“I was going to, but my nonna wanted to watch.” She points to the stands where her grandmother sits, smiling as she watches us. She has a blanket wrapped around her lap, a puffy jacket, mittens, and a warm hat covering her ears.
I wave to her. “She’s still watching too much hockey, isn’t she?”
“She’s the Seattle Serpents’ biggest fan. Ken got her hooked on it big-time.”
Odette’s mother and Ken have been dating since the wedding-turned-liberation-celebration. Apparently Ken’s a big hockey fan, andnow Odette’s grandmother and mother attend games in Seattle. It’s been fun to watch them fall in love with the sport.
Almost as fun as it’s been to watch Elaine find her happiness.
I’m not saying that the curse is broken for everyone, but I think the Chambers women have finally realized that their lives don’t need to be dictated by something that may or may not be real.
I know Odette has.
“You lookveryhot out here, by the way.”
“Really? I’m kind of cold.”
“I’m flirting with you, Noah. Certainly you’re not so old that you can’t tell when a hot, younger woman is hitting on you.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “What’d I say about calling me old?”
“That you secretly love it just like I love those gray hairs that multiply daily.” She runs a finger over said locks.
She’s lucky we’re in public. I have half a mind to bend her over my knee and spank her for that.
Instead, I press my lips to her, kissing her hard, not caring about the kids still lingering.
She’s breathless when I pull away, and I can’t help but grin down at her.
“What was that for?”
I shrug. “Wanted to.”
She smiles. “I love you, you know.”
“Oh, I know,fiancée.”
It happened last month. We were lying in bed in the middle of our latest binge show, and I looked at her and knew.
So I reached into my bedside table, pulled out the ring I’d been keeping in there for months, and asked her.
There were a lot of tears and a little apprehension—that old fear of the curse rearing its head—but she accepted. One thing we instantly agreed on? We will not be cramming planning our wedding into ten weeks. We’re taking our time. When we know it’s right, we’ll know.
We did, however, start our own wedding wish list.
The only thing on mine?Marry the woman of my dreams.
I don’t care about all the other details. That’s Odette’s thing. I just want to marry her.
I think back to a year and a half ago when I was dead set against ever getting married again. Now look at me, absolutely in love with this girl and looking more forward to the day when she walks down the aisle toward me than anything else.
Funny how things change like that.
“I’d better get back over to my nonna. I don’t want to leave her unsupervised for too long. You know how that old bat can be.”
I chuckle lightly, then press my lips against hers once more.
“You can’t keep kissing me like that in public, Noah,” she says once we part, our breaths still mingling as I rest my forehead against hers.
