Page 94 of The Penalty

“A picnic in the park was a fantastic idea. I think this is the nicest day we’ve had since we moved here.” She squeezes my hand, which eases the shaking a little.

I need her closer, so I slide my hand out of hers, pulling her in tight to my side. It’s not easy to walk this way, but so worth it to feel her comforting weight pressed against my side. Knowing she’s here with me makes me feel safer than I ever have.

This past year has been a wild ride. We made it to the second round of the playoffs before losing our spot to Edmonton. That hurt, but they’ve got a mature, well-balanced team, and we’re in a rebuilding year. Everything about my first pro season was intense. The competition, the uncertainty, the travel. It’sso much better with Cece able to come along for a lot of the away games. She’s been doing freelance graphic design work while working on her graphic novel series with Anna. I couldn’t be luckier to have a girlfriend with such a flexible job. I’ve seen how hard it is on some of the guys who have to constantly leave their wives, girlfriends, and children behind. I don’t know if I could handle that.

But she’s my home now. My constant. And she has been since the day we graduated. College already seems like a distant dream, but I’m thrilled that Beau’s in town. He’s only staying for a couple days before he has to head back for training camp, but what’s the off season for if you can’t spend it visiting old friends?

The closer we get to the picnic site, the faster my heart is pounding. Spots blur my vision, and my head gets fuzzy. I drag in a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

She tilts her head up, catching my gaze. “What’s up? You’re quieter than usual. Is something wrong?”

My smiles come easier now. Especially when she’s around. “No. Everything is perfect. You’re perfect.”

She giggles. “I’m not perfect.”

“You’re perfect to me.”

She leans into me in a gentle shove.

I slip my hand into my pocket for maybe the hundredth time today.

The sun glinting off Beau’s dark blond hair is the first hint that this isn’t one of the quiet picnics for two we love to share.

“Is that?” She holds her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun, squinting. “Beau?”

And she’s off, breaking into a sprint and hurling her arms around her brother.

She’s talking at the speed of light, getting him all caught up on her graphic novel sales and asking him how he’s been.

I catch up to them, tapping her on the shoulder. “Cece, look over there.”

She follows the finger I’m pointing at the shoulder, falling silent.

There’s a balloon arch leading into the shelter in every shade of pink and gold. And through it, her friends start emerging. Anna and Blake showed up, along with Georgia, all the way from her new home in New York City. Some of my current teammates and their significant others she’s gotten friendly with. And a few more former members of the Lightning showed up. JJ’s got a huge grin on his face, and his hair has gotten unruly since I last saw him.

Fear hits me when I turn to see tears chasing each other down her cheeks.

I lean down to whisper in her ear. “Cupcake. You okay?”

“Yes. They’re happy tears. It’s a lot though. I wasn’t expecting this. It’s not my birthday or anything.”

As we’ve been chatting, I slowly shifted her toward the balloon arch until we’re standing directly under it.

“No. It’s not your birthday, but I hope you’ll remember this day for the rest of your life.”

Her eyes widen to impossible pools of deep blue, and her mouth drops open. “Dev?”

I drop to one knee in front of her, and all the chatter of our friends stops. Now the only sound are the birds singing to each other from the trees, and the wind rustling through the leaves.

“Cecelia Whitaker, will you marry me?”

Laughter wars with her tears, and she wipes them away with a shaky hand. “Yes. A million times, yes.”

The ring is extravagant, but elegant. The large round stone in the center is set into a double band of tiny diamonds. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one. Its sparkle matches hers.

“Can I have your hand?”

“Right. Sounds important.”

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