With a careful nip to her lips, he raised his head. "I'm glad you're here. I like seeing you in my space."
"I'm glad I came. I can't wait to see everything."
"We should probably start with lunch."
She pressed her hand to her rumbling stomach. "Breakfast at the airport was a long time ago."
"I know I promised you a cheesesteak, but I thought we'd do that tonight with my dad and brothers. We can head to Old City now, so you can check out the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and anything else you want to see. There are a ton of cafes and restaurants there, so we can grab lunch too."
"I'm ready." She'd worn her most comfortable boots and jeans, and had layered two shirts under her coat. "Let's play tourist."
They ate lunch at a tiny restaurant tucked into a small street two blocks from Independence Hall, then visited the sites she'd wanted to see. Later, they warmed up with coffee and fresh baked macaroons at another cafe. She loved walking around the historic district, seeing the tiny cobblestone streets and architecture of buildings constructed during different eras. The city had a unique vibe and flavor that invited her in and welcomed her to stay. "I would love to live in an area like this."
"I've thought about it. I'm not sure which neighborhood I'll pick when I move home. Each one has its own personality."
Her stomach clutched at the thought of him not being in Buffalo. Surely the Bedlam would offer him another contract at the end of the season. It would give her time to show him how great her city was too.
Leo drew his phone from his coat pocket and glanced at the time. "Let's get a cab and go to the art museum. I'll get some pics of you running up the steps like Rocky."
A gust of cold air swept past, stealing her breath, and Kelsey burrowed into her coat. Eagerness to experience more of the city beat out her desire to escape the cold. "Could we walk there?"
"From here?" His arm immediately wrapped around her and he drew her against his side. Her heart fluttered as she snuggled into his warmth. "It'll take a little while, but let's do it. That way, we can walk through the courtyard at city hall, and through Love Park, and up along the parkway to the museum. There are other museums by the art museum, and if you want, we can check them out tomorrow. My favorites as a kid were the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Franklin Institute. But there's a lot more that we can do tomorrow too. We'll have my family with us then and my brothers always have some good ideas."
Block after block, they walked hand in hand, passing a wide variety of shops, hotels, businesses, and houses. She loved how trees and flags lined the parkway and how the art museum sat at the end, waiting to welcome them.
When they reached the base of the steps, Leo held up his phone. "I'll take some pics of you running up them and a video if you want."
"Okay. I'm ready." She adjusted her hat and, feeling a little silly, jogged up the steps. On the opposite side of the wide expanse of steps, a few other people were doing it too. When she reached the top, she turned and pumped her arms in the air, recreating the scene from Rocky. She had a great view of the parkway and city hall at the end. The Philadelphia skyline was a lot bigger than the buildings that made up Buffalo's downtown. She needed to come back and explore a lot more.
After a moment, Leo took the steps easily, three at a time, and joined her at the top. "Almost everyone I know who grew up here has run these steps at least once."
"Have you?"
"I was ten years old the first time I did it. My mom took Xavier and me here while my dad went to Shane's soccer game. Ry wasn't born yet. We drove her crazy running up and down the steps. Then when we got inside, all we wanted to do was see the armor exhibit and eat lunch. Xavier was four. He got in trouble with security for touching furniture in one of the exhibits. Mom swore she wouldn't take us back until we were older and could appreciate it." His smile was bittersweet. "We never did get that chance. She was diagnosed with breast cancer soon after Ryan was born and she died two years later."
Her heart broke for him. Kelsey rubbed his back, desperate to soothe a wound that was still sore. "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard that must have been on you and your dad and brothers."
"We had a lot of family nearby. They helped us a lot." Blowing out a sigh, he rolled his shoulders as though to collect himself and lock that pain away. He traced his finger along her cheek and his gray eyes warmed. "The sun's beginning to set. You look really pretty standing out here in the fading light."
