The Definition of Icing: A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance (Dallas Demons Series) (20 page)

Chapter 27

Graham cracker: A sweet cracker that is the foundation of one of my favorite treats-s’mores!
—
Kenley

“Now this,” Nate declares, putting his arm around my shoulders, “is perfect fall weather.”

I smile happily. It’s the night after the home opener, and we’re enjoying the evening outdoors around Harrison and Kylie’s fire pit. A nice cold front swept through Dallas earlier, bringing temperatures down into the 50’s tonight. So the Flynns invited us over for dinner, and after eating another amazing meal prepared by Harrison, we moved outside with our glasses of wine and beer to enjoy the crisp air and the flames from the fire.

Now I’m snuggled up against Nate, the scent of his cologne mixing with air that is perfumed by the crackling firewood. I inhale it, letting the scent fill my lungs, savoring this moment in time.

We even brought Marabou with us, and he’s romping in the dog run with Cooper and Lola, the Flynns’ golden retrievers, so it feels like a true family outing.

I glance at Nate, watching the light of the flames flicker across his face. He seems so content in the moment, of being with his new best friend, his best friend’s wife, and me. Just us, the fire, and the stars in the Texas sky shining overhead.

And I couldn’t imagine a more perfect evening if I tried.

“I know, I love nights like this,” Kylie says, interrupting my thoughts as she replies to Nate’s comment. “It’s excellent for s’mores, you know.”

Harrison laughs. “Is that a hint?”

“Maybe,” Kylie says, her eyes dancing. She glances over at me. “I thought we could do a trial run before the reveal party,” she explains, as we are going to do the huge s’mores station for that.

“Do you want me to go get the stuff?” Harrison asks, affectionately kissing her temple.

“You can be my sous chef for a change,” Kylie teases, standing up.

“I can help,” I offer.

“Nah, we’re good,” Harrison says easily, getting up off the sofa. “We’ll be back.”

They head back into the house, leaving me and Nate alone.

I lean my head into Nate’s chest, pressing my cheek against his soft flannel shirt, content to listen to the steady rhythm of his heart.

Nate reaches up and strokes his fingers through my hair, as he always does when we sit close together. He clears his throat.

“Kenley?”

I turn and glance up at him. “Yeah?”

“Um, you remember how I said my family was flying down next week for the Saturday game, right?”

I nod. I remember Nate telling me they were all coming to Dallas for that game.

“Yes, of course.”

Nate is silent for a moment and then finally speaks.

“I was wondering if you would want to meet them,” he asks softly.

My heart holds still.

“You . . . want me to meet your family?” I ask, hardly daring to believe I heard him correctly.

Because if Nate wants to introduce me to his family—the people he is closest to—this is huge. He had been quiet and lost in thought these past few days, but today Nate has been more like himself. Whatever doubts had been stirred up by CiCi last Friday night have dissipated.

And now he wants me to meet his family.

This is more than a baby step forward.

This is a leap toward our future.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Nate adds. “I understand if that’s not something you would want to do at this point, or you’re not comf—”

I silence him by putting my fingers over his full lips.

“I would love nothing more than to meet them.”

“It’s not too soon for you?”

I inwardly wince. I still feel like whatever was said between Nate and CiCi has made him hesitant about us.

“Nate,” I say, putting my hands on his face, “I’m
honored
that you want to introduce me to them. I can’t think of anything I want more than to meet your family next week.”

I see relief filter through his expressive eyes.

“Yeah?”

I smile. “Yes.”

Then, to make sure he knows exactly how I feel about him, I draw his face to mine and press my lips against his for a sweet kiss.

Nate breaks the kiss and brings me back into his solid chest, and I snuggle up happily against him, linking my fingers through his.

“I’m glad you want to meet them,” Nate says, kissing the top of my head.

“After I meet them, maybe you’ll want to meet my dad,” I say, daring to venture that far with him.

“Only if I get to meet his sexy girlfriend, too,” Nate teases.

“Gah,” I groan, and he laughs in response.

“I feel so bad,” I say. “Your family sounds so wonderful and nice, and you get to meet CiCi and my ‘in the middle of a mid-life crisis’ father who dates girls barely out of college.”

“My family isn’t perfect,” Nate says. “And my sister, Holly, can be a tough nut to crack at first.”

A twinge of nervousness runs though me. “Yeah?”

Nate kisses my head again. “Yeah. We’ve always been tight, and she’s very protective of me. And that’ll be worse now because of what happened with Megan. She was close to Megan, so the whole cheating thing really upset her.”

