“Shh. Let’s forget we ever lost.” Declan kisses my hair. “Thanks for coming tonight. I know you have your big spot tomorrow on Chronicle Montana. I’m already planning to catch a glimpse during practice.”
“My dad’s recording it, and believe me, he’ll be sure to make you watch it over and over. And you don’t have to thank me for coming. I love cheering you on.” I can feel myself starting to get sleepy. “I didn’t expect the puck, though.”
I feel another kiss on my head. “I didn’t either. But I like surprising you. And I like kissing you goodnight, too.” He leans forward and plants a soft kiss on the side of my mouth. “I want to fund your foundation.”
I flip around so fast I nearly bang heads with Declan. “What?”
“If you want to be partners, I’d like to fund your foundation to help abused and abandoned horses,” he says.
“But don’t you need to invest a lot of capital in the Kings to become a minority owner?”
“Yes, but that money’s from a separate account. I also have an account that I use to allocate money to charities. But this would be different. This would involve setting up a new foundation in your name or your company’s name, for starters, whichever way works.”
I inhale. I never considered just how much money Declan must have earned during his long career. “Declan, this is an amazing gift you’re offering me.”
“Do you accept it?” His gray eyes lighten the way I’ve learned they do when he’s feeling vulnerable.
I kiss his cheek and then throw my arms around his neck. “Yes, I accept. Thank you so much.”
He kisses me before I turn back around and we spoon again.
“Goodnight, darling,” he says.
“Goodnight, Dec.”
And as I drift off, I swear I hear him say, “I’d like to kiss you goodnight forever, Mia Wild.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Declan
Mia’s spot on Chronicle Montana takes place right before practice, so I can’t be there to cheer her on backstage.
But I’m not about to miss it. I dress for the ice but then take a detour rather than heading to the rink. Some of my teammates, because they’re nosy fuckers, follow me into the film room, where I flick on the flat-screen TV.
I stand in front of it and watch my wife nail her interview.
“Mia looks great,” Jared remarks as he stands next to me. “Not nervous at all.”
She does look great. She’s wearing the same suit she was wearing the night we met. She told me it’s her good luck suit.
I didn’t ask her if that was just because of me or another reason, but I choose to believe I have something to do with it.
“Our motto is that no rancher or cowboy should have to sell if they don’t want to,” Mia says to Angie as they sit across from each other in black chairs. “No one should be forced to leave their land and sell it to developers. We help the owners come up with creative ways to thrive in today’s economy and changing times.”
My chest swells with emotion, an emotion I can’t get a hold of right away.
And then I realize what it is.
I’m fucking proud of her.
“She does good work.” Max punches my arm.
She’s talking about her foundation now, the foundation we just decided to start together.
“So you and your husband will be co-founding this then,” the interviewer confirms.
Mia blushes. And then she giggles. “Yes. Our first venture together. Well, our second, because I guess our first was getting married in the first place.”
