"I understand. I'll leave you to it. And thanks again for letting us barge in like this."
"It's all good." I stand there. Heart racing. Trying to remember how to breathe. This is going to be a long day.
Dinner is loud, chaotic, and perfect. The table is packed. Pierre is telling embarrassing stories about Felix. Felix retaliates with worse stories about Pierre. Harper is laughing so hard she's crying. Issy keeps trying to defend Pierre, but she's laughing too. Collette and Cassidy bond over having annoying brothers. Sully argues with Pierre about some hockey stat. Ember sits across from me, quietly watching everyone with those sharp green eyes. Emmett is a couple of seats down from me. Far enough away to be safe. We haven't made eye contact since the kitchen.
Until I reach for the wine. His hand is already there and our fingers brush just for a second. My breath catches. He pulls back first, clears his throat, and goes back to his conversation with Sully like nothing happened.
But when I glance up, Ember is watching me. Her eyes narrow slightly before she looks away.
Shit.
After dinner, the guys insist on cleaning up. Pierre and Felix argue about the proper way to load a dishwasher. Sully dries plates. Emmett scrubs a pot like his life depends on it. The rest of us collapse in the living room.
"That was amazing." Harper sighs. "Jo, you're a magician."
"Collette helped."
"I fought a pie crust and lost," Collette says. "But it tasted good, so I'm calling it a win."
Cassidy laughs. "Your pie was great."
Ember is quiet, nursing her wine, she's in the armchair across from me, one leg tucked under her.
"So, Joelle," she says, casually. "How long have you been with the Mavericks?"
"Not long. I came in during the season."
"And you like it?"
"I love it. The team is great."
"That's good." She tilts her head. "Must be interesting, working with your brothers."
"It has its moments." I smile.
"I bet." She takes a sip of wine. "And the other players? They treat you well?"
My heart skips a beat. Does she know something? Everyone's been great. I love working with them all."
"Even the captain?"
Harper and Collette both go still.
"Sure," I say evenly. "But he's a stubborn asshole."
Ember's mouth curves into a small smile. "That he is. But hockey is his world and sometimes that makes him blind to everything else outside of that."
Huh. What does that mean? Before the conversation can go any further, the guys file back in. Emmett drops onto the couch next to Sully. His eyes drift over to me as if he noticesthe invisible tension between his twin and me. But my brothers hijack the conversation, and everything that happened before is forgotten.
Later that night, after everyone leaves, Collette and I collapse on the couch.
"Well, that was fun," she says.
"Yep."
"Ember seems nice." She glances over at me.
"She does."