I bite my lip. What if Holly thinks I’m a Puck Slut after Nate? Could she see me as the beautiful girl with nothing to offer inside?

And just like that, I feel episodes of my past rising to the surface, ones I had managed to bury because of the way Nate saw me. What if his family judges me like that? That I’m another pretty face after the famous athlete? They’re so close. Could they influence Nate to take a step back from me?

“Hey,” Nate says, tilting my chin up so he can gaze down at me, “they’ll
adore
you. Just like I do.”

I search his eyes, wanting to trust him on this.

“I mean it,” Nate says firmly. “Even if it takes Holly longer to come around, she will.”

“You seem certain that she’s going to dislike me.”

“Not you specifically,” he says. “Anyone who is the first girl after Megan she’s going to scrutinize, that’s how Holly is. I’m only telling you this so you’re prepared for it, Kenley. I don’t want you to walk into that and be blindsided. However, I’m also telling you right now that I know they’ll love you. No need to worry, okay?”

I see sincerity shining in Nate’s eyes. I’m about to tell him I’m still nervous but then the back door opens, with Harrison and Kylie carrying all the supplies for s’more making.

“Okay, these aren’t going to be as amazing as your s’mores, Kenley,” Kylie declares, “but I did pick up some interesting chocolates at Whole Foods for tonight.”

“Do you mean weird?” Nate jokes.

“We got a curry bar for you, Nate,” Harrison says, grinning at him.

Nate groans. “That’s so gross.”

“I don’t know,” Kylie teases, “I think a milk chocolate curry s’more sounds like something you’d enjoy.”

“Um,
no,
” Nate says emphatically. “However, my fearless girlfriend will eat one, won’t you, Kenley?”

I see how Nate is smiling at me, and I know that is what he finds attractive about me, my
confidence.
So I can’t confide in him how terrifying it feels to meet his sister and know how she’s going to judge me next weekend—and knowing how that could influence what Nate thinks about me.

About us.

I shove the fear down, vowing not to let it come back to the surface.

“Of course I will,” I say, getting up and taking a long fork from Kylie and selecting a coconut marshmallow to put on the end. “I’m going to do one with curry milk chocolate, a coconut marshmallow, and a sprinkle of sea salt between the graham crackers.”

“Oh I want one of those, too,” Kylie says, following suit. She turns to Harrison. “And what are you going to make, babe?”

Harrison glances over the assortment of chocolates and marshmallows on the tray. “I,” he says, “am going for the salted caramel milk chocolate in mine. With a caramel marshmallow.”

“Nate?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

Nate stands up and moves to where we are standing. “I want a plain marshmallow.”

I can’t help it. A giggle escapes my throat. “Of course you do.”

Nate playfully nudges me with his shoulder. “Are you
fixin’
to make fun of me?”

“Oh here we go,” Harrison says, laughing.

Harrison and Kylie take their marshmallows and head over to the fire pit, talking and laughing as they begin to roast them.

“Would I ever make fun of you?” I ask playfully.

Nate studies his choices and picks up a milk chocolate Hershey’s bar. “Victory,” he declares, grinning at me. “And yes, Bae, you do make fun of me and my simple taste in chocolate.”

Nate joins Harrison and Kylie around the pit. I pause for a moment, watching him easily interact with his friends. I see the flicker of light from the flames dance across his gorgeous face, and the way his smile is genuine as he laughs with Harrison. Harrison and Kylie have finished their marshmallows and are ready to assemble, but Nate is still waiting for me before starting.

Then Nate turns his gaze across the flames of the fire, to me. And I see nothing but affection shining back at me in those espresso-colored eyes of his.

“Bae, you coming? I’m waiting for you.”

My heart is filled with resolve as I look back at him. I’m going to show his family that I care about him. That I
treasure
him,
adore
him, and want to be with Nate, and Nate alone. That I value everything he is, and that has nothing to do with being a rich and famous athlete, but the man he is on the inside.

I’m going to win them over.

I know I can.

Including Holly.

Chapter 28

Enforcer: The player who protects his teammates on the ice. Spends a lot of time in the Sin Bin
—
Nate

“Nate, this restaurant is
beautiful,
” Mrs. Johansson says as she sinks into her chair at the steakhouse at the top of the Jourdin Dallas hotel. “What an experience to eat here tonight.”

