Page 112 of In the Danger Zone
“Fuck off!” Evan called out before shaking his head at me. “Sorry. See, this is why it’s better at your place.”
Laughing softly, I just rubbed at my forehead. I couldn’t fight him on that one.
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
DAISY
My eyes lit up as I saw the photo Leena had just posted. The smile on her face screamed unadulterated happiness. She looked gorgeous – and absolutely exhausted – in the hospital bed, the small baby girl cradled in her arms. There was a glow on her face and I wanted to remember it forever.
I quickly typed out a comment to my best friend. Leena was still back in Oregon and I was dying to fly out there and meet her little one. A flight from Baltimore wouldn’t take too long, but I knew that Leena and baby needed their time together. I would see her soon and bring far too many presents for Leena’s still unnamed little girl. Her and her husband, John, still couldn’t decide between Gracie and Gwen. My vote had been Gracie.
Leena didn’t know, but my parents had been deciding between Gracie and Daisy when I was born. I had a little connection to the name. I obviously had a huge connection to my parents – not just because they brought me into the world, but because they had been the first ones to fight for me. They were the best people to have in your corner.
It was funny how much they had disliked Evan to begin with, and I was so thankful that Evan’s parents had been the total opposite and welcomed me with warm and open arms.
But it had been different for my family and I didn’t blame anyone for their suspicions. I laughed a little at the memory of me telling my mom that I was dating a hockey player over the phone. She had been rightfully horrified. My dad was ready to drive to Oregon, look Evan right in the eyes, and tell him to back off.
But that suspicion had faded when they met Evan. When they saw that while he was tall and buff and strong, that there was something much bigger and better on the inside. Evan had proven to them that he wasn’t just a sweet guy, but that he was generous too. He had been the one to help my family get out of Great Falls. The town just wasn’t good for them and not just because the entire population seemed to hate them.
They couldn’t thrive there. Money had been a huge problem, but Evan had made them an offer they couldn’t refuse: a place to stay in Baltimore and funding for a new bakery. Evan had insisted on just giving my parents the money. But they wouldn’t have it. They wanted to pay it off. And they did. And now Farine was one the busiest bakeries in the city.
The burden of my past had always clouded over them. But at least it could be a little better with Great Falls far, far away from us.
There was some noise to my side, and my head turned sharply to see the man I had been waiting for. I hadn’t waited that long to begin with, though. “How are you always the first one out?” I asked with a giggle.
Evan blinked at me, tugging at his shirt collar. He was out of his blue and black Baltimore Broncos jersey. The same one I had on, with Evan’s name and number proudly on the back. “Because I just wanna see you so damn bad.”
Whenever a game was over I’d wait for Evan in the hallway, just outside the locker room. And he was always the first one out. It was a small gesture that I appreciated, even if I teased him about it.
Laughing, I stood on the tips of my toes and gave Evan a soft kiss. His hands landed on my waist and I sighed against him. There was nothing like seeing Evan after a game. When all the stress and the anxiety of a game was gone – until the next one, of course – and we could both just relax.
“You see me out there tonight?” he asked, voice laced with joy. “You see my hatty, babe?”
“It was a b-beautiful hatty.”
“I was thinking of you the whole time.”
“You’re too sweet. Guess what? Leena had her b-baby tonight!”
Evan’s eyes brightened. “No way. You got a photo?”
I pulled my phone back out, showing Evan the first ever photo of Gracie – or possibly Gwen. Evan smiled, letting out a little “aw”.
“We’ll have to go see her soon,” he said. “When she’s feeling up for it.”
“For sure. I’m gonna try and call her in a couple days when she’s feeling b-better. Are you ready to go home?”
Evan grabbed my hand, giving me a nod. “Let’s go. I already said goodbye to the guys. Now you get all my attention.” His voice lowered when he said that last part.
Hoping my cheeks weren’t going red, I let Evan lead me out to the arena underground parking lot. It was where all the players and staff got to keep their cars for the night. And since it was a home game it meant me and Evan got to drive out for the game. It also meant that I got to see him play up close. Away games were a little annoying. Working at the Baltimore Center for Art and Culture meant I was busy throughout the week, but I always made time to watch Evan’s game if I couldn’t attend them physically.
Evan opened up the car door for me and I slid inside with a small smile. He leaned in close, giving me a kiss before he shut the door. I got settled into the smooth, leather seat as my eyes shut. I wasn’t tired or anything. Instead I was just soaking up the moment. The comfort, the affection, the safety. It surrounded me. I didn’t always feel like that. For a long time, my life had been nothing but constant worry. Looking over your shoulder all the time got tiring real fast. I had no clue wherehewas, but he wasn’t in the NHL after everything came out back in college. Karma finally showed up.
Either way, The Incident was far behind me. In front of me was a new life, a new world. It was enticing and exciting. There was no darkness ahead.
“You falling asleep over there, babe?” Evan asked.
