EPILOGUE
EASTON
July, Three Months Later
The summer heatbakes me alive while I allow Lainey and Reagan to lead me around town for “errands”. They’re doing a decent job with the secret they’re supposed to keep from me.
They haven’t realized I already found out about the surprise party Maya organized to celebrate my number one draft pick and the contract I signed with the Bruins.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy as fuck about achieving my dreams. I still can’t believe I’ll step on the ice at TD Garden wearing the jersey of mine and my dad’s favorite team. Fucking surreal.
And I think it’s sweet that she wants to surprise me just like she did a few months ago when she turned up in Boston to watch us win Frozen Four in person. That weekend is cemented in my mind as one of my favorite memories from the moment I found her waiting outside my hotel room to winning to celebrating with her all night long.
She’s gone through all the trouble to put this together, so I’m playing along for now.
What she doesn’t know is that I got the guys to help me double down for the real celebration: her early graduation.
We had dinner with her parents and brother after watching her walk with honors in the cap and gown ceremony in May. As much as she smiled that day at her accomplishment, there was a bittersweetness for her to go through it without her grandfather there to see it.
After the NHL draft, she was there for me when I went through the same thing, wishing Dad was with us to see another important moment of my life.
All we can do is carry them with us to get through the times we’d do anything to rewrite the universe to have one more minute with them.
I saw today’s party as the perfect opportunity to congratulate her with our friends. I’m so damn proud of my girl and I want her to get all the recognition she deserves for her hard work.
“Is that the last of it?” I ask when I accept another bag to carry for the girls.
Reagan checks her phone. “Looks like it. Thanks again for helping us out.” She pats my arm. “We appreciate you doing the heavy lifting when Alex had to bail on us.”
Yeah, I bet. Last I saw when I looked at the group text with the guys, Alex was helping Cameron season and marinate the meat for the grill.
“No problem.”
“Let’s drop this off at the house,” Lainey suggests.
I lift my eyes to the sky, begging Dad for the patience to finish playing along without giving myself away. I should’ve told the girls when they wrangled me into these errands to get me out of the house that I knew what was going on.
The walk back isn’t more than a few minutes, but I’m loaded down with everything we bought. Half of it I know is for the party, but I swear Lainey and Reagan picked out a bunch ofbooks at Derby Book Shop just to fuck with me because I’ve got to be carrying about thirty pounds worth of romance novels.
By the time we walk up the path to the house, I’ve definitely gotten arm day done.
They pause outside the door, making a show of petting Kit-cat stretched out in a puddle of sun. Reagan pretends to take a photo of the cat, except I’m tall enough to see her texting rather than using her camera app.
“Such a sweet girl,” Lainey coos louder than usual.
I cough to cover my snort. Is that the code phrase? They’re terrible at this whole distracting the guest of honor thing.
It’s not me, anyway, the real guest of honor is inside, probably finding a hiding spot to jump out at me as soon as I walk through the door. My lips twitch. I’m more than ready to see her.
At last, they reach for the door, peeking over their shoulders at me. I smirk.
As soon as it swings open, everyone shouts, “Surprise!”
Maya is nothing more than a blur flying at me from her spot at the bottom of the steps. I quickly set down the bags before she crashes against me. Locking my arms around her, I lift her up.
“What’s all this?” I ask despite knowing the answer.
The guys barely contain their amusement. Cameron brandishes grill tongs, gesturing to the hand-painted banner in Heston colors declaring#24 is #1 Congratulations Eastonwith the NHL and Bruins logos.
