I press a warm kiss to her lips before sitting next to her and pulling her back with me. “Thank God for bridge then.”
“Maybe we can have a double date and they can teach us how to play.”
I tickle her side. “What, so you can be better at it than I am?”
“Stop it!” she laughs. “I can’t help if I get Nan’s natural talent at winning games.”
“Luck. It’s all luck,Stephanie.”
She throws one leg over me and rests her elbows on either side of my head. “I guess it was a stroke of luck the two of us met.”
“I guess it was.” I tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’ll take that luck.”
Stevie looks down at me with nothing but love.
I’m not the hockey player with a history to her. I’m just Bode. Our future is whatever we want to make it. With Caleb and two crazy grandmothers.
It’s more than I ever could have asked for.
Epilogue
STEVIE - THREE MONTHS LATER
“You know, I’m happy we have a night out together, but is it weird I miss Caleb?”
Bode stuffs his phone in his suit pants pocket as he helps me out of the car. “No. Because I just got ripped a new one from Gran for checking on him. Again.”
I smile, linking my hand with Bode’s. “Well, we are going to have some drinks tonight. Dance.”
Bode pulls me in front of him, burying his face in my neck. “Maybe make out a bit on the way home.”
Heat gathers in my core at the thought of it.
“Mmm. Yes, please.”
“Hopefully it’s a fast wedding.”
I laugh at that. “I don’t think any wedding is fast.”
“Damn. And here I was hoping we could sneak away for a bit.”
“Well, I’m not saying we can’t do that. But maybe let’s wait until after dinner.”
“Right.”
Walking with him down the sidewalk toward the park where Dax’s brother is getting married, I see the guys and Harper standing around a high-top table.
“Finally. What took you guys so long?” Harper says by way of greeting. “Just leaving me here with the guys.”
“Sorry.” I greet her with a side hug and a peck on the cheek. “Caleb was fussy about dinner.”
Harper reaches behind her and grabs a glass of champagne to hand over. “Well, you’re here now and you look gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” I take a swig of the bubbly drink before looking down at my dress once again. When Bode told me the dress code, I opted to buy something new.
A formal wedding called for a floor-length navy dress with a thigh-high slit and a sweetheart neckline.
If Bode had convinced me to go back upstairs after he saw me in this dress, we would have been even later.
