Dirty Play (Empire State Hockey Series)

Epilogue

I’ll never get over hockey nights. The lights, the music, the energy—they make for a perfect night of watching hockey. Especially when my man is playing. It’s been two years since we finally stopped pretending like we weren’t more, and they’ve easily been the best two years of my life. But tonight?

Tonight, I get to watch my husband on the ice for game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.

To say I’m a proud wife would be a gross understatement.

Cade and I have been through a lot in the short time we’ve been together, but we’ve made every moment count. Today is no different, as we have a surprise up our sleeves, but that’s for after they bring home the cup. I like to think we are packing in as much excitement and as many experiences as quickly as we can to make up for the time we both know we wasted, pretending there was nothing between us.

After Cade and I moved in together, right after we came home from his parents, it was only six months until we were engaged. It was easily one of my favorite days, with my favorite people, ending in forever with my favorite man.

The whole night was magical. I’ll never forget seeing Kennedy and her mom crying after watching everything unfold and the hugs they gave both of us. Anyone else watching the New York Cyclones play against the Nashville Firebirds the night before their Christmas break also got to watch our special moment.

After another six months, we were married back at his parents’ farm in Ivy Falls. It turned into a much bigger ordeal than I cared for, but that’s what I get for letting Cade’s mom and sister plan it all. My parents offered to help with the planning—their help just happened to be isolated to financial planning.

At the end of the day, though, they showed up for our wedding and have been working to take more of an interest in my life outside of my career, including showing up to the game tonight to support Cade. That effort alone has helped change my perspective a bit and I am appreciative. Although at the end of the day, I’ve realized they aren’t my only family. I’m surrounded by the family that I chose and who continue to choose me every day. We aren’t related by blood, but that’s okay with me.

“Do you think they’ll do it?” Sawyer says from next to me, where she and Rex are standing all decked out in Cyclone’s gear. Rex opted to wear one of Trevor’s old jerseys, saying now that Trevor wasn’t actively playing, it felt less like cheating on his Ice Hawks.

Valid outlook from a coach.

“I hope so,” I whisper, holding my breath. Although our news will be exciting either way, it’d be even better to share it with everyone after a win like this.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we saw those two pink lines, and every day, I’ve wanted to announce it to the world. But Cade and I wanted to make it through the playoffs before that was on everyone”s mind. I did tell Sawyer, but only because she came over in the middle of an episode of morning sickness and put two and two together.

With just under a minute left in the third period, the Cyclones are up two to one, but the Firebirds are about to go on a power play due to a shitty call. If they can get it down to our end, they’ll probably pull their goalie, which would make it six guys against our four. Thankfully, Cade has been on it all night, only letting one puck slip through. He’ll be focused on that one, but he’s had sixty-three saves so far, so I’d say he’s doing just fine.

When the puck drops, my heart stops. My hand moves to my stomach like I’m grounding myself to him, and I watch with bated breath to see how this plays out. The Cyclones lose the drop and the Firebirds send the puck down towards Cade in the goal. Harris is there and forces their winger to the outside away from the goal. Slamming him into the glass, they battle for the puck, which is stuck between the boards and the other guys skate.

We all hold our breath. Cade’s parents, brother, and sister are on one side of me with the rest of our friends behind me. The energy is thick with excitement and anticipation as we watch the seconds tick down.

Miles and Harris are both in the action, their sticks down on the ice trying to break the puck free and get an empty netter to seal the win. With just four seconds left, Harris gets the puck out and makes a quick pass to Miles, who slips the puck through the legs of a Firebird defender, retrieving it on the other side to make a quick shot on goal. Our entire group holds their breath as the puck sails through the net right as the buzzer goes off.

Holy shit.

The Cyclones have won the Stanley Cup.

Everyone hugs and jumps up and down as we celebrate their win, but all I can think about is what we are about to tell the group the second we’re all together.

A couple of hours later we’re all meeting up with Cade outside, both our families surrounding us as I jump into his arms, my legs wrapping around him.

“You did it, baby,” I whisper in his ear as he holds me up.

“I can’t believe we won,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Did you tell everyone yet?”

“No—” I start, right as Kylie pipes in.

“Did she tell us what?” Kylie asks as Cade sets me down to stand next to him. His arm pulls me in close as he looks down at me with a smile.

“That this time next year, there will be someone else watching my games,” Cade says as everyone watches on, slight confusion on their faces as they try to figure him out, but Sawyer, and Rex, look on with smiles, while their kids run around us with Ellie and Trevor’s in tow.

“Who?”

“We don’t know yet,” I finally say with a smile, meeting our families’ eyes. “We haven’t met them yet, but we know he or she will be proud to support their daddy… and his friends.”

“Are you… pregnant?” my mom asks with a smile I didn’t expect—she looks absolutely delighted at the idea.

“I love you,” Cade whispers as he leans down and places a quick kiss against my lips before turning to face everyone.

“We are… baby Williams is on the way,” Cade finally says, and I’m falling even more in love with this man as he enters his daddy era.

More hugs and excitement are passed around, our parents embracing as they talk about how excited they are to be first-time grandparents. I realize in this moment that not only is this baby bringing Cade and me closer, but they’re bringing our families back together, healing our wounds one day at a time.