Break Away (The Baltimore Banners Book 5) (21 page)

JP finally breathed, his lungs filling with fresh air. Calm acceptance flowed through him, warming him. He smiled at Emily and nodded, letting her know he understood.

And then a loud scream shattered the moment, causing him to jump. Causing everyone to jump. Emily looked down, an expression of dismay on her face as Tanner wailed even louder.

"Holy shit, that kid has some lungs on him," JP muttered, barely resisting the urge to plug his fingers in his ears. He watched as AJ took Tanner back and rocked him. The cries went down a few decibels, enough for other conversation to be heard over them. Alec and AJ made their way over to him, AJ bouncing the kid against her shoulder.

"He’s ready to be fed. Is there somewhere a little quieter I can go?"

"Can’t you just feed him here?"

Alec glared at him. "She’s breastfeeding, moron."

"Oh, right. Um, yeah. Back that way."

"Alec, I told you. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world." AJ started fumbling with her shirt one-handed, undoing the buttons to some kind of weird flap on her shirt. JP gulped and looked away, feeling his face heat.

"Yeah, I know. But not in front of all these idiots. They’re not mature enough to understand." Alec scowled again then led AJ out of the room, away from the curious eyes that were watching.

"He, uh, probably has a point." Randy shifted his weight from one foot to the other, rubbing the back of his neck. JP looked around then finally nodded.

"Yeah, you’re probably right."

They both stood there for a few seconds, neither one of them saying anything. JP finally just shook his head and worked his way over to Emily, not stopping until he was close enough to pull her into his arms.

He claimed her mouth in a searing kiss then lifted his head, staring into her deep blue eyes. He grabbed her hand and placed it in the middle of his chest, over his heart. "I love you."

Emily tilted her head, her hair falling over her shoulder and brushing the back of his hand. Her smile widened, filled with warmth and promise. "I love you, too."

"Oh God. Can you two maybe save that for later? There’s a party going on, in case you haven’t noticed."

JP glanced over his shoulder in time to see Mat roll his eyes. He was helpless to stop the bark of laughter that escaped him. Six months ago, he wouldn’t have believed he’d be where he was tonight.

But he wasn’t going to complain, not when he was right where he needed to be. With friends, loved ones. And with Emily.

He laughed again and kissed her one more time, then tried to slide into the role of host. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to and he had no idea if he was successful or not. But two hours later, everyone was still laughing, eating, and having fun. Someone had discovered some board games in one of the guest rooms, and everyone was now paired in groups, playing a drawing version of charades. Judging by the laughter and groans, the game wasn’t going to end any time soon.

Apparently, none of them really knew how to draw.

"How did you get that? No way. You must be cheating." Derek tossed down a clue card in disgust, eyeing Nikolai with suspicion. The big Russian laughed, the noise nearly drowning out the musical chimes of the doorbell.

"I am good, yes?"

JP chuckled and stood to answer the door, only to be waved away by Alyssa, who was already heading that way. He sat back down, draping his arm around Emily’s shoulder, and listened to the good-natured arguing about Nikolai’s ability to guess a clue from bare stick figures.

A squeal of excitement echoed from the entranceway, followed by a small giggle and the sound of pattering feet. Emily stiffened next to him, her head slowly turning at the sound. JP tightened his hold on her, confused at her reaction, not sure what was happening.

Then he heard his name in a clear voice like crystal, the sound carrying over the noise in the room.

"John Peer! We made it!"

"Taylor?"

Emily turned toward the sound of laughter, afraid to believe her ears. Her eyes widened in surprise and she stood up just in time to see Taylor running into the living room, her long hair flying behind her, a wide smile on her face. Emily had just enough time to notice her niece was missing another tooth before Taylor ran into her, giving her a big hug.

"Aunt Emily! I missed you!"

Emily choked back a sob, telling herself she would not cry, would not get emotional. But her voice was still shaky when she spoke. "I missed you too, kiddo." She wrapped her arms around her niece, holding her small body close. And probably a little too tight, if Taylor’s small grunt meant anything. Emily loosened her hold and looked down, blinking away the film of moisture covering her eyes. "But—I don’t understand. Why are you here? How did you know—"

"John Peer yelled at mom last week and made her bring me."

"Wait. What?" Emily looked down at Taylor’s smiling face, the words not making any sense at first. Then she looked over at JP, noticed the flush staining his cheeks and how he seemed to be shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His gaze finally met hers, hesitant, uncertain.

"You yelled at Monica?"

"Well, uh, no. Not really. I mean, I just talked to her and—" His mouth snapped shut, the flush on his cheeks growing darker. Emily reached for his hand, squeezing it with hers before pulling him closer.

"Thank you." The words were nothing more than a choked whisper. Emily wasn’t even sure he heard her until a small smile teased the corners of his mouth, revealing his boyish grin.

And his obvious relief.

