‹ Prequel: All-star Weekend
I'm Just a Man
Four
Christmas Eve
“Tyler Paul Seguin, turn around right now and go put on some clothes. My mother is about to walk in this door.”
Tyler stopped dead in his tracks a few steps from the top of the stairs hearing Claries’ raised voice. They had gotten in late last night after the game in LA and Tyler had forgotten that Claire wanted to do Christmas Eve dinner herself this year. She had spent weeks bribing and pleading with Jamie. The season had started off with a heavy road game schedule and Tyler hadn’t seen much of Riley, he hoped she would be there today and maybe luck would be on his side. This time when he descended the stairs pajama pants were at least on and an undershirt. With protest from his growling stomach he helped Claire finish bringing in the groceries from the car.
“Good morning Tyler” Claire’s mother gave him a hug as she walked by to helping her daughter out in the kitchen.
“Good morning ma’am and merry Christmas”
Claire gave him a hip check towards the oven.
“Cinnamon buns are in the oven, Jamie’s hiding in his man cave downstairs if you want to join him” she leaned in to whisper “And quit sucking up to my mama”
Tyler gave her a smirk before heading to the basement. Walking down the stairs he heard a voice that sent chills down his spine.
“Hiding out down here too Riley?”
She turned around at the sound of his voice
“I value my life, Claire is freaking out even though she wanted this.”
He let out a chuckle before sitting down and resting his plate on the arm of the couch.
“Anything else you think I should know?”
He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow
“Make sure you are showered, dressed nice and on time. This year you are part of the family and Grandpa Jones is not to be messed with.”
Tyler nodded his head. He leaned over and whispered in Riley’s ear
“Can’t be any scarier than the day I met you. You pretty much squeezed and twisted my balls without having ever met you”
Riley reached over and slapped his chest
“I did no such thing; you’re making shit up again”
He leaned over giving her a pout with puppy dog eyes. Over the past few months, after Riley processed the night he took her out, the two of them began to get along, mostly texting. Riley never let on to her growing feelings for him be known. Meanwhile Tyler took his conversation with Mark and then later on Horcroff and Whitney to heart. He reached over and grabbed Riley effectively pinning her to his side while she tried to get away in protest.
“Be careful or I will use all the hot water and hog the bathroom so you are the one who is late”
Riley stopped squirming and looked him dead in the eye.
“I dare you to try, I know how to open a locked door and will just climb in the shower with you effectively making your plan bite you in the ass and late.”
“What kind of boy do you think I am?” He gave her a mock offended look. “My mother raised me better than that.”
She looked over at him and with just a look he let out a deep laugh from his gut.
________________________________________________________________________________
Dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned for the most part. He excused himself from the conversation and was heading for the bathroom when Tyler got tangled up with Riley in the door way. They both tried to move the same direction at the same time. Behind him they heard someone clear their throat only to look and see Grandpa Jones point to above their heads, mistletoe.
“I’m not telling him no”
He whispered so only Riley would hear. Before she could protest he had pulled her in for a gentle kiss but it wasn’t any kiss. Her knees weakened, she returned the kiss and found herself trying to coax more out of him. Someone gasping, later they would find out it was Claire, broke them apart. Riley gulped down the rest of the wine in the glass she was holding and Tyler pushed forward to the bathroom upstairs. He needed a moment to figure out what happened.
Without knocking she pushed into the bathroom a few moments behind him, he had only gone as far as unzipping; Riley looked him right in the eye.
“There are no second chances so don’t fuck it up”
He pulled his zipper back up and walked over to her using his body to hold her against the door. He rested his hand on her neck, thumb softly running across her cheek.
“I’m not letting you get away, ever. At the end of the season I will take you home to meet my mother and sisters.”
He pressed a softer, quick kiss to her lips silently thanking Jerry Jones for getting him the one girl he wanted but thought he could never get. The one person he honestly would be there with him for whatever his career would bring and help him to grow his very own family with.
“Tyler Paul Seguin, turn around right now and go put on some clothes. My mother is about to walk in this door.”
