Page 132 of Perfectly Grumpy

He ignores me and heads to center ice, lining up for the announcement.

“Leo?” I call after him, but he won’t acknowledge me.

“Hey, Brax!” He ignores me too. “What in the world is going on? Rourke?”

Rourke looks at me for a second before his head flicks away. Even Lucian looks cagey and apologetic as he skates by.

I sit and lean toward Olivia. “Why is everyone acting like I’m not here?”

She just smiles and holds my hand tightly. “You’ll see.”

Before I can press her further, Brax skates to center ice, mic in hand. “Welcome, everyone, to what might be our best turnout yet for a summer exhibition game!” he announces, scanning thecrowd. “I count at least three generations of hockey fans out there—and yes, Delilah, we see you in the front row next to Jeneva with your sign of support.” More laughter ripples through the stands as Delilah waves her homemade sign which says, “We love Sheriff Foster (and his dimples)!”

“Tonight’s not just about hockey,” Brax says, “it’s about celebrating our community and sharing some big news, including congratulating a player who’s earned his shot at the NHL.”

This is it.I knew this announcement was coming, but suddenly I’m spinning my ring, my heart thundering in my ears. I’m not prepared for this.

I grip the edge of my seat as Brax goes on. “We’d like to officially congratulate…”

The sweat pricks my back as I wait for him to finish.

“…Lucian Loweon being called up to the Ice Breakers, the newest team in the NHL.”

I sit there in stunned silence while everyone around me claps and Lucian skates out from the line.

Wait—Lucian?

I turn to Olivia, stunned. “I thought Tate was leaving.”

“Of course it’s not Tate, Lauren. You think that man would leave you now that he’s head over heels for you?”

“And we have one more announcement tonight,” Brax adds before I can ask more questions. “And I’d like to invite our PR manager, Lauren Williamson, to center ice.”

Suddenly I’m hearing my name boom across the arena as a red carpet gets rolled out onto the ice and the entire team turns to smile at me.

And I’m frozen in my seat.

“He wants you out on the ice, Lauren,” Olivia whispers, nudging me.

Lucian opens a small door to enter the rink while Brax hands me a blindfold to put on.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Hey, I’m just following orders,” he says. “But I promise this isn’t some elaborate prank. Well, not the bad kind anyway.”

I tie on the bandana. “You guys are all going to pay for this when I make you wear tutus for the next TikTok campaign.”

The crowd hums around me, and I’m suddenly overwhelmed with questions. What if this is payback for all the photo shoots? Why isn’t Tate here with the others? For what feels like an eternity, I just stand there in the darkness.

Then someone’s gentle fingers work at the knot behind my head, and the blindfold falls away.

When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is him.

Tate stands before me in that same suit from our family prom—the one that made me forget how to breathe, the one that makes him look like he stepped out of a dream. Under the bright arena lights, he’s devastating, but it’s the expression underneath his glasses that stops my heart.

He’s looking at me like I’m his Kyara. His whole world. His everything.

“Hey, Sunny,” he says. “Remember when I asked you to trust me?”

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