A large smile crosses my face before I lean down and capture her mouth with mine, my hands holding her jaw.
This woman has given me so much.
From the day I first met her, she’s challenged me and pushed me out of my shell. She made me realize there’s more to my life than just serving the crown.
I can be loved.
I can be cherished.
I can dedicate my life to the country I love.
I can be a husband.
I can be...I can be a father.
She’s shown me what it’s like to live, what it’s like to fall deeply in love, and what it’s like to live life after tragedy.
I once believed we were royally in trouble, that our lives were diverging rather than converging. But through those trials we learned so much about each other. We also found strength within that we had no idea existed.
With my beautiful Lilly alongside me, there’s harmony even when there’s chaos. There’s joy even when there’s trouble.
If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that awell-loved life becomes awell-lived life. And that’s my plan forevermore.
* * *
Lookingfor what happened on the wedding night? Read through the excerpt from my hockey romance,Kiss and Don’t Tell, for an extended epilogue that includes a couple of illustrations.
Excerpt - Kiss and Don’t Tell
Prologue
PACEY
Man, I’m a fucking idiot.
Bet you haven’t heard that from a man before . . .
Yeah, every man on the face of this earth has uttered those sacred words at least a dozen times.
I’ve been a fucking idiot so many times, I’ve lost count.
But this . . .
This is by far the biggest screwup I’ve ever made.
Oh, you’re intrigued? You want to know what qualifies this particular situation as my biggest screwup?
Easy.
One word . . . love.
Okay, okay, I know I’m not the only guy who’s fucked up when it comes to love. Frankly, I believe it’s human nature to fuck up with matters of the heart. But it’s my first time. That’s what makes this so special.
Yup, first-timer.
A virgin . . . well, not a sexual virgin, a love virgin. I’ve had plenty of sex. Not that we need to get into that, but I’m not a virgin.
See, this is the problem. This right here. The rambling, the not using my brain. I would like to blame my almost season-ending injury, but that would be a scapegoat. I’m just a dumbass.
