Love in Game (De La Fuente Family Book 6)

by Lexi Buchanan

  “It’s so good to meet you,” she says as she releases me, and beams at her husband.

  Kasey slips his arm around my waist as I shake hands with his brother. Eric looks more reserved than Kasey, and there’s an air of command exuding from him.

  We move into the living room, and Kasey disappears into the kitchen with his brother. Sylvia sits beside me, and asks, “How’s your brother?”

  “He’s okay really. They’re releasing him tomorrow, and I’m hoping that getting him out of that place might cheer him up. He still can’t walk.” I shrug. “It’s not going to be easy because he’s used to running at full speed, and then there’s the hockey. It’s been his life since he was a kid, so I can’t imagine what it will do to him if he can’t play anymore.”

  “That will be hard, but if the doctors think that he might suddenly be able to walk again, then he needs to have faith in that.”

  “I’m hoping the fresh air in Montana will take his mind off everything and help him heal.”

  Sylvia is really pretty with her blonde hair tied back, and minimal makeup. Her welcoming smile and true concern for my brother makes me like her all the more, and because of her concern, I feel more at ease.

  Kasey places a cup of coffee in front of me and hovers. There really is no other word for it as he stands to the side of me before his brother tugs him away to sit opposite.

  I smile and watch as he sits in one of the armchairs with his brother Eric rolling his eyes in the one beside him.

  Eric takes a sip from his mug and watches Kasey from the corner of his eye.

  “What?” Kasey asks. “Why the long look?”

  Sylvia hides her laughter behind her hand, but I grin openly. She leans closer and whispers, “They love nothing more than to wind the other up. It’s entertaining.”

  “You, Brother…” Eric drawls and shaking his head, takes another sip of coffee as he rests an ankle over his knee before he smiles when his eyes touch on Sylvia. “Was I this bad with you?” He nods at Kasey.

  Sylvia laughs. “Oh yes.” She places her hand on my arm. “All the De La Fuente men fall hard.”

  “I have and I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks about it,” Kasey states, staring at his brother.

  Eric laughs. “You’re easy to tease.”

  “Kasey,” Sylvia says with a glare at her husband before she focuses on my guy, “what Eric means to say is that he’s really happy for you. We both are.”

  “Thank you.” Kasey grins like an idiot with his eyes only for me. “Now that that’s been established…” He moves from the chair, takes my hand and tugs me back down with him.

  I feel a blush starting to creep onto my face as Kasey gets me settled on his lap. “That’s much better,” he comments, and grins at the couple.

  Eric roars with laughter. “I’m glad Diego isn’t here or he’d have had us betting on how long you’d have lasted before she was on your lap.” He moves to sit beside Sylvia, who settles into his side.

  “When are you heading home?” Eric asks.

  Kasey looks at me before answering his brother, “We’re bringing Blake here tomorrow once he’s discharged. The plan is to give him a few days to get used to moving around in the chair and then we’re going to fly home. The doctors have said he’s okay to fly, we just have to make sure that he gets physical therapy.”

  “You’ll love the farm, Felicity,” Sylvia adds. “It’s so peaceful and the air is so clean and fresh. On a good day, you can even catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis.” Sylvia has a dreamy look on her face. “It really is beautiful.”

  “I’m excited to see where Kasey grew up, but I’m nervous about meeting the rest of your family.” Kasey kisses the side of my face and I offer him a small smile before I quickly placing a kiss to his lips. His eyes widen slightly but the smile on his face is a delighted one. I turn back to Eric and Sylvia. “I’m afraid that Blake and I will be overwhelmed because it’s really been just the two of us for the past seven, nearly eight years.”

  Sylvia nods and captures her husband’s hand that was wandering back and forth on her thigh. She gives her husband a “behave or else” smile while Eric grins at her. Laughing, she rolls her eyes in response. “Just remember they won’t bite, and you might even be there when Emelia has her baby.”

  “Lucia is knitting up a storm, which Emelia is grateful for, although she now might have enough knitted garments until her baby is ten.”

