“Ah, yes, of course.” She shakes her head like I’m a mystery she’s slowly unraveling. “You had a very interesting upbringing, Penn.”
“I did.” I shrug, voice softer now. “That night, I ran to town to get cereal for dinner, and left before the ceremony even started.”
She nods slowly, puzzle pieces clicking together in her eyes. “I didn’t realize you never attended any of the ceremonies.”
I keep my gaze steady on the road ahead. I always felt a little out of place, even in my own town. But I don’t say that. The weight of the last half hour hangs between us, heavy enough for a season’s worth of stories. I want to shift the mood, lighten the air.
“Yeah. I am a little disappointed I didn’t get to see your light-up pants, though. You don’t happen to still have them, do you?”
She shakes her head but doesn’t laugh at the joke. Instead, she crinkles her nose, eyes searching mine. “You really would have decked Dylan?”
“Damn straight.”
“We didn’t know each other that well, though.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Why would you have stood up for me?”
My chest tightens. There’s a sudden pinch, like a thread pulling me closer to her. We’re more alike than either of us realize. She had friends—more than I ever did—but no one stood up for her. I saw the video afterward. If I’d been there, let’s just say I wouldn’t have been laughing or documenting her humiliation. I swallow hard, remembering the posts, the heartbreak in her eyes.
“I would have introduced my fist to his face, because I don’t tolerate people treating other people badly.” Maybe it’s the way I’ve been treated that makes me want to stand up for others. “You know I decked Santa, right? I’d have done the same to Dylan.”
A new light flickers in her gaze. “You can’t just hit people when you feel like it.”
“Did you forget what I do for a living?” I ask, voice low and rough.
“I know, but off the ice…”
“If they deserve it, I think it’s okay. Even Aunt Elaine would’ve approved.”
“Maybe we could get her to sic her feral cats on him.”
I grin. “Yeah, but I think I can handle him.”
Her eyes flicker down, playfully. “But who’s going to take care of you?”
I take her hand, placing it boldly over my cock. “You.”
She gives my swelling dick a soft squeeze, and when I groan, she laughs—soft, genuine, and full of promise. “Can’t wait.” She grins. “Actually, why wait?”
With that she pops the button on my pants, slow and deliberate. But just then, her phone buzzes on the console, shattering the moment. I glance down. The caller ID makes my blood run cold.
9
Jaylynn
“Looks like the party’s already in full swing.” I glance at Penn as we crunch up the front walk, my fingers curling tighter around the neck of the wine bottle. As we approach, the sound of music and laughter seeps through the cracks in the old front door, spilling onto the quiet street.
“Is it like this every Christmas?” he asks, voice pitched low, as if he’s trying to brace himself for chaos.
I pause, my hand brushing his sleeve, before taking hold of his arm. His coat is cold beneath my touch, but the muscle underneath is warm and solid. “It is.”
His steps slow. “Your dad’s not going to toss me out, is he?”
“No.” I laugh. Like I said, he’s not your coach anymore, and I’m a grown adult.”
“Right.”