Page 41 of You Make It Feel like Christmas

N ICK HAD BEEN WITH the Guardians for four years now.

When he ran errands in his neighborhood, he was often recognized.

People took it in stride, not just because California was full of far more famous people than him but because the team was part of the community as often as possible.

Here, in Seattle, it was different. Not all bad but definitely different.

He felt… more on guard and hyperaware of his surroundings.

He didn’t want Maisie to feel uncomfortable with any of the interactions.

He could admit, seeing Maisie get protective—all five foot one of her—was adorable as hell.

Her hand, which was tucked inside his own, tugged and he looked down to see her looking back at him as they walked into Side Tap.

“You sure this is okay?”

Pulling her back, Nick kissed her softly, wishing he could linger. “It’s all good, Maze. Drinks with friends, right? A regular couple thing to do.” How weird was it that it’d taken him this long to realize how nice something so simple could be?

Scanning the pub as they walked toward a raised area in the back, he was, again, impressed.

Seattle was full of treasures and not just the woman leading the way.

Side Tap had a comfortable, laid-back atmosphere.

Sort of a rustic, farm vibe with twinkle lights, long wood-hewn tables, and a variety of seating that invited conversations.

Nick’s gaze caught on a stone fireplace that went up to the ceiling. It had a wooden mantel, kind of like Maisie’s, and held several photographs.

“There she is,” a voice said, stepping out in front of Maisie.

Maisie slipped her hand from his and hugged a tall blond guy. She took Nick’s hand again and grinned back at him.

“This is Ethan. Ethan, this is—”

Ethan held out a hand, his grin even wider than when he’d hugged Maisie. “Nick King. I know. I’m a big fan. Thanks for coming to my bar.”

Nick shook the guy’s hand.

“My pleasure. I’ve heard great things. You’re a local; are you allowed to say you’re a big fan?”

Ethan laughed and Maisie looked up at Nick with an expression that even he could see was adoring. His heart pinched in a strange way, like it wanted Nick to take notice. As if he could help but notice Maisie and the way she affected him.

“Home-team loyalty matters but talent is talent. First round is on me.” He kissed Maisie’s cheek saying he’d send drinks over.

Maisie started to say something but Nick’s mouth took over before his brain could intervene. “Did you date him?”

Her lips curved slowly as laughter filled her pretty eyes. “No. I bet if we were in your hometown, you wouldn’t be able to say that if we ran into someone.”

Once again, he tugged her close, his hand going to her jaw, his fingers just under her ear. “I think you’d be surprised.”

Their noses touched and he felt her breath against his lips. “You are definitely a surprise, Mr. King.”

A low growl left the back of his throat but it was neither the time or place. He wasn’t a fucking teenager with no control but she made him feel like one.

“Come on,” she whispered.

There were two stairs leading up to the fireplace area that had several comfortable-looking high-back chairs in soothing tones and patterns.

Near the back of the area, Lexi stood up and waved at them even as she started walking their way.

A tall, dark-haired guy whose dress shirt and dark jeans screamed money looked their way.

Maisie and Lexi hugged like they hadn’t just seen each other this morning . He found himself wondering if Ellie had this kind of friendship. He hoped so. He hated the thought of her being lonely and not having someone to turn to. She had Colt and him, but that wasn’t the same.

Living here will let you see her and Asher a lot more. One more reason in the plus column for retiring.

“I’m glad you guys came,” Lexi said as she pulled away and smiled at Nick.

“Thanks for inviting us,” Nick said. Us. We. Girlfriend. He had a whole new vocabulary. It shocked him that it came so easily.

“Come meet Will.” Lexi turned and walked the few steps to the guy who was obviously Will.

“Will, this is Nick King. Nick, this is my fiancé, Will Grand.”

The guys shook hands. “Nice to meet you,” Will said genuinely. He pulled his hand back, then he bent to hug Maisie. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Maisie said.

They took off their jackets and hung them on a hook by the chairs before they settled around a dark-wood table with a pillar candle flickering softly in the middle.

