A Very Merry Hockey Holiday (Assassins #6.5) (10 page)

“Wow, thanks for making me feel like an ass,” he complained and she felt bad instantly.

“I’m sorry.”

He laughed. “I know this sucks. It does, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“No, I’m sorry, you’re right, I’m being a brat. I just hate being apart. As soon as my contract is up, I’m done, and I swear you are going to have to peel me off you.”

“I look forward to it. I love you, Claire. I do. So much.”

“I love you more than that,” she said with all the conviction in the world. Sometimes people picked at them saying they were so young and in love, but she loved it. She loved how intense they were about each other and couldn’t wait until the moment they would be joined together as one. It would be the most amazing occasion of her life with everyone there to share in their love. They may be young, but they knew this was it. This was forever.

They talked for a little longer about his parents, and then she yawned, dead on her feet. She had gone shopping with Reese and Sawyer for last-minute gifts.

Laughing he said, “Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow before the game.”

She smiled as she pushed back her tears. “I’ll be watching.”

“Good. Enjoy your gifts tomorrow.”

“I wish you were one of them. That would be so hot, you under the tree with a bow.”

He chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing, but you with bows on your naughty bits.”

She giggled as heat engulfed her. “Don’t turn me on if you can’t get me off.”

He scoffed. “Oh, baby, I can get you off with just my words, but I don’t want you coming, screaming in your uncle’s house. He already wants to kill me ninety-nine percent of the time.”

She giggled. “But hey, that one percent, he likes you.”

“I doubt that, but he’ll like me soon enough.”

“Sure,” she agreed and he laughed.

“Okay, I love you. Call you tomorrow.”

“Love you too.”

When she hung up, the sadness was there, but this was the life she’d chosen. Hockey players came and went on the holidays, so she’d better get used to it. Especially since she was about to marry one.

“Claire! Claire! Claire!”

Claire slowly opened one eye to see Sawyer on her chest, smacking her with his palms.

Stretching, since this wasn’t the first time her little guy had done this, she said, “What, honey?”

“Santa came!”

She smiled as she cuddled into him. She needed the comfort because when she was out of the bed, it would mean that she was spending Christmas without Jude. She really didn’t want to accept that, but Sawyer was wiggling and then was dragging her out of the bed.

“Come on, Claire-bear! Santa came!”

“I know, buddy, but I don’t want to,” she complained, kissing his hands.

“But you have to!” he protested, pulling her.

Knowing that he was going away and that Phillip and Reese were probably waiting on her, she got out of bed with a huff. “You owe me hot chocolate, kid.”

“With peppers!”

She smiled. “Yes, with peppermint.”

She took his hand and they made their way through to the kitchen where Reese was standing.

“Merry Christmas, honey.”

Claire shrugged. “Be way merrier if Jude were here.”

Reese smiled as she shrugged. “Don’t be a Grinch.”

Claire giggled as Sawyer said, “Yeah, don’t be a Grinch!”

“Claire being a Grinch?” Phillip asked, coming into the kitchen with a coffee cup in hand. “Maybe we should send her to the North Pole?”

Sawyer agreed. “Yeah, Santa needs to put the Christmas in her!”

“Sorry, I’m a little down. I’ll perk up, give me hot chocolate,” she said, picking up her little guy just as Reese handed her a cup. Music was playing, which wasn’t odd, but the song made her a little sad. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was the song, and usually she liked it, but today she could do without hearing it.

“You have to be happy. Santa brought you something,” Sawyer said.

She scoffed. “Santa always skips me.”

“Nooooooo, not this time, come on!” He wiggled and she put him down. He pulled her into the living room, and when her eyes caught sight of the present, she squealed. Sitting by the tree with a huge red bow on his head was Jude.

“Jude!”

His face broke out in a grin as he stood, catching her as she jumped into his arms. Covering his mouth with hers, she kissed him deeply as her heart came out of her chest. Holding her close, he smiled against her lips as he spun her around. Pulling back, he grinned down at her, the bow falling into his sweet, gorgeous eyes. Elated, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“They canceled the game because no one can fly into New York, it’s snowing so bad. So instead of going back to California with the guys, I came home. You wanted me under your tree, so that’s where I wanted to be.”

Kissing him again, she wrapped her arms around his neck and almost started to cry. Kissing her jaw, he then kissed her nose and smiled, his heart beating against hers. She couldn’t get over how gorgeous he was, and he was all hers. She had missed him so much and he was there. In the flesh, on Christmas with her. There could be a million gifts under the tree, but the most important gift was looking deep into her eyes with his arms holding her tight to him.

“Merry Christmas, Claire.”

She grinned as she looked into the eyes of her forever. “Merry Christmas, indeed.”

