Page 125 of Grumpy Darling

She nodded, a sense of resolve and pride brightening her features. It couldn’t have been easy for her to stand up to her mom, or tear up the list she’d worked so hard on. But I felt confident she’d do just fine without it.

“The list wasn’t all bad,” I said. “It kind of helped bring us together after all.”

Paige blushed and ducked back into my arms. “You’re right. Kissing you is the one thing on that list I’m happy to commit to for the long-term.”

If there was any room left in my bursting heart, the gratitude I was feeling right now would have caused it to overflow. Despite everything that had happened, I’d never felt luckier. I still had an injury to recover from and a letter of intent to sign, and I knew the next few months weren’t going to be easy. But I also knew I wasn’t going to face it alone. And right now, my future felt brighter than ever before, because I had a girl who made it all worth fighting for.

Epilogue

Grayson

I was right about my knee; it kept me out of action for far longer than my concussion. Coach Ray and my dad set me up with a specialist who recommended surgery if I wanted to make a full recovery and be fighting fit for my first season with the Ryker Raiders. I had to spend a few weeks on crutches followed by the start of a months-long program of physical therapy to build my knee back to full strength. As a result, instead of being out on the ice right now, I was sitting on the bench watching my teammates play the Sunshine Hills Saints in the state championship game.

Most people in my position would have been heartbroken, jealous even. My high school hockey career had been cut short at the last minute, and I was missing out on what would have been the biggest game of my life so far. Missing out on one final chance to play with the Ransom Devils—my friends and both my brothers.

Despite all that, I was okay. Just a few months ago, I had been in constant pain because of my knee. But the anxiety I’d suffered every time I pulled on my skates to play a game had been far worse than any physical pain. I’d been terrified my knee would finally break down and my career would be over for good, and I’d hidden that fear from everyone around me for so long.

Now, because I’d finally opened up about my injury, both the physical and mental anguish were gone, and all that remained was excitement for the future. Sitting on the bench wasn’t where I’d expected to be today, but if I was out there playing on my injured knee, I knew I’d be in a much worse place.

Hockey wasn’t the only reason I was optimistic about the future. The main reason was sitting right next to me, watching the Devils take to the ice.

Paige was at the hospital every day while I’d recovered from my concussion, and then she held my hand through practically every step of my knee surgery. And, of course, she was the first person I wanted to embrace when I finally put pen to paper on my scholarship with Ryker.

I knew coming clean about my knee was the right decision. But that was nothing compared to my decision to finally reveal my feelings for Paige. I’d really hit the jackpot with that one.

As always, she looked beautiful tonight, dressed in her red Devils jersey. Her hair was tied back, but loose tendrils kept escaping her ponytail and spilling across her face. She was tapping a pen against her lip as she watched the start of the game, occasionally scribbling on her notepad as she prepared her next article for the school paper.

She’d finally found a passion that stuck, and had quickly become Bonnie’s top student sports journalist. Her candid interviews with the team had become a regular feature in the paper and were eagerly anticipated by the entire school, especially during the playoffs. She’d been writing articles and filming videos of us for social media throughout the weekend-long state tournament and had pretty much earned herself an honorary spot on the team. It had been amazing to watch my teammates fight their way to the championship game, but it was something truly special to do it with Paige on the Devils bench next to me.

When the puck dropped to begin the game, I tore my gaze from her and focused on the ice. It was a frenetic start, with no love lost between the two teams. As I watched Reed, Parker, Matt, Damien, and all the guys, the urge to jump over the boards and join in was almost overwhelming. I desperately wanted to help them battle our biggest rivals, but there was nothing I could do now.

I’d remained closely involved with the team over the last few weeks, showing up for every practice and game I could, essentially becoming Coach Ray’s de facto assistant coach. I helped him run drills, hyped the team up when they needed it, and advised and encouraged the younger guys. Even though I was injured, my reputation hadn’t been damaged, so I also made sure to pull out a stern word or a well-placed glare when anyone stepped out of line or took their eye off the puck. I was usually so laser-focused on my own game when I was playing, it was actually a nice change. But still, nothing compared to suiting up and stepping onto the ice.

I relaxed a little when Parker scored midway through the first period, and then a little more when Reed got another for the Devils. I even cheered when Damien scored our third goal, an impressive shot from center ice that really knocked the Saints’ confidence. In the end, we were too strong for them, running out comfortable winners by five goals to one.

There were wild celebrations in the locker room after the final buzzer, and the guys all made me feel like I’d been out there with them. This victory wasn’t just about today, and we all knew it. Winning the state championship in my senior year, with my brothers, had been four years in the making, and felt truly special.

Eventually, I left the guys to get showered and changed. They were all taking the team bus home, but I was driving back to Ransom with Paige. There would be plenty of time to continue the celebrations at Matt’s victory party later. Right now, Paige was the only person I wanted to be with. She was leaning forward in the passenger seat, still writing in her notebook, looking thoughtful as soft music played in the background.

She sighed when she saw the “Welcome to Ransom” sign up ahead. I couldn’t help but share her reluctance to be home. I wasn’t ready for this part of the night to be over either.

Paige dropped her eyes back to her notebook, and I focused on the road. But through the darkness, I recognized a turnoff, and an idea popped into my head. I pulled off the main road and onto the snow-covered dirt track with towering trees on either side that wound its way up to the lookout point we’d come to on our practice date. I guess now I could call it our first date.

Paige glanced up as I pulled to a stop. When she saw the twinkling lights of Ransom down below, she blinked. She’d clearly been so absorbed by her work she hadn’t even realized I’d taken a detour.

“What are we doing, Gray?” She sounded tired. I was too. But I needed a moment to stop before we headed home. To appreciate how far we’d both come this year before we started looking to the future again.

“You up for a little stargazing?”

A smile slowly formed on her lips. “With you? Always.”

I jumped from the truck and walked around to help Paige climb out before we both got into the trailer. I wrapped a blanket around our shoulders, and we stared up at the night sky.

It felt like this was the first night in weeks that the sky was clear enough to see the stars and, although it was still cold, the crisp air hinted that spring was just around the corner.

“It’s like the end of an era,” Paige said as she rested her head against my chest. When I held her close, I felt a sense of calmness I couldn’t get anywhere else. She was my refuge, my peace, and the comfort I always craved.

“I guess it is,” I agreed. “But I’m looking forward to what comes next.”

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