18. Kingman Family Traditions

KINGMAN FAMILY TRADITIONS

PENELOPE

" P en, are you sure this disguise is enough?" Kelsey's voice was muffled behind the oversized Mustangs scarf wrapped around her face, leaving only her eyes visible. We were just about to pull up to the stadium for the Mustangs' Christmas Day game.

I glanced at her, suppressing a smile. With her signature golden locks tucked under a matching Mustangs beanie and her curvy frame drowning in an enormous blue and orange puffy coat, she looked more like a mega fan than a mega pop star.

"Trust me, Kels. No one's going to recognize you like this," I assured her, adjusting my own matching outfit and tote bag filled with carefully wrapped presents. "Plus, stadium security knows the drill. We're just taking extra precautions since the media and your fans all know how much you love Christmas."

Kelsey's parents owned a year-round Christmas store, which she'd grown up in. She nodded, her eyes crinkling in what I assumed was a smile. "You're right. We'll be in the VIP suite before anyone can blink. And this is still better than hiding in the cleaning cart."

I laughed, but my stomach did a little flip. If only she knew how much I was hiding from her lately. The guilt of keeping my shiny new relationship with Everett a secret from my best friend gnawed at me, especially since she was the one who encouraged me to examine my feelings for him.

But I pushed it aside. We'd tell her and Declan soon enough. Today wasn't about that. Today was about Christmas with the Kingmans.

The thought sent a different kind of nervousness fluttering through me. Christmas with Everett's family felt different from all the other times I'd hung out with them all. Getting to be a part of a holiday like this was more official. More... family.

Not that I actually knew. My dad and I never even did a Christmas tree.

"What do I know about real family?" I muttered to myself as the car pulled up to the VIP entrance.

"What was that?" Kelsey asked, Wiener the Pooh yapping from inside her coat as the security team opened the doors to usher us out.

"Nothing," I said quickly, flashing the passes to the stadium security. "Just making sure all of our ducks are in a row."

Kelsey's eyes softened. "What would I do without you, Pen?"

I smiled weakly, hiding it behind my scarf. I was the one who was supposed to support her, but she was always there for me. If only she knew the real reason for my nerves. If only I did. My mind was a jumble ever since Ev and I spent the night together.

What even was this life?

We made our way through the plush corridors, which weren't busy yet. We were here early so we could have a whole Christmas dinner and present exchange before the game.

I swiped our keycards for the suite, and before I could even lower my hand to grab the handle and open it, the door flew open. We were immediately engulfed in a whirlwind of noise and warmth.

"Penelope, Kelsey," Jules's excited voice cut through the chaos. "You made it. Oh my gawd, what are you wearing? You look like Mustang Marshmallow people. Just watch, that look will be all the rage by New Year's."

As Kelsey shed her disguise and Wiener the Pooh emerged to much cooing, I found myself swept into the Kingman family's orbit once again. The suite was a buzz of activity, with Mr. Kingman—still a Zaddy even in a really crazy ugly Christmas sweater, was holding court with the Manniways and the Jerrys near the big screen, showing pregame coverage.

"Glad you girls could join us," he boomed, his silvering hair gleaming under the lights. He rubbed his hands together like a little kid excited to open presents. "Now we can do the white elephant exchange.Fair warning ladies, the Kingmans play to win, even at Christmas presents."

I grinned, feeling some of my anxiety melt away, and stage whispered to Kelsey. "Kingmans? Competitive at a game? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you."

The next hour was a blur of laughter, good-natured ribbing, and increasingly ridiculous gifts. I watched in awe as the Kingmans fell into what was clearly a well-practiced routine, their banter flowing easily as they unwrapped everything from novelty socks to a disturbingly realistic rubber chicken, that, for some reason, made Trixie blush so hard she had to excuse herself.

"Oh man," Jules cackled as she unwrapped a pair of blindingly sparkly mittens. "These are almost as bad as Everett's bedazzled jockstrap."

I nearly choked on my spiked hot chocolate. "I'm sorry, what?"