"I'm glad I'm here, experiencing this with you." She rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. His hand cupped the back of her head, holding her close while he teased his mouth over hers and then deepened the kiss. Kelsey wrapped her arms around his waist, keeping him close. Wind tossed her hair into their faces, and the strands billowed against them like silky reminders that they weren't alone. Frustrated with the interruption, Kelsey broke the kiss and battled her hair into submission.
Leo linked their fingers together. "We should probably head to Ryan's."
She glanced at the building behind her. It seemed silly to only run the steps and not go into the museum. "Could we come back tomorrow? But if being in there is too painful for you, then we don't—"
"No. It's fine. I wouldn't mind making some new memories here with you. If there's not time tomorrow, we can do it at the end of the season. Remember the road trip? The last game of the regular season is in Philly. The game is on a Saturday. We can stay over, get up and have breakfast somewhere on Sunday morning and then come here right after."
"I'd like that a lot."
"Then, it's a date." He opened the ride share app on his phone.
Within minutes they were on their way back to South Philly. Leo's phone pinged. He swiped at his phone screen. "Ryan is home and my brothers are there. They're ordering the food now. What kind of steak do you want?"
"What are my options?"
"Ry and I always get provolone on our steaks. Shane gets his with Cheez Whiz, but I can't stand that stuff. Xavier likes his steak plain, no cheese, just ketchup. And my dad gets his with American cheese, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, and hot or sweet peppers."
"Hmm." Her stomach growled at the thought of long, crusty rolls filled with thinly sliced beef and melted cheese. "I'll go with what you're having. I love provolone."
"Good choice." He typed in their request then spent the rest of the ride entertaining her with stories of growing up as the eldest of the four brothers.
Before she knew it, the car pulled up in front of Ryan's home. As they climbed out, the front door opened and a tall man dressed in jeans and a dark shirt waved.
"That's Ryan." Leo gestured for her to walk up the steps first.
Ryan stepped back to allow them to enter. Grinning, he hugged Leo. "It's good to see you."
"You too. It's been too long." Leo held on for a moment before easing back. "At least I'm in the same time zone now."
"That does help." Ryan transferred that winning smile to Kelsey and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you. Welcome to Philly."
"Thank you. You have a lovely home."
Leo patted his brother's shoulder, his chest puffed with pride. "Ry did a lot of the work himself."
The younger Brennan shrugged. "Not all of it, so you're safe to turn on the lights and won't have to worry about floorboards breaking beneath your feet as you walk."
Three more men trooped in, all talking over each other and all nearly as big as Leo. He hugged them and pointed out the introductions. "This is Shane, that's Xavier, and this is my dad Mike."
Kelsey shook their hands and couldn't help smiling at their enthusiastic greetings. They were just like her own family would be, warm and welcoming.
Ryan ushered her into the kitchen, asking her beverage preference and pointing her to a large table under a window that overlooked the backyard.
Leo set a glass of sparkling water in front of her and then slid onto the chair to her left. He looked happy and so relaxed as though the mere presence of his f
amily had hit his reset button.
The rest of the family filled in the remaining spaces at the table and the scent of meat and grease hit her as soon as they unwrapped the sandwiches. She groaned at the flavor of the crusty yet soft bread and how it blended with the seasoned beef and melted cheese. Mouth full, she gave a thumbs-up at Leo's raised brow.
Shane pointed to Leo's sandwich. "Are you going to be able to taste that? Have your taste buds healed from your chicken wing experiment?"
Leo took a large bite out of his cheesesteak. Swallowing, he grinned. "Tastes like home."
For most of the meal, Kelsey answered questions about her job and family. Xavier engaged her in a lengthy discussion about Buffalo's football team and the city itself. A tight end for Philly's pro football team, the Frenzy, he traveled to Buffalo once a season to play the divisional rival.
Not wanting to exclude the rest of the brothers, she turned to Ryan. "Leo told me that the rest of you work at a gym."
Ryan nodded. "Dad owns it but I manage it."
Shane clapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "We manage it."
"Do we?" Ryan grinned. "Seems like you spend most of your time flirting."