The sun is setting into the sky, and the floor-to-ceiling windows of the private dining room provide an exquisite view of the pinkish orange sun dipping down below the skyscrapers.

Normally I’d be thrilled to be dining at one of the best steakhouses in the city.

But as I sit onto the rich leather chair Nate has pulled out for me, I feel nothing but nervousness attacking my stomach.

“Thank you,” I say, slipping into the chair.

“You’re welcome,” Nate says, taking a seat next to me.

I glance across the table, and Holly is directly across from me. She’s still studying me, just like she did when we all met for the first time at Nate’s condo about a half hour ago.

She’s gorgeous, of course, with long, shiny, dark-brown hair and a petite frame. Her eyes are exactly the same as Nate’s. The long, dark eyelashes, the same gorgeous espresso shade of brown.

And right now those espresso-colored eyes are locked right on me, looking for signs that I’m worthy enough for her brother.

I look around the table and take in the Johansson family once again. His mom, Dana Johansson, has the olive skin, the dark hair, the same brown eyes that Nate and his sister have. She greeted me warmly upon introduction, and I instantly felt at ease with her.

I shift my attention to Nate’s father, Mike Johansson, who is all stereotypically Swedish in appearance, with a full head of wavy blond hair and blue eyes. Nate told me he played tennis at the University of Minnesota, and he still has that athletic build to him.

My thoughts are interrupted when I feel Nate’s fingers locate my hand underneath the table, and he laces them through mine. I glance at him, and he’s smiling at me, and I feel my nerves relax a bit in response.

“It’s so nice to be together again,” Mrs. Johansson continues, smiling with affection at Nate. “I’ve missed this
so
much.”

“I have too, Mom,” Nate says.

“It’s been hard for us to get our heads around the fact that your life is here now,” Mr. Johansson admits.

I hear the longing in their words. I can’t imagine how hard this has been on all of them. Unlike most professional players, Nate
never left home.
He grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, played at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and was drafted by the hometown Black Bears. They’ve always had him around, and being the close-knit family that they are, that was a lot.

Until now.

And only because of Megan’s affair did Nate have to leave.

“But I’ve found things in Dallas I never would have found back home,” Nate says, interrupting my thoughts. “I’m playing with
Harrison Flynn,
the best player in the game
.
I have a chance to win a championship. This is a better locker room than the Black Bears, that is for damn sure. And you saw the facility today, it’s state of the art in what it has to offer. The Demons are one of the most profitable teams in the league, and they aren’t afraid to spend money to keep building their dynasty.”

My heart fills with joy. Nate’s truly embraced Dallas as his destiny. Just like Nathan in
The Last Samurai,
he’s found the place that has healed his soul.

“Son, if you had to leave, you couldn’t have landed in a better place,” Mr. Johansson says. “After being here with you today, I know this is right for you.”

“Dad, I’m
meant
to be here, I see that so clearly now,” Nate says with conviction. Then, to my surprise, he lifts my hand from underneath the table and brings it to his lips. “And a lot of that has to do with this woman right here.”

And in front of his whole family, he places a gentle kiss on my hand, his eyes nowhere but on mine.

“Now, this is what we didn’t expect,” Mrs. Johansson says.

I turn toward her and see that she’s smiling at me.

“I know you didn’t,” Nate says, laughing. “I was so done. With
everything.
Or so I thought.”

“Kenley,” Mrs. Johansson says, directing her attention to me, “when Nate first started talking about you, we were
stunned.
Nate had sworn off women.”

“Yes, you did say that,” Holly interjects, her eyes sharply focused on me. “Very
emphatically,
I might add.”

Nate grins easily. “I didn’t plan on meeting Kenley. Complete game changer for me.”

And with those words, my nervousness evaporates. Nate places my hand on the sleek wood table, his hand wrapped over it, almost like a statement. That his life is here now, and I’m a part of it.

And in that moment, I know we’re done with baby steps.

I look down at his strong hand over mine and feel tears prick my eyes.

He’s telling his family tonight he’s serious about me.

“I knew something was up when he first brought you up, Kenley,” Mr. Johansson says, his eyes twinkling at me. “First, that he brought up
any
woman, but it was the
way
he talked about you that tipped his hand.”

Now I know I’m beaming.

“I’m curious, what exactly did this one say about me?” I ask, nodding in the direction of Nate as my confidence returns.