Jules's eyes lit up with mischief. "Oh, you haven't heard that story? It was Everett's rookie year, and he'd just gotten the KnightWear sponsorship, you know, for the tighty-whities. So we decided he needed something to wear for his photoshoot."

Jules launched into the tale, complete with dramatic reenactments of Everett's reaction, and I found myself relaxing into the warm, chaotic embrace of the Kingman family Christmas. For the first time in years, I felt a twinge of something I hadn't expected—a sense of belonging.

And as I sat there, surrounded by laughter and twinkling lights, I allowed myself to imagine, just for a moment, what it might be like to truly be a part of this family. To have this every year, to be more than just Everett's secret girlfriend or Kelsey's assistant.

To be home.

The excitement of the gift exchange gradually gave way to a more focused energy as kickoff approached. We all settled into our seats, a sea of Mustangs orange and blue.

"Alright, folks," Zaddy Kingman announced, his voice carrying that unmistakable father slash coach's authority. "Let's see what our boys can do."

The players took the field. There they were—Chris, Declan, Hayes, and Everett. Four brothers, all on the same professional team. It was like something out of a movie. I only had eyes for number forty-seven though. There was even a moment when I was sure he looked up to the suite windows right at me.

"Go get 'em, boys," Jules shouted, her enthusiasm infectious.

The game was a blur of action. I'd never been much of a football fan before Kelsey met Declan, and I still wouldn't say I even understood much of the game. But today I found myself caught up in the action. Every time Everett ran or blocked a man, and especially when he caught a pass, my heart did a little flip. I had no idea whether it was just me or not, but I swear he was playing better today than ever before.

During halftime, we feasted on a holiday spread that would put most Christmas dinners to shame.

We ate, and nobody commented on how much or little was on anyone else's plate. No one was judged or even looked at funny for going back for a second piece of pie. Everything was fun and family and all about sharing this meal and holiday together.

Isak drew me into a conversation with Flynn and Gryffen about which of them was the better Mario Kart driver and whether I was coming to the New Year's stream-a-thon or not. Jules and I talked about how she'd already been accepted to Denver State and that she planned to major in sports psychology. Zaddy Kingman called me Pen, like I'd known him my whole life, when he asked if I'd ever actually seen snow before.

It was surreal, chatting and laughing with the Kingmans, with Everett's family like I belonged here. Like this could be my future. This family could be mine.

And that was just too weird to even think about. Best not to get my hopes up.

The perfect Christmas lasted right up until the fourth quarter.

It happened so fast. One moment, Hayes was sprinting down the field, the ball tucked securely under his arm. The next, he was in the endzone, on the ground under a huge pile of Cleveland Dawgs. We were all cheering, watching, and waiting while the entire Dawgs defense that had piled on him slowly got up.

There, lying in the grass, was Hayes, still clutching the ball to his chest. The announcer declared the touchdown, but I don't think anyone even heard him, even though the whole suite had gone silent.

Hayes wasn't getting up. He wasn't moving,and he wasn't getting up.

Chris and Everett jogged over to him, and Chris knelt beside him while Everett frantically motioned to the sideline for the medical personnel to hurry over to them.

My throat tightened as I watched the medical team rush onto the field.

"No, no, no," Jules muttered beside me, her earlier cheer replaced by fear.

I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. She looked at me, eyes wide and scared, suddenly seeming much younger than her seventeen years.

"He'll be okay," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. "Hayes is tough."

But as the minutes ticked by and Hayes was carefully loaded onto a stretcher, the gravity of the situation sank in. This wasn't just a minor injury.

"They're taking him to the hospital," Mr. Kingman announced, his face grim as he hung up his phone. "We need to?—"

"I've got it," I heard myself say, standing up. All eyes turned to me, and I looked at their worried faces. Faces of the people who meant more to me than my own family. Something clicked into place. This was what I did. I organized. I managed. I fixed things.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. "Mr. Kingman, you should go to the hospital now. Give me five minutes and I'll have Kelsey's car waiting at the VIP entrance. I'll call ahead and make sure they're expecting you."

