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She blinked open those gorgeous brown eyes, stepping closer when she noticed my tattoo. “What?” she gasped, her fingers hovering over the revised design. When she met my gaze, her eyes were full of emotion. “That was your first tattoo. A reminder that you forge your own path.”
The compass used to be blank, but I’d had the tattoo artist add a face. The arrow was pointing to a number 8 that had been added to the map to represent Logan, my true north.
I took her hand in mine, placing it over my heart. “It’s still a reminder of all of that. And while I didn’t want to believe I was lost, I think part of me was—until you. You are my family. My true north.”
“It’s beautiful.” She sniffled. “Truly.”
I swiped away her tear, kissing her. She cupped the back of my neck, and I could feel her gratitude, her passion, and her love.
“Is that why you’ve been sleeping in a T-shirt lately?” she asked. When I nodded, she laughed. “I’d been wondering.”
“If it weren’t for all our away games lately, I would’ve been screwed.”
She slid her hands down my back until they were cupping my ass. “Mm. You’re already half undressed. Maybe we should just stay here.”
I chuckled. “We are not bailing on your family for our first Christmas together.”
The look she gave me as I started to put my shirt back on was so full of longing that I nearly caved.
“Fine. But are you sure you’re okay with spending the holidays with my family?” she asked as we grabbed the gifts and locked up.
I brought her hand to my lips, dusting a kiss over the tops of her knuckles. “Of course. Why? Are you having doubts?”
“It’s strange to see you and my brother getting along.”
I was still trying to wrap my head around it myself. I’d been stunned when Levi had been waiting with Logan in the tunnel after the game the other night. He’d greeted Boone and some of the other guys, congratulated me on the win, then asked if we could talk. Talk!
We’d had an honest conversation. It had been hard but necessary, and it felt as if we were finally able to close that painful chapter.
I laughed as Logan and I reached my car. “Yeah. It’s strange for me too, but it’s nice.”
It was actually a huge weight off my shoulders. Yes, it felt good for my sake—to have Levi back in my life. To know that he wanted to repair our relationship. But it meant more to me that he and Logan were talking again. I knew how important he was to her, how much she’d missed him over the past few months.
We’d spent Christmas Eve at a historic theater watching classic Christmas movies—Logan, her parents, Levi, and Alan. It hadn’t been as awkward as I’d feared. And Logan’s parents didn’t seem to hate me, though they had every right to.
When we arrived at their Huxley Grand suite, Alan opened the door. He took the packages from Logan, hugging her before shaking my hand. Logan’s dad waved from the kitchen. Levi was sitting on the couch with his mom, watching highlights from the Hawks game.
“Mm.” Levi pointed at the screen. “Your gap control could’ve been better.”
Logan nodded, pointing at me with a smug grin. “Told you.”
I groaned, but I was smiling as I did it. “I already have one Frost sibling telling me what to do. Now I get another?”
“Welcome to the family,” Logan’s mom said, wrapping her arm around me.
This was what a family was supposed to be like. Warm, loving, sometimes awkward. But always full of support and acceptance. And I was grateful to be part of it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Fourteen Months Later
“Come on, Logan. You’ve got this.” I blocked out the curious stares of the nearby fans, the cameras, and concentrated on the ice.
Logan was playing for Team USA in a contentious gold medal matchup with Team Canada. It had been hyped on TV even more than the men’s game, and the turnout was phenomenal. The seats were packed, and I’d never seen so many jerseys with her name and number on them.
I could feel the cameras watching us, watching me, but I tried to tune them out and focus on Logan and the game. People had been interested in us and our story, especially after the men’s team took gold a few days ago. We’d had so many opportunities come our way since being selected for the Olympic team, and I was excited about the possibilities. But for now, I just wanted to enjoy this moment. Enjoy sitting in the stands and watching the woman I loved absolutely dominate on the ice.
“Did you see that move?” Levi asked with a grin. “That was some sick stickhandling.”