T
he Adler residence not only looked like Santa crapped all over it with Christmas decorations but it also looked like a tornado had gone through it. Wrapping paper and toys covered every square inch of their living room, but Shea Adler didn’t care.

His family was happy.

Like they had done for the last seven years, they woke up at the butt-crack of dawn and surrounded the tree, passing out gifts. With each year, it became more hectic though. When it had been just him and his gorgeous wife, Elli, it was easy but consisted of a lot of sex under the tree. Then Shelli came, again easy. Then Posey, still easy, but when the twins came, things started to get a little rowdy. By the time Quinn came, it was a mess. Lots of tearing of wrapping paper and lots of screaming, but he didn’t care. The kids were always happy.

And he actually liked the chaos.

“Mommy, I love it! Thank you! Daddy, you’re the greatest!” Shelli exclaimed as she held up her new iPad.

“But I want an iPad, Daddy!” Posey complained.

“Open the box, honey,” Shea said softly. She did then gave him a sheepish grin.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she giggled, holding up her iPad.

“You’re welcome, honey,” he said as Elli leaned against him.

She looked gorgeous with her hair a mess and in his big Assassins tee with long pants. Her feet were covered by the new reindeer socks Quinn had gotten her. She had on earmuffs the girls had given her and also gloves the twins had picked out.

“Warm and toasty?” he asked and she grinned.

“Oh yes, my kiddos give the best gifts, don’t you think?”

He chuckled as she looked him over. He was wearing a big, bright purple scarf that the girls had selected, along with knee-high hockey socks that the twins had gotten him, and reindeer slippers. He looked like a total loser, but he wore his gifts with pride. “I say I think you are right.”

She smiled before leaning up to press her lips to his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned her forehead against his jaw as they watched the kids tear open presents and cheer when they got something they wanted. He always loved when they got clothes though. Their faces were priceless. Especially Owen’s. He didn’t hold anything back and made sure they all knew that a gift wasn’t what he wanted. Shelli was kind and always thanked them for things even if she didn’t want it. Which didn’t happen a lot.

Just to mess with her though, he got her a Ninja Turtle, and when she opened it, she asked if it was for one of the boys. He told her no, it was for her, and her face was something for the books. He’d never laughed so hard in his life before telling her it was his, when really, he was going to give it to one of the rookies. The other kids were just happy to get to open presents, and he enjoyed that they were so ecstatic. They still had Christmas with his family later that night, and they were even going to Elli’s dad’s house the following day, which would be awkward because her mom and sister would be there. Since they were still trying to suck up to Elli, he was sure that they would get something overly extravagant for the kids, and he hated that. They didn’t have to buy the kids’ love or Elli’s, they just had to be good to them.

That was obviously hard for Victoria and Olivia Fisher.

Kissing his beautiful wife’s forehead, he said, “Wanna open my gift?”

“You got me something?” she asked sweetly and he smiled.

“You know I did. You probably already know what it is,” he said, getting up and going to the tree to retrieve the gift.

“I really don’t,” she reassured him as he handed her the large box. “Shelli, baby, hand me Daddy’s gift.”

“Got me something?” he teased and she shot him a grin.

“You know I did. I love Christmas.”

That she did. It was her favorite holiday, and that was one of the main reason he wished they weren’t going to Michael Fisher’s house. He didn’t want her sister and mother to ruin Elli’s favorite holiday.

When the kids stopped opening their gifts and gathered around them, Shea nodded toward Elli for her to go.

“No, you go first,” she said, basically jumping in her seat. “I’m so excited for you to see what it is.”

To please her, he nodded and opened the box. It was a watch box, and when he opened it to the expensive-looking watch, he smiled. “Thank you. I needed a new watch.”

“That’s not even the best part, look at the base.”

His brows pulled together as he focused on the watch to see that it not only had the time but a picture of Elli and the kids. “And the inscription,” she added.

He smiled as he read the inside of the watch:
To the best daddy in the world. We love you. So much.

His grin grew as he put the watch on, looking over at Elli. “I love it. Thank you.”

He then leaned over, kissing her lips as the kids giggled and some said ew. Parting, she grinned as she bounced in her seat.

“Your turn.”

“What is it?” she asked as she pulled the wrapping off.

“A horse,” Shea deadpanned and she giggled. “Open it and see.”

Her grin was unstoppable as she torn open the box. When she looked inside, he smiled when a perplexed look came over her face. Pulling out a smaller box, she glanced at him and he chuckled.

“You thought it was that mixer, huh?”

“Maybe,” she said slowly as she started to unwrap the smaller box.

“It’s under the tree,” he answered and her face lit up.

“Then what is this?”

“Open it and see.”

The kids were basically bouncing off the walls in anticipation. Everyone knew what he had gotten her, and it had taken almost a year to plan. He was excited to see what she thought, though. Opening the box, her brows came together as she took in what she was looking at.

“Are these plane tickets?”