Tyler stopped dead in his tracks a few steps from the top of the stairs hearing Claries’ raised voice. They had gotten in late last night after the game in LA and Tyler had forgotten that Claire wanted to do Christmas Eve dinner herself this year. She had spent weeks bribing and pleading with Jamie. The season had started off with a heavy road game schedule and Tyler hadn’t seen much of Riley, he hoped she would be there today and maybe luck would be on his side. This time when he descended the stairs pajama pants were at least on and an undershirt. With protest from his growling stomach he helped Claire finish bringing in the groceries from the car.
“Good morning Tyler” Claire’s mother gave him a hug as she walked by to helping her daughter out in the kitchen.
“Good morning ma’am and merry Christmas”
Claire gave him a hip check towards the oven.
“Cinnamon buns are in the oven, Jamie’s hiding in his man cave downstairs if you want to join him” she leaned in to whisper “And quit sucking up to my mama”
Tyler gave her a smirk before heading to the basement. Walking down the stairs he heard a voice that sent chills down his spine.
“Hiding out down here too Riley?”
She turned around at the sound of his voice
“I value my life, Claire is freaking out even though she wanted this.”
He let out a chuckle before sitting down and resting his plate on the arm of the couch.
“Anything else you think I should know?”
He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow
“Make sure you are showered, dressed nice and on time. This year you are part of the family and Grandpa Jones is not to be messed with.”
Tyler nodded his head. He leaned over and whispered in Riley’s ear
“Can’t be any scarier than the day I met you. You pretty much squeezed and twisted my balls without having ever met you”
Riley reached over and slapped his chest
“I did no such thing; you’re making shit up again”
He leaned over giving her a pout with puppy dog eyes. Over the past few months, after Riley processed the night he took her out, the two of them began to get along, mostly texting. Riley never let on to her growing feelings for him be known. Meanwhile Tyler took his conversation with Mark and then later on Horcroff and Whitney to heart. He reached over and grabbed Riley effectively pinning her to his side while she tried to get away in protest.
“Be careful or I will use all the hot water and hog the bathroom so you are the one who is late”
Riley stopped squirming and looked him dead in the eye.
“I dare you to try, I know how to open a locked door and will just climb in the shower with you effectively making your plan bite you in the ass and late.”
“What kind of boy do you think I am?” He gave her a mock offended look. “My mother raised me better than that.”
She looked over at him and with just a look he let out a deep laugh from his gut.
________________________________________________________________________________
Dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned for the most part. He excused himself from the conversation and was heading for the bathroom when Tyler got tangled up with Riley in the door way. They both tried to move the same direction at the same time. Behind him they heard someone clear their throat only to look and see Grandpa Jones point to above their heads, mistletoe.
“I’m not telling him no”
He whispered so only Riley would hear. Before she could protest he had pulled her in for a gentle kiss but it wasn’t any kiss. Her knees weakened, she returned the kiss and found herself trying to coax more out of him. Someone gasping, later they would find out it was Claire, broke them apart. Riley gulped down the rest of the wine in the glass she was holding and Tyler pushed forward to the bathroom upstairs. He needed a moment to figure out what happened.
Without knocking she pushed into the bathroom a few moments behind him, he had only gone as far as unzipping; Riley looked him right in the eye.
“There are no second chances so don’t fuck it up”
He pulled his zipper back up and walked over to her using his body to hold her against the door. He rested his hand on her neck, thumb softly running across her cheek.
“I’m not letting you get away, ever. At the end of the season I will take you home to meet my mother and sisters.”
He pressed a softer, quick kiss to her lips silently thanking Jerry Jones for getting him the one girl he wanted but thought he could never get. The one person he honestly would be there with him for whatever his career would bring and help him to grow his very own family with.
♠ ♠ ♠
Annnnd that's all she wrote. haha. Trying to build a story around one tiny idea, mistletoe, was not as simple as I thought it would be. Especially when it then decides to start and take a life of its own.I hope I hope I did Tyler justice and no one wants to hang me.