  “Seriously?” I ask.

  “Maybe a slight exaggeration on Emelia’s part, but it will be close. Lucia and Emiliano will love you, so please don’t worry.” She frowns and turns to Eric. “Can you remember the name of that woman who has just moved to town? Sarah was talking about her the last time we were there. I’m sure she’s a qualified physical therapist. Would be amazing if I remember that right. She could go out and work with Felicity’s brother.”

  “Fifi Flowers,” Eric answers.

  Sylvia has a surprised look on her face and then starts laughing. She pats him on the chest as tears of amusement fill her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she giggles. “Fifi Flowers…So funny.”

  “That’s her name! What’s funny about that,” Eric asks, not impressed with his wife’s laughter.

  Sylvia clears her throat. “Fifi Flowers is, um, Fifi and the Flowertots, something that Mateo and Erin put on the TV to stop Francesca from screaming the house down. But I do remember her name now, it’s Violet Flowers.” She gives Eric a smug look. “I just know that I’m going to be calling her Fifi now. Ugh.”

  Kasey laughs and buries his face against my neck. I massage his bent head and get a tantalizing scent of his cologne. Moaning into the top of his head, he suddenly stills, but not before I feel the growing hardness under me.

  He kisses my neck and finally comes up for air. “Behave,” he hisses.

  “So now that we know to contact Fifi, we’ll get it sorted,” Kasey tells his brother.

  “Asshole,” Eric grumbles, and changes the subject, “You guys eaten?”

  “No,” Kasey replies, and I shake my head.

  Sylvia grins. “Then let’s go out and eat. Italian?”

  “I love Italian food,” I answer.

  “Italian it is then.” Kasey helps me stand.

  “Let me quickly go and change.”

  “We both will…back in a minute,” Kasey wraps his arm around my neck as he walks me to our bedroom.

  “No hanky-panky till later. I’m hungry!” Eric shouts.

  “Me too, Bro.” Kasey smacks my butt before he closes the door.

  He wrestles me to the bed and settling between my legs, he crowds me, with his fingers sliding through the strands of my hair. “Do you think we have time for a quickie?” He pushes his pelvis against me and the bulge rubs on just the right spot, making me catch my breath.

  “God,” I moan. “Yes. Get naked, quick.”

  We giggle and once we’re free of our clothing, we come together in a quick rush of need—neither of us lasting longer than five minutes.

  21

  Kasey

  It was a good evening with Eric and Sylvia, and I wish it could have lasted into today because Blake’s sour mood is really upsetting Felicity. He’s being a total ass and finds nothing right in the room that she took a long time in getting ready for him. I’m currently biting my tongue from saying something, and I know I will if it continues. I get that he’s frustrated at having his independence taken away from him, but being a dick toward the one person who loves him is getting to me.

  She’s my girl and I want to protect her, even from her own brother, but she’s asked me not to, and that goes against everything I’ve been taught.

  Blake has always come across as an arrogant asshole. He’d surprised me when he’d so easily accepted my relationship with his sister. He hadn’t really been given any choice considering his condition at the time though.

  I just hope that he isn’t taking his anger out on Felicity because of me now that he’s no lon
ger in the hospital. She doesn’t deserve that, but it’s killing me to respect her wishes.

  Shouting snaps my head up from where I’m sitting on the sofa. I quickly jump up and making my way toward Blake’s bedroom, I hear Felicity shout, “I’m not doing this because I have to, I’m doing it because I want to.” She sounds close to tears and then she’s dashing out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

  She looks up and pain is etched all over her face while tears falls from her lashes. I hold my arms out and with a harsh breath, she’s wrapped around me. Her sobs rack her body and the tears soak through my shirt, but as long as I’m holding her that doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is the asshole behind the closed door.

  I pick Felicity up in my arms and carry her into the living room, sitting with her on my lap. Time passes slowly, but eventually her tears dry up and the sobs slowly subside. With some rearranging, I manage to get my shirt off and wipe her tear-stained face. “That’s better.” I toss my shirt to the floor. “Do you want to tell me what brought that on?”

