Page 130 of Cole

It was the perfect start to the new year.

“Are you having a good time?” Cole asked as they left the ice for a break.

“I am,” she assured him. “It was nice to leave the tension at the house behind.”

“It’s a stressful situation all around,” Cole said. “I just wish I could be here for you while you’re dealing with it.”

“Me, too,” Annie said. “But just knowing that my dad is no longer objecting to us being together, makes me so happy.”

“I’ll only be a phone call away,” Cole said. “So if you need to talk, you just have to call me.”

Annie slipped her arm around his waist and leaned her head on his chest as he hugged her with one arm. She would miss him so much when he left the next day, but she was happy for the time they’d had together.

“Maybe you can come to a home game in January,” Cole said. “Bring Benji. Skylar and Aiden have been talking about coming for a game at some point as well. You could all come together.”

Though she didn’t know Skylar or Aiden well, Annie would use any excuse to see Cole. And maybe it was time for her to get to know them better. They were important to Cole, so she’d probably be spending more time with them in the future.

The future…

It was amazing to consider that maybe one day they’d be able to take the next step. She couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than being Cole’s wife someday.

It was now part of her prayer requests. That marrying Cole would be God’s will for her, and she also prayed that God would prepare her for that role.

During conversations they’d had recently, she’d gotten the feeling that Cole’s faith was becoming more important to him, and it was an answer to another of her prayers.

So while they would part again the next day, she had more confidence in their relationship now, and she’d count down the days until she could see him again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Saying goodbye to Cole the next morning was the hardest thing for Annie. It should have been easier since their relationship was more solid than ever, but for some reason, that made it even harder.

Annie stood by the car, fighting the urge to cling to him as the frosty January air swirled around them. The morning had dawned crisp and clear, the winter sunlight doing little to warm the day but casting Cole’s handsome features in golden light.

“Text me when you land?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Cole nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “Of course.” He reached for her hands, unclasping them and threading his fingers through hers. “This isn’t getting easier, is it?”

“No,” she admitted with a small laugh that caught in her throat. “I thought it would, but…”

“But now that we’ve spent more time together, we know what we’re missing,” he finished for her.

Her family had given them space that morning, so they’d shared a quiet conversation over breakfast, savoring their final moments together before Thomas would take him back to her dad’s private jet which would whisk him back to his other life—the one filled with games, practices, and media obligations. The life she only glimpsed through screens and photographs.

Cole pulled her into his arms, his familiar warmth enveloping her, chasing away the cold, if only temporarily. “I had an amazing time with you these past few days.”

“Even with all the family drama?”

“Especially with the family drama,” he said, his voice rumbling against her ear. “It’s all part of who you are.”

Annie leaned back to look up at him. “You’re too good for me, Cole Halverson.”

“Not possible.” His hand came up to cradle her face, thumb brushing across her cheekbone. “I’ll be counting the days until we see each other again.”

The driver cleared his throat discreetly from beside the car, a gentle reminder that time was slipping away. Cole had to be back in LA for team practice later that day, so he couldn’t put off leaving.

Cole cupped her face in his hands. “I meant what I said on New Year’s Eve. I love you, Annie. That’s not changing whether we’re together or apart.”

“I love you too,” she whispered, blinking back the threatening tears. She refused to send him off with the image of her crying. “Go be amazing. I’ll be watching.”

---