They’d barely sat down when a tall, lanky guy with more earrings than Nick could count— everywhere he could see—showed up with a tray of drinks.

“Ethan said to give you a selection,” the guy said.

“Thanks, Zane,” Lexi said.

“No problem.”

The waiter set a flight of four different beers in front of each of them. “Let me know when you’re ready to order food.”

The guy smiled and went to greet other customers who’d just sat down.

Nick looked at the beer options, then glanced up at Lexi and Will. “Great service.”

Will laughed. “Ethan and I are close. We went to college together. Plus, Lexi works for him as the operations manager at their second location and marketing manager of both.”

Nick nodded, impressed. “Those are great titles. Must keep you busy.”

Lexi beamed, pride infusing her expression.

Maisie reached for a beer labeled Yuletide and lifted it. “What he meant is, Ethan is his bestie the way Lexi is mine.”

Lexi laughed loudly and Will shook his head, looked at Nick. “I don’t think any level of bromance could hold a candle to these two.”

Picking up a different beer that Nick couldn’t see the label for, Lexi held out her drink, clinked it with Maisie’s. “He’s not wrong. But don’t let that stop you from trying.”

Nick laughed and any lingering worry or tension slipped away. He should have known, just from being with Maisie, that her friends would be chill and cool.

They chatted about Christmas for the first little bit, tasting the beers and discussing the flavors. Nick wasn’t a fan of the Yuletide, which had a distinct aftertaste. The waiter came back and all of them ordered Side Tap burgers with fries.

Maisie was telling Lexi and Will about the scavenger hunt and Nick realized that what felt like forever ago, had really only been a few days.

“I still think we won,” Maisie said.

Nick turned his head and grinned at her. “How’s that?”

Her gaze narrowed. “The app glitched. I uploaded those photos.”

“Maisie doesn’t like to lose. When her siblings are around, it’s almost obnoxious,” Lexi said.

Maisie gasped, her head whipping toward her friend. “Hey! Obnoxious is a strong word.”

“Two or three Christmases ago, you made your sister bleed during a game of Spot It.”

Nick had the pleasure of seeing Maisie’s cheeks turn red. He reached over, put a hand on her back, and rubbed up and down, unable to contain his laugh.

“It was just her hand. It was nothing. And an accident,” she told him, her pitch a little high.

“Sure it was, babe. I told you, I like your competitive spirit. Might be best if we just stay on the same team, though, yeah?”

Will and Lexi both laughed, Maisie’s twitching lips suggesting she wasn’t far behind.

“Whatever. My sister and brother both cheat and I’m the youngest so no one ever believed me.”

Nick started to reply but his gaze caught on the TV and he saw the Vancouver-Edmonton game was on. He’d enjoyed his years as a Canuck, but he definitely preferred San Jose’s weather.

He didn’t need the announcer’s voice to know every word being said. Vancouver had the puck, Hughes passed to Petterson, right in the net. A table full of people cheered in the far corner of the lower level of the bar. Maisie looked that way, saw the TV, then looked back at Nick.

“You good?”

He nodded, picked up his beer. He missed it but he couldn’t shake the bittersweet feeling that swamped him when he saw it or thought about the game.

“Your team is scheduled to play here this week, right?” Will asked.

“They are. They’ll get into town on the thirtieth,” he said.

“Will they stay in a hotel?” Maisie asked.

He turned his head. “Yeah. I have all the details in my phone. I’ll have to stay with them that night. I probably can’t and shouldn’t sneak you in.”

Surprise flashed in her gaze but she smoothed it out, and Nick wondered if he’d made a mistake just laying it out there like that. But it was his job and this was part of it.

Maisie nodded, stretching her smile wider, but it didn’t have its typical glow.

He reached out, took her hand, but looked at Will, then Lexi. “Maisie’s coming to the New Year’s Eve game. You guys probably already have plans but you’re welcome to come.”

Lexi leaned into Will, who wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Will we get to sit with the WAGs?”

Will laughed loudly. “Great. Now we’re a Real Housewives episode.”

