Emma curled over him and pulled his bottom lip between her teeth. “I was saying . . . I want to see every last move in your playbook. But we’d better get started because I’mnotmissing that breakfast buffet in the morning.”
“So demanding.” He tightened his hold on her, and she relaxed into his arms, letting him take control, body and soul.
Under the starlit mountain sky, both of them got on the damn ice and practised.
Epilogue
A month later,Emma found herself sitting between Tyler and Sean at their usual Sunday Supper. The sun stretched high in the sky, warm weather finally upon them. Though Emma still didn’t trust the forecasts until after Canada Day.
The long wooden dining table was crowded with players and significant others while Rob manned the barbecue. This time he was at least letting Fly help.
"Remember that time Brett tried to pull off a figure-skating spin on the ice and ended up face-planting into a snowbank?" Sean held his arms up in a mock pirouette and batted his eyelashes. The table erupted in laughter.
"You’re lucky I’m in a boot, bud.” Brett flipped up his middle finger and adjusted his leg resting on an extra chair.
“I’m going to go refill the lemonade.” Emma stood and leaned over to grab the pitcher. Tyler smacked her butt.
“Easy, Bowen,” Sean growled.
Emma glowered at her brother, then stalked off to the kitchen. She dumped more fresh-squeezed lemon juice and sugar into the pitcher and held it under the filtered spigot next to the sink.
She stirred it all together with a wooden spoon, then added two giant cupfuls of ice. She walked back out to the patio, set it on the table, and dropped back into her seat.
Tyler threw an arm over her shoulders.
Curtis held up a glass, and Emma clinked hers against it. “You two deserve all the love for that open house.”
Tyler shook his head. “It was mostly Gina. She took the reins after Troy passed.”
Emma squeezed his knee and exhaled when his fingers played along her neck. It had been three weeks, and she knew Tyler was still processing things. “Now on to phase two.”
Jess asked about the restaurant and whether there were significant differences in the menu at the second bed and breakfast. Yes, they’d hired a French chef this time around. After discussing the timeline of renovations, they moved on to discussing Fly and Jess’s landscaping project.
Emma sank back in her seat and took a long sip of lemonade.
Tyler leaned closer. “Thank you for this,” he murmured, his voice low enough only she could hear.
Her blood heated. “For what?”
He squeezed her neck and nodded toward the scene in front of them. Suraj scooped salad onto his plate while Brett cajoled Sean into grabbing him another piece of garlic bread.
“I’m going to need to find a physical therapist after surgery. I’m not missing next season,” Brett grumbled.
“Ooh! I have a friend who’s an incredible PT. Let me text you her info,” Kelty pulled out her phone.
Ryan was in the middle of a dramatic retelling of how Fly tried to deke at practice and ended up running into the goalpost. Tyler had already told her that one.
Fly scoffed from his place next to the barbecue. "It was a strategic move to confuse André. You had to be there.”
André chortled. “I was fooled, Gramps. Excellent move.”
Emma turned and kissed Tyler’s cheek. “Move in with me,” she whispered.
Tyler’s eyes widened, and he searched her face. “You’re serious?”
She nodded. “I’m sick of having to figure out whose stuff is staying where and then driving two cars over to the properties.”
“Ah, so it’s purely practical.”