Emily ignored the few curious glances being sent their way. Most of JP’s teammates seemed more concerned with the game, no doubt thanks to the big Russian’s sudden booming voice and exaggerated pantomimes. She glanced over at him, surprised to see him offer a quick wink. Emily smiled and gave him a nod of thanks for the distraction, then looked back at Taylor.

"Taylor, how did you get here?"

"Mom brought me." Taylor wiggled out of Emily’s hold, her excited gaze traveling around the people gathered in the living room. She moved closer to JP and tugged on his hand, then pointed.

"John Peer, is that really Alec Kolchak?"

"Yes. Do you want to meet him?"

"Oh cool! Yes!" Taylor bounced up and down, her excitement obvious. JP chuckled then met Emily’s gaze, his amusement evident.

"I feel so unimportant now." JP winked then tightened his hand around Taylor’s. "Come on,
ma lutine
. I’ll introduce you to everyone while your mom and aunt talk."

Emily frowned, then noticed JP motion behind her with a small nod. She turned, her hand gripping the arm of the sofa for balance. Monica hovered at the threshold of the living room, her discomfort obvious as she stood there, taking in the scene around them. She finally looked at Emily, their eyes meeting.

Emily’s breath caught in her throat at the sight. Her sister looked uncertain, doubtful. And sad. She didn’t think, just made her way over to Monica until they were separated by mere inches. She opened her mouth then promptly closed it again, not sure what to say.

"I almost didn’t come. I didn’t think—" Monica paused, took a deep breath. "I’m sorry, Emily."

"I am, too." Emily stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her sister, swallowing against the emotion clogging her throat. The two of them stood there for long minutes, neither saying a word.

It wasn’t until someone tapped on her shoulder that Emily finally released her hold on Monica. JP smiled at her, his hand squeezing her shoulder in brief reassurance. Then he turned to Monica and offered her a smile.

"You can put your coats in our room. Emily can show you where it is."

She wanted to kiss him for his consideration, and leaned toward him to do just that. He squeezed her shoulder once more then moved past them to head into the kitchen. Emily nodded at Monica, then led her toward the back of the house.

Monica paused at the entrance of the master bedroom, her eyes widened in appreciation as she looked around. The custom king-sized bed was placed along the far wall, its dark wood gleaming against the creams and browns of the bed linens. Matching dressers and night stands were strategically placed for both convenience and design, the crystal lamps giving the large space a comfortable glow. Emily took the coats from Monica and tossed them on the bed, then moved over to the small sitting area. Monica followed her, choosing to sit on the wingback chair instead of the settee.

She looked around some more then faced Emily, a small smile on her face. "This is…impressive."

"Yeah, that’s what I thought at first. I still do."

"It’s not what I would have imagined from someone like him."

Emily stiffened, not sure what the comment was supposed to mean. "Someone like him?"

"Yeah. You know, a rough hockey player. This is a little more, I don’t know. Opulent, I guess."

Emily relaxed. She knew exactly what Monica meant, had thought the same thing the first time she saw the room. It was different than the rest of the house, missing the rustic country charm. Not feminine, but still romantic. In a very masculine way. She nodded toward a set of closed French doors. "There’s a private balcony with a hot tub, too. Want to see?"

"Uh, no. Maybe next time." Monica laughed then looked down, studying the clasped hands in her lap. She sighed then looked back at Emily, a hint of sadness reflecting in the gray depths of her eyes. "Emily, I’m sorry. I, uh, I shouldn’t have said what I did. I just—I don’t know. I was afraid you’d get hurt but I was wrong. I don’t want you to end up like me."

"Like you?"

"Yeah." She looked back down at her folded hands and shrugged. Her voice was barely audible when she spoke again. "Bitter. Afraid. Alone."

"Oh, Monica—"

"He loves you." Monica offered her a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "And I know you love him. I shouldn’t have interfered."

Emily swallowed against the lump in her throat, not sure what to say. She couldn’t find the words to express the emotion she felt, couldn’t put into words how much what Monica said meant to her. Emily finally stood and walked over to her sister, bending down to hug her.

"I’m sorry, too. We both said stuff we shouldn’t have."

Monica’s arms came around her and then suddenly they were both crying and laughing, just holding each other. Monica pulled away first, running her fingers under eyes with a small laugh. "Oh God, we’re both a mess, aren’t we?"

"Always." Emily rubbed at her own eyes, then laughed again before going into the master bath. She came out with a handful of tissues and handed some to Monica, then sat back down and blew her nose.

"I got a new job. I start after the first of the year."

"What? But why? I thought you loved working at the hospital!"

"It was getting to be too much. The crazy hours, the stress. One of the doctors had an opening in his private practice, so I’m going to start working for him. No more nights, no more weekends. I can spend more time with Taylor."

"That’s good then, right?"

Monica nodded. "It is. I’ll miss the overtime, of course, but it’s worth it."