Lexi side-eyed him. “There’s nothing wrong with that. And that’s what they’re called. Wives and girlfriends.”

Will kissed her then picked up one of his beers. “I’m no one’s wife or girlfriend but I’d be happy to go to the game if you want to.”

“Maze,” Nick said quietly, noticing she hadn’t said anything. He thought inviting her friends to the game would help her feel more comfortable.

She turned her head, blinking rapidly. He wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything would be okay.

Once again, he wondered if not talking to her about the possibility of retiring was a mistake.

But he knew, in his gut, that when he got back on the ice, he’d know.

And when he told her, one way or the other, he wanted to be sure.

If he didn’t retire, they’d need to figure out how to navigate these moments.

The waiter showed up with their food and set it in front of them, clearing some of the glasses. They asked for a round of sodas to have with dinner.

The conversation evened out again with Will and Lexi talking about what they did for work, bits of how they’d gotten together. Nick loved hearing Maisie laugh and enjoyed watching the easy banter she had with her friends.

The women wove in and out of topics so quickly, it reminded Nick of warm-ups on the ice. In, out, back, forth. There was a captivating art to watching them talk.

“How often do you visit Seattle, Nick?”

Wiping his hands on a napkin, he tossed it on the plate. “Until recently, not at all unless I was here for work. But my sister bought a tree farm at the start of the year. I’ll be here a lot more now.”

“Maisie said it was amazing and so well-run,” Lexi said, leaning into Will.

Nick felt his chest swell with pride. “It’s run well because she wouldn’t accept less. She’s got a bit of an independent streak and doesn’t mind shooting down my offers of help.”

Will nodded, a hint of a smile on his face that Nick didn’t understand. “Sisters can be annoyingly stubborn.”

“He has two,” Lexi said. “They’re delightful. As is his sister-in-law who is married to his older sister.”

“How’s she feeling?” Maisie asked. Glancing at Nick, she added, “Rachel, his sister-in-law, is pregnant.”

“She’s great,” Will said. His chest seemed to puff out a little. “I can’t wait to be an uncle.”

“No cooler feeling,” Nick said, thinking back to when Asher was born. His gaze caught on Maisie’s smile and he wondered if she wanted children. They still had a lot to learn about each other but she was the first woman he could see himself having those conversations with.

The couples said goodnight, said they’d see each other at the game, then he and Maisie walked to his truck. She reached for the passenger door but he put a hand on it, stopping it from opening. She turned to look up at him.

“What are you doing?” The glow of the streetlamps cast a haze around her like a full-body halo. His heart leapt in his chest, stealing his breath.

“Reminding you that I might not know how to do all this relationship stuff but I’m trying, Maisie.”

She stared at his chest so he tipped her chin up with his index finger. She swallowed, licked her lips. “I know. I’m sorry. I just want to soak up as much time with you as I can and I thought we had longer.”

Nick inhaled deeply. “You know that’s not it though, right? I have some things I need to decide about my career. I need to get myself back on the ice before I can truly figure things out. But you’re part of whatever comes next for me. You get that, right?”

Maisie leaned into him. “I do. I know you’ve got a lot on your mind. You can talk to me, you know.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, happy to have any physical connection with her. “I do know that. And it means more to me than I can tell you. I feel like, when I get back on the ice, I’ll know what I’m meant to do.”

“That sounds sort of ominous.” She tucked her hands between them, resting on his chest.

“I don’t mean for it to, but I’m not young, babe. I’m coming back from an injury that took longer to heal than it should have, not to mention the anxiety. I get offers all the time to do sports casting and analysis shows.”

Maisie pulled back, her eyes wide. “Are you considering leaving hockey?”

She made it easy to share the truth. “I really don’t know. Is it okay if I can’t answer that yet?”

Reaching up, she curled her hand around his neck. “Of course it is.”

Other than his sister and Colt, he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so at ease, so himself, with anyone.

She accepted him exactly as he was, which just made him want her more.

Even though the decision was weighing on him, Maisie was the light at the other end of a long tunnel, reminding him there was more to wake up for in the morning than hockey.