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ten

Kepler

I let my brothers fume all weekend when they woke up with Elenna gone and the knowledge that I had not gotten her phone number. They deserve a little chaos in their lives considering all the pranks they played on me through the years.

I thought everything would work out, but I was a fool. Lenni is more committed to hockey than to a relationship with the three of us.

How could I have been so wrong about her?

I hit the punching bag harder, needing the burn in my muscles to replace the hollow feeling she left behind.

"Cheer up, Kepler." Raiden walks by, throwing a jab at the punching bag. "She obviously doesn't want us."

What the hell? Raiden has been pushing for this relationship even after discovering she's one of our players.Why the sudden change of heart?

Before I realize what I'm doing, I take a swing at him, which he conveniently dodges. "So, you're just going to give up on her too?" I grit out. I’ve never felt this much anger toward one of my brothers, but they're both getting on my nerves—giving up so easily on Lenni.

"It's not like that." He unties his boxing gloves with his teeth before continuing. "We can't force her to accept us. She feels she has something to prove by being the first female goalie in the pros. We can't stand in her way or let anyone doubt that she deserves to be where she is."

He's right. But I'm not ready to let her go. "She's still ours, whether she's ready to accept it or not." I take another swing at the punching bag before turning back to Raiden. "I don't care how long we have to wait for her to realize she doesn't have to prove herself to anyone. She's already shown she would be an asset to any pro hockey team."

"I know that. You know that. Hell, the whole hockey world knows that, but until she does, she's off-limits. Understand?"

"Understood," I say, untying the strings of my boxing gloves with my teeth.

If I hurry, I can take a quick shower and still have time to watch Lenni at the walk-through practice before our plane leaves for Minnesota for the game tonight. It's a quick hour and a half flight to Minnesota. If I'm lucky I might even get to side next to her on the plane.

But fate had other plans as it placed her between two of our single players while all I could do was watch them talk to her. Even coaxing a smile to her beautiful face. A privilege that should only be reserved for my two brothers and me.

***

"Do you think we make her nervous?" Raiden asks, taking a seat next to me in the family skybox.

We've known the Hayes family for years. So, we have a standing invitation to sit in their family skybox whenever we play the Norse in Minnesota. Normal I wouldn't complain, but I'd rather be closer to our team's bench and Lenni.

The only thing stopping me is the fact that it's her first night staring in the pros we don't want to make her nervous before or during the game.

"No. She's too much of a professional to let that happen." I reply.

Which is true. If anything, she looks more relaxed when we watch her play—almost like she's playing just for us. Which is ridiculous, but a guy can still hope.

"Do you think it's a good idea to start her tonight? She's only gotten two practices in with the team." Daylen takes the seat on the other side of me, a deep scowl lining his face.

"She'll be fine. She's a professional." I remind them.

We sit in silence watching her protect the net shot after shot. It's insane how good she is. Raiden's right, we can't take this away from her. She'll come to us when she's ready—I try to convince myself, but our woman is a superstar, and she deserves her time in the spotlight even if it's without us by her side.

The coach blows her whistle, signaling the end of practice. All the players skate off the ice except for Lenni. She takes off her helmet and glances toward the family skybox like she's searching for someone until her eyes meet ours and she gives us a quick smile before skating off the ice.

Damn, it's going to be harder than I thought keeping my hands off her.