“I meant every word,” I promise and place a kiss on the curve of her shoulder. “I meant every word,” I repeat and press a kiss to her collarbone. I don’t stop until I’m back at her mouth.
Isla’s lips grow into a satisfied smirk against my mouth. “Me too.”
Then we tangle into one another, not sure where our limbs start or end. We crumble in one another’s arms, forgetting that we should have been more careful, but it’s a chance worth taking if it means I don’t need to leave her warmth.
I stay inside, and I drop back onto the mattress, keeping Isla flush to my body.
“Shit, I wish I didn’t have to leave.”
She shushes my mouth with her long finger. “Stop it. Hockey is who you are, and we’ll be here when you get back. Plus, Declan already said that we can join you on his plane; the perks of being an owner, I guess.”
I didn’t realize how much I needed her to say all of this. It’s true, a lot of the times, I won’t be flying with the team or coach so Declan and I can talk freely.
Inside my brain I’m figuring out what flowers to send or what our next outing will be, ignoring that our phones will become our main method of communication. A beacon of light hits me when I imagine Isla at the home games, there to support me.
It’s only positive things ahead, especially since she reassures me that she’ll be waiting for me.
How the hell did I miss it all those months ago that Isla was going to be more than a friend with benefits? I believe, though, that this is how it was all supposed to be.
I’m fairly confident that even though I never found the one before, I do not need to look further, as she is standing right before me. For the first time, I’m beginning to realize what this is.
She’s a gamechanger.
I just don’t tell her and instead kiss her with full force, catching her off guard.
But in my head, I’m beginning to be certain that this is what love is.
26
ISLA
With a baby wrapped around my middle, I’m sitting up near the owner’s box where I float between the box and stands to watch the late-afternoon early-season home game. I can’t control the complete contentment inside of me. Everything seems to have fallen into place in life. A far cry from a few months ago when my life seemed to have been unpredictable about what path I would end up on.
The past few weeks since Vaughn and I have made it clear that we want to do it all when it comes to us, a relief I didn’t know I needed hit me. Now our days are filled with texts, occasional nights, and if he isn’t in the owner’s box, then I get to stare at him where he’s sitting behind the team on occasion, focused on the game.
“Getting used to the new routine?” Hadley asks as she sits by my side, watching her husband like a hawk.
“Completely. So far, it’s easier than I expected. Probably because I seem to subconsciously work around Vaughn’s schedule.”
“That’s how hockey wives tend to do it. So, you’ve been officially upgraded to girlfriend status, but do you think one day you will get an even better title?” She casually throws that in.
I scoff a laugh. “That’s probably not on our minds any time soon. I’m thankful it never once came up during the whole pregnancy and having a baby. Vaughn never went all ‘we must get married because it’s the right thing to do.’”
“No, he just forced you to move out of your home and to sleep in his bed which you thoroughly enjoy, I’m sure.” She gives me a straight-laced look before she flashes her eyes at me.
My head lolls to the side from her humor. “We are sticking to our pace, okay? Besides, not all happy couples see marriage as the be all and end all.”
“That is also true. However, I don’t know… you both seem to be bringing out this different side that I’ve never seen from either one of you. You both seem to be surprising all of us.”
I bite my inner cheek from the remark because it’s overtly true. “I can’t deny it. We found our road, and now we’re just enjoying the ride, no need to speed.”
We both look down at our men, Connor racing down the ice and Vaughn standing near the coaching staff in a suit. I’m confident I’ve always enjoyed hockey because of the men in suits before and after games.
Occasionally he glances back to search for us and then winks. It’s subtle and nearly a secret message. Kind of cute too.
“I’m relieved this is the last pre-season game and now we get a tiny break before the season kicks off,” I mention.
Hadley gently touches the top of Nora’s head who is tucked away. “I bet. Family time and alone time. We cherish these moments even more. It will be good for you and Vaughn. You’re supportive of him, and right now it might feel like his needs are more important, but the sports mindset is a species in itself. He wants everything to go positively for the team.”
