“What are these?” She’s studying the printouts I was looking at earlier with a slight frown on her face.
“My assistant sent them over this afternoon. They’re houses for sale in this area and towards Bayside.”
“Oh.” Her eyes scan the pages as I come up behind her and place my chin on her shoulder.
“Which one is your favorite?”
“My favorite?”
“Well, yeah, I want your opinion.”
She scans through the houses and stops at the one I was considering before she walked in and distracted me with those scrubs.
“Well, I guess it depends. How much space do you want?”
“Enough to fill a hockey team. I mean, two isn’t enough, three isn’t even for teams, so I was thinking enough room for four kids and a dog. Of course, your feral cat can come too.”
She whirls around with her blue eyes wide with shock.
“You didn’t really think I would buy a house and not bring you with me, did you? I have to admit, the kid thing did scare the shit out of me at first. I never let myself even dream about having a family one day. I didn’t think it would ever be in the cards for me, but I love kids and work with them all the time at camps. Besides, they will be half you, so they can’t turn out all bad. It doesn’t seem so scary now that I have you,” I shrug.
I know I’m rambling, but part of me is nervous that I might be moving too fast for her, but I’ve never been a patient man. I feel like I’ve already wasted years being away from her, and I don’t want to waste any more.
“What are you saying, Knox?” Her eyes brim with tears as I lift her onto the counter and step in closer.
“I’m saying that this is your future if you want it. I want to do this right and ask your dad and brothers first, but I need you to know that this is where I’m headed. The house, the kids, the whole fucking white picket fence if that’s what you want. I want to give it all to you.”
She glances down at the house again, and I feel it deep in my bones that this is the one. “It has a library,” I smile, already picturing her sitting in there reading, covered in the cozy blankets she loves. “And it’s right between your work and the rink.”
“I know,” she whispers. “I’ve driven by this house before. It’s beautiful.” Her eyes lift to mine, and I’m drawn into her light once more. There’s not an ounce of pain left in them, and I thank God every day that I was given this chance to help take it all away. “You know I want this future with you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
I feel like a thousand of my prayers have been answered at once as my heart completely soars out of my chest. “Then all you have to do is say yes when I ask you, and it’s all yours, sunshine,” I grin and wipe away her tears.
“Just like that,” she laughs.
“Just like that,” I say, taking the paper from her hand. My movement stills when I see the address.
22 Grace Drive.
“What is it?” Savi peers at the paper in my hand.
“Look at the address,” I whisper, my throat too tight with emotions.
“Oh my God,” she says, looking up at me with shock before a beautiful smile breaks out on her face. “It’s your number and your mom’s name. It’s a sign she’s leading you there.”
“I can feel her,” I manage to get out past the warmth that just flooded my body. Her presence surrounds me as I feel the lovethat I once felt as a child, immediately recognizing it as hers. “She’s with me.”
Savi wraps her arms around me tightly, and I sink into her.
“She’s always been with you, Knox. You just had to open your heart to be able to feel her,” she whispers.
“Yeah, I’m starting to believe that.” I breathe in Savi’s scent and say a silentthank youto my mom because after tonight, there’s no doubt she sent Savi to save me.
THIRTY-ONE
SAVI
“We need to tell your brothers,”he says through the phone as I lean back in my office chair. “They are going to know something is up. I’m walking around with a damn smile on my face all the time, and the whole team has already figured it out,” he mutters. “You’ve turned me into that heart-eye emoji, and my reputation as a hard-ass on the ice is going to be ruined.”
