A hand grips my bicep, and I open my eyes to see my dad pulling me to him. Like my mom, he hasn’t aged either, in my eyes. They both look how they did when I was younger, just a little bit grayer and with deeper laugh lines. My dad holds me tightly in a backslapping hug.
“It’s good to have you home.”
“I’m excited to be home,” I say as I pull back, looking at the family I haven’t been able to spend much time with in the last ten years. Hockey has stolen me from them, but they all understand. It was my dream, a dream they all supported.
“Was it a good flight?”
I nod as I take a step back. “Yeah, a little long, but I watched movies.”
“Is everything packed?”
“I paid someone to pack all my stuff. It should be here Friday.”
Mom nods. “We’ll store it in the garage until you get a place.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s too much. I paid for a storage unit. Hopefully I can find something before long.”
Dad nods. “We will. I’ve got a real estate agent on it. We’ve all used her.”
When Dad says “We’ve,” he means the whole Assassins team. If one Assassin does something, the rest always follow. It’s such a family mentality. I love that about my team. “Great. I hadn’t had time to look for one.”
“I got ya,” Dad says, smacking my back before picking up my bags and throwing them into the back of his Lexus. “Like my new wheels?”
“Fancy,” I tease as I open the doors for my sisters and my mom.
“Such a sweetheart,” Mom says before climbing in. “But hurry up. We gotta get to Elli’s, and then we have plans for lunch.”
“My favorite restaurant?” I ask, hoping to God it’s Hattie B’s, and she nods.
“Yes, even though it’s full of the gluten and so many carbs.”
“Thank God,” my dad, Stella, and Emery all say under their breaths.
I chuckle. “Mom, what are you doing to my family here?”
“Trying to save their asses from cancer and death. The food is trying to kill us!”
Everyone is rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. “Dad, didn’t I tell you to keep her away from those Netflix documentaries?”
Dad scoffs. “I try, but she watches them at work.”
I grin as I lean back, my sisters cuddling into me. I feel so complete, I almost forget the fact that Grace has blown me off. Almost. I really don’t get it. We had a really good time. When we weren’t having sex, we talked hockey. There aren’t many girls who can spit out stats like they’re reading from a book. She knew the game, she loved it, and she enjoyed talking to me about it. So quick with her mouth too. If she didn’t like something, she let me know. I don’t know… It was fun. I wouldn’t mind exploring her a lot more than I was able to.
I’m lost in my thoughts, though Stella and Emery haven’t stopped talking since we left the airport. Even so, I can almost taste Grace on my lips. Totally inappropriate while I’m sitting with my sisters, but I can’t help but think of her. I’m craving her. I want to see her again. I need to call Chris again. A little pressure and he’ll crumble like a fortune cookie.
When we arrive at the Adlers’ house, I’m surprised by how excited I am. This is my new GM’s house. The woman who brought me home. Also, it holds one of the greatest hockey players of his time—well, besides my dad. Shea Adler is a beast. Even now, the dude is amazing. We talk weekly, and I look forward to our discussions. Usually, they’re about hockey, but then sometimes we talk about life. He’s just a good guy.
Once I’m out of the car, my mom hands me two dozen eggs from her chickens, and I roll my eyes. “Why am I carrying these?”
“I don’t trust the girls, and we have some already.”
I make a face. “How many chickens do you have?”
“Nineteen.”
I look back at Emery disbelievingly. “What? I thought it was nine.”
She shrugs.
“Jesus,” I say under my breath as we head up the driveway of the massive house the Adlers own. With how many kids they have, they need this big ol’ house. I’ve grown up with this family, and it’s weird being back. Not that I haven’t been by in the last ten years, but it’s mind-blowing that I can come over whenever I want and it will be totally normal.
Because I’m home.
Man, what a feeling.
After knocking on the door, my dad pushes it open. “Be decent! The Brooks family is here.”
Shea’s booming voice answers back. “I’m completely naked in the kitchen.”
My dad squeals as he runs through the living room like a kid. I enter after the girls to find the house is quiet, which is totally not how the Adler house runs. Usually, it’s loud as fuck, but then I notice the boys are outside playing hockey. “Ooh, Mom—”