After that, with a goal on the board and none for the opposition, the Dragons hung farther back, shoring up the defense to make sure Vegas didn’t have a chance of scoring. Alec’s parents and I counted down the minutes until the whistle blew, the timer stopped counting down, and it was official. We’d won.
On the ice, Cromwell slammed into Alec, slinging his arm around his shoulder. Alec hugged him back and then pushed him away lightly, circling around to congratulate each of his teammates in turn. The guys who’d been on the bench loaded onto the ice and the next thirty seconds were a whirl of whoops as they celebrated.
Once the excitement died down, Alec circled around to the penalty box, tore off his helmet, and blew a kiss at me. My heart fluttered. My cheeks must have been fire engine red as I caught the kiss and blew him one back, using both of my hands to send it winging toward him.
He was so sweet. God, I adored him.
The players cooled down. We vacated the stands, hoping to exchange a few words with Alec on his way to the changeroom, but his coach had caught him, and their heads were together as they talked.
We waited outside, but when Alec re-emerged, he didn’t join us. Instead, he walked alongside Coach Alan, clad in a smart navy suit and a white shirt that brought out the glowing tan of his skin. He slipped me a secret smile as they passed.
“He must be doing press,” his Mom said, a complicated mix of disappointment and excitement crossing her face. No doubtshe was disappointed she’d have to wait to hug her son but thrilled he’d been chosen as the team’s ambassador for the day.
We followed the pair to the media room and watched from outside as they fielded questions. Alec spoke well, but that shouldn’t be surprising considering he’d had a lifetime of experience.
One of the reporters near the back spotted us through the glass and seemed to be deciding whether to sneak out and try to get a sound bite from either me or Alec’s dad, a former NHL great. Fortunately, Coach Alan spoke at that moment, capturing her attention.
“We’ll take one last question,” he said.
“Yeah.” Alec grinned. “Much as I like talking to you guys, the love of my life is waiting.”
My heart lifted, and my soul felt light. He meant me. That gorgeous, successful man lovedme.
Several hands flew up. Coach Alan pointed at a short, slim woman near the front.
She cleared her throat. “Your next game is against the Chicago Chaos. What do you expect the outcome to be?”
Alec stayed silent, letting Coach Alan respond.
“The Chaos aren’t having a particularly clean season,” the coach said, surprisingly tactfully. Everyone knew the Chaos were a hot mess. “We’re playing well, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t win the game. Thank you all for coming, and for your support.”
He backed away from the microphone and gestured toward the door. Alec went ahead of him. As soon as he strode into the corridor, I raced over to him and threw myself into his arms. He closed them around me and kissed me. Something flashed around us—perhaps the photographers trying to capture a feel-good moment. We both ignored them.
“I love you,” he said against my lips, echoing his earlier sentiment from during the interview.
I snuggled closer, soaking in the comfort provided by his broad chest. “I love you too.”
He gazed into my eyes, and everything inside me settled. All felt right with the world. I was in love with my best friend and he loved me back. Not many people were as lucky as us.
“Let’s get out of here,” he murmured.
I took his hand, more than happy to follow him anywhere. “I thought you’d never ask.”
EPILOGUE – JUNE, THE FOLLOWING YEAR
ALEC
The sun beamed down on us from a clear blue sky as I pulled into a park in front of Tranquility Bay Resort.
Tally angled herself toward me, a furrow between her brows betraying her confusion. “Here?”
I turned the key to kill the engine. She’d allowed me to surprise her with this postseason getaway to Hawaii. She’d insisted on knowing our destination but had let me keep the details to myself, such as the hotel we’d be staying at.
I took her hand. “I know this place might have some bad memories for you, so if you want to leave, that’s okay, but it’s also where we got together. We shared so many of our firsts as a couple here, and I wouldn’t trade those for anything.”
Her expression softened. “This is perfect. I hardly even remember the not-so-great parts of our last stay here anymore. We never did get back to that bakery either, and I’d love to visit it again.”
We got out and unloaded our suitcases. It was summer now and much hotter than it had been during our previous stay, so a line of sweat sprang up on my forehead almost immediately.To be fair, it might not only be the heat making me sweat. The nerves weren’t helping matters.