  Sighing heavily, she says, “It’s not just one thing. Nothing I’ve done to make him feel more at home is right. He had something negative to say about everything. My breaking point was when he accused me of only helping him because I felt that I had too.” She tears up again so I tug her head back down to my chest.

  “He’s my brother, Kasey, and I love him. Why would he think that I didn’t really want to help him?”

  I feel like going into the room with Blake and calling him out for his shit. I hate that he’s hurting Felicity, even though part of me empathizes with his situation. I kiss the top of her head. “He’s not used to depending on anyone is he? And he’s going to be frustrated as hell being in the chair. The doctor warned us that he’d have mood swings. All you can do is be there for him, no matter what, so that he knows he isn’t alone. And I’ll be there for you.”

  “I’m an asshole,” Blake says, appearing in the living room. “I want everything to go back to how it used to be, and it’s hard accepting that I might never walk again…I don’t want to be a burden to anyone, especially you, Felicity.” He holds his hand out and Felicity clasps it with hers. “I’m sorry I hurt you, and I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me in that room.”

  She moves from my embrace to hug her brother. “Just remember we only want to help you, please don’t work against us.”

  “I won’t.” He blinks back tears. “How about helping me onto this sofa.”

  Felicity kisses him on the cheek while I shove the coffee table out of the way to make room for his chair. Luckily, Blake has a lot of upper body strength so he doesn’t really need any physical help to get to the sofa, just a bit of guidance with the leg in the cast.

  “I’m going to make us some lunch.” Felicity kisses Blake again before moving to give me a quick kiss to my lips. “Omelets and toast I think.”

  I watch her retreat to the kitchen, unable to keep the smile from my lips. Feeling eyes on me, I turn to Blake and frown when I see the pain behind the other man’s eyes.

  He holds my gaze, and finally says, “When you take Felicity to Montana, I want you to leave me here, in rehab.”

  Frowning, I shake my head. “Felicity won’t go for that.”

  He clenches his jaw and after a few minutes relaxes. “I know.” His head drops. “I can’t explain how much I hate her seeing me like this. I’ve always been the strong one. The one who protects her even though I might have been a bit obsessive about it.” He smirks. “She’s never had a problem telling me how it is.”

  “Neither will I,” I comment, and Blake’s gaze snaps to mine, so I continue, “She loves you. You’re the only family she has until she met me. No way are either of us going to turn our backs on you.” I shake my head when he opens his mouth to speak and continue, “Don’t you get it, Blake? I love her and although I know she loves me, she isn’t going to be settled unless you’re close. Now more than ever, she’s going to want that. You might have raised her from age twelve, but something tells me you both helped each other.

  “If you’re thinking about Felicity, then you need to come with us. Dad and my brother Aiden are nearly finished with building a ramp at the back of the house so you don’t have to be stuck inside all the time. A physical therapist has recently moved to Great Falls, and my sister-in-law Sylvia is going to talk to her to arrange therapy at the farm. I think we have all bases covered.” I grin at the stunned look on Blake’s face.

  He swallows a few times, and asks, “Your family is doing all that for me?”

  “I’m in love with Felicity, and I know myself enough to know that she’s it. The only one I want. So that makes her family, which means that you and I are family, so my family is now yours too.” I grin. “You need to prepare yourself to be fussed over, and fed well. In fact, I’m betting you won’t ever want to leave.” I smirk and putting my feet up on the coffee table, I stretch back and put the sports channel on the TV.

  22

  Felicity

  Kasey’s family home is beautiful, and his mom and dad have been so welcoming to Blake and I that tears keep hovering on my lashes. My brother is overwhelmed with the care that has been shown to him, and I think he’s struggling to accept that Kasey’s family has accepted us with such wide, open arms. They’re a loving family and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

  We’ve only been here for a few hours and I already know that I’ll be sad to leave the warmth of this home, even though I’ll be with Kasey in New York.