Mrs. Johansson laughs. “What didn’t he say is more like it. I feel like I know you already,” she says. “And did you know he told us on Connectivity Video Connect about you the very day of that photo shoot where you two met? Here we are, expecting to hear all about his experience on the shoot he’s doing and all of a sudden, he’s talking about this strong woman he met with the most fascinating career.”

I turn my attention to Nate, who appears sheepish.

“Don’t give me up here now, Mom,” he says good-naturedly.

“No, feel free to totally give him up,” I tease, which makes everyone laugh.

Everyone except for Holly, that is.

Our server appears, ready to take drink orders. Nate takes a moment to study the wine list, and selects two bottles of wine for the table, both reds.

“I also want to order some starters,” Nate says, scanning the menu.

“Yes, Mr. Johansson,” the server says. “What would you like this evening?”

“I’d like some grilled calamari, chilled prawns, and the roasted Texas quail,” he says.

“Excellent choices, sir.” The server disappears to place the order.

“Texas quail?” Holly asks, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

“That’s in honor of my girl,” Nate says.

My heart leaps from the way he’s gazing at me.

I love you so much,
I think happily.

I glance back at Holly, who is studying us closely. A look of disgust filters briefly across her face, and I know it’s going to be a long road to win her over.

“So, Kenley, you’re a native Texan, right?” Mrs. Johansson asks.

“Yes, I am,” I say. “I was born here, grew up here, and went to school here at TCU. Nate and I are very much alike in that sense.”

“Except you’re still at home and Nate’s not,” Holly says, not even lifting her eyes from the menu.

“I’m just behind schedule, Holly,” Nate says easily. “Kenley did her culinary studies in Europe while I was starting out with the Black Bears.”

“So you studied in Europe?” Mrs. Johansson asks with interest.

“I was accepted into a program in Switzerland,” I explain. “And I studied Swiss Pastry and Chocolate Arts. Then I did an apprenticeship in Belgium at a chocolate boutique in Brussels. My whole goal was to learn as much as I could while I was there, so I traveled around on my days off to see different chocolate makers and museums, to absorb as much knowledge as possible.”

“She’s a chemist, artist, and educator all rolled into one,” Nate says. “I had no idea how much science is in chocolate making until Kenley showed me.”

I smile when I hear the pride in Nate’s voice.

“You run your own company, right?” Holly says, glancing up at me.

I take a sip of my ice water. “Yes, I do. I own Confection Consultations, and I advise professionals on industry trends and source products for them. I also consult on confections for home parties, weddings, and special occasions. This hotel is one of my clients, actually.”

“That’s why we came here,” Nate adds. “I was hoping to get a discount tonight because she’s improved their dessert menu.”

Everyone laughs, and I blush from Nate’s compliment.

“You’re
young
to start your own company,” Holly says, continuing her line of questioning.

I pause for a moment before answering. She’s trying to get at me, I know she is.

But I won’t let her.

The server returns with the wine for Nate to test, and I’m silent while he goes about the process. After we are all poured a glass, I continue.

“I’m a young businesswoman,” I say. Then I go ahead and tell her what she wants to know. “I’m lucky that my father believed in my vision and supported my business plan. I’ve borrowed the money from him for the first few years, because I don’t anticipate making a profit in the beginning, but I have a plan to pay him back once I’ve turned Confection Consultations into a successful venture.”

I look directly at her, not ashamed of having the good fortune to be put in this position. Yes, my father is backing me, but I also plan to be successful and return every dime he’s invested in me, no different than I would a bank loan.

Holly continues to study me. “Must be nice.”

I feel Nate’s hand flinch over mine. “Just as nice as a brother who is fronting the bill for your degree at Northwestern, right?”

I can tell she didn’t expect Nate to disclose that bit of information to me.

“Both of you girls are incredibly blessed with support from family, which I think is
wonderful,
” Mrs. Johansson says easily. She pauses to take a sip of her wine. “Now, Nate, tell me more about this wine, because it’s lovely.”

Nate doesn’t say anything. I can feel the tension in his body about Holly’s remark. But his reaction tells me he’s going to defend me to his family. He loves his sister—being around him for five minutes you know how close he is to her—but this also tells me that I have a special place in his heart, too, if he’s willing to push back on her like he just did to protect me.

Which makes me love him even more.

Then I focus on Holly, and once again, determination fills me.

I will win you over,
Holly Johansson
.
I don’t care how long it takes. Because you matter to Nate, I will find a way to show you how much he matters to me.

And tomorrow night, when we’re all in the suite watching Nate play, I plan to get her alone and prove just that.