Page 57 of SlapShot Sweetheart

“So long as we can laugh together and share moments like this – yes.”

“I love our moments,” he smiled tearfully as she wiped her eyes. “I just love being around you. You make me ‘appier than I’ve ever been – and I need that in my world.”

“I need you,” she wept and then laughed. “I’m sorry I’m emotional.”

“I am too,” he confessed, chuckling and pulling the pink unicorn ring from the box, moving to slide it onto her finger. The circle barely made it to her first knuckle, making them both laugh once more as they shared tearful smiles. “I love you.”

“Say it again, but in French.”

“Je t’aime, mon âme sœur…”

Aimee leaned toward Theo, desperately needing to kiss the man who owned her heart, and saw he was doing the same. Just before their lips met, he whispered ‘I love you’ once more to her and paused as they both heard a loud knock.

“That better be your ring,” he whispered.

“If it’s not, it will turn up,” she replied softly.

“How are you so calm?”

“Because I’m going to marry my mystery man.”

“Yes, you are,” he smiled, quickly kissing her before getting to his feet. Aimee rose to see who was at the door just as Theo was opening it – and smiled. She put her hand over her mouth, laughing, as several faces peered inside quickly.

“Did she say ‘yes’?”

“I wore my hockey mask for a reason…”

“You should,” Theo grumbled, chuckling.

“Aimee is our newbie?”

“Are you sure you wanna marry this big lug?”

“I want to hug my new little hockey sister since we’re like a big family…”

“I want cake…”

“Thierry! You’re gonna get your cake, dude – and you aren’t starving to death. Goodness, ya big ol’ baby.”

“Fat Clairol, I tell ya…”

“I’m gonna kill you, bro.”

“Thierry,” Aimee laughed, moving to Theo’s side so the team could enter her small house since they had shown up to celebrate with them. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any cake here. I could make some coffee or…”

“Boucher?”

“I got it…” the man grumbled, walking in with a tall box that had to be from a bakery, complete with a bow on top. Thierry walked in, right behind him, holding aloft two bottles of Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice, winking at her. Giroux entered holding Becca’s hand, who had a hand on her belly and smiling apologetically.

“No champagne for the baby…”

“It’s fine,” Aimee chuckled, hugging her new friend happily – only to see Coeur behind her, wagging his eyebrows and holding aloft another bottle. Actual champagne – and not the cheap stuff either.

Dom Perignon.

“This ‘baby’ is having a glass of bubbly with his new Hockey sister,” Coeur chuckled and winked at her. “Unless you are about to announce that you are pregnant, too?”

“No,” Aimee and Theo said in unison, making the others laugh as they poured into the house, making themselves right at home. Her tiny kitchen was full of big hockey guys before she knew it. They were talking, laughing, and cutting up with each other as Becca spotted Éclair and Donut looking up at them warily from the hallway.

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