He grew thoughtful. “I don’t feel like I am giving enough of what matters.”
Our eyes met. He was talking about love. And commitment.
“I accept this for what it is.”
“I’ve met no one like you.” He played with my fingers. “If I could go all the way, it’d be with you.”
He was letting me know that nothing had changed, that this relationship still had a deadline. I swallowed the sad lump in my throat. “I know.”
“It’s not you, it’s me.”
I knew he was struggling. “Does this stuff have to do with your mom?”
He smiled, sad. “Yeah. My mom and my past.”
I felt so much love well up in my heart for this man, I almost couldn’t breathe. “I’ll go as far as you will go with me.”
This wasn’t just about sex. This was about me, not caring that I might get crushed at the end of this. I wanted to give him my all so I never lived with any regrets.
His eye reflected his relief. He leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss on my lips. “Thank you.”
“What are the boys doing?”
He thought about it. “Mark is a diligent little solider cooking up a storm under my mom’s supervision. Jasper is fucking around with the dogs, making a general nuisance of himself and making me laugh.”
A smile broke over my face as happiness washed through me. “This might be the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”
He didn’t respond, but his smile told me he felt the same way.
Once the guests started showing up, they never seemed to stop. I had been secretly stressed about how I would manage such a huge meal, but the girlfriend, sister and mom who tagged along brought salads and desserts. They donned aprons and dug in beside me and Yelena, working in tandem to put the meal together. Mica took coats, kept everyone’s glasses full and would often pull me out of the kitchen to introduce me to someone. It was a tight fit, but with an added table we got everyone seated for one of the most amazing feasts I had ever seen.
While we were eating, I sat back in awe at the huge group of people that laughed and talked together. The fireplace crackled and the Christmas lights twinkled on the tree.
Mica leaned forward. “What are you thinking?”
“That my mom would be so happy about all of this.”
“Mmm,” he responded as he leaned over and kissed my mouth.
The men cleaned up the kitchen and, used to working as a team, they had dishes washed and food put away without a fuss while the women sat around the living room, talking. The booze was flowing, and there was a lot of shouting laughter and loud talking.
With Sniper at my feet, I was chatting with one of the girlfriends when the doorbell rang.
“Charlie, there’s someone at the door for you,” I heard Mica call.
I stood up and walked towards the door, pausing momentarily to see Andrew and his two dogs standing at the door. Sniper stuck to my side like glue. Mica watched me approach, a nonchalant expression on his face. I felt inexplicably nervous.
“Andrew,” I said, conscious of the fact that all the players now stood in the kitchen like silent guards, unsmiling as they stared at Andrew. They were so in tune with Mica, they