Filed to story: Luci Forrester and Easton Reed: Hockey Romance Story
“Guessing you hit a few nerves with those nicknames,” she teased, her eyes meeting mine before quickly dropping to my frown. Her eyebrow arched inquisitively. “I need to go. Luci’s home.” She tossed her phone aside, her expression shifting to concern. “You look… pissed off. What happened?”
With a heavy sigh, I flopped down beside her, my exasperation spilling out in a rush. “Easton Reed happened. One moment he was being all nice and charming, and the next, he was trying to provoke me. It’s like he was playing some twisted game-joking about us making a new friend and then he growled. And then, just when I thought it couldn’t get any more ridiculous, he apologized and… he kissed me.” I let out a long breath, trying to gather my scattered thoughts.
“Jackass?” she asked, her voice laced with amusement as she struggled to contain her laughter. “Fortunately, we’ve been friends long enough that I followed that whole verbal tirade. But before you fill in the gaps, dish out the most important detail. Is the most sought-after aloof guy on campus good with those pretty lips?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Reluctantly, I nodded. “My toes curled, Sydney. I forgot my own name. And I kissed him back, so…”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Well, hell, he must have some talent then. Go Easton!”
I rolled my eyes again, feeling a mix of annoyance and confusion. The last two guys who had kissed me had left me entirely unmoved. “Apparently, I’m only attracted to jackasses…” I sighed, shaking my head as I prepared to give her more details.
She playfully slapped my arm at the end of my recounting. “You left out a second kiss!”
“I hadn’t gotten there yet! But seriously, why did he do that? He doesn’t even like me.” I threw my head back against the couch, the frustration bubbling within me. “His name should be Enigma, not Easton. I’m already exhausted from trying to figure him out.”
“You will be asking him,” she said, her gaze landing on the hat I had forgotten I was holding. “That’s the hat he gave you to wear to the game?”
“I completely forgot I was holding it. Yeah, he dug through his collection before he decided to get all handsy… kissy, ugh, whatever the hell he is.”
Sydney leaned in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I bet he has a huge collection of hats. Am I right?”
“Tons. But I think you’re focusing on the wrong details here,” I replied, groaning in exasperation.
“I’m not. Look, you have to confront him tomorrow or after the game. Or next week when you see him. Your timeframe, babe. Tell him to step the hell off if you’re not ready when he tries to corner you. Before you talk, you need to be prepared for whatever he says. Like, if he was treating you like a puck bunny versus if he genuinely wanted to kiss you. Because you may want to quit if he was playing with you maliciously. Or he could say he wants to date you. Would you say yes? I mean, those are the extreme ends of the spectrum.” I could see the disbelief in her eyes at the last possibility. Oh, Luci Lou, don’t sell yourself short. Easton Reed is clearly struggling to keep his distance from my sweet friend. That had been obvious last week at our dance party. “Go change into your jammies, and we’ll make a list of possibilities and your responses. Then we can write out how he dies if he was taking advantage of you. I vote for ramming a puck down his throat and letting him choke on it.”
“I was thinking more like choking him with his hockey stick, but the puck would be easier.” She got up with a groan, heading off to change.
Once she was out of sight, I grabbed the hat she had left behind. I flipped it over and spotted the little seal. I knew it. This was his championship hat from last year. They had won, and he had given her his limited-edition hat with his number on it. Only one was made for each number on the team. Athletes hand over their number to stake their claim on their girl. He’s either lucky or in deep trouble that she doesn’t follow hockey. They had made a huge deal out of these hats and the exclusive jerseys that accompanied them.
I quickly sent a photo of it to my brother. He was convinced he had gotten under Easton’s skin. I had told him to act possessive of Luci tonight, which was just Banning’s nature. He had drawn the line at any kind of flirting since it was Luci. He was fiercely protective of his baby sisters.
Moments later, I received a flurry of exclamation marks back, warning that Easton better treat her well or he would rip his spine out, no matter how big he was. And I couldn’t neglect to mention that he was a freaking giant with three clones to back him up. But damn, my brother was right about Easton. He had nearly lost his mind when Luci kissed my cheek.
Just as I closed my phone, Luci returned. “Stormi wants to have lunch Saturday, and then we can have some girl time before the hockey game. I think you’re overdue for a mani-pedi. Can we bring Barrett too?” Not my brother, because I didn’t want to start a fight at the game.
She nodded, biting her lip. “I don’t want to leave Cole if he’s being a major dickhead. Which he probably was. There’s no way… I mean, this is me. He’s a damned hockey player. No way that was real.”
I reached over and hugged her tightly. She adored that little boy, and losing him was her greatest fear. Not the money she would lose from the job or the dragon lady likely suing her for breach of contract.
“Make sure he understands that when you confront him then. Don’t sell yourself short, Luci. You’re amazing. Let’s make our list.”
–
Easton
I kicked my shoes off quickly before swinging open the bedroom door. My mother glided inside, still wearing her elegant evening gown from the charity event she and Dad had attended. They had left early, I noted with a hint of annoyance. Her hawk-like gaze swept over my room, scrutinizing everything in sight. “Mother.”
“You took forever to answer the door,” she remarked, suspicion lacing her tone.
“I was in the closet changing out my gym clothes. Came as soon as I heard a knock,” I replied, meeting her gaze with a bored expression. My heart was still racing from the way Luci had responded to me. Damn her for interrupting; I hadn’t planned on backing off for a few more minutes. I needed to give her time to escape.
“Luci’s car was still here. Is she in Cole’s room?” Her eyes narrowed at me, almost accusingly.
“No idea. He asked her to put him to bed, so I decided to change some things and take a shower. Maybe she fell asleep with him. You can check.” I gestured towards the door. “I don’t hear anything on the monitor, though.”
Her stance relaxed slightly, but she still looked unconvinced. “I don’t trust that girl with you four.”
I folded my arms and raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. “Careful, Mother. Your snob is showing. She’s more respectful than some of the daughters of your friends you parade around here. Like Ophelia, for instance.”
That hit her like I knew it would. She had been so certain that the daughter of a prominent federal judge would be perfect for Becker. Instead, Ophelia had hidden in the house after her parents left and sauntered into our game room in her underwear, claiming she hoped we liked to share. It hadn’t ended well when she was soundly rejected. Mother had to call the police when Ophelia grabbed a knife from the kitchen, insisting she would leave peacefully.
“I had no way of knowing she had a history of psychological issues. That is beside the point. I want you and your brothers to be on alert when she’s in the house,” she sniffed dismissively.
“Oh, we are,” I assured her darkly. Except it’s because I can’t keep my eyes off Luci, and I want to protect her from you. “After all, we’ve always kept the crazy daughters away from each other.”
“I came home early because I have some excellent news for you and Cole. There was a surprise guest tonight. She’s back from France and will be moving back into her home within the week.”
My heart began to race, dread pooling in my stomach. “Vivienne is most excited to come and spend time with Cole. We should invite her for Thanksgiving. Several of your father’s business associates could attend too. She could take Cole…”
“No,” I interjected coldly, cutting her off.
Mother scoffed lightly, her expression incredulous. “No? Why would you say that? She’s here all the way from France for a month or two, Easton.”
“I said no. She has no place in his life and no right to see him.” I kept my rage in check, my words dripping with cold steel. I thought of Luci’s sweet face after I kissed her, a desperate attempt to avoid strangling my mother. “He doesn’t even know who she is. She sure as hell isn’t taking him anywhere.”