Page 113 of Love Me Boldly

“They haven’t shot him yet.”

I blinked at Ashley. Trina shrugged.

Animals. My friends were all animals.

“Woo-freaking-hoo!” Tanner ran out of the hallway, stopped, and froze when he saw us. “Where are the guys?”

“Outsid—”

Before Trina could finish, Tanner ran at me and tossed me into the air. “I’m a freaking Carolina Ice King, Spitfire! I got it! I’ve made it!”

Tears poured out of my eyes before I could stop them, and I threw my arms around Tanner’s neck. “That’s amazing!”

“What’s going on?” Cole asked, standing in his doorway. He frowned at Tanner, probably because he was holding me.

“He did it!” I shouted to Graham, who was standing right next to him.

“No kidding!?”

“No shit! My agent just called!” Tanner shouted. He practically dropped me to the floor and I stumbled before righting myself. “I made it!” He threw his arms out in the air. “Who’s the man, now!”

Graham and Eli both rushed him, and soon the three were in a dog pile in a strange man’s living room, who was watching the mayhem with a smile on his face. Robbie was beside him, then in front of him.

“NOW it’s time to celebrate!”

He went to the kitchen. Beers were opened. Wine was poured. Even I had one. We celebrated Tanner’s great news. I cheered to my new friends, and soon, I found myself tucked off to the side with Cole.

“I like him,” he declared, so much like Trina but with more potential malice. “He’s good for you.”

I looked at Graham, shoving his hands through Tanner’s hair, and grinned up at Cole. “I’m going to marry him someday.”

His eyes widened with surprise and then crinkled at the edges as he smiled. “Good, because I’d kick your ass if you ever thought of letting him walk away.”

An arm looped around my lower back, and I was pulled to Graham’s side.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” I quickly said, because no way was I telling him what I just told Cole.

Cole’s smirk appeared slowly, taunting me. He looked at Graham. “Your future wedding.”

He sauntered away and went to shake Tanner’s hand again. Crazy how everyone had gotten along immediately. Guess I had good taste in friends.

“Our wedding?” Graham asked, a teasing tilt to his voice. “Has the broken but healed princess finally found her prince?”

Well, when he put it that way…

I smiled up at him, lifted to my toes and kissed him. “I’m pretty sure they’ll even live happily ever after.”

“You’re damn right they will.”

EPILOGUE

Five years later

My body beingclose to freezing and my hands almost always encased in gloves had become my favorite feeling. My favorite place above all other places was now the Crystal High School hockey arena.

Jonah handed a player a green water bottle and quickly scurried out of the way. At twelve, he was in the stage of acting too cool to do the things he did when he was younger, and still so much a child. It was hard to balance the expectations with his need to grow up while having the memory skills of a mouse. Hockey, in whatever form he could get it, playing, watching, or helping Graham, was still his favorite thing. The one constant thing about him I could count on.

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