I DON'T HEAR FROM Danny the whole the weekend. When I arrive at work on Monday morning, I'm in good spirits. An hour after I open our headquarters, I walk out of my office in time to see Cami carrying Lilly in one hand and a large bag in the other. Joel, holding a fake Christmas tree, is right behind her. I recognize the tree. I'd given the two of them some of Mom's decorations when Joel moved out. The tree was the one that went in the pool house, for the winter swim party we always had when we were boys. I'm guessing it's now the team's tree.

I walk over and hold the door wider for Joel.

"Thanks," he says after he's inside. He rests the tree on the floor. "Where should it go?" he asks Cami.

"Here, by the window," she tells him, and places the bag on the counter. She unbundles Lilly from her pink coat and hands her off to me. I remain silent as I take my niece and give her a kiss on the cheek.

Joel hefts the tree again and moves it to Cami's designated spot. Cami opens the bag that she has placed on the counter and begins pulling out some of the decorations I gave them. "You keep holding her," she says to me, "while I fancy up the tree."

Cami and Joel ignore me as I head back into the inner office, carrying Lilly. I grab her toy bin from under Joel's desk, and plop us and the toys down on the carpet. We've done this many times. I don't know what to say about the tree, so I say nothing. Home will be my only escape from the holiday bullshit that takes over at this time of year.

Twenty minutes later, Joel walks in. "I need to get Cami to work. You good?" he nods toward Lilly, who is smashing plastic blocks against a multi-colored xylophone.

"Sure," I answer him.

I hear the front door close and look at my niece. "Your mom and dad are not very subtle, kid." She's dressed in the new red Rugby shirt and jeans that I bought her.

"Gaawaa," she says as she tries to fit the entire block into her mouth.

She's content for all of two minutes, before she decides crawling to the door is more important than eating blocks. I scoop her off the floor, and get kicked in my chest when I carry her farther into the room. The front door chimes, and I haul Lilly, stomach first, over my shoulder, to which she lets out a loud laughing squeal, and we head to see who has come in.

Danny stands just inside the door, staring at the Christmas tree. She's wearing her usual jeans with the Carhartt zipped up against the cold, and her hair is in its ever present ponytail. She's the loveliest I've ever seen her. Relief fills me. I don't really know the rules to this relationship thing, and I wasn't sure that giving her the next move was wise.

She turns my way and looks a little dumbstruck. "I thought you didn't do Christmas."

I pat Lilly's bottom and tickle her. "Joel and Cami decided The Slam does Christmas, and I didn't get a vote." I walk straight to Danny, move a little to the side so she isn't kicked in the face by Lilly's feet, and kiss her. It's not the kiss I'd like to give, because Lilly immediately starts complaining. "If my brother and Cami ever have another child, it'll be a miracle," I mutter after ending the too-short kiss.

Danny laughs and her eyes go soft. I turn Lilly right-side up and she starts pulling on my hair.

"Are we now at the kiss-when-we-see-each-other stage?" Danny asks, a small crackle in her voice.

That's Danny, no avoiding anything. I don't get the break in her voice, though. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes."

"Then we're at the kiss-when-I-see-you stage."

She bites her lip fighting a smile. "What happens when I'm not mad at you?"

Now Lilly has a tight hold on my hair, and is yanking for all she's worth. I speak while trying to pry her fingers loose. "Then, ouch, I'd like to take things to the sleepover stage."

Danny stops biting her lip and a little fire enters her eyes. "I don't think so. I'd like to take you up on your date offer."

I manage to get Lilly's hold loosened. She has strands of my torn hair between her fingers. "The dating stage will lead to the sleepover stage, just so you know."

"Do you even know how to date?" she asks me, a bit more fire in her eyes.

"Yes, I've had dates," I reply somewhat grumpily.

Danny's eyes go hard. "Have you ever had a date where you kiss the girl at her door and go home? Because that's the date you asked me out on."

Well, hell, that's exactly the date I asked her for. "I think I can manage it once."

"I think I can manage it once, too," she replies before turning and heading out the door.

I walk back into the inner office and sit down on the floor again. "That went rather well."

"Goowaa," Lilly agrees.

A few minutes later, my brother comes back. "I thought I'd hang here for a bit and then take you to lunch at the tavern." He grabs Lilly. She's getting tired, and she immediately lays her head against Joel's chest. There's a porta-crib in the corner behind Joel's desk. "I'll put her down, and after her nap we can eat."

"I'll get a workout in while you're up front, if you don't mind."

"Sounds good. I've got some paperwork that I need to look over."

The last season was it for Joel. He has decided to run things and not play rugby this next season. It's official in January. I've continued working the office, so he can help with Lilly while Cami works. After the first, he'll be here four days a week. With the steakhouse here in town and half The Slam Tavern that we own, not working the office will free up some of my time, but losing Joel from the team will be hard. I grab my gym bag and head to the locker room.

The gym is empty when I go in. I hit the weights first. I bench-press and think of my earlier conversation with Danny. I don't know how many times I can kick myself for not noticing how hot she was prior to a few weeks ago. She isn't my type, which is my only excuse. Now she's my only type. I keep pumping while thinking about her naked. Mixing exercise with a hard dick isn't smart. I persevere.