Another Day in Nashville

"So James, what do you do for a living?" Erika asked

"Uh...I'm a professional hockey player." James replied

Erika nearly choked on her water, "Really?"

James laughed "You seem surprised. I figured living in Tampa you may have heard about me. You guys have the Bolts."

"I don't watch much television."

"Ah. Okay." James smiled giving me a look

"Kiki, how are mom and dad?" I asked

"They're fine. You should come visit sometime." Erika said taking a bite of her spaghetti

"That would be great!" James smiled looking at me "I like Tampa. We can visit Stammer."

"James, I..." I started

"Oh! That would be perfect." Erika said giving me a look. "Mom and dad are looking forward to meet your new guy."

"Awesome. It's settled then. As soon as I get some free time." he said smiling at me and grabbing my hand

"Yeah." I smiled back
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After dinner, James got the dishes started, but he got a call from Shea about an emergency team meeting and had to leave. Erika was walking around the living room "This place is big for a guy that plays hockey for a living. How much are you pumping out for it?"

I gritted my teeth, "For your information, he makes six figures a year and this is his place."

"You're living with him. Great. As if you didn't learn enough fro, Josh."

"Erika..."

"What, Emilee? I'm stating the obvious. You have horrible taste in men and this one is obviously bad."

"He's a great guy, Erika. He loves me. He really loves me!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt!" Erika yelled

"And James won't hurt me!" I yelled back as James came in

"Is everything okay?" he asked

"Everything is fine." I said pushing past him and running up the steps

"Emmy..." I heard James call to me as I slammed the door to the bedroom shut. I could hear voices downstairs and I opened the door slightly "What's going on?" James asked

"Why are you with my sister? What's your game with her?"

"I have no 'game' with her." James replied "What do you mean?"

"Oh don't lie to me. I know guys like you."

"Guys like me? You don't know me."

"I may not know you, but I know your type. Bad guys that lure good girls into their clutches and break their hearts."

"And that is not my intentions with Emilee. I love her." James replied

"Sure. You're a bad guy and you're going to hurt her."

James sighed "You know what, you can go." he said dishing a couple hundred dollars from his pocket "Head home. Stay in a hotel here. I don't care what you do, but get out of my house. I love your sister. She means the world to me."

"Whatever." Erika snapped stomping out the door

"Emilee..." James' soft voice called heading up the steps "Are you okay?" he asked wiping a tear from my eye

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Em...I'm sorry. If I had known that..." James sighed "If I had known that things were like this, I wouldn't have invited her...I'm so sorry."

"James. Don't blame yourself. You had no idea of knowing..." I sighed "Sit down. We need to talk. I have a lot more explaining I need to do.

"Okay." James said sitting on the bed beside me

"My family..." I started "My family is really religious."

"Oh?"

"We're Mormon. Well...I no longer am...but my parents and siblings are...I met Josh when I was 16...my parents were strongly against us being together because he's Atheist. When I turned 21, he moved here and I followed him. My parents begged me to stay....I chose to leave. My parents, while not approving of my moving here and choosing to stay here, have since 'forgiven' me. But my siblings have not. They're really strict. My parents are. They don't like tattoos...or caffeine. Or a whole lot of things. Anything that takes your attention away from God."

James nodded, "I see."

"I'm sorry...I should've told you about this earlier to prepare you, I just never thought my family would want to see me again."

"It's okay, Emmy." he said kissing my cheek "Well that explains it..."

"Explains what?"

"When I met your sister, I saw the look she gave you about my sleeve. I just brushed it off like I normally do. I'm used to people staring at them and not liking them."

"Well, I like them and I like you." I said

"Just like?" James asked with a grin

I smiled and kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Notes