“I know, the family chat is busy.”
“Which chat, the one I’m in or the one I’m not in?” I teased.
He winced. “Not sure, either way, we’re all rooting for you.”
I couldn’t help myself when I scooped him up for loving, resting his ass on the counter and carding my hands through his golden curls, and kissing him deeply. I unzipped him, pushed a hand inside, touching the lace that he wore, the silk tight across his erection, and then I couldn’t stop myself if I tried. I lifted him off the counter, and went to my knees in front of him, licking and sucking the silk. Getting it so wet I could see his cock, and God, it was too much.
“Can you come like this?” I asked, meaning still wearing the panties he’d pulled from a collection in a box in the closet. All I received in response was him thrusting forward, and I smiled as I sucked and then pulled the material tight over his cock. This time, I wanted to taste him, and I made sure the tip of him was there, catching his release on my tongue as he cursed above me and fucked against my lips. When I stood, I felt ten feet tall.
He smiled dreamily into a kiss. “My turn,” he whispered, and then went to his knees, and I lost it so fast it was like I was a teenager again.
“Stop distracting me.” He smirked, and for that I kissed him again, then with apprehension, I checked the list of calls, and re-read the words that I’d written announcing my retirement. It thanked the fans, the team, hockey, and suggested this move was all about family. I’d signed the press release, and at the time, it hadn’t felt as if my heart was breaking, just that I was ready to move on, but reading it in black and white was weird.
“I need to take this,” I murmured when my phone lit up again, and it was Paul Hollister, captain of the Albany Harriers, and the only one who knew I was thinking about retiring.
“Go for it,” Bailey said, his voice muffled as he was currently on all fours with his head in a floor safe. The view was exceptional, and I wondered if it was uncomfortable with the wet silk.
Stop going there.
“Holly,” I acknowledged my captain and friend.
“Kai, how’s Vermont?” Paul had spent half of last season out with various injuries—hell the entire team was carrying some hurt or another, hence the fact that the Harriers weren’t anticipating the best of seasons.
“Good. Cold.” But Bailey loves me, and that makes coming here perfect.
“So, it’s done then.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll miss you on my wing,” he said, but we both knew he was used to it, given I hadn’t played since May.
“I won’t miss you hogging the puck,” I joked.
He snorted a laugh. “I’m all about the glory,” he pointed out. “Just wanted to touch base, let you know we’re always around for a beer, let us know when you’re in town, or hey, we can get a jet, and all fly out to visit you. Not now, when it’s warm,” he added as if he’d given the idea thought.
“You’re welcome, I’m getting a place here.”
Bailey stood and brushed at his knees, and I melted a little just at seeing him do that. I have it bad.
“Good luck, Kai.”
“Same to you with Seattle tonight.”
“We won’t need it, we rock.” We both knew that wasn’t right, given the run of bad luck the Harriers had found themselves in the middle of.
We finished with the usual pleasantries. I sent a few texts to other teammates, said I’d catch up, but the rest, the calls for an interview or soundbites, I ignored.
I had my head full of Bailey, and Wishing Tree, and I was where I needed to be.
Chapter Sixteen
BAILEY
All four Haynes brothers were intrinsic to the success of the light parade, and this was the final meeting as the floats lined up and people milled around the staging area. It was starting to get dark, and the snowfall today had been thick and muffling, ice forming on every available surface, nipping any part of exposed skin. I gave it five minutes before my cheeks and nose turned red, another Haynes gene in overdrive.
Of course, all four of us on the planning side meant Lucas, Duncan, and Callum were all in one place, with Mom and Dad as backup, and it was the perfect moment to tell everyone that Kai and I were a thing.
A defined thing, a new relationship, a potential happy ever after. I mulled over what to say, not really paying attention to the checklist that Callum was going through point by point. To his credit, this was the busiest parade I’d seen since I’d been part of them, and the most organized, but none of us would ever tell him that, because… well, brothers. I loved it, and every second of Christmas, even more now I had Kai by my side.
Can this day get any better?
“Earth to Bailey?” Lucas poked me.
I stumbled back into Duncan, who caught me and then set me back on my feet. “My bad,” I murmured, still mulling over how to explain what had happened.
“So, okay then, the last thing is…”
I should just come out with it, just say, hey, guys, you know how close we are, and how you said you’d always have my back? Well, look, it’s like this, me and Kai are a thing. I don’t know how I feel right now, but its feels kind of like it could be a forever love.
The tent flap opened, and Kai stepped in, searching for me. This was the moment where Kai and I could hold hands and tell everyone at the same time as—
He picked me up and kissed me, and then set me down again.
“Hey,” he said, just for me, and I smiled up at the big idiot who was wearing antlers and a Harriers coat.
I reached up and touched his cheek, so in love that it hurt, and then it occurred to me that my entire family were right there, and I’d been kissed in front of them, and now I was caressing my lover’s face as if we were alone in my bedroom. I winced, and then turned to face them, seeing Duncan and my dad hand ten dollars to Lucas.
“You couldn’t have waited for the first public kiss to happen tomorrow?” Duncan muttered and then bro-punched Kai’s arm.
Lucas squared off in front of Kai. “You might be my best friend, but hurt Bailey and—”
“—you’ll kill me, yeah I already got that from Callum.”
“Damn right,” Callum said, digging into his pocket—for his own ten dollars to hand over, I assumed.
“Everything okay?” Dad asked me, and I nodded, then he shook Kai’s hand. “Welcome to the family, Kai.”
Mom bustled Dad to one side, tugging me and Kai into a hug. “He was already part of the family,” she said, with exasperation. “Now you two be kind to each other, okay?” She didn’t have to say anything else, because that simple statement covered everything about us being together, and her approval.
“Ten minutes and counting,” Lucas announced and tapped his watch. He stared at the route pinned to a whiteboard, as if there was going to be a change from any of the past years.
“Let’s get this parade started.” Duncan zipped his coat, pulling the hood up over his beanie, then leaving with Callum. I was the behind-the-scenes man, with the radio in case of snafus, working with the teams who made everything run smoothly, and I didn’t envy my brothers going out into the thick of things.