"Hey, I'm a friendly guy. If I can help spot someone, I'm gonna do it." He turned to Kelsey. "I know your dad played for the Bedlam and both your brothers play for them too. You must've grown up with hockey around you twenty-four seven. Do you play too?"
She set down her sandwich. "I've played my whole life. Well, up until a few years ago anyway. The job takes up too much of my time now. I started out on defense as a kid then moved to center. I played center for my college team and then for two years with the national team."
Leo's brows rose and his eyes widened. "Whoa. I didn't know all that. I must've missed it when I read your team bio. Is there anything else I should know?"
"I also held the team record for penalty minutes, for both teams." She'd been proud of that stat, but heat rushed into her cheeks and she rushed to clarify her statement for his family. "I wasn't a dirty player but if someone put a hit or a check on my teammate and I didn't like it, well, I made sure they knew."
"I'm impressed." Leo toasted her with his drink. "Rod and Dylan weren't kidding when they told me that you were tough."
She shrugged. "For me, it was more about doing what's right. Your teammates are like your family so you protect them like family."
Mike lifted his glass in toast. "You'll fit in well with us then."
"Kelsey, tell me, did you lay this guy out for hitting your brother?" Eyes sparkling with laughter, Xavier thumped Leo on the back.
Kelsey waited until Leo had elbowed his brother. "I'm still waiting for the right opportunity. When he's least expecting it, I'll make sure I even the score."
The brothers all laughed and she laid her hand on Leo's thigh and squeezed so he'd know without a doubt that she'd been kidding.
"It'll be good to have you home this summer. We miss you around here." Mike's words were echoed by agreements from his sons.
Leo nodded. "I've missed being home too. It'll be good to get back and settle in for a while."
Kelsey sipped her water. If she and Leo were together, she could easily see herself coming back to spend the summers in Philly. But if he wanted to move back permanently? She couldn't press pause on her career, not when it was finally taking off. But maybe she was getting too far ahead of herself. After all, she and Leo were pretty new.
But she couldn't shake the thought of him belonging with her. Of them belonging together.
She glanced around the table, cozy with the friendly banter and obvious love. Under the table, Leo held her hand. She needed to enjoy the moment and not obsess about the future and all of the unknowns. Especially when the moments were as great as this one.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE BEDLAM ARENA WAS filled to capacity. Every fan and every player were hyped up for the game against the Bedlam's most bitter rival, the Chicago Bluster.
Leo fed off the energy. He loved the crowd's reaction to every hit and every play. It had the atmosphere of a playoff game.
At the start of the second period, he lined up with Dylan and Celek for the face off. Vince and Gostowski were on defense. Top lines against top lines.
Dylan won the face off. The puck flew to Leo. He spun around, holding off Nylander as he knocked the puck and sent it flying along the boards. Celek and Dylan took off after it. They split up at the blue line. Celek knocked the puck to Dylan. Within a second, the captain fired it at the goalie. It inched past his glove and hit the back of the net.
The goal light and siren went off and the crowd leapt to its feet. Grinning, Leo hugged Vince and they skated toward Dylan.
"Nice job, captain."
He followed Dylan to the bench, waiting while Dylan skated the length of it, high-fiving teammates as he passed.
A shot of red flew from the Chicago bench. Bertuzzi, a hulking, fourth-line goon, lunged at Dylan. He leapt off the ice and his shoulder speared Dylan's head. The captain fell backward, body slamming to the ice.
What the...
Leo charged after him. Rage seared his muscles. He tossed his gloves aside and smashed his fist into Bertuzzi's face. "What the hell? You fucking asshole."
Holding the idiot by the jersey, he pulled back and fired again, smashing into his cheek, into his nose, and dodging blows as Bertuzzi retaliated. They spun around and around. He and the right winger had fought many battles over the past five seasons. The little shit still hadn't learned how to properly guard his body.
Leo landed another hit. "Are you fucking kidding me, attacking him like that? Aiming for his head? You better fucking hope that I'm not waiting for you in the parking lot after the game."
