Because he loves me.
Epilogue
HOLLY
One month later…
Egypt is going to be amazing.
We’re finally on the honeymoon I didn’t have the time or energy to plan. It’s been a busy month since the night they won the championship. There was a lot going on with the team but also in our own life.
We moved into our new house and started doing some renovations because there were details we didn’t think about when we bought it. In fact, we’re having the whole house painted and a decorator is updating the den to make it a home office for me. Viktor’s parents and Aunt Irina are staying there while we’re on our honeymoon, overseeing renovations and helping us get settled because it’s been a lot of work.
Papa is also volunteering at the sanctuary, keeping an eye on things there for us as well.
The deal with Gage went through without a hitch, and he helped me rename it: Henrietta’s Place—A Caldwell Indemnities Property. The paperwork allows me to change the name at any time, but why would I want to? My father nearly had a stroke when he discovered that Gage Caldwell now owns the land, sanctuary, and house. Not to mention that freshwater creek that runs through it. It was beautiful watching him squirm.
Gage also discovered that Nathan was the one who orchestrated the vandalism and break-in, and he’s been arrested. I didn’t get to watch it happen but I heard all about it from the attorney Gage hired. My father was somewhat apoplectic about that, too, although the investigation showed that my father didn’t actually have anything to do with it—Nathan took it upon himself to make it happen.
I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse about the whole thing. It means my father has at least a shred of dignity left, but there’s so much water under the bridge, I’m not sure where we go from here. Because he was also responsible for Nathan conning me out of my money.
It’s a lot.
At this point, we’re taking a break for a while. He’s annoyed I sold the property out from under his nose—he thinks Gage “invested” in the property as some kind of tax write-off—and I’m still pissed about everything that’s happened. Not to mention a lifetime of emotional abuse.
Honestly, I talk to my mother once a week or so, and that’s enough for me. I have a new set of parents now, especially Mr. Maslak. Papa, as I’m getting accustomed to calling him, has become an incredible support in my life, completely separate from Viktor.
Mama is getting better. She doesn’t dislike me, and we had a very teary conversation about that, she just envisioned something else in a daughter-in-law. I suppose that’s fair, but she’s giving me a chance so I’m extending the same to her.
And tonight I have a surprise for my sweet, sexy husband.
We’ve gotten extremely close over the last month. Talking and bonding and sharing everything. He’s going to take a formal immersive English course as soon as we get back from our honeymoon, that will last until hockey season starts up again.
Now all we want to do is enjoy Egypt—and each other.
We joked about the fact that we didn’t have a real wedding or a reception, so I think his mother is planning a party for us in Russia. We’re going there after our two weeks in Egypt and Jordan, and I’m genuinely excited about it. I want to see where Viktor is from, get a feel for his life and culture outside of hockey. And he’s promised me that his home is wherever I am. He’s willing to compromise about moving to Russia when he retires. It’s hopefully a long way off so we’re just going to build our life and not worry about everything else.
I pull the bridal veil out of my bag and manage to arrange it on my head. I have a feeling it’s going to fall off pretty quickly since that’s all I’m wearing other than really high heels. It might be a little cheesy but who says you can’t get silly on your honeymoon?
With a grin, I fluff my hair, switch off the light and step back into the hotel room.
Viktor
My breath catches when my gorgeous wife comes out of the bathroom. Then I grin as she sashays in my direction. I don’t know where the veil came from but it’s adorable on her.
“I like this look,” I say in a gruff voice, crooking my finger at her. “Come here.”
She walks painstakingly slowly, hips swaying from side to side until she gets to the bed. Then she steps out of her heels and crawls across the mattress toward me. Without hesitation she swings one of her long, silky legs over my groin and straddles me.
“Happy Honeymoon,” she says softly, leaning down to press her lips to mine.
We’ve had a lot of sex the last few weeks. Probably more than I’ve ever had in my life. And it’s fucking fantastic. In fact, everything about our relationship is pretty fantastic at the moment. We promised each other no more holding back, no secrets, no miscommunications. We have to talk about everything, and we have been.
She turned down the job in New York because the truth is, I don’t want her away from me and she doesn’t truly want that either. Our life is in Atlanta. Our new house, her grandmother’s house, the sanctuary—it’s all there. Not to mention our friends. We have a wonderful support system, a social life, and of course, hockey.
I talked her into spending her free time at the sanctuary instead of finding a job in finance, which I know she doesn’t love anyway.
And I’m pretty sure she’s happier than she’s ever been.
