Page 21 of Christmas Agreement
This wasn’t going well. I’d walked into the party with Katie on my arm and made it about two seconds before Kyle saw us. He’d smiled then rage overtook his face. He beelined. Before I knew it, his hand was on my neck and he had me pressed to the wall. His fist drew back.
“Kyle, stop!” Katie cried.
“Asshole, what are you doing with my sister? You know there’s a hands off rule.”
Katie shoved him, but it did nothing against a powerful hockey player.
“You’re the asshole,” she exclaimed. “How dare you tell guys they can’t even talk to me? Do you have any idea what that did to my self-esteem? You’re a jerk. Let go of Rugar.”
His grip loosened, and I pushed him off me then moved to the side so he’d have a harder time getting my back to another wall. I pulled Katie into me.
“You okay?” she asked, her front pressed into my side and her palm covered my heart.
I brushed my lips over hers, earning a threatening growl from Kyle. I wasn’t using Katie as a shield, but I knew he wouldn’t hit me with her in my arms.
“I’ve had harder hits into the boards,” I told her.
She glared at her brother. “If you touch my fiancé again, I’m kicking your ass. Then I’m telling Mom and Dad that I won’t come to Christmas if you’re there. Do you want that? I will bring the Wrath of Mom on your shoulders, and I won’t even feel bad about it.”
“Fiancé?” he echoed, blinking fast as if his brain had gone off-line and he couldn’t catch up.
“Yeah,” I said as Katie held out her diamond adorned hand. “Do you really think I’d fuck around with your sister? I love her for God’s sake. I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“I love you, too,” she murmured into my chest.
Kyle just stared at us, his brows furrowed, eyes narrowed and lips in a grimace. “I swear to God. If you ever—”
“I won’t,” I vowed. “This is for the long haul, man. We’re going to be related.”
“God help us all; two hockey lugs in the family,” Katie teased under her breath. At least, I thought she was teasing. She loved me on the ice. In and out of uniform, too.
“I’m sorry I almost hit you,” Kyle muttered.
“S’okay. I probably would have hit you if you’d showed up with my sister, too. Beer?”
“Yeah, we can hug it out later.”
Katie snorted. “You two are dorks.”
“But you love us,” I said then stole a kiss.
“I loveyou,” she murmured back.
“Hey!” Kyle exclaimed, but we ignored him. This moment was about us. Kyle was my best friend, and we were the dynamic duo on the ice. But Katie-Kat was my best girl, mydynamic, wonderful partner for life.
Epilogue
Katie
Five Years Later
“Come on, James!” I screamed from behind the glass as I watched my favorite hockey team allow the opposition to score a tying goal. “Get your ass in gear!”
“If Johnson hadn’t missed that shot, Rugar wouldn’t have to pick up the slack,” the guy next to me groused.
“Hey!” I glared over at him. “Kyle is my brother, thank you very much.”
“Well, he’s playing like shit.” The man shrugged.