A blur of blue few in and Rod slammed Bertuzzi in his back, knocking the player to the ice. "You piece of shit."
Rod pushed Leo aside and fell on top of Bertuzzi, swearing and punching. Bertuzzi scissored his leg, aiming to kick Rod in the groin. Leo kicked the goon's leg away and then sat on him.
The ref and linesmen swarmed in. The ref grabbed the back of Leo's sweater and tugged hard. "Let's go. All three of you are done for the night."
Leo lumbered to standing. The linesmen stayed in between Bertuzzi and him.
"Off the ice. Now." The ref pulled him toward the bench.
His teammates were gathered on the ice, watching the doctor and trainer tend to Dylan. Leo stopped when he reached the bench door. "I'll go, but I need to see if he's okay first."
The ref opened his mouth like he was about to argue, but then he nodded and skated away.
Rod stopped between Dylan and Leo. He stared at his brother. The same worried look that he'd worn when Dylan had lain on the ice back in February had returned. The look had wrenched Leo's gut the first time, but this time, it wrenched his heart. He cared about Dylan and Rod. And Kelsey.
She was in the building. Had she seen the hit?
The PA announcer's voice filled the air. "Penalties for the Buffalo Bedlam, number fifty-five Leo Brennan and number ninety-seven Rod Fraser, each five minutes for fighting plus a major game misconduct."
The crowd booed.
"Penalty for the Chicago Bluster, number twenty-two Renato Bertuzzi, five minutes for fighting, five minutes for attempt to injure, plus a major game misconduct."
A short cheer rose from the crowd, but they quieted quickly.
He skated to Rod and draped his arm over the goalie's shoulder.
Dylan's eyes were open. He was talking. He was able to move his limbs. The doctor and trainer helped him to slowly sit up. Then, the trainer glanced at Leo. "Help us get him into the back?"
As one, he and Rod moved to Dylan's side. They crouched on either side of him, slid their arms around him, and helped the captain to his skates.
The crowd broke out into applause and a few cheers. Watching their captain skate out of the rink, mostly of his own accord, was a hell of a lot better than watching him being rolled away on a stretcher or carried
out on a backboard.
Dylan's eyes were glassy and he seemed dazed. He didn't say anything as they plodded down the hall to the training room. The doctor redirected them to a room off the side of it. The "quiet room" was used for concussion protocol.
They helped Dylan inside, and then as much as he hated to leave his friend, he and Rod had to exit the room so the doctor could examine Dylan.
The only thing to do now was to shower and wait for word. And, watch the game on the TV in the locker room.
Anger and frustration still surged through his veins. Leo yanked off his jersey and then his skates and pads. On the other side of the room, Rod did the same.
Leo threw his jersey into the bin for the equipment managers to handle. "What the hell? I just want to know why. There wasn't any reason to go after Dylan like that. Way after the play. Hell, the game had fucking stopped."
He stalked to the showers. The water didn't help wash away his anger. His hands were throbbing, red and raw from jamming them into the thug's face and body. His chest ached from the punches he'd sustained and his worry about Dylan.
Back in the locker room, he pulled on his clothes and checked his phone. Texts from his brothers and his dad filled his screen.
Rod dropped onto the bench and he held out his phone. "Watch the replay."
On screen, the awful attack played out again.
Leo rubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could scrub that scene from his memory as easily. "I still don't get why he did it. He and Dylan didn't play a single shift against each other tonight."
"They're in a must-win situation though, fighting for a spot in the playoffs. They have to win all of their remaining games. That's three weeks' worth. Maybe they thought they'd have a better chance to win tonight if they eliminated our leading scorer."
"Maybe. But that's just stupid. Celek has almost as many goals as Dylan. And Kreider and Shore aren't that far behind. Why single out Dylan?"
Rod shrugged. "I don't know. But I don't like it. Bertuzzi is a second-rate player and a piece of shit human being."
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