I lifted her hand above her head and made her twirl into me. She let out a tinkling laugh.
“After everyone gets their plate, we can go back to the kitchen and help ourselves,” she whispered up tome.
“Not worried about it. I’m enjoying myself, miss,” I assured her and rubbed circles around her lower back.
“Even though I made you put a suit back on?” She arched an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t mind. I love wearing suits. My junior hockey team used to compete to see who could look the freshest walking into the rink. I never won, but I think I rock it, yeah?” I smoothed my suit jacket.
She patted my chest and the corners of her mouth curved up. She looked like she was about to say something back, but noise erupted through her headset, and she put a finger up to me to let me know she’d be back in aminute.
During one of the rehearsal dinner speeches, I got the call I’d been waiting for.
I felt my phone buzz in my suit jacket pocket and quietly left the dining room. I wandered out to the sidewalk that I had practically chased Ellie down on the day I was supposed to leave for Minnesota after Grey’swedding.
“Vinny,” Coach barked when I answered.
“Yes, sir?”
“Detroit. We fly out in the morning. I’ll see you at the arena. Sunday, 8amsharp.”
He disconnected the call before I could even thank him, and I was left standing there with my jaw practically on the floor.
I knew when I signed the two-way contract that I could potentially be on the team. But this confirmation was everything.
I was officially on the roster.
I had my shot in the NHL.
Ellie walked out then, wearing a hesitant look on her face, probably wondering why I exited the room so fast.
I ran toward her, scooped her little self up, and swung her around in a circle. When I set her back down on the ground, I dipped her and gave her a dramatic kiss. She smiled against my lips.
“What’s got you so happy?” she asked, reaching up to my lips to wipe some of her lipstick off.
“I’m officially on the team. I made it. I’m a Detroit Crewman,” I said, still shocked that those words were coming from my mouth.
Her face stretched into a bright smile, but it didn’t make it up to her eyes.
“Happy for you,” she said, placing her hand on mycheek.
I turned my head to kiss her delicate, warm hand before pulling her up out of the dip.
I ushered her forward and started to walk us back into the dining room.
“Better here than Vancouver where I woulda been,” I told her. I looked down at her serious face. I could tell that brain of hers was going a mile a minute. “Detroit’s only four hours from here. You’ll come cheer me on, right?”
“Is that an invite, Hockey Boy?” she asked, slyly side-stepping the question.
I stopped and brought her hand to my lips for a kiss. “Itis.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Such ayoumove, Theodore.” But she couldn’t hide her smile from me.
“You know you like it. Don’t be a brat, Brampton,” I told her.
She gasped, “I am not abrat!”
“Yes. You are a brat, and I am the brat tamer,” I said with a cocky smile.
