"Places, everyone," Holly said, ushering Casey toward their hiding spot in the team tunnel. "Showtime!"
As they left, Beck clapped me on the shoulder. "You've got this, Cap. Just speak from the heart."
Then he was gone too, leaving me alone on the ice. The ring box felt heavy in my pocket. I took a deep breath, centering myself. The pressure of this moment surpassed anything I'd experienced in a championship game.
The arena door opened, and Sadie stepped inside, pausing as she took in the transformed space. Her eyes went wide, her mouth forming a silent O of surprise. She wore jeans and my Shadow Wolves hoodie, her dark hair loose around her shoulders.
"Easton?" she called, her voice echoing slightly in the empty arena. "What is all this?"
I skated toward her, my heart pounding. "A little something I put together," I said, aiming for casual but probably missing by a mile. "I thought we could use a night that was just about us."
Her eyes swept over the thousands of lights, the empty arena that I'd had to call in multiple favors to secure for the evening. "This is alittlesomething?"
I shrugged, unable to keep the smile from my face. "I might have had some help."
I handed her the skates I'd left by the boards. As she laced them up, I cued the music with a remote in my pocket. The opening notes of "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron filled the arena. It was the same song that had been playing when we met at The Rink after the charity game.
Her head snapped up, recognition flashing in her eyes. "You remember this song?"
"I remember everything about that night," I told her, extending my hand. "Dance with me?"
She took my hand, letting me guide her onto the ice. We moved together in a slow skate that was almost a dance, my arm around her waist, her head eventually coming to rest against my chest. For a while, we skated in silence, the music washing over us, the lights twinkling above like a private galaxy.
When the song ended, I led her to center ice, where a spotlight illuminated us.
"Easton, what's going on?" Sadie asked, suspicion and hope warring in her voice.
I took both of her hands in mine, grateful for all those media training sessions that taught me to speak under pressure. "I've been trying to show you how I feel these past few months," I began, my voice steadier than I expected. "But I realized I never actually said the words at the right time."
Her eyes were wide now, fixed on mine as understanding dawned.
"I love you, Sadie," I continued, the words flowing easier now. "I think I started falling that first night, and even when I was angry about Casey, even when everything was chaos, that love never went away. It just waited."
I dropped to one knee on the ice, pulling the ring box from my pocket. Her hands flew to her mouth as I opened it, revealing the sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds.
"We've done everything backward," I acknowledged with a grin. "One-night stand, secret baby, court-ordered community service, living together, and now this. But I don't care about the order of things anymore. I want you. I want the chance to build something real with you. Not because of our past or because of Casey, but because there's no one else I'd rather build a future with."
Tears tracked down her cheeks as she nodded, unable to speak.
"Palisade Honors," I said, my voice rough with emotion. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she managed, her voice thick with tears. "Yes, Easton. Of course it's yes."
As I slid the ring onto her finger, a small voice called from the shadows: "Did she say yes yet?"
Sadie turned, startled, as Casey emerged from her hiding place, practically vibrating with excitement. Holly followed behind her, not even trying to hide her tears.
"She said yes!" I confirmed, and Casey let out a whoop of joy that echoed through the arena, racing toward us across the ice.
I stood in time to catch her as she launched herself at us, creating a three-person hug that nearly sent us all sprawling. Sadie laughed through her tears, kneeling to show Casey the ring.
"We're going to be a family now, right?" Casey asked, looking between us with hopeful eyes.
"We already were, sweetheart," Sadie said, her voice soft. "This just makes it official."
"Exactly," I agreed, my arm around Sadie's waist, pulling both of them close. "This is just the paperwork."
More of our friends and family emerged from hiding. Beck, our teammates, Brenna and Nathan, Margaret, and Coach Honors, Mrs. Honors wiping tears from her eyes. I was struck by how far we'd come from that first confrontation when I discovered Casey was my daughter. The journey hadn't been easy, but standing here with Sadie's hand in mine, our daughter bouncing excitedly between us, surrounded by everyone who'd helped us get here, I knew every difficult step had been worth it.
