Page 59 of Romancing My Grumpy Goalie

The bellover the door at my boutique rings, and Lucas hobbles through the door with his crutches, wearing a backpack. I rush over to him. “Let me help you with that door.”

“I got it,” he says. “You forget. I’m an old pro at these crutches.”

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry for him and his crushed dream of playing pro soccer. But he says he’s chosen a life in Maple Creek. We’ll see how serious he is about that. My heart is still learning to trust, but every day, I open it a little more to Lucas. It’s been two weeks since his injury, and he’s still in a lot of pain, but we’ve shared a lot more kisses and some snuggles, too, since then. Proof that some of the deepest joy can come out of the worst pain.

And the worst pain for me was the thought of losing Lucas for good to Atlanta.

“It’s a good thing the air conditioning works in this place because it’s sweltering out there,” Lucas says. He removes his backpack and sets it on a nearby dresser I have for sale.

“It’s almost like summer will be here soon or something,” I joke. Nolan has been going on all the end of the year field trips, and I’ve gone on a couple of them to get my mind off the pain Lucas is in. I’ve been so worried about him, but he’s been getting stronger every day.

At first, I doubted he really meant his devotion to us and Maple Creek, like it was the painkillers talking, but after two weeks, he’s backed off of the strong ones and he’s stuck to his word. If anything, he seems more determined to settle down here. Although the kissing was pretty great while he was on those meds. I’m not going to lie.

He pulls a folder out of his backpack and opens it. “I have a business proposal to make.”

“Oh, yeah?” I ask.

He pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to me.

“A business plan?” I question after glancing over the title.

“I would like to invest in your boutique, help expand it.”

I lift my gaze from the paper after reading farther down the page. “You want to move the shop to the antique mall?”

“To be clear, the shop will stay fully yours. I will only be the investor. I’ve talked to my grandmother and Hazel, and they both think the plan will work. Hazel said she’d personally come to help you merchandise. She already acts like she runs the family boutiques, so she might as well start one here. Soccer gave me purpose, but you and Nolan gave me something better—a reason to come home. Wherever you are, that’s where I belong.”

My walls go up immediately. “Lucas, I want this. I want you. But how can I know you won’t regret this choice?”

“Because I’ve never felt more sure of anything. This isn’t about the injury—it’s about realizing I already had everything I wanted. You, Nolan, our life here. I want to build this with you. No second guesses.”

My heart slows, and my shoulders relax as tears form in my eyes. “I thought I’d lost you.”

He steps forward with a limp and gently cups my cheek. “I’m right here. For good.”

I gaze into his eyes as he closes the space between us, pressing his lips to mine. I thread my hands through his dark hair as I lose myself in his kiss, drawing even closer to him. I can’t get close enough. I drag a hand down his chest, and his heart races beneath my palm. I always want his heart to beat for me—and for Nolan.

Speaking of?—

The door bursts open. “Can we get pizza? Oh . . . are you guys kissing again?”

Lucas laughs, pulling us both into a playful hug, dragging his knuckles across Nolan’s head.

Nolan runs off to pull out his phone and settle at my desk, and Lucas pulls me close. “So, does this mean I finally earned the right to keep your shirt?”

I laugh against him, joy spreading in my chest. “I mean, if you want it.” I wrinkle my nose, teasing him. “It has seen better days.”

“And so will you.” He kisses my forehead. “I plan to make sure of it.”

EPILOGUE

HAZEL: ONE YEAR LATER

I standon the back porch of my grandmother’s Victorian beach house, glass of wine in hand, as the waves crash onto the shore. The aroma of fish grilling mixes with the sharp, salty sea air. Overhead, fairy lights twinkle, creating a warm glow as the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean.

Lucas and Anabelle stand together on the opposite end of the porch, facing the sea. She’s nestled her back into his chest, and he has his arms wrapped around her. Her long maxi sundress blows in the wind, and her hair is down, long and loose. They came down to Twin Waves, NC to celebrate Lucas’s birthday with the family and for Anabelle to get to know us all better.

“Mom, can I get Grandpa to put a hot dog on the grill?” Kira, my twelve-year-old daughter asks, referring to my stepdad who’s cooking the fish. I’ve gotten really close to my stepdad over the years, and I hardly talk to my dad. He left scars on all three of us kids. I got the brunt of it as the oldest. After he left, I became Mom’s right-hand woman. I was Kira’s age when he walked out on us.

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