I turned to the other boys. "Flynn, Gryffen, Isak, I don't want you driving under this stress either. I can get a second SUV here in about twenty minutes. Can you wait, or do I need to give you a task to distract you?"

The twins said in unison, "Task."

"Okay. Gather up all the presents to take to the hospital. Hayes is going to want to hear all about the Christmas shenanigans."

They nodded, looking relieved to have a task. Isak held his hands up. "I'm good. I'll just go look up concussion protocols."

I gave him a side-eye but let him go when he pulled out his phone with the League's page pulled up. Well, at least he'd be well-informed by the time they got to the hospital.

"Marie, can you help me coordinate with the team's PR department? We need to manage any media inquiries so speculation doesn't get out of hand."

Sara Jayne Jerry raised her hand and gave her husband a shove forward. "Mac can help with that too."

"What about Willa?" Jules asked, her voice small. "She'll be freaking out."

Shit. Hayes's girlfriend. If it was me, I'd be more than freaking out. "You're right, she will be. Do you feel okay enough to message her? Give her the details of where to go? She's as new to this as I am and won't know."

Jules, bless her, didn't even blink. "On it."

Kelsey stood next to me the whole time I was giving everyone marching orders. She gave me a pat on the back and looked around at the family. "Don't worry about anything except getting to Hayes, okay?"

As everyone sprang into action, a strange calm settled over me. This was chaos, yes, but it was the kind of chaos I knew how to handle.

I stepped out into the hallway to make the calls for the cars, my mind already racing with next steps. As I dialed Willa's number, I caught a glimpse of one of the screens in the corridor. The game was still going on, and there was Everett, back on the field.

My heart clenched. He was out there playing, not knowing how serious things were with his brother. And all I wanted to do was go hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay, even though I didn't know if that was true or not.

I pushed the thought aside. Later. I'd deal with that later. Right now, there was work to be done.

It wasn't long until I was the last one left in the suite. But that was good. It meant I did my job and took care of everyone around me.

The last few minutes of the game passed in a blur. I alternated between pacing the suite, fielding calls and texts, and staring out at the field. When the final whistle blew on a narrow victory for the Mustangs, I braced myself for what was coming next.

It would take the guys a few minutes to get back to the locker room and out of their gear. I didn't have access to the family room to meet the players, but I'd sent a text to Everett to let him know I was here and had a car waiting for him and his brothers. I'd meet them near the players' entrance.

Before I even gathered my things to head downstairs, the door to the suite burst open, and there was Everett, still in his uniform, his face flushed from the game and creased with worry.

"Pen," he breathed, his eyes finding mine immediately. "What do we know? Where's Hayes?"

For a moment, I forgot about our agreement to keep things quiet. I forgot about the complications and the secrets. All I saw was the man I loved, scared and hurting. I crossed the room in three quick strides and wrapped my arms around him.

He stiffened for a second, probably surprised by my public display of affection, but then melted into the embrace. I could feel him trembling slightly, the adrenaline from the game mixing with fear for his brother.

"Your family is at the hospital with him now," I murmured into his chest. "The cars are ready to get you and your brothers there right away.

Everett pulled back slightly, his hands coming up to cup my face. The tenderness in his touch made my heart stutter.

"You've been taking care of everything, holding my whole family together, haven't you?" he said softly.

I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "I just did what needed to be done."

He shook his head, a mix of awe and something else, so much more intense, in his eyes. "You're amazing, Pen. I don't know what we'd do without you. What I'd do."

The word we hung in the air between us, loaded with meaning. Not the I, but the we. As in, the family. As in, you're one of us now.

The moment was broken by the sound of approaching voices—probably the rest of his brothers coming to get the update on Hayes too. Everett and I sprang apart, the spell broken. The secret relationship, the complications, the uncertain future came crashing right in.

But as Everett gave me one last meaningful look before turning to face his brothers, something shifted inside me. Maybe we didn't need to keep this just between us. Maybe it was time to embrace this family that had embraced me, complications and all.

That wasn't a scary thought. Not. At. All.