He’s worth it.
I love him. All those years apart, and we’re both finally ready for the real thing.
Letting go of old dreams for new ones has never felt so good.
EPILOGUE
Hunter
I glance up at the clock. Less than a minute left.
We’re running out of damn time.
I hustle my ass down the boards and slam into Declan Wild as he keeps the puck and maneuvers across the ice. Wild’s a stickhandling master, and he’s been successfully wasting time for over a minute already. No one from our team has been able to take the puck away from him.
The Montana Wild Kings are kicking our ass tonight. We won our first playoff series for our franchise in four games and then made it through the next one in six games before meeting the Wild Kings in the finals. We’ve taken them to seven games, but they’re up three to one in this seventh and final game of the series that will determine the league champion.
Declan continues to skate around the ice like he’s not being chased by six angry men. We cleared the goalie already, so it’s all hands on deck to try to bring down Goliath.
But it won’t be happening today.
The buzzer sounds, and the Wild Kings start celebrating on their home ice. Liam and I congratulate Jared and Max before he and I skate over to our bench and exit the ice for the last time this season.
I’m happy two of my brothers are champions.
But to get all the way to the end like that and then lose…
Stings like hell.
Then I glance up into the stands and see Winter clapping and looking right at me, and I realize how damn lucky I am.
I hold up my stick and point it at her.
* * *
In truth, I have very little to complain about.
This has been a crazy-good year.
I win my first league MVP. And I know New Orleans will get their own championship trophy soon. I’m going to be sure we bring a championship to my home city. I won’t let that story end any other way.
And even more importantly, I have the love of my life by my side.
Winter stayed in New York for a month like she planned, and I flew there for opening night of Summerset Nights. Peyton and Ashley joined me along with Winter’s parents.
Winter was phenomenal in her role. I know how hard she worked to get back to this level. To get over what that asshole did to her and stand on a stage again. But she told me she had no second thoughts about leaving when the show’s run was over.
And so, when she was ready, I helped Winter pack up, and we came home to the bayou. She moved in with me. Some people may think we’re moving too fast, but for Winter and me, it feels like it took a decade to finally end up where we belong—together.
She reached out to Les Anderson, and they were on the same page. Seems he’d been going around the city, trying to find a home for her musical. And he got one at a cool theater right off the French Quarter.
Winter asked Les if he would direct it, and he agreed but only if Winter played the lead. She said yes, and the two of them went about casting the rest of the characters.
Now, tonight is opening night, and I have a special surprise planned for afterward.
Jared and Max were able to fly in for Winter’s performance, and I sit next to them and Liam, along with Murph, Ashley, Peyton and Scott, and Oliver and Blaire. Winter’s parents are directly in front of us. Her mama’s so thrilled; as she keeps telling me, if she’d known she could have the best of both, she would have urged her only child to stay in New Orleans years ago.
Winter nails her performance. She bows for the standing ovation at the end of the night, and when I catch her eye, she gives me a little wave.
