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We exchange gifts first, and I love Gray even more for giving one to Fi too. His gift to her is a pair of novelty Fiona the Ogre slippers. Which Fi uses to bat his head with. But I can tell she loves them. It’s not like Fi is any better, giving Gray a T-shirt that says Man Meat across the chest.
Gray grows flustered when he hands me my gift. “It’s not much. I’ll do extravagant next year.”
Clutching the thin package to my chest, I give him a swift kiss. “Quiet, Cupcake. Let me enjoy my present.”
“All right,” he says, flushing. “I’ll shut up.”
I tear open the wrapping and find a tiny silver four-leaf-clover pendant lies in a long black box.
“For luck in your new career,” he says quietly as he puts it on me.
“It’s perfect,” I tell him with a kiss.
Gray fairly tackles me when he opens my gift to him, a blue enamel Le Creuset Dutch oven, which is extravagant but something I’ve wanted to give him for a while.
“I’m gonna cook you short ribs and brisket,” he promises between kisses. “And stew, and pot roast, and goulash...”
“We get it,” Fi cuts in, annoyed. “Now stop mauling my sister before I vomit.”
For dinner, Drew, Anna, and Gray’s closest teammates come over. Gray cooks us meatballs—Norwegian, not Swedish—and potatoes, which he says is a Grayson Christmas tradition. Dex acts as his sous chef, and they spend the time bickering over Dex’s knife skills, while the rest of us snicker in the living room.
The guys treat me as if I’m one of them now, joking and randomly tousling my hair like I’m their kid sister. Gray has told Drew I’m pregnant, which means Anna knows by extension. They don’t mention it, but they’re careful to offer me apple cider when one of them grabs a beer. And I keep getting goofy grins from each of them at random points during dinner.
I don’t really mind; after all, I told Fi about it, but it drives home the fact that I have a decision to make, and I need to do it sooner rather than later. Just thinking about it has me wanting to run to my mother and hide away under her arm, which feels vaguely ironic, given that I’m considering motherhood.
As if he can hear me mentally worrying, Gray turns his head and catches my eye. A soft smile curls his lips, and he kisses my forehead. “No worries tonight, Ivy Mac.”
I rest my head on his shoulder for a moment. “Okay.”
“So,” Fi says, as I serve sticky-toffee pudding for dessert. “Is there some standard thing to say to wish you guys luck on your game?”
“What, like a superstition?” Drew asks.
Fi nods.
“‘Good luck’ works for me.” Dex’s tone is uncharacteristically gruff, but I don’t miss the way his gaze keeps sliding toward Fi when she’s not looking. He sees me watching and promptly tucks into his pudding.
I don’t know much about the big center, other than he’s quiet, the team’s captain, and likes to paint. Bearded and tatted along his muscled arms, with a shock of wild brown hair that grows thick on his head, he’s hot in a broody, lumbersexual kind of way.
Because, yeah, I can totally see him rocking a plaid shirt and chopping some wood. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, I turn my attention elsewhere.
For the rest of the dinner, I have fun. Only Gray seems off, his voice louder than usual when he tells a joke, his muscles tight, even when I put a hand on his neck and rub it.
But he leans in close and whispers in my ear, “After these guys leave, I’m taking you out for a ride. I have a surprise.”
I waggle my brows. “Color me intrigued.”
“You’ll see soon enough.” Gray flashes a quick smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
And I wonder if we’re both trying too hard to be brave.
Gray refuses to tell me where we’re going or why. Not even give me a hint, which leaves me with all sorts of possibilities, none of which are realistic. I’m up to guessing it’s a ride in the Goodyear blimp when we enter the campus.
He parks in front of the stadium, and my excitement turns to confusion. “Why are we here? If you think I’m playing some random game of midnight touch football on a full stomach, you’ve got another think coming.”
“No football, I promise.” He’s grinning like a kid on a snow day. “You’ll see. Come on.”
Taking my hand, he leads me to one of the stadium’s side entrances.
