Page 17

CHAPTER 17

Kissing by Committee

LUCY

Sunday, October 13

I cannot believe my dating life is being run by committee.

Raleigh and January are on Atticus’s screen, and he’s perched on the single chair in his living room. Harley and Lachlan are on the big couch. Kellen is sitting next to me on the love seat. Same setup as last time.

I feel like I’m on some kind of reality show, and we’re about to go into the hot seat with shark hosts about our relationship.

“As you all know, we’re here to discuss the progress of Kellen and Lucy’s fake relationship,” Atticus starts.

“Kellcy,” Lachlan sings.

“Kellcy.” Atticus nods solemnly, but I know he’s supportive of me fake dating Kellen. When Kellen asked me—or maybe let me invite myself—to coach his daughter’s soccer team, Atticus was happy that his teammate was helping me stay busy and also impressed that Kellen let me get involved with the Snowballs, even though it was my brother’s suggestion to begin with.

He told me exactly that one morning over coffee.

“First agenda item is to find out how the fall festival went. Lucy, care to summarize?” January’s voice rings from the mobile phone propped on the coffee table.

Traitor.

My friends are getting way too much enjoyment out of me fake dating Kellen. And they’re totally in cahoots with the hockey boys on these damn meetings.

“It went well. The s’mores were delicious, as was the mulled wine,” I say, watching my friends roll their eyes in their little video call squares.

“We talked to Paul and Savannah.” Kellen shifts next to me. “Not for long, but then Savannah texted me afterwards asking to hang out.”

“What did you say back?” Lachlan asks.

“Nothing.” Kellen shrugs. “I feel like any texting with her is a bad thing, including her texting me without me answering back. Makes it look like we’re meeting up anyway but not documenting it.”

“So our job here is not yet done.” Lachlan nods and runs his hand over his blond beard. “Right, Harley?”

“Yes, correct.”

“I think the big problem yesterday was the lack of kissing,” Raleigh pipes in.

I groan. Although… I did notice that we didn’t get to kiss again. We were prepared to, but then the moment swiftly passed after we talked to Paul and Savannah. It’s okay. It wasn’t needed. We’re not going to just randomly make out. And the night was a lot of fun anyway.

“I can’t believe you didn’t kiss her, mate.” Lachlan shakes his head. “There was an obvious opening.”

My cheeks warm, and I avoid looking at Kellen.

“But let’s make sure to keep it PC,” Atticus says in a stern voice. “Kiss her like you’d kiss your sister.”

“Gross, dude.” Kellen groans.

“Exactly. ”

“Hello? Her is right here.” But they all ignore me.

“The next event is a big one,” Lachlan says. “The retreat. You’ll have all weekend to prove to them you’re really together. Or at least banging.”

Oh my god. It’s seriously like I’m not even present for this meeting.

“Lachlan!” Atticus throws a remote control at the Aussie.

“Whatever.” Lachlan easily catches it. “You know what I mean. Try harder.”

“What does that mean?” Kellen shakes his head.

“It means we need to get you and Lucy in a compromising situation where Savannah can see it and report back to her husband. Because you know Paul won’t be hanging out with the team. He goes to whatever cold dark place he retreats to when he’s not harassing hockey players.” Lachlan swigs from a beer. “That’s what I mean.”

“Stop drinking.” Kellen waves a finger at Lachlan. “We have four games this week.”

“This is my only one. See? What would I do without you, mate? Hence why we’re all so interested in keeping you on the Blizzard.” Lachlan slides his beer onto the coffee table.

Kellen grumbles something and leans back, resting his arm across the back of the couch behind me.

“How about progress with your father, Lucy?” Harley asks.

“I haven’t heard from my dad, so I’m not sure. Paul asked about him the other night though, so I’m guessing they’ll talk at some point.”

“I haven’t heard from Richard either, if anyone cares,” Atticus says. “But I have an idea for how to make sure he knows about Kellcy.”

“Go on,” I say to my brother.

“I’m warning you, it’d be a baller move,” Atticus says to me and scoots forward on the single couch. “Thanksgiving.”

“Huh?” But I almost instantly understand .

“Kellen should come with us to Mom’s. Richard always wants to meet for a late dinner on Thanksgiving. If Kellen comes, it’ll cement the idea that you’re happy with a professional hockey player and working for a NHL team. Not in D.C. Not working for DC FC. Not with that fuckwhit who he refused to fire.”

“And you’ll go to dinner too?” I furrow my brow. Atticus usually won’t meet up with our father, and I don’t blame him.

“Yup. I’ll want to witness this firsthand.”

Everyone nods, including Raleigh and January on the video call.

“You hate him that much, Atter?” Lachlan says to Atticus, mostly kidding, but also serious. “You went from how dare you fake date my sister to bring him home for the holidays pretty smoothly.”

“I do hate him that much.” Atticus’s voice sounds like a sharp bark, but to me, he’s more a kicked puppy than a vicious dog.

Makes me hate our father even more.

“Well, it’s Bri’s year with Ava,” Kellen says. “Usually, we all get together anyway, but she’s planning to take Ava to her parents’ house in Pueblo, which is the absolute last place I want to be, ever. So I was going to stay in FoCo anyway.”

“Come with us. Mom’s a great cook. You won’t regret having Thanksgiving at her house,” Atticus says.

“Lucy?” Kellen gently nudges me with his elbow. “What do you think?”

I look at him and press my lips together. “I’m game if you are.”

This all feels unreal. In a parallel universe, I’m bringing Ron to Mom’s for Thanksgiving, and we’re wedding planning. But in this one, I’m bringing a fake boyfriend home—I’ll have to fill Mom in on everything—and most likely upsetting my father by moving on from the man he so wants me to be with. A man more like him than I want to admit.

“Sure.” Kellen smiles broadly and it’s like the rising sun after the darkest night .

My stomach gently turns over when I think about bringing Kellen home. Even though it’s fake, it hits differently. It’s so personal.

“Any other concerns?” Harley says.

“I have one more topic.” Lachlan raises his hand.

“Of course you do,” Kellen mutters.

“And it involves adding another event.”

“But we just added one,” Kellen says.

“This is a democracy, not a dictatorship,” Harley says. “Let Lachlan speak.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Kellen says under his breath, and I laugh quietly. He rewards me with a sweet smile.

“The retreat is a month away.” Lachlan points at Kellen. “Thanksgiving is more than that. That’s too long.”

“So what are you suggesting?” Atticus asks.

“Home game. Lucy in Kellie’s jersey.” Lachlan grins.

The group oooos and ahhhhhs .

“I guess.” Kellen turns to me. “What do you think?”

“I’m okay with that,” I say. It’d be a huge thing to be in that setting as Kellen’s girlfriend. So public.

“And overall? Just do better,” Lachlan says. “More making out.”

“No, don’t touch my sister.” Atticus growls at Kellen.

“I think this plan specifically dictates I should touch her. Remember? We voted on it.” Kellen slowly lowers his arm from the couch to around my shoulders.

Atticus groans and shuts his eyes. Everyone else laughs, including me, but I love the feel of Kellen’s arm around me. I want to scoot closer, but I don’t.

And I don’t want to ask for a vote on it.

Even though we’re fake dating by committee, if I close my eyes and feel his arm around my shoulders, and remember the way he cleaned chocolate off my face, the way he held my hand, sat close to me on the hay ride… it almost feels real.