Page 82 of Hot Shot
“What do you want?”
“Something small. I liked what Oakley and Walker did. It was just the two of them, Pa and Micky and the officiant. The officiant’s wife as a second witness.”
“Okay, then you’ll have that. Or your version of it.”
“Down by the pond?”
“You don’t want it somewhere… Never mind. Down by the pond would be perfect for you both.”
“Is it still frozen? Maybe we could get married in our skates.”
“You want…?” Mom shakes her head. “Of course you do.”
“It’s fitting, right? We spent a lot of time out there skating.”
“And if not out there, you were in the basement.”
“Now that I think about it, we could do it downstairs on the rink. No worries about the pond still being frozen.”
“No. Your father keeps the basement frozen twenty-four-seven-three-sixty-five.”
“He only defrosts it once every four years?”
“What? No, he leaves—” I duck, Mom’s hand barely skimming to top of my head. “Smart ass.”
Laughing, I dance away. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”
“Here.” She opens the oven door and pulls out a tray filled with blueberry pancakes. “Take these out to the table, put them in the warmer.”
“Bran and the twins will demolish these in seconds. What are the rest of us eating?” I take the pan, the metal slightly warm against my skin.
“I’ve got another couple of trays in here. Bacon. Cinnamon rolls. Those mini egg muffin things I used to make you all for your early morning rides to the rink.”
“You’re spoiling us.”
“As is my right.”
“I’ll take these out then go round up everyone while you get whatever else you’ve got prepared on the table.”
“Take that tray then find the twins, send them in here to help. I’ll give Bran another few minutes with your father before I rope them into helping too.”
Light flashed on my hand catching my eye. “Should I take off my ring?”
“No. Don’t you dare hide your excitement because of what’s happening with your brother.”
“I just thought it might not be the best time?—”
“It’s the perfect time. It’ll give him something else to focus on.”
“Oh. You’re right. And that gets me thinking.”
“Always a dangerous thing. Last time something got you thinking, you ended up owning an NHL team.”
“Ha! True. But haha. How do you think Mason and Sutton would feel if Bran and I got married with the twins here and not them?”
“What exactly are you thinking?”
“Well, you said it would give Landon something else to focus on and I thought maybe I could ask him to stand up for me and Corbin to stand up for Bran.”
