Page 118 of Holiday Hostilities

My thoughts turn to my beautiful, fiery redhead, and my lips quirk in a smile. “Never say never, bro. If it’s right, it’ll happen.Even against all odds. Love has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it—and where you never dare to imagine it.”

He snorts. “Maybe for you.”

“Either way, you’re a fundamental part of this team. And no matter what goes down, me and the guys have your back, always.”

“Thanks, Marino.” His expression softens at my words. “And speaking of all this mushy stuff, where’s our Lil Griz tonight?”

“Yeah, where’s Olivia?” Triple J appears beside us. He’s wearing a party hat and is holding a huge fishbowl cocktail with an umbrella in it. Holding it with two hands, to be precise—he’s carrying at least a gallon of liquid.

I explain to my teammates that Olivia’s flying back from Tokyo and she might not make it until after midnight, if she feels up to coming at all.

Jimmy looks appalled. “Well, that’s not good enough.”

“What do you mean?” I tilt my head at him.

“I mean, we should all be together to ring in the new year.” He nods firmly. “And whether she likes it or not, Olivia’s one of us now.”

“She is,” Dallas agrees.

A slow smile starts to spread on my lips. “You’re right. It’snotright that she’s not here.” My mind is whirring with a sudden idea. “In fact, if she can’t be here, I should bethere.”

“You should,” Seb pipes up from where he’s walking up behind me, an arm wrapped around Maddie’s waist.

I face my teammates with a slight frown. “Would you guys mind if I bail on the party?”

Triple J takes a long, noisy suck of his drink through the crazy loopy straw. “Maybe we should come, too.”

“What?”

“Yes.” Dallas is grinning at Triple J. “Just like you have our backs, Cap, we have yours. So, let’s go get your girl. Actually, let’s round everyone up and we’llallgo.”

I chuckle. “So, what? Order a bunch of Ubers to convoy to the airport?”

Jimmy shrugs nonchalantly. “Or we could take the limo I hired for the evening.”

OLIVIA

“Should old acquaintance be forgot for the sake of Auld Lang Syne!” Jing bellows tunelessly as we walk through a freakishly empty Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

She went on a couple of dates with a Scottish guy over the holidays, and as my only experience with Scotland involves Gregory the dreadful bagpiper, she’s been hard at work trying to change my mind. For the entirety of our trip to Tokyo and back, she regaled me with every positive aspect she’s learned of Scottish culture, including a complete rendition—with harmonies somehow included—of the song they like to sing at midnight on New Year’s.

I check my watch. “You’re four minutes early.”

“I’m just getting started, baby.” She loops her arm through mine as we board the little airport train that’ll take us back to the main arrivals area.

“That was a long flight,” I say as I sink into my seat.

I’m tired, but definitely not too exhausted to take a cab straight to the Cyclones’ New Year’s party, which is currently happening in a hotel downtown.

I’m beyond excited to see Aaron. Touch him. Kiss him. Make up for lost time, because boy have I missed him the past few days.

But it’s the good kind of missing someone. Not the lonely kind that feels empty, but that sweet ache in your stomach at the end of an amazing trip when you know you’re coming home to the person you love.

That’s what Atlanta is now. What Aaron is now.Home.

I can come and go, travel the world and back again, and I always have a place—a person—to return to that’s mine.

“Too exhausted to give the Italian Stallion the night of his life?” Jing says with a big wink.

---