Taking Shots (Assassins) (63 page)

After they were done, they headed for the ice, ready for the warm up. Shea was ready to hear the roar of the crowd. After all the blog sites announced his return a week early, fans went nuts, posting encouraging comments for him. It was great, and he was ready to show his fans that he was ready to win for them.

Shea’s heart raced when he heard the roar of the crowd. The JumboTron must have been showing them walking down the hall. Shea closed his eyes, thanking the Lord above for all the blessing he had been receiving, he then asked for Him to protect him on the ice. Shea took a deep breath before walking through the opening that led to the bench, onto the ice. When he hit the ice, the crowd went nuts. Fans held their signs up, wishing him luck and welcoming him back. Shea was convinced Nashville had the best set of fans. He skated around the rink once, even along the visitor’s side, holding his stick up as a thank you to his fans before he saw the most important sign.

I’m so proud of you.

I love you so much.

It was Elli’s and as she held it, she had the brightest smile on her face. He smiled back at her since he couldn’t kiss her like he wanted. Just knowing that she loved him and she was proud of him made him feel like it was going to be the best damn game of his life.

After being on the road for three weeks with only a day break, Shea was glad to be home for a week. Elli and Shea had been blissfully in love ever since Christmas and Shea couldn’t ask for more. Well, a house would be nice, but he was just happy he had Elli. They were coming up on six months of being together and Shea couldn’t believe that he had been in with one woman for that long. Never had he thought he would be living with a woman, looking for a house, and telling her he loved her every chance he got. It still blew his mind.

Luckily Shea was home when they got the call. He was lying in bed, cuddled up beside Elli when Jill called.

“
Shea, I found it, I freaking found it!”

Shea sat up, causing Elli to fall off his chest. She woke up in a stir, “Jesus, Shea,” she complained, moving her hair out of her face.

“
It’s Jill, babe,” he said before answering Jill, “What do you mean you found it?”

“
I found Elli’s dream home. I’ve been sitting on it for a week, trying to see if it was the right house. Oh Shea, it is,” Jill said dreamily, Shea got excited, putting the phone on speaker phone so Elli could hear.

“
Tell me,” Shea said, so excited he couldn’t see straight. Jill knew Elli by now, ever since they met in her office when Elli hated every house she had shown them, Jill hadn’t called with any, she only called to say that she was still looking, so Shea knew this had to be it.

“
Okay, well its over in Brentwood, it just came on the market last week, it has the porch she wants, six bedrooms, four and half baths, 7,364 square feet, on a two Acre Lot. It’s beautiful Shea, simply beautiful.”

It sounded good to him, but anything sounded good at this point. Elli’s stuff was everywhere; the condo was too small for all their stuff.

“
Does it have the white hardwood floors?” Elli asked.

Damn it, he forgot it had to have that.

“
Yes! Didn’t I say that?! Goodness me. I’m so stinkin excited that it totally slipped my mind. I wasn’t even gonna go look at it until one of my colleagues said “What the hell, white floors, no one wants that!” I almost fell out of my chair trying to get the listing from the guy. Oh Lord, I’m so excited.”

“
When can we see it?” Shea asked.

“
As soon as y’all want!”

“
An hour?” he asked, Elli was already out the bed, going to the bathroom.

“
Yes, sir! See ya there, I’ll text you the address.”

“
Awesome.” Shea got out of bed, ready to say bye, but Jill kept talking.

“
Do you want to know the price? I think we can get it at ten thousand less.”

“
Jill, at this point I don’t care about the price, I just want a house.”

He hung up to Jill’s laugher, this was it. It had to be.

This was it; this was the house of Elli’s dreams.

Beautiful white hardwood floors, all the rooms were white, but Elli would change that, she would hire the gal Harper has used. The rooms were big, spacious, the windows, oh God, they were to die for. Huge and clear, the trim along with windows had pretty little designs in them. The bathrooms all had the same shower as Shea’s condo; only the master bathroom had a spa bathtub. There was beautiful entry ways to each room, the kitchen; spectacular.

And the porch was every country girls dream.

It wrapped around the whole house, with big pillars holding up the second story. The back patio was done in cobblestones that lead to the huge in ground pool. The whole property was gated in by a tall white picket fence.

This was it.

This was Elli and Shea’s house.

“
I have to have it,” Elli said up to Shea as they stood on the cobblestone walkway that when Elli got a chance would be surrounded by tulips.

He nodded, looking up at the beauty of the red brick home. It was perfect. There was a four car garage at the bottom and there was a man cave for goodness sakes! This had to be their home.

“
I love it,” Shea said, causing Elli to grin ear to ear.

“
Me, too.”

“
We’ll need to have everyone come see it, see what they think,” Shea said, Elli nodded in complete agreement.

“
But if they don’t like it, is it bad that I really don’t care? Cause I want this house, Shea.”

Shea laughed, nodded his head, “I couldn’t agree more with you,” He looked down at her, as she grinned up at him. He turned wrapping her up in his arms, kissing her with such care. When they parted he picked her up, spinning her around as she giggled.

“
We found our house!” Elli yelled with her arms up in the air, making Shea laugh.

“
Thank God!” Jill yelled causing everyone to laugh.

“
Shea, it’s beautiful,” Grace said, as she stood in front of her stove, cooking some lunch for him and the kids.

“
We think so,” Shea grinned as he colored with Ryan, “Hey bud, when me and Ms. Elli get our house, you wanna come stay the night?”

“
I sure do! Can I have my own room!?”

“
I don’t see why not, a hockey room for sure,” Shea gushed, kissing Ryan’s head before looking over at a smiling Grace.

“
I’ve never seen you this happy, Shea,” she pointed out as she laid a grill cheese in front of Amelia, then Ryan, before giving one to Shea.

