Page 136 of Her Goal
“Leah? You’re almost my wife. Of course not. I’ll probably accidentally let the puck have its way if you’renotthere.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“Okay, but my family gets carried away with the Thanksgiving meal.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I have a big appetite.”
“There are also games of the charades and board variety”
“I played along last night,” he counters.
“What about living together stuff? I can be messy and regularly have several half-finished projects going.”
“Maybe I find that endearing. It’ll remind me that we’re doing life together.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Quite the opposite, Leah.”
“I get overwhelmed easily and often subscribe to or purchase random things on social media. I have no less than at least six unfinished classes and workshops and unopened boxes under the beds at my parents’ house because my apartment was at capacity.”
“We can rein it in together.”
“Really?”
He nods emphatically. “I’m looking forward to getting to know your quirks. I like that you talk with your hands. I plan to make you breakfast in bed every Saturday that I’m home and when I’m not, we’ll order room service.”
“Why are you so good?”
He glances at his feet. “Because I had it bad for so long. By the time you started hanging out with just Hunter, my mother was gone half the time. Before that, I did everything I could to avoid her various boyfriends.”
“Is that why you were outside all the time?”
“I have them to thank for my getting so good at hockey.”
“You’re also incredibly hardworking and talented.”
He shuffles his foot. “Aw. Shucks.”
“I realized that I’d been telling myself a story about who I was and who you were. You were a moody teenager and turned into the boy next door.”
I add, “You were the girl next door and went broody.”
I scoff. “You were arrogant.”
“Preoccupied with a certain twin.” He points to me.
“I feel called out.” I mock huff.
Hudson shifts his weight. “Back when we were kids and would play street hockey, I was all about winning by a huge margin. I wanted to crush them. Now, I want to play with the best team and I want to win against an equal opponent. The top that hockey has to offer. The same goes with us. You challenge me in all the good ways. The only difference is, we’re playing for the same team. We have the same goal.”
“What’s that?”
“A hockily ever after.”
It cannot be helped, I squeal and fling my arms around his neck.
