Hockey Holidays Read online

  “You okay?” he asked, glancing up at the arrival board which stated his family’s plane was on the ground.

  “No, but I don’t have much choice.” She flashed a quick grin.

  “Don’t worry. My mom and sisters are going to love you and my dad eventually will too.”

  “Let’s hope.” Angel squeezed his hand and he noted it was damp.

  “Take a breath, babe. I’m right here.” He leaned over and grazed her cheek with his lips.

  “Let’s promise right now we never do this to our kids when they’re dating and falling in love.”

  “Deal.” His eyes lit up suddenly and he waved. “Mama! Baba!” He tugged her along as he approached his parents, hugging and kissing everyone as he introduced Angel to them.

  Angel smiled and shook hands accordingly. His father gave her a barely perceptible nod and Dmitri wanted to shake him, but he merely stayed close to Angel as they headed towards baggage claim. His mother and sisters chattered non-stop about the gifts they’d brought and baking they wanted to do while his father brought up the rear, hands clenched behind his back as they walked.

  “So, what are you studying?” Dmitri’s younger sister, Tina, asked Angel as they waited.

  “Art and art history.”

  “Both?”

  “Yes. I’d like to teach art but if I can’t, then maybe a museum curator.”

  “How cool. Do you draw?”

  Angel nodded. “I draw, paint, sculpt and even make jewelry. I went to a special high school for the arts…”

  “That’s so cool,” Dmitri’s older sister, Ginnie, cut in. “I can’t draw to save my life. Do you have your work on display anywhere?”

  Angel shook her head ruefully. “We lost everything when my parents died. They repossessed the house and Bella and I barely managed to get out with a suitcase each.”

  “Who is Bella?” his mother asked her.

  “My nine-year-old sister.”

  “Where is she?” Tina asked, wide-eyed.

  “I gave her up for adoption because I couldn’t take care of her.”

  “Why didn’t you get a job?” Dmitri’s father spoke for the first time.

  Angel turned slowly, her eyes meeting his. “I had two, but I couldn’t pay the mortgage, my car payment, gas, insurance, groceries… I hadn’t even finished high school yet. I managed to graduate but we lost the house right after that. I couldn’t afford a babysitter and eventually I lost my jobs because I couldn’t leave her alone.”

  “You were very brave,” Vassoula said gently. “It was noble to give her up. This family, that adopted her, this is where we are spending Christmas?”

  Angel nodded. “Brock and Ashleigh are wonderful. They have Bella and a baby of their own now, Devon. This will be his first Christmas.”

  “This is Dmitri’s teammate, this Brock?” Antoni asked, his face inscrutable.

  Dmitri nodded. “Yes. He’s also a good friend.”

  The suitcases had begun to arrive and Dmitri moved to help Ginnie’s husband, Marlon, gather them all.

  “How many did they bring?” he muttered under his breath.

  “Too many,” Marlon laughed, his dark eyes gleaming.

  “I think we’ve got everything,” Dmitri called out, looking around.

  “We must wait,” Antoni said, glancing back. “We have one more coming.”

  “One more what?” Vassoula asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “One more member of the family.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking back towards the security area.

  “Baba, what’s going on?” Dmitri had a feeling his father was up to something.

  “You invited the family for Christmas, but you forgot someone.”

  “Who?” Dmitri didn’t like this at all.

  “Your intended.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Mama! Baba!” A lilting female voice called out to them.

  Dmitri knew that voice and whirled around, furious. “What the—”

  “Antoni, what have you done?” His mother’s voice was a hiss of frustration.

  “Dmitri!” Penny ran towards him, arms outstretched.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he growled, stepping away from her.

  “Baba.” Tina’s eyes were wide.

  “Dmitri?” Angel was staring at him, no doubt surmising who the surprise family member was.

  “Baba, what the hell is going on?” Dmitri rarely raised his voice to his father, but he was furious.

  “He invited me for Christmas,” Penny was smiling. “I mean, I’m your fiancée.”

  “My ex-fiancée,” Dmitri ground out through gritted teeth. He reached for Angel, pulling her close. “This is my fiancée.”

  “We’re having a baby.” Penny raised her chin.

  Angel was looking from one to the other, biting her lip.

  “Seriously?” Dmitri shook his head. “This is how you’re going to try to get me back? It’s not going to work.”

  “Dmitri, she’s carrying your son.” Antoni finally spoke.

  “Good for her. I’ll send a check when and if the DNA test shows it’s mine.”

  “This is not how I raised you.”

  Dmitri didn’t respond, merely taking Angel’s hand with one of his and pulling his mother’s suitcase with the other. “We’ve got room in the cars for seven people and the suitcases. Hope you called for a shuttle, Penny.”

  “She comes with us,” Antoni said.

  “Maybe she can go with you, but she’s not coming with me or Angel.” Dmitri was so mad he saw red and black spots floating in his field of vision. “Do what you want, Dad.” His father hated when he called him Dad but Dmitri didn’t care. He was too mad to worry about anything but getting Angel out of here. This had been a dick move, even for his father.

  “Dmitri, wait.” Ginnie and Marlon hurried after him. “We’ll go with Angel, but you need to handle this.”

  “No, I don’t.” Dmitri turned, his eyes blazing. “I hooked up with her one last time, back in September, to find out for sure if I was over her and I am. If we made a baby, I’ll do right by the baby, but not her. I realized I’d fallen in love with Angel and finding out she was pregnant was the excuse I needed to admit my feelings for her. There is no going back for Penny and I, baby or no baby.”

  “Dmitri.” His mother’s soft but firm voice gave him pause and he set his jaw as he turned to her.

  “You can’t leave your father here. I know you’re upset with him, but we must talk.”

  “No, he planned this to separate Angel and I, so she would drive off with the girls and I’d be stuck with him and Penny. It’s not going to happen. Here.” He dug a hundred-dollar-bill out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Tell them to get taxis but I’m not playing this game.”

  “Dmitri.” Angel finally spoke, her voice much calmer than he’d been expecting.

  “I’m sorry, honey.”

  “Go deal with your father,” she said gently. “I’ll take your sisters and brother-in-law to the hotel and wait for you at Brock and Ashleigh’s. It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not.” He was shaking his head but she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

  “It is. Really. I’m fine. Go. Take care of whatever you need to do.”

  “Honey, I don’t want to lose you…”

  “I’m going home, that’s all. I’ll be waiting for you.” She put his hand on her stomach. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

  Dmitri didn’t say a word as he loaded the bags into the back of his SUV. His mother was quiet and his father seemed almost smug as Dmitri silently fumed. Luckily, Penny had the presence of mind to keep her mouth shut, following behind them without saying a word.

  By the time they were on the way to the hotel he’d booked them at, Dmitri was positive he was going to have a stroke because his blood pressure had to be through the stratosphere.

  “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing,” he said, looking at Penny through