to his arm. “Don’t force yourself into something that’s not for you.”
Before he could say anything to that, his second eldest sister flounced into the room and sat on the coffee table. Hair the same color as Tay’s was tied back into a long ponytail that reached her lower back, and—having come straight from the office—she was still in her work clothes: black pencil skirt and turquoise shimmery blouse.
“Kid,” Stella said. “I need a favor.”
Stop calling me kid and you can have whatever you want.
“Can I have your comp tickets to an upcoming game?”
His mouth nearly dropped open. At the beginning of every month, he gave his family first grabs at his home game comp tickets. Whatever they didn’t claim, he donated to the Foundation for them to give away to their donors, to the families that had directly benefited from their programs, or its employees.
Stella and Anna had asked for tickets . . . three times? They’d grown up on hockey—their parents made sure of it—but as a lawyer and a doctor, respectively, his sisters were as busy as Tay, and they seldom took advantage of free NHL tickets.
He rubbed his jaw, the bristles he hadn’t bothered to shave this morning scratchy against his palm. “I already donated whatever Mom and Dad didn’t claim.” He’d also set a Saturday evening pair aside for Dakota. You know. In case he wanted to bring Andy.
Stella pouted. “Bummer.”
“Why do you all of a sudden need tickets?” Mom asked.
“I just started seeing a guy and I’m trying to impress him.” Blunt as always, their Stella.
Tay shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Two of my children are dating?” Placing her mug on the side table, Mom sat forward. “Miracles do happen.”
“Tay’s seeing someone too?” Anna asked, wiping her hands on a towel as she came into the room and squeezed onto the coffee table next to Stella.
Elbows on her knees, Stella fisted her hands and rested her chin in them. “Ooh, tell us everything.”
“What’s she like?”
“What’s she do?”
“What’s she do for fun?”
“Uh.” Tay looked at Mom for rescue. She had the same wide-eyed expression as her daughters.
His dad walked in with his own coffee mug and sat in the love seat perpendicular to Tay’s couch. “Is this the guy you took to the titty bar for your first date?”
“Guy?” Stella sat back. “Huh. So you are bisexual.”
Anna slapped her arm. “That’s not nice.”
“In fact, that’s hugely insulting,” Mom admonished, voice hard.
“It’s just he’s never brought a guy home, and he’s only ever talked about women.”
Annoyance flared, hot and slithery in Tay’s belly. Yes, he was fucking bi. As if he’d come out to them for fucking fun. “I’m sitting right here.”
“Sorry.” Anna patted his knee.
“Sorry, Tay.” Stella’s voice cracked and she folded in on herself. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Tell us about your guy,” Anna prompted.
“And the titty bar.” Stella wrinkled her nose. “Not sure that was your brightest idea for a first date.”
Anna nudged Stella in the ribs. “If you took a guy to a titty bar on your first date, he’d probably stick with you forever.”
“What if I don’t want him to stick with me forever?”
Anna waved her hands in the air as though erasing the topic at hand. “We’re getting off track. Tell us about your guy, kid.”
Tay folded one leg underneath him, charmed by them despite himself. “He’s a single dad who works for the Foundation.”
There were the twin judgy expressions he’d come to expect from his sisters.
“You’re dating a parent?” Anna leaned back on the table. “But you’re so young.”
“I’m not sure what one has to do with the other.”
“Just . . . Are you ready to become . . . a dad?”
“Whoa, there.” Tay held up a hand. “Hold the phone. We went on one date. I’m not parenting anybody.”
“Yeah, but what if that one date turns into several dates, and then you’re in a relationship, and then you’re a step-dad? Not—” Anna held up a placating hand. “—that I don’t think you’d make a great parent someday. Just . . . is that what you want for yourself right now?”
Whether it was or wasn’t had nothing to do with them. “Why do you say step-dad like pumpkin spice latte?” Pumpkin spice lattes were forbidden in this house. Mom shuddered at the words. Leaning closer to her, Tay whispered, “Pumpkin spice latte,” which started a chorus of “Pumpkin spice latte” from Stella and Anna.
Mom made sure to look each of them in the eye. “I will disown all of you.”
“Here’s a question,”