Page 200 of Almost Ours
Her jaw dropped slightly. “Ryan…”
“He was all for it,” I said quickly. “And when I brought it up to Jeff, he said he’d have to make some arrangements, but he thinks it’s a great idea. He said if it would keep me on the coaching staff, he’d do whatever he could to make it happen.”
Harper shook her head slightly, her voice soft but firm. “Ryan, I need you to hear me. If this is what you want–if moving the team isn’t possible–you have to know I would support you. I don’t want to hold you back, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose.”
“I know you’d support me,” I said, my voice lowering as I looked into her eyes. “But the thought of being away from you two? I can’t deal with that. I don’t want to spend months away, missing Connor’s life, missing you. This is the only way I’m staying with the team, Harper.”
Harper’s hand tightened around mine. “You're serious?”
“Completely,” I said. “This would mean the team could train and play here. I’d still have to travel for tournaments and such, but I’d be home. With you. With Connor. If it’s what you want, Harper. If you’re okay with me doing this job.”
Her lips trembled, and she blinked back tears. “Ryan, you… you did all this for us?”
“For you,” I said, leaning in to kiss her gently. “For Connor. For us. But I need to know if this works for you. I won’t do it unless you’re on board.”
She let out a watery laugh, throwing her arms around my neck. “Of course I’m on board. I can’t believe you did all this. I love you, Ryan.”
“I love you too,” I murmured.
As I held Harper close, her arms wrapped around me, I felt a sense of peace settle over me–something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. The decision I’d made wasn’t easy, and the thought of uprooting the team, shifting everything for the chance to stay here with her, wasn’t something I took lightly. But when Iimagined life without her, without Connor, it was impossible to ignore how deeply I’d come to need them.
I thought about everything I’d left behind in the NHL–my career, the dream of what could’ve been. The truth was, I’d already found something better. I’d found this. I’d found her. And I knew, now, more than ever, that there was nothing more important than being part of their world.
It hadn’t been an easy road to get here, though. Both of us had our demons to face–Harper with her painful past, and me with the ghosts of my NHL career that still lingered in my head. But somehow, we’d both fought through our own shit and found our way to each other. I wasn’t sure when I stopped thinking I had to carry all that baggage with me, but I was sure as hell glad I had.
I kissed the top of Harper’s head, feeling her heartbeat against my chest. This wasn’t just for the team or the game. This was for us. And for the first time, I could finally see the future clearly. A future where our past didn’t dictate our happiness, where we could both stand tall, side by side, with the scars that shaped us.
Maybe, all that struggle had been worth it to get us to this point.
I was where I was meant to be.
“So,did you know the hot coach was making a special guest appearance today?” Nina leaned over, nudging me with her elbow.
A burst of cheers erupted from the crowd as the kids fought hard on the ice. Nina and I sat together in the bleachers, our coats zipped up tight against the chill that seemed to settle in every corner of the arena.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips. “He might’ve mentioned something about it,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual.
She smirked, her sharp eyes scanning the ice. “Mmhmm. Well, if he’s going to be out there looking likethat, you’re going to have a hard time keeping your eyes on the game.”
I laughed softly, my cheeks warming despite the cold. “Nina…”
“What? Just stating the obvious,” she said, holding her hands up defensively.
I shook my head, forcing my attention back to Connor and Liam as they hustled down the ice. My resolve lasted all of ten seconds before my gaze wandered back to Ryan.
He stood behind the bench, his broad shoulders squared, arms crossed over his chest as he tracked the game with sharp, focused eyes. When a play didn’t go as planned, he clenched his fists, stretched his neck back, and looked up at the ceiling in frustration before quickly schooling his expression. He crouched as the kids skated off, leaning in close to talk to them. Whatever he said must have been calm and encouraging, judging by the way they looked up at him, hanging on his every word.
It was impossible not to watch him. The way he moved, the quiet command he had–it all drew me in. Then, as if he could feel my eyes on him, he looked up and caught me staring. My breath hitched. For a second, his lips twitched into that familiar, knowing smile. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly turned back to the ice, pretending to be completely engrossed in the game.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. Curious, I unlocked it, trying to keep my face neutral. It was a text from Ryan.
Ryan: Caught you staring, babe. I don’t blame you, though. I look pretty good in this jacket, don’t I?
I bit back a laugh, my fingers flying across the keyboard.
Harper: I was watching the kids. Don’t flatter yourself.
The response came almost instantly.
