Page 211 of The Fine Line
“We’ve got it figured out,” Sutton replied with relaxed confidence. “We won’t go more than a week without seeing each other. We’ve mapped it all out. And I guess the Storm–Titans games will be even more exciting now.” He grinned. “She might be neutral on camera, but I know who she’s rooting for.”
The reporter chuckled, shaking his head. “Sounds like you’ve got a good woman on your hands—and you’ve both got big things ahead. Would you ever have thought you’d be here after such a rocky start to the season? There were a lot of people skeptical about where this year would take you.”
Sutton’s smile lingered as he gave a small nod. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Funny how life works. Sometimes it’s a fine line between falling apart and falling right into place.”
As the locker room emptied and the lights dimmed, one thing was clear: for Rhett Sutton, both on and off the ice, the best is yet to come.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
epilogue
CAROLINE
Three Years Later
New York, NY, USA
I stare down at the email again just to be sure I haven’t imagined it. But no—it’s still there, the black-and-white words that feel too big for the screen. Too big for me.
We are thrilled to welcome you to the NHN national broadcast team alongside Tom Dunn for the upcoming season.
My fingers tremble around the phone as I set it down. I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or throw up. Maybe all three.
“Everything okay over there, Cub?” Rhett asks from across the restaurant table, grinning at me over his gin and tonic. His eyes crinkle in the corners, and I know he knows. But he’d never take away the honor of letting me be the one to say.
I swallow, my mouth stretching into a stunned smile. “I got it,” I breathe.
Bennett, sitting next to him, raises his brows. “Got what?”
“The job,” I say, my voice barely a whisper. Then louder: “I got the job.”
For a second, no one moves. Then Addie gasps next to me, grabbing my hands. Bennett swears under his breath, a huge grin taking over his face. Rhett is already standing, moving around the table to press a kiss to the top of my head.
“The NHN gig?” Bennett asks, eyes wide. “Next to Dunn?”
I nod, blinking fast, trying to catch up to reality.
“Holy shit, Care,” Addie laughs. “That’s incredible!”
The waiter chooses that exact moment to slide between us, balancing the two dozen oysters we ordered as an appetizer. “Special occasion?” he asks, setting the tray down.
“Very,” Rhett says, grinning. “She just made it to the big leagues.”
The waiter offers polite congratulations before disappearing again. Addie keeps her glass raised. “To Caroline. For chasing every single thing she set her mind to. And for actually?—”
But I don’t hear the rest. Because suddenly, the edges of the room tip sideways, my stomach twisting violently. I barely manage to shove my chair back before I’m on my feet, muttering, “Excuse me?—”
I hear Rhett’s voice call after me, but it’s distant. Everything feels distant except the cold tile of the restaurant bathroom and the sharp, searing wave of nausea that sends me to my knees.
I don’t know how long I’m in there before I hear the soft knock.
“Cub?”
When I push the door open, Rhett is standing there, concern etched in every line of his face.
“Are you okay?” he murmurs.
I open my mouth to answer, but no words come out. My hand instinctively flattens against my stomach. He watches me carefully, then his browfurrows.
