Our breathing leveled out, and I broke the connection between our bodies, shifting until I was curled up against his side.
“You want me to ask Larry down at Pipes if he’s got any management positions open?” Sasha’s voice broke through the silence.
I lifted my heavy head, resting my chin on his shoulder. “You would seriously be okay if I kept working in a bar?”
He stared down at me. “I only want you to be happy.”
Sighing, I admitted, “I worked in a bar because I wasn’t qualified to do much else. It’s not like I went to college.”
“Then maybe that’s your next step,” Sasha suggested. “Take a beat, find what interests you, and chase your dreams.”
Excitement coursed through my veins at the idea of having choices. “Really?”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Of course. I can’t wait to watch you spread your wings and fly, baby. I’m just the lucky bastard who gets to stand by your side to cheer you on every step of the way.”
Extending my neck, I pressed my lips to his jaw, whispering, “Thank you for never giving up on me. I know I didn’t make it easy.”
His chest vibrated with his low chuckle. “You can say that again. But nothing worth having is easy. If it were, you’d never learn to appreciate it.” Turning his face, he kissed my temple. “I’d have waited forever for you, you know that, right?”
The crazy thing was that I did. “Yeah.”
“You were the one I was always meant to find. The day I saw you for the first time, it was like the world shifted, and I was living for the first time.”
Shame rushed to the surface, and I averted my gaze. “I was so mean to you.”
Tucking a finger beneath my chin, he forced me to look him in the eye. “Yeah, but I kinda liked it.” He smirked. “You stood up for yourself, not allowing anyone to push you around, and I respected that.”
His blue eyes sparked, shining with how much love he held for me—a love I hadn’t felt I deserved until recently.
“And you know what?”
I arched an eyebrow. “What?”
“It’s a unique, special story, and I’m beyond proud to call it ours.”
I’d never thought I could feel a joy like this, being loved for who I truly was, having a man who not only accepted my flawsbut celebrated them. A partner who would champion my life goals, no matter what they happened to be.
Who knew losing my temper over someone cutting the line at the DMV, of all places, would land me the love of my life?
Epilogue
Goose
Five Months Later
“Babe, are you readyto go? We’re gonna be late!” I shouted from the entryway of our house, gift bag in hand.
We were headed to Speed Arena for a special pre-season celebration.
Dakota and Braxton’s gender reveal.
Braxton hadn’t been kidding when he told me they began trying as soon as Kit was born and Dakota officially came down with baby fever. It was barely a few months later that they announced their pregnancy to our tight-knit little group and were due in January. Today, we would discover whether the newest Speed baby was a boy or a girl.
A lot had happened in the past few months.
I was back on my feet—literally—and was making great progress toward playing hockey again. The trainers thought it might be a few more months yet, but I considered myself lucky that I would be able to get back into the game at all.
Gemma took some time to evaluate her options, and instead of attending college, she chose to volunteer at a local domestic violence shelter. She was happier than ever, knowing she was making a difference in the lives of women and children who had been mistreated by men who were supposed to care for them.
