“Kasey,” Coach yells. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He gets in my face and I’m not surprised because my performance on the ice this morning has been shit.

I sigh, knowing that I’m going to have to tell him about yesterday, which I didn’t want to do. It’s no secret that the Cleveland Flyers piss some of us off, and vice versa, but crap. I look around the ice and admit, “I was there yesterday when Blake Kelly got hit by that SUV.” I meet his stunned expression. “I helped and then went to the hospital with his sister and Roger Taylor.” I might as well admit the rest. “I offered them my place to crash so that they didn’t have the expense of a hotel while they wait for information on Blake.” I shrug, not yet ready to reveal that Felicity is mine.

Coach shakes himself and stares. “You did all that because Blake’s in the hospital? We are talking about the same man that has never had a good word to say about you?”

I slam my hands on my hips and glare. “I’m not an asshole. He’s unconscious with no feeling in his legs. His sister and friend needed a place to stay. I was there, so I offered. What the fuck is wrong with that?”

Coach narrows his eyes. “Nothing.” He smiles. “I’m just surprised.” He turns to head away and then turns back, thoughtful. “The sister’s pretty,” he comments, watching me closely, and then a smile spreads across his face. “Hmm…so that’s it.” He grins and shouts over his shoulder. “Take two days, then I want you back here with your head in the game. Big game coming up.”

“You fucking with Kelly’s sister?” Greg says eavesdropping, shock in his voice.

I turn slowly and face one of my teammates. “What’s it to you?”

“You are?” Tate mumbles.

“Jesus fuck! What is wrong with everyone,” I fume, shoving through them as I skate to the opposite side where I’d left my gear.

The first thing I do is check my cell for messages and smile when I find one from Felicity.

Still no feeling. He’s pissed. Blamed you. I shouted at him. He calmed down. Frustrated more than anything. <3

I shoot off a quick reply.

Be there soon. <3

“And another one bites the dust,” Diego drawls, and I have to blink a few times before I realize that it really is my brother standing in front of me.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask, really surprised, but happy to see him.

He wraps me in a bear hug, slapping me on the back. “A little birdy told my wife that, and I quote, ‘The love bug has bitten Kasey on the ass’. So we decided that a trip to the Big Apple was needed.”

“You’re shitting me?”

“Yeah, I am.” Diego grins. “Rae desperately wants to watch the Lion King on Broadway. She happened to mention to Andie about being here this weekend and that’s when Andie told her about the love bug.” He smirks. “So spit it out.” He folds his arms over his chest with a huge grin spreads across his face.

I roll my eyes and getting my blades off, slip my sneakers on. “I’ll introduce you guys, but don’t come on too strongly. Her brother was in an accident yesterday and he’s in the hospital. Can’t feel his legs, so they’re still running tests. She’s staying with me along with her brother’s friend.” I shrug as though it’s no big deal.

“I know you, Bro, and you’d help anyone out in the street, but you wouldn’t just have strangers in your place. She means a lot to you?”

“Yeah, she does.” I grin, and admit with a slight blush coating my cheeks, “I opened the closet a few times this morning just because her clothes were hanging up in there.”

He chuckles. “So Andie was right? She usually is.”

“Enough about me, where’s Rae?” I ask, gathering my bag and leading my brother outside into the cold, biting wind of New York.

“In bed.” Diego grins. “I tired her out.”

“Bro, not cool telling me that.” I shake my head.

“We’re still on our honeymoon.” He sighs. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of that woman.” He gives me an odd sideways glance. “If this woman makes your heart pound…If you need her to breathe, then don’t let her go because you won’t find anyone else like her.”

I blink and stare at my younger brother. “You’re full of surprises.” Opening my truck, I shove my gear in the back and wait for Diego to join me in the cab. “You staying in the hotel next door to me?”

“Yeah. Planned on staying at your place for all of two seconds, then decided I wanted my wife all to myself.”

“Thank God for that. I sure as hell don’t want to be awake all night listening to you two,” I grumble and then become serious. “I love her.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He sits facing me. “You’ve been tired of being alone for a while, which you’ll never admit to, so the fact that you’ve fallen hard and fast is no surprise to me. Hell, I knew that Rae was going to be mine the minute I laid eyes on her.” He grins, obviously happy.

“I want everything with her. I’m just worried that she isn’t ready for everything that I want.” I grip the steering wheel. “She’s nineteen, Bro. Young. She’s happy that we’re living together, but I’m worried that she’ll end up doing whatever her brother wants her to do in the end. He raised her from the age of twelve, so they obviously have a close bond.”

“Andie said this woman seemed just as happy to find you again as you were to find her. Don’t dwell on trouble that might not even arise.”

“Since when did you get so good with advice?” I start the engine and feel relief as the warm air blows through the cab.

“Having to listen to my twin for years helped, and then Andie is forever giving her friends advice over the phone, and then of course there’s my sexy wife who loves to talk. I’m forever having a female voice yapping inside of my head.”

Bursting out laughing, I smirk. “Wonder if Rae will find that as funny as I do.” Shaking my head, I pull out of the lot.

“You’ll keep your mouth shut,” Diego grumbles, but with a sappy smile on his face.

“I’m going to drop you at the hotel and I’ll meet you later for an early dinner.” Quickly meeting his gaze before I concentrate on traffic, I add, “That okay with you guys?”

“Yeah, that’s what we’d planned to ask you, so we’re good.” He clears his throat. “Make sure you bring Felicity.”

“Ah, so that’s why you want to do dinner instead of keeping your wife to yourself, huh? You want to meet my woman.”

“Damn straight.”

I shake my head. “I’m heading over to the hospital after I drop you off, so message me the details later and I’ll see what she’s doing. She may want to stay with her brother.”

“I get that,” Diego agrees.