  I’m a country girl at heart, but I’ll go wherever Kasey is because he’s my home now. Blake is going to be staying here to hopefully get him on his feet. He isn’t aware of that right now, but Kasey and I are hoping he falls in love with the place. It will certainly be a lot off my mind knowing that he’s being looked after by our new family.

  At least he has a beautiful view from the porch so that he can get some fresh country air. The porch swing is comfortable as I enjoy the silence while I watch Kasey in the distance talking to his dad.

  “Kasey at the barn?” Lucia asks, coming to join me with a tray laden with cups and freshly baked muffins, the steam still rising from them.

  “He is.” I smile and take the muffin offered. “He was itching to head over there, but for now I’m more than happy to sit here. I don’t think I ever want to move.”

  She laughs. “It’s my favorite place. From here you can watch everything that’s going on. The paddock over there”—she points to the right—“has a filly and her foal. You’ll have to ask Kasey to take you over to meet them. Queen and her Princess are friendly and love the attention.”

  I smile at the names of the horses and sigh at the taste of the apple and cinnamon muffin as it melts in my mouth. “This is delicious. Blake’s going to be sorry he went for a nap. This is his favorite.”

  “There’s plenty on the cooling rack. I’ll hide some for him.” Lucia winks, and laughs. “If the others get wind that I’ve made these, they’ll be gone within minutes.”

  I chuckle and become serious. “Thank you for everything you’ve done and are doing for my brother and me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me knowing that he’s going to be well taken care of.”

  “You’re welcome.” Lucia takes my hand. “You really don’t need to thank us though. Kasey has made it clear that you’re both his family now, which makes you ours. So looking at it like that, all we’re doing is looking after family.” She smiles and pats my knee. “Now, at dinner, please don’t worry when the others start teasing Kasey about you sleeping in his room with him, okay? Just don’t let on that you’ve been warned.”

  “Do I want to know?” I ask nervously.

  “They tease each other, sometimes worse than others, but that’s all it will be.” She’s thoughtful for a moment. “Unless Kasey has gotten to them first, in which case, they might behave.”

  “Who lives here?”

  “It’s just Emiliano and I now, but the othe
rs come and go, and Dante and Emelia are staying here until after the baby is born. Mateo, Erin, and their daughter, Francesca, will be here. Aiden and Sarah are coming to dinner, along with Diego and Rae. I’m not sure if Andie is going to be joining us as she was undecided about coming home this weekend. Of course you’ve met Diego, Rae, and Andie, right?”

  Smiling, I answer, “Yes, I have. Andie was with Kasey when we bumped into each other in New York.” I sigh. “I’d missed him so much. We’d only spent a night together talking, but the connection was there from the first moment I laid eyes on him. I was stupid for running without leaving him a way of getting in touch with me.”

  “Don’t think about that now. You’re together and that’s all that matters.”

  “He’s everything to me,” I admit, unable to take my eyes from the man in question as he strides toward us before he stomps up the steps. He doesn’t stop, and gently cupping the back of my head, he holds me in place and covers my mouth with his.

  I have a feeling he just planned on giving me a hello kiss, but the minute I push my tongue into his mouth, he angles his head and devours me.

  Hearing a throat clearing has us pausing and then Kasey smiles against my mouth. With one last kiss to my lips he reluctantly pulls away, sitting beside me on the swing.

  “Mom,” he acknowledges with a blush high on his cheekbones.

  I’m not sure if the blush is from embarrassment or arousal, but I’m betting on the latter.

  Lucia smiles with amusement in her gaze. “I’ll leave you two alone and start on dinner.”

  When she’s inside, I settle into Kasey’s embrace, and admit, “I like your mom.”

  “Good.” He kisses the top of my head. “Because she likes you too.”

  “This is where you’re the happiest, isn’t it?”

  “I love the wide open space. The fresh air. My family. Until I met you I thought this would always be home, but now, my home is always going to be wherever you are.”