"I'm glad I'm here, experiencing this with you." She rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. His hand cupped the back of her head, holding her close while he teased his mouth over hers and then deepened the kiss. Kelsey wrapped her arms around his waist, keeping him close. Wind tossed her hair into their faces, and the strands billowed against them like silky reminders that they weren't alone. Frustrated with the interruption, Kelsey broke the kiss and battled her hair into submission.
Leo linked their fingers together. "We should probably head to Ryan's."
She glanced at the building behind her. It seemed silly to only run the steps and not go into the museum. "Could we come back tomorrow? But if being in there is too painful for you, then we don't—"
"No. It's fine. I wouldn't mind making some new memories here with you. If there's not time tomorrow, we can do it at the end of the season. Remember the road trip? The last game of the regular season is in Philly. The game is on a Saturday. We can stay over, get up and have breakfast somewhere on Sunday morning and then come here right after."
"I'd like that a lot."
"Then, it's a date." He opened the ride share app on his phone.
Within minutes they were on their way back to South Philly. Leo's phone pinged. He swiped at his phone screen. "Ryan is home and my brothers are there. They're ordering the food now. What kind of steak do you want?"
"What are my options?"
"Ry and I always get provolone on our steaks. Shane gets his with Cheez Whiz, but I can't stand that stuff. Xavier likes his steak plain, no cheese, just ketchup. And my dad gets his with American cheese, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, and hot or sweet peppers."
"Hmm." Her stomach growled at the thought of long, crusty rolls filled with thinly sliced beef and melted cheese. "I'll go with what you're having. I love provolone."
"Good choice." He typed in their request then spent the rest of the ride entertaining her with stories of growing up as the eldest of the four brothers.
Before she knew it, the car pulled up in front of Ryan's home. As they climbed out, the front door opened and a tall man dressed in jeans and a dark shirt waved.
"That's Ryan." Leo gestured for her to walk up the steps first.
Ryan stepped back to allow them to enter. Grinning, he hugged Leo. "It's good to see you."
"You too. It's been too long." Leo held on for a moment before easing back. "At least I'm in the same time zone now."
"That does help." Ryan transferred that winning smile to Kelsey and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you. Welcome to Philly."
"Thank you. You have a lovely home."
Leo patted his brother's shoulder, his chest puffed with pride. "Ry did a lot of the work himself."
The younger Brennan shrugged. "Not all of it, so you're safe to turn on the lights and won't have to worry about floorboards breaking beneath your feet as you walk."
Three more men trooped in, all talking over each other and all nearly as big as Leo. He hugged them and pointed out the introductions. "This is Shane, that's Xavier, and this is my dad Mike."
Kelsey shook their hands and couldn't help smiling at their enthusiastic greetings. They were just like her own family would be, warm and welcoming.
Ryan ushered her into the kitchen, asking her beverage preference and pointing her to a large table under a window that overlooked the backyard.
Leo set a glass of sparkling water in front of her and then slid onto the chair to her left. He looked happy and so relaxed as though the mere presence of his family had hit his reset button.
The rest of the family filled in the remaining spaces at the table and the scent of meat and grease hit her as soon as they unwrapped the sandwiches. She groaned at the flavor of the crusty yet soft bread and how it blended with the seasoned beef and melted cheese. Mouth full, she gave a thumbs-up at Leo's raised brow.
Shane pointed to Leo's sandwich. "Are you going to be able to taste that? Have your taste buds healed from your chicken wing experiment?"
Leo took a large bite out of his cheesesteak. Swallowing, he grinned. "Tastes like home."
For most of the meal, Kelsey answered questions about her job and family. Xavier engaged her in a lengthy discussion about Buffalo's football team and the city itself. A tight end for Philly's pro football team, the Frenzy, he traveled to Buffalo once a season to play the divisional rival.
Not wanting to exclude the rest of the brothers, she turned to Ryan. "Leo told me that the rest of you work at a gym."
Ryan nodded. "Dad owns it but I manage it."
Shane clapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "We manage it."
"Do we?" Ryan grinned. "Seems like you spend most of your time flirting."
"Hey, I'm a friendly guy. If I can help spot someone, I'm gonna do it." He turned to Kelsey. "I know your dad played for the Bedlam and both your brothers play for them too. You must've grown up with hockey around you twenty-four seven. Do you play too?"
She set down her sandwich. "I've played my whole life. Well, up until a few years ago anyway. The job takes up too much of my time now. I started out on defense as a kid then moved to center. I played center for my college team and then for two years with the national team."
Leo's brows rose and his eyes widened. "Whoa. I didn't know all that. I must've missed it when I read your team bio. Is there anything else I should know?"
"I also held the team record for penalty minutes, for both teams." She'd been proud of that stat, but heat rushed into her cheeks and she rushed
