The sincerity in Griffin’s tone makes my heart skip a beat or two, and I have to restrain myself from grabbing him in a hug. Probably not the best idea when he’s driving. So I do something better.
“I love you,” I tell him softly.
“I love you, too, baby girl. I love you more than anything.”
“Anything?” Though my tone is teasing, there’s a scared little girl, deep inside me, who was abandoned by the man who was supposed to love her more than anything once before, and she needs to hear this. I wish she didn’t, but she does.
Griffin is serious when he grabs my hand and strokes his thumb along mine. He alternates between watching me and the road.
“I love you more than sunrises or dreary fall days. I love you more than my favorite ice cream during a heat wave, that moment a couple gets together in romance novels, or the quiet pleasure of taping up a new stick. I love you more than steppingout onto fresh ice or winning with a full arena at home. More than hockey. More thananything. You’re it for me, Mira, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that to you.”
I can’t seem to swallow past the lump in my throat as my eyes well up with tears. He sounds so earnest.
“And today, I’m going to show you just how much I love you by showing up for your pitch, sitting beside you for moral support, and cheering you on.” His thumb circles my hand slowly, gently, causing goose bumps to rise on my flesh. “Then I’m going to keep showing up, keep cheering you on, keep being there for you. Every single day.”
“Griffin…” A single tear falls from my lashes, and I quickly wipe it away. I don’t want to have to redo my makeup.
My sweet, no-longer-accidental husband lifts my hand and kisses it, his eyes serious and filled with understanding. “We’re here, love. Should I drop you off at my favorite coffee shop?”
I nod, words failing me.
“Wish I could come with you,” he says quietly.
“You’ll be back with me soon.”
“I will,” Griffin says. “I promise.”
My sappy mooddoesn’t leave me as I wander the campus my husband and brother met on. Griffin gave me a list of his favorite places, and I’ve visited almost all of them. It’s a busy campus. Students walk around, laughing and mingling, even in the cold winter temperatures.
When it gets closer to the meeting time, I grab coffees for Griffin and me and begin my walk to the Yost Ice Arena. Griffin set everything up so that the coach and administrators I’ll bemeeting with will give me a tour of the facility before he arrives and meets us in one of the office areas.
When I push through the doors of the arena, I’m greeted by a large, jovial looking man with brown hair peppered with strands of gray. He notes the laptop bag slung over my shoulders, the coffees in my hand, and the nervous look on my face, and smiles brightly.
“Mira?”
I nod, returning his smile. “Hi, yes. I’m Mira.”
The man extends a hand to shake but chuckles when he realizes mine are full. “I’m Troy Roberts, the head coach for the Wolverines. Why don’t we put your stuff in the office, and I’ll give you a tour?”
“That sounds great.”
Troy smiles again and motions for me to follow him. He leads me to a small conference room where I leave my things on the table, then we walk through the arena. While telling me about the history of the building—how it started out as a field house and has been renovated several times—he points out areas of interest. He’s a fantastic tour guide, and his kind demeanor puts me at ease.
“Griffin said that you’re Maddox Graves’s sister?”
I nod.
Troy smiles. “He was always such a serious kid. Has that changed?”
“He’s engaged to the sweetest woman ever,” I reply. “So he’s still serious, but he’s less of a grump.”
That has the coach chuckling. “Yeah, I suppose he could be a little grumpy. And Griffin said you and he are…”
I try not to laugh at the way Troy is assessing me out of the corner of his eye. Not sure what Griffin told him, but since we’re coming clean to everyone we love next week, what’s the harm in telling the truth now? “We’re married. It’s kind of a secret.”
Troy’s eyes widen, as does the smile on his face. “You’re married? I knew that boy was being cagey with me. Hell, that’s fantastic news. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
