Taking Shots (Assassins) Read online

  “Hello,” she answered, he heard kids in the background.

  “Hey, you still at the park?”

  “Yup, we’ll be here for a while.”

  “Oh, okay, well I’ll let you go.” He hung up before she could answer, and unloaded the kids. Holding Amelia on his hip, as he held Ryan’s hand, he headed towards the park where it seemed billions of kids were playing.

  “Unky Shea, does Ryan Justice sound like a hockey player name?”

  “Sure does bud, why?”

  “Brandon Owens says it doesn’t.”

  “Brandon Owens doesn’t know what he is talking about,” Shea said simply as they walked. He heard Elli before he saw her. He could pick out that thick country voice anywhere.

  “Max! Please do not pull Penny’s hair! Riley, if you don’t put your sister down, I’m coming after you!”

  Shea smiled as he walked towards her. She was looking too hot for words today. A pair of jeans shorts that were ripped up, with an Assassins’ tee and his grin got bigger when he saw it was his number on her back. Her hair was pulled into a high messy pony tail, and she had them big glasses on from the first time he had saw her. He watched her for a moment as she fussed over the kids, kissing their cheeks and tickling them. She was beautiful, breathtaking. He read his name over her back one last time, before stepping behind her.

  “So, you’re an Adler fan, huh?”

  “Shea!” Elli gasped when she whipped around to tell the person that made the comment about her shirt, that hell yeah, she was, but she didn’t expect to see Shea. “What are you doing here?” He grinned at her, hoisting his niece higher on his hip, as he swung his nephew’s hand back and forth.

  “Grace was really tired, so I took the kids.”

  “I thought you were scared of them,” she said with a teasing grin.

  “Unky Shea, I thought you weren’t scared of anything,” Ryan said looking up at his uncle lovingly.

  “I’m not, bud.”

  “My Unky isn’t scared of anything; he won the Lord Stanley Cup last year. He held it over his head as he skated around, he cried but that’s only because he was soooooooo happy, hockey players don’t cry at any other time.”

  Elli grinned at Ryan before looking up at Shea, he was actually blushing. “I know he did, I was there. I cried too, I was really happy.”

  “Wow, really! Where did you sit? Unky had us in a box with this girl with really big hair. She smelled funny, but she was nice, I guess. What ever happen to that girl, Unky?”

  “I don’t know, bud, listen, cool it for a second so I can introduce you.” Ryan nodded, hanging on every word Shea said. You could tell he thought his uncle was the bees knees. “This is Elli, Elli this is Ryan and you’ve met Amelia.”

  “I have,” Elli said with a grin, touching the baby’s cheek, before she shook Ryan’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to me you, too, Ms. Elli. Unky, can I go play?”

  “Of course, go ahead.” Ryan ran off towards the play area leaving Shea, Elli, and Amelia in his dust.

  “He’s a sweet kid.”

  “Runs his mouth all the damn time, but I love him so much. Do you think it’s safe for Amelia in that sand box?”

  “Yeah, I’m sitting on that bench right there, so it would be perfect,” she said with a grin as she followed them over, Shea sat Amelia in the sand box, then walked over to the bench, sitting beside her. “It’s so sweet of you to watch the kids for Grace. I know how tired she’s been lately.”

  “Yeah,” he said with a grin. “Are you mad I came here? Am I moving in on your time with the kids?”

  “No! Not at all.” She looked at the kids, and then down, picking at the fray of her shorts “I’ve kinda missed seeing you these past two days,” she added in a whisper.

  “Awwwwww,” he teased, leaning into her as he grinned down at her. He looked over at Amelia and Elli felt dumb. Great way to make yourself look needy, she thought as she sat there mentally kicking herself. You don’t put yourself out there like that with guys like Shea. God, she was an idiot- “I’ve missed you too, Elli. A lot. More than I liked to admit, that’s why I came today, not to give Grace a break, but to see you.”

  She sat there, shocked, looking up at him, as he watched Amelia. He had his glasses on; she was starting to think that was the only way he ran around when he wasn’t on the ice. His tattoos weren’t covered this time, since he was wearing a t-shirt and cargo shorts. He hadn’t shaved since the last time she saw him, so the hair on his chin was darker and longer.

  “So, when are you going to introduce me to the kids?” he asked, looking over at her. Oh shit, for the first time ever, she didn’t even think of the kids. A look of horror crossed her face as she looked towards the playground where her nieces and nephews played.

  “Shit.”

  “Huh? What?”

  “Okay, Shea, don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t introduce you to the kids. They will go back and tell their parents, and then my mom would find out, and I cannot even deal with my mom about you right now, so we’re gonna have to act like you just sat down beside me,” she said, frantic, just as Riley and Max came running towards her.

  “Auntie El, there’s this kid over there, saying his uncle is Shea Adler! Isn’t that crazy! You think he’s lyin’?” Max practically yelled. Elli gave Shea a sideways glace then looked back at Max.

  “You never know, honey; I heard that Shea Adler does have a nephew, a niece too.”

  “Wow, wouldn’t that be awesome if we met him! Dad would be so jealous!” Riley exclaimed.

  “Yeah, he would. Alright run along” she said, shushing them away. They ran off talking about Shea and she took a deep breath.

  “Ryan talks a lot.” Elli looked over at Shea. He looked upset under his hat. She hated that she was the one to put that look on his face.

  “Shea, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s cool; do you want me to go, so you don’t have to explain why you’re sitting next to me?”

  “No! I want to spend time with you.” She took his hand in hers, “You just don’t understand my family, you haven’t met them or, hell, I haven’t even talked about them, and they are crazy, so please just bare with me through this.”

  “Only if you promise me one thing,” he said after a moment still not looking at her.

  “Yeah?”

  “Come spend the day with me tomorrow. We’ll watch movies, and just hang out, no interruptions, just us.” He had the cutest grin on his face as he kept his eyes on Amelia. When she noticed he only had one dimple, she poked it, and smiled.

  “You only have one dimple.” He covered it with his hand, and blushed.

  “Grace makes fun of me all the time for it.”

  “I think it’s sexy,” she said with a grin, then she looked out to where the kids were. Should she go to his condo? All by herself?

  “So, what do you say?”

  “Um, I-“

  “UNKY SHEA!!!!!!!!!!!!” They both jumped in shock as Ryan came towards them, his hand in the air as tears ran down his cheeks.

  “Ryan, buddy, what happened?” Shea asked jumping up and going to him quickly.

  “I,I,I, fell and hurt my hand!” he wailed, Shea cupped his hand looking at it. From what Elli could see, it was only a small scratch.

  “Buddy, come on now, calm down. Hockey players don’t cry, remember,” Shea said with a smile as he rubbed Ryan’s back. Elli saw it coming but obviously Shea didn’t, because when Ryan’s face cringed up and he started wailing for his mommy, Shea freaked out. He picked Ryan up, hugging him close.

  “I want my mommy!!!” Ryan cried. Elli went over, taking Ryan from Shea, cuddling him close to her chest.

  “Oh goodness, you poor thang,” she cooed as she sat down on the bench, putting him across her legs. “Let me see this boo boo, honey.” He held out his hand for Elli to see. Rocks and dirt were mixed with a little blood on his small palm.

  “Its hu,hu,hurts,” he stuttered.