“
I’ve never been this happy. I’m with the most amazing woman in the world, we’re buying a house, the hockey season is looking like another cup winning one, my family is healthy and good. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

“
I love how Elli beat out everything else on why you’re happy,” Grace said with a chuckle as she sat down with her own sandwich.

“
Jeez Grace, why are you always so jealous all the time.”

“
Shut up, I am not jealous.”

“
Yes, you are,”

“
Whatever,” Grace laughed before taking a bite of her sandwich and then she said, “I’m happy for you.”

“
Good, cause I’m always happy for you.”

They shared a smile, before going back to eating.

“
I think it’s time, Grace,” Shea said after a moment, Grace looked up, nodding her head.

“
I thought that was the reason you came over,” she said with a grin, “and Shea, I couldn’t agree more. It’s early, but yeah, I couldn’t agree more.”

Gosh, he loved his twin.

Shea hated lying to Elli, but she was so damn nosy, he had no choice but to say he had a meeting with his agent and that’s why he was gonna be gone all day. Of course, she was upset since she wanted to go look at paint and other house things, since their offer on the house was accepted and they would be signing the paperwork later that week. Hopefully, they would be moved in by the end of the month when Shea would be on a small break before heading out for another couple weeks on the road. Playoffs were coming up quick, and the Assassins were kicking some major hockey ass. They were number one in their division right now, and things were looking great for another cup year.

Things were going good, great even. All he could do was hope that the next hour would go as great as his life had the past six months.

Shea pulled up to the security house as Mr. Harris walked towards the car, his hand on his trusty gun once more. Shea rolled down the window, smiling when the old man noticed who he was.

“
Mr. Adler! How are you, is Elli with ya?” he asked, looking into the car.

“
No, sir, I’m on my own today. I have a meeting with Mr. Fisher.”

“
Oh I think I do have a memo that you were coming by, go on up, son. It was nice seeing you,” he said with a wrinkled grin as he pushed a button for the gates to open up. Shea nodded and waved before driving through the gate.

Shea pulled in by the large fountain before getting out his truck and making his way up the stairs to the front door of the large plantation home. Shea ranged the doorbell, and after a minute or so, Mrs. Harris opened the door with a grin.

“
Well, hey there, Mr. Adler. Come on in, Mr. Fisher is waiting in the study for you.”

“
Thanks, Mrs. Harris,” Shea said with a nod, before following her through the many rooms, to Michael Fisher’s study. Michael stood with a large smile on his face when Shea walked into the room. Shea couldn’t return the smile because he felt as if he was going to throw up, his nerves were on edge, and he felt like he might faint. Walking through the house, he was fine, but standing in front of Michael Fisher, Shea wasn’t sure he was going to make it.

“
Shea, so great to see you, I’m been wondering all day what you need to speak with me about,” he said, shaking hands with Shea, Shea went through the motions but he was sure he wouldn’t remember doing them later. “Have a seat son.” Shea fell into the chair that sat across from the chair that Michael sat down into.

“
Thanks for seeing me,” Shea all but mumbled out, he cleared his throat, embarrassed by his actions and his intense nervousness. Shea had went through this billions of times on the way over there, he knew what he wanted to say, what the hell was wrong with him?

“
Anytime, so what brings ya by? Everything alright? You’re sweatin’ something crazy there, son,” Michael said with a laugh. Shea couldn’t laugh but he did wiped his dripping wet forehead with the back of his hand. He was sweating like he was playing in the Stanley Cup finals and he was about the make the goal winning shot.

Damn it, he had to get it together!

“
Um, well, I came by because, I um,” Shea was interrupted by Michael’s laughter.

“
Jesus, Shea, what’s wrong with you?”

Shea looked up, taking a deep breath in before saying, “I want to marry Elli.”

Shea eyes went wide when Olivia and Victoria busted into the room, their hands over their mouths.

“
Well then,” Michael said with a grin.

“
I’m sorry. I had this whole big speech ready for you on the reasons I want to marry her, but I have forgotten all of it. All I know is that I love her, very much, and I need your approval before I ask her because if I know anything, it’s that Elli is a down home old fashioned girl, and she would want your blessing.”

Michael nodded, “You’re right on that one.”

“
You want to marry Eleanor?” Olivia asked, “It's only been, what, a couple months.”

“
We’ve been together six months, almost seven, but, I mean, when you know you know? And I know. I want to be with Elli for the rest of my life. I love her.”

Olivia looked Shea over, as Victoria stood beside her mother with a look of contempt on her face. He would never understand these people. “I never noticed your arms before Shea,” Olivia said, Shea looked down at his arms, then back up at her. “Last time, you were dressed up, I guess.”

Okay, what the hell did that mean? Yeah, they were all wearing their nice clothing while Shea was wearing a tee and jeans, but still what the hell was she trying to say!

“
Yes, last time I came for dinner. Today, I just came to talk, so I didn’t think I needed to be dressed up.”

“
Shea, ignore her. Back to the situation at hand,” Michael said with a wave of his hand towards Olivia and Victoria. “Wanna marry my daughter, huh?”

“
Yes, sir,” Shea said, focusing on Michael and not the two women that were looking at him as if he was a bum off the street while they whispered something to each other.

“
I like you Shea, a lot. You’re a good man and my Eleanor has never been so happy until you came along, so my answer is yes. Absolutely, you have my blessing.”

A relieved sigh left Shea’s mouth, as he grinned, “Thank you so much. I haven’t asked her or anything. I haven’t even bought the ring.”

“
Oh! Well you should take Victoria with you, Shea!” Olivia gushed coming towards Michael’s chair, leaning against him, “Victoria knows what Elli likes, and plus what Justin had gotten her, so you don’t pick anything like it since Elli hated that ring.”