Page 145 of Embrace

“When did he even plan a surprise?” I ask, stuffing my frozen hands into my coat pockets. “I’ve been at the house basically every day. Unless Kian’s not sleeping.”

Sierra smiles. “You underestimate how sneaky these hockey players can be.”

“Figure skater, baby,” Dylan corrects.

We round the corner and the hockey house comes into view, completely decked out in what I can only describe as chaotic, questionably festive decorations. Strings of mismatched lights flicker along the porch, half of them definitely from Halloween. An inflatable Santa and reindeer sit on the lawn in a position I’m almost positive would get flagged by the city.

The other lawn decorations are a herd of crooked reindeer that look more like malnourished horses that stare lifelessly into the street.

“What am I looking at?” I blink.

“Holiday spirit,” Dylan deadpans, limping up the porch stepsas Sierra unlocks the front door. He leans all his weight on her, his arm slung over her shoulders. Sierra doesn’t even flinch, adjusting her grip like it’s nothing, but I catch the twitch of her lips like she’s fighting off a smile. He whispers something to her, and she rolls her eyes, trying to keep her poker face as they shuffle inside.

The front door swings open, and I freeze. My jaw drops.

The entire house is transformed. Fake snow dusts every surface, snowflakes hang from the ceiling on thin sparkly strings, and tiny trees and plastic elves line the entryway. I’m blinking in shock, and when I walk into the living room, I’m attacked with a tiny red and white popper.

I shriek, laughing and picking the confetti from my hair, just in time to see Kian standing there, wearing a Santa hat slightly crooked over his dark hair.

He twirls the spent party popper between his fingers. “I heard you like Christmas,” he says, his eyes dancing.

I can’t stop grinning as I walk toward him, shaking fake snow out of my hair. “You did all this?”

His arms loop around my waist, pulling me in until I’m pressed to his chest. “With the team’s help. And by help, I mean I blocked the exits and forced them to work.”

My heart feels like it’s swelling out of my ribs. His cheeks are flushed, his brown eyes softer than ever.

“Thank you,” I say quietly, tucking my hands into his jacket, feeling the warmth of him against me.

Kian brushes his nose against mine. “You didn’t think I’d let my tutor cram through exams without a distraction, did you? Besides…” He tugs me closer, voice low near my ear. “It’s our first Christmas, and I wanted to make up for all the ones we’ve missed.”

Sierra and Dylan shuffle past us, bickering about which of the decorations counts as a fire hazard, and somewhere down the hall,someone yells about the fake snow clogging the sink, but all I pay attention to is Kian.

I stand on my toes, pressing my mouth to his, smiling against his lips. “I’ll give an A plus.”

And for the first time in weeks, I let myself forget everything else and just be here. In this moment. It’s just us.

Epilogue

Kian

Ten years later

“You won byone. It’s not really a victory,” Summer says, rolling her eyes at me.

It feels good to play hockey with your best friends and beat them. I’ve been floating on that high ever since we got back to Aiden and Summer’s house.

Tonight is family dinner, which means it’s that time of the season when our teams compete. New York and Toronto are neck and neck this season, and we’ve played a lot of games against each other. But my favorite part, after beating them, is our postgame dinner.

“You’re just bitter I beat your husband, Sunny. You lost the bet fair and square.”

“I just pushed out a human child. I should be let off the bet,” Summer argues.

Four months ago, Summer gave birth to her and Aiden’s second kid, Lucas. He’s got green eyes and dark hair, stealing differentparts of his parents. Since she had him in the off-season, I spent every minute I could with my nephew.

“And I just got rocked by the biggest defenseman in the league.”

“Sorry,” Eli mutters from his seat across the table. Sage rubs his shoulders and offers me an apologetic look.