“What do you mean?”
Miranda shrugs, keeping her voice low. “She just... disappeared. Showed up one day and was gone the next. There was talk, but nobody ever got a straight answer. Even Penny doesn’t know the full story, and Penny knows everything.”
I study Kelsey from across the room. She’s standing alone now, wine in hand, watching the game through the glass with an expression that’s hard to read. There’s something behind her eyes—something guarded, maybe even lonely—that I recognize instantly.
“Huh,” I say quietly, and leave it at that.
Anna catches my eye and gives me a small, knowing look.
The game resumes, and I turn my attention back to the ice.
The final buzzer sounds with the Cranes up 4-2, and the arena explodes.
I’m on my feet, cheering with everyone else, the foam finger waving wildly above my head. Miranda is screaming into Anna’s ear, and Anna is jumping up and down. The energy in the suite is pure, electric joy.
“Season opener, baby!” Miranda shouts, grabbing my arm. “What a way to kick things off!”
“They were incredible,” I say, still breathless. “Logan was incredible.”
“He was on fire tonight,” Anna agrees. “His goal was chef’s kiss.”
I’m still buzzing when we start making our way out of the suite and down toward the arena floor. The plan is to wait for the guys outside the locker room—apparently, it’s tradition for the girlfriends and wives to be there after a win.
But I’m impatient. The adrenaline is still coursing through me, and all I want is to see Logan, to tell him how amazing he was, and to put my arms around him and hold on.
So when I spot him—still in his full gear, helmet tucked under one arm, sweat-dampened hair sticking to his forehead—making his way down the corridor toward the locker room, I don’t wait.
“Logan!” I call out.
He looks up, and the moment he sees me, his whole expression lights up. That boyish grin spreads across his face, and he picks up his pace, closing the distance between us in seconds.
I throw myself into his arms.
He catches me easily, one arm wrapping around my waist and lifting me slightly off the ground. He’s still in his pads, smelling like ice and sweat and that particular post-game adrenaline, and it’s intoxicating. I bury my face in his neck and hold on.
“You were so amazing,” I breathe against his skin. “I’ve never seen anything like it. You were incredible out there.”
“Yeah?” He pulls back just enough to look at me, and his eyes are bright, still riding the high of the win.
“Yeah.” I cup his face in my hands, feeling the rough stubble along his jaw. “I’m so proud of you.”
Something shifts in his expression—something soft and warm and full of love—and he kisses me.
It’s not gentle. It’s not soft or tentative or sweet. It’s passionate and deep and full of everything we both feel—the adrenaline, the joy, the love that’s been building all night. His hand slides into my hair, tilting my head back to deepen the kiss, and I melt into him completely, gripping the front of his jersey with both hands.
He tastes like victory and salt and home, and I kiss him back with everything I have, pouring every ounce of love and pride and happiness into it.
When we finally break apart, both of us breathing hard, he rests his forehead against mine.
“I saw you up there,” he murmurs. “Cheering. Waving that ridiculous foam finger.”
I laugh. “It’s not ridiculous.”
“It’s adorable,” he corrects. “You’re adorable.”
“And you’re hot out there,” I say, tracing my thumb along his cheekbone. “I can’t wait for tonight.”
He grins, and I kiss him again—softer this time, slower, savoring it.
At this moment, standing in the corridor outside the locker room with Logan’s arms around me and his name on my back, my past no longer causes me pain. My entire life has led me here, and I’m so grateful it did. The dark days and fear seem so distant, replaced by this overwhelming light that engulfs me in love. I’m so proud of every step I took to overcome, heal, and rebuild.
I was meant to be here, with this man, living this beautiful life. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I’m going to have one hell of a life with Logan at my side.
And I can’t wait for every single second of it.
