Page 90 of The Coach

I was done.

While the feeling was bittersweet, I was ready to move on to bigger and better things.

I was able to re-secure my job with Erik and the team at the clinic, and we were well on our way with our outreach to get the veteran program up and running. Erik was excited about its potential, and I plan on making it my entire personality as soon as I can.

Tanner was thrilled for me, and I was thrilled for him.

In his first year as a head coach for the Vapors, he was able to claim the championship title, even with a new director. That’s right, the Vapors went all the way, landing some amazing deals for some of the guys. Two of Lincoln’s friends were picked up by agents and three different players were looking at getting drafted for the NHL.

Lincoln himself had some interest; he was hoping to leave college for it. But our parents were against that.

Lincoln could go against that advice, he could just sign with someone and get out of dodge, but I had a feeling he would follow through with school.

The school seemed to have no problem with Tanner’s public announcement that he and I were an item, and it seemed that the school was rooting for us. Whenever we were at games, several people stopped me to chat, a lot of them saying how much they love us together.

There were even some signs up around the rink, fans writing things to the other players. Like Hansley, be the Mitchum to my Ellis!

The guys gave Ezra Hansley a bunch of shit for that one, according to my brother. And then they turned it around and made jokes to Lincoln about his last name matching mine and him dating his coach. That probably bothered him more than me hiding an entire relationship, but I was enjoying it, nonetheless.

The reception had been positive enough that we were able to put it behind us and move forward.

And now, I was sitting in a row with my fellow students, getting ready to walk across that stage and end our educational careers for the last time.

My friends and family were in the audience, Tanner’s folks as well.

We were so loved, and our families were more supportive than I would have guessed. Our parents now got together for bi-weekly card games, the pair of them hitting it off right away, and Tanner’s dad getting mine excited about the idea of future grandchildren.

Maybe they would be okay with a fur grandbaby for now.

We had a lot to do, to get going, before we talked about kids. But that was okay. I knew that Tanner would be happy if it happened now, but I also knew he was more than okay with waiting until I felt the time was right.

I stand with my row, getting ready to walk across the stage. The cheers from different sections of the audience rise and fall with each name called, happy smiles are all around, and a feeling of contentedness falls over me.

This was it.

The last step.

I was more than ready for it.

TANNER

I watch her grin, her smile overtaking her face as she lets them place her hood over her neck and shakes hands with the dean. She did it.

My girl did it.

I stand at the edge of the stage as planned, waiting for her to make her way to me. Her hand flies to her forehead after she walks away from him, her cheeks red with happiness and excitement.

It takes a moment for it to register with her that I’m standing there, and when she sees me, she takes the last few steps off the stairs at a higher speed, leaping into my arms.

“What are you doing down here?” I grip her in my arms tightly at her question.

When I pull back, I smile at her and say, “Any guesses?”

Her mouth drops open at me, and I know she figured it out already. This is not a big surprise. There was no elaborate plan or agenda or worry about how I was going to do it.

“Are you…” Her head tilts to the side, her smile still in place, but a quizzical look crosses her face.

I just smile and sink down to my knee, pulling the ring out of my pocket and holding it up for her. “Micayla, from the moment I met you, I wanted to be with you. You make me laugh and have fun again. I want to continue to laugh and have fun for the rest of my life. So, I think you should marry me.”

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