"You know I’ll pay rent when I move back—"

"What?" Monica’s eyes widened, her mouth open in shock. "You are not moving back in."

"But you said—"

"No, Emily. I didn’t say that to get you to move back in. Are you crazy? Why would you even think about moving back in when you’re living here?"

"But I’m not. I mean, I am. But only temporary. I was going to look for an apartment after the holidays."

Monica stared at her, frowning. "Why? Whose idea is that?"

"Well, mine. JP doesn’t want me to but—"

"Then don’t. You’re crazy, Emily. Why would you do that?"

Emily looked down, shrugging. "I just—I’m afraid it’s too soon. Everything is happening so fast and…I mean, after everything else that happened—"

"Emily, listen to me." Monica leaned over and grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at her. "JP loves you. And I know you love him. You have, for five years. You never stopped, even after everything that happened. I don’t think he did, either. It’s not too soon. You deserve to be happy. Don’t let this chance slip away from you, Emily."

She stared at her sister, surprised at the conviction of her words, surprised by how adamant Monica was. "You couldn’t stand JP before. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Monica dropped her hand and sat back, a sad smile on her face. "Something he said to me made me start thinking. And he was right. I need to stop judging everything on the past, I need to stop living in the past. I need to stop being afraid all the time. And so do you, Emily. Don’t be afraid to take this chance."

Emily remained silent, her eyes watching Monica’s face, searching. How had Monica made such a huge change in such a short amount of time? But as she watched her sister, she saw the strength of her words, the courage underneath. And she realized that Monica wasn’t just giving the advice to her—she was giving it to herself as well.

And she was right. Emily loved JP, but she was still afraid. Afraid of what might happen, afraid she didn’t deserve the chance at happiness. It was a ridiculous fear, not based in reason or from experience. That didn’t lessen the fear.

And if Monica could take her own advice, then so could Emily.

She opened her mouth to tell her sister that, then started when someone cleared their throat. The noise was gruff, uncertain. Emily looked over at the doorway, surprised to see Coach LeBlanc standing there. He looked uncomfortable, like he had just walked into a room full of women in various stages of undress. His gaze darted to hers, then slid to Monica.

"I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just going to get my coat and…" His voice trailed off as he pointed in the general direction of the bed. Emily smothered her smile and stood.

"Already? I don’t think we’ve put out the desserts yet. Are you sure you don’t want to stay?"

"Dessert? Well…" His voice trailed off again and this time, Emily couldn’t help her smile. The coach was still watching Monica, a faint blush turning his ragged scar pink. Emily tugged on her sister’s hand, pulling her up to stand next to her.

"Coach LeBlanc, this is my sister, Monica. Monica, this is the Banners’ coach, Coach LeBlanc."

"Ma’am. Pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. LeBlanc."

"Sonny. Uh, my name is Sonny."

Emily watched the two of them and tried not to smile. They were both staring at each other, awkward and shy, like neither one of them knew what to say next. She had never seen her sister like this before, reserved and shy. Her gaze darted between them as an idea took hold. Just a small one. One that probably wouldn’t go anywhere. But still—

"Coach, my sister was just asking for some coffee. Would you mind showing her to the kitchen? She’s never been here before and I’m not sure she can find it."

Which was absolutely ridiculous, since the kitchen and dining room opened right onto the living room—and Monica had walked right by it to get to the living room. But the coach didn’t seem to think anything odd about the request and gave her a curt nod.

"Of course. Yes."

Monica glanced over at Emily, silently communicating her surprise and hesitation. Emily smiled and nonchalantly kicked the back of her foot, forcing her sister to move forward. With one last glance—was that desperation? Or promise of retribution?—Monica turned back to the coach and followed him out of the room.

JP entered less than a minute later, a frown on his face. "Why is your sister following Coach?"

"She wanted coffee."

"What?"

Emily shook her head as JP pulled her into his arms. "I’ll explain later."

"Okay." He dropped a kiss on her forehead then looked at her, concern reflecting in his dark eyes. "Is everything okay? Did you two get things worked out?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Emily rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his warm scent. Spicy, masculine. Purely JP. "We’ll probably talk some more, but I think we’re good for now."

"Good, I’m glad." He nuzzled her neck, then just held her. His arms were strong, comforting. Protective. And Emily couldn’t think of a single other place she’d rather be.

"So, about that apartment—" JP stiffened in her arms, just for a brief second. He sighed, his hands tightening around her waist as he stepped back.

"I thought you were going to wait until after the holidays."

"I changed my mind."

Disappointment crossed his face and flashed in his eyes. He made no attempt to hide it but he didn’t argue with her, either. He just waited, watching, with a spark of what might be hope still lurking in the depths of his eyes. "You did?"

"Yes. I decided I don’t want an apartment."

That tiny spark of hope flared, growing a little brighter. "No?"

Emily shook her head and smiled up at him. "No. I think I’m going to accept your offer and live here. I mean, if you still want me to—"