A Very Merry Hockey Holiday (Assassins #6.5)(22)
“I love you.”
“Group hug!” Shelli exclaimed, and soon all five of their children jumped in where they could fit in. With Shelli in his lap, Quinn on his back, and Evan around his waist, he looked into the eyes of his forever and smiled. Elli was holding Posey and Owen close but still holding him too, a beautiful, happy grin on her face.
“Daddy, I love you,” Shelli said, kissing his cheek. “I love you too, Momma.”
“Yeah, I love you,” Quinn said.
“Me too, I love y’all,” Owen said.
“I love you so much. Thank you for my presents,” Posey said softly.
“I love you more than they do,” Evan informed them, ever serious but the instigator of the family. Soon everyone was protesting on who loved whom more.
Finally, Elli said, “Guys, stop. I love you all. The exact same. You are all the world to me.”
They all grinned and seemed content with that. Looking over at Elli, Shea smiled, holding her jaw. “You happy, baby?”
She nodded, kissing his nose. “So much so, it hurts, Shea. You’ve given me everything I could have ever asked for.”
His heart pounded in his chest as he got lost in her eyes. How did he get this lucky? To find his soul mate and not only marry her but make beautiful children with her. Kissing her nose, he said, “And to think, I still have the rest of our lives to give you even more.”
Her grin grew as her eyes clouded with tears and she said, “Merry Christmas, my love.”
“Merry Christmas.”
Of course, Elli forgot a present. It was her luck. It wasn’t bad enough she had to go deal with her mother and sister, but she forgot to get something for Karson and Lacey King. This was so unlike her, but she blamed it totally on everyone else.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, she had been so busy. Fallon had had her baby, so of course, she had to go over and love on her little Emery. After making sure her house was clean, Fallon was comfy, and food was cooked, Elli spent some time at work. The boys had hockey, Shelli had dance, and Posey had gymnastics. Quinn, poor guy, had to go everywhere with her and bitched about it relentlessly.
Then she found out Audrey was pregnant after years of trying. Apparently, it was the year of Christmas miracles because so was Harper, which was just mind-blowing. Being the friend she was, she went over and loved on them, made sure they had everything they needed and picked dates for baby showers. Since, of course, she would be planning them. Then Claire came home from Vegas, so she cooked a huge dinner and invited everyone over to celebrate not only her homecoming but the fact that she had picked a date for her wedding, and it was right around the corner! After making sure Claire knew that her aunt Elli would do everything and anything to help with the wedding, she worked, was the kids’ driver, and then did loads and loads of homework. Between all that, she had to reassure Piper that she could be a book cover designer and no one would think she was a flake, she had to trade away two players, and then she had to make sure her husband was sexually satisfied.
To say the Elli Adler was a busy woman was a damn understatement.
So while it wasn’t a surprise that she forgot to buy a gift for their friends, she was still disappointed in herself. But then she thought about sitting on the beach for a whole week. No kids, no hockey crap, no friends to take care of, and really, she wouldn’t even have to think. All she had to do was drink fruity drinks, eat food, and have sex with her husband over and over again. It sounded like the most amazing vacation in the world, and she was counting down the days. All she had to do was get through this dinner with her family, the Assassins’ New Year’s Eve party, and then she would be on a plane to Fiji with her hot as sin husband.
Since her sexy husband was at practice, she had all the kids in tow as they rushed through Bass Pro Shop. Apparently Lacey had never gone hunting before and Karson had been trying to talk her into going. Elli’s uncle had a cabin in the woods out in Clarksville, so she decided to buy them a gift card to the pro shop so they could come and stock up for their little adventure that the Adler family was going to give them.
She held Shelli’s and Quinn’s hands, and they held on to the other kids as they navigated through the shop. She also needed to get a gun cleaning kit for her daddy, and she needed to get home to wrap everything, but this place was packed with people trying to get day after Christmas sales. This was a horrible idea.
“Momma! The fish tanks!” Quinn exclaimed.
“Yeah, Momma, can we stop! Please,” Owen begged.
“Please!” the other three chimed.
“Yes, of course. Come on, five minutes. We gotta go, my loves.”
“Okay!” they all chorused before running off to look at the fish tank. Crossing her arms across the stomach, she watched as the kids oohed and aahed over the fish. She loved watching them when they were interested in something. Each one was so different, it was insane. Even Evan and Owen were completely different. Shelli was her overachiever, pleaser, while Posey did what she wanted and didn’t care what anyone said. Owen was her quiet one, while Evan was her loud, obnoxious one, and Quinn was just downright insane. That’s the only way she could describe him.
Counting each one, she started to panic when she didn’t see Quinn.
“Shelli! Where is Quinn?”
“Right here, looking at the bear, Momma,” she said, pointing to her baby brother, and when Elli saw him, her heart calmed. The bear was blocking her view of him. Sheesh, she almost had a mini heart attack. Letting out a breath, she smiled, thanking the good Lord above, but then in true Quinn fashion, he yelled to her.