Page 21 of Love and Other Penalties
“You chose me over hockey, Finn. Nobody’s ever done that before.”
His eyes go soft. “Easy choice, Kitten. You’re worth everything.”
epilogue
. . .
Two months later:
“You’re doing this today, Tomcat.” I look at myself in the mirror, my jaw as clean as it’s ever been. The diamond I bought for Ivy has been burning a hole in my pocket for a week now, whether that’s my jeans or my backpack, where it currently rests.
Since it’s the Olympics this year, the NHL is taking a nineteen-day break for most of the month of February, and we have our last game tonight. I’ve been thanking the hockey gods that it was a home game, because Ivy leaves for Milan in the morning, and I don’t want her to go without an engagement ring.
My pulse bangs against my ribs, but I turn away from the mirror in the locker room and meet the eyes of Dax.
“You’re ready,” he says, holding up the glinting diamond ring. The rest of the starting lineup—Jett, Zane, Jude, and Nate—join him, and together, the five of them look at me.
I swallow hard. “I’m ready,” I say, and I glance toward the doors leading out of the locker room, where the WAGs will bewaiting to wish us good luck in this, the last game before a break. Wives and girlfriends.
Mygirlfriend, who I want to make my fiancée.
I’m going to the Olympics, but not as a hockey player. I’ll follow Ivy later this week, and I’m traveling with Nate, who was rostered on Team USA. He’s an excellent defenseman, and it’s only when he raises his eyebrows that I realize I’m still standing there.
“Let’s go,” he says, and he leads the rest of the starting players to the door. Coach Kessler will be ready to start his pre-game lecture in probably five minutes, and I shake my hands to try to soothe my nerves.
“Come on, Sniper,” Jett says. “This’ll only take a minute, and she’s going to say yes.”
Ivy is going to say yes, and I remind myself of that over and over as I follow everyone outside. Dax holds Charlie in his arms, whispering something to her. She nods, her eyes wide, and my word. Is he just telling her the plannow?
Of course he is.
I glance over to Jett and Hadley, also so-sickeningly-in-love, while Zane leans down and touches his lips to Wren’s. Jude and Nate encircle the group, and Nate hugs his mother and father before they leave.
That just leaves Ivy for me, and I grin as I approach. “Hey, Kitten.”
“You ready for this?” she reaches up and slides her hands up the front of my jersey. I already have the fight strap attached to my pants, but her touch feels like she can burn the cloth right from my body.
“Yes.” I swallow again, sure she doesn’t know how loaded her question is. She rarely does, and while I’ve confessed a lot of things to Ivy, I’ve never told her how much I love her barbedtongue, the way she throws her wit at me, how I started falling in love with her from the first word she spoke to me.
Your ice?
Such fire, such disbelief, such passion.
Mm, yes, I love the passion Ivy carries in her body.
Dax clears his throat, and I flick a look over to him. “I mean, I’m almost ready.” I extend my hand toward Dax, who passes me the ring while Charlie draws Ivy back to her side.
“What is?—?”
I drop to both knees right there in the hallway outside the locker room and hold up a pretty, square-cut diamond. At least I hope Ivy thinks it’s pretty.
“Finn.” She sucks in a breath and covers her mouth. I love the way her dark eyes glint and twinkle and sparkle like stars, and my love for who she is, what she believes in, what she wants, roars through me.
“I know it’s only been a few months,” I say. “But I believe in love at first sight, and I believe in us, and I promised to share my dreams with you. You’re my biggest, greatest dream, and we can be engaged for as long as you want. I just want the world to know that I love you. I want this diamond to be part of your Short Program and your Free Skate in Milan. Will you marry me?”
She stares at me, then glances at the diamond like that will be the determining factor in her answer. Thishashappened really fast, but when I think of the list of things I want, Ivy is right at the top.
She’s second and third and fourth too.
