Page 71 of Puck King
“We wouldn’t miss this for the world, honey.” My dad grinned. Mom shot him an irritated look and gave him a smack in the ribs. He cleared his throat. “Where is the Cup? I’ve always wanted to see it.”
Everleigh brushed by and I grabbed her arm. “You guys remember Everleigh?”
Of course they did. She had been the one to deliver the phone with the Ricky interview. But that day had been a roller coaster of emotions for everyone, and they didn’t seem to know what they thought of the Ice Queen.
“Miss.” My father tipped his baseball hat – official blue and white New York Thunder merchandise.
I draped my arm around Everleigh’s shoulder. “Everleigh is like the big sister I’ve always wanted.”
Everleigh’s head swiveled to look at me, and I caught the tears in her eyes before she managed to blink them away.
“Well. Then I guess that makes her another daughter for us.” My mom took a very unprepared Everleigh into her arms and squeezed her tightly. Everleigh seemed stiff at first, but then her shoulders relaxed.
“Nice to see you all.” She smiled when my mom released her, and as she made her quick exit, I saw her swipe at her face to wipe away a tear. She wasn’t so icy after all.
Feedback squawked through the speakers. Everyone turned as Colton tapped the microphone. “Thank you everyone, for coming. The Cup will be here for a few hours, and then I’m taking it into town for all the local kids to see.”
Stuart was standing beside me. “The kids are already lined up. We saw them when we drove through,” he whispered.
Watching Colton, my chest puffed with pride. He was such a wonderful man. I looked around and realized how much my life had changed in the past year. It’s true what they say. Sometimes everything has to fall apart to make room for new things – bigger and better things.
Lost in my thoughts, I heard my name.
“Alison.” Mom elbowed me.
“Is Alison out there?” Colton had his hand over his eyes and was scanning the crowd. I waved to him, and he motioned for me to join him on the makeshift stage. As I made my way to the shoreline, he continued. “Before we drink out of the Cup, I have a very important announcement.”
I reached Colton, and he threaded his fingers through mine. I knitted my brow at him. This wasn’t part of the party plan.
All at once, I realized why Everleigh had taken me to get my nails done, as Colton dropped to one knee.
“I have to ask Alison Moffat to be my wife.” He spoke to the crowd, who erupted in cheers.
Thankfully, he had the microphone and sound system on, or else I wouldn’t have been able to hear the question.
“Alison, I love you. Will you marry me?”
I could barely hear, and the tears brimming my eyes made it hard to see, but I was nodding. “Yes,” I managed to croak.
“What was that?” someone shouted from the audience.
Colton yelled into the microphone. “She said yes!”
He slipped a sparkling, marquise-cut diamond ring onto my finger. It had to be at least four carats, and it fit perfectly. “It’s beautiful.”
“It was my mom’s. Everleigh insisted that you have it.”
I glanced over my shoulder. Everleigh was standing next to my mother, and I wasn’t sure who had more tears streaming down their face – her or my mom.
My lips were on his, and then I whispered in his ear, “You bastard. This wasn’t just a party for the Cup.”
“It was never about the Cup.” He gazed in my eyes. “It’s all for you,” he whispered. “Everything I do is always for you, Ali.”
And that was the day I got engaged to the King.
The Puck King.
