39. victoria
One Month Later
I tighten the laces on my figure skates one last time. My heart bounces wildly in my chest as I wait for the announcer’s voice to call me onto the ice. Just as I take a deep breath, my phone buzzes in my hand.
Leo
As my favorite skater, I’m already giving you a ten out of ten in every category. Including “Best Legs.”
Victoria
Pretty sure that category only exists in your dreams, Ego.
Leo
Then I’m officially submitting it to the judges. Now show everyone what I already know—you’re unstoppable, beautiful, and about to take my breath away. Just like you always have.
I smile to myself, barely able to contain my excitement. I’d expect to be nervous at Nationals or even the Olympics, which I’ve dreamed about since I was little. But this time, I don’t have any reason to be anxious—not when my entire cheering section consists of friends, family, and the Crushers’ hockey team. Even Leo’s parents showed up for the event.
For the first time, I’m not skating to prove anything to anyone. I’m skating for the people I love.
Suddenly hands come around my waist from behind, and Leo’s mouth presses against my ear. “I know I’m supposed to leave you alone while you prepare for your routine, but I had to kiss you one last time for good luck. And I can’t do that in a text message.”
I spin to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I do it all the time with my emojis.”
“Definitely not the same,” he growls before giving me a lingering kiss that makes my knees buckle.
I pull away and close my eyes, happiness fizzing in my heart. “How am I supposed to skate after that?”
“No clue,” he says with a low rumble of a laugh. “But since you’re so good at making me smile, I thought I’d return the favor.”
I am smiling, taking all of him in. Those ocean-blue eyes. That delicious mouth. His irresistible grin. “After today, you get to have me back.”
“I know,” he says as he leisurely kisses my shoulder, then my neck, like he’s perfectly content to shut out the crowd, waiting on my last performance. “But for now, I’ll be right here, cheering you on as your biggest fan.” His lips find mine one last time, and I’m just about to melt into him when somebody clears their voice loudly behind us.
“Leo and Vic sitting in a tree . . .”
Leo groans as he whirls around to face Rourke. “Go away, Rourke. Can’t you see we’re busy?”
Rourke smirks. “You guys thought you were going to get some kissy face time before the show? Sorry to break the news, buddy, but you’re wanted by the judges.”
Tate is next to him, looking embarrassed for interrupting. “If it hadn’t been for Lauren forcing me to come down here to tell you we’re ready...”
“Lauren, huh?” I ask, giving Tate a mischievous smile. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with her.”
Tate’s cheeks suddenly turn a shade of pink I’ve never seen on him before. “Only because she’s made me her ‘project’ for the Crushers’ social media.”
“Ooh, tell me more,” I say, rubbing my hands together.
“She’s trying to change my public image. Says I’m too boring and need to embrace the smart-hunk-in-glasses look.” He cringes. “I think I failed my first test with the motorcycle photo shoot.”
“Why’s that?” Leo asks, biting back his smile.
“Because apparently, I looked like I was holding on for dear life instead of looking cool. She had to get on the back of the bike with me before I could relax.”
“Oh, I’ve got to see this,” Rourke says.
Tate shakes his head. “I don’t know why I let her talk me into these things. Next, she’s making me pose with puppies for the Crushin’ on the Crushers’ fan site.”
I laugh. “Please tell me she’s giving you a leather jacket and sunglasses for the full effect.”
“Worse,” Tate mutters. “She told me I should wear my jersey, then rip it off like a romance novel character. Said it’ll ‘up the charm factor.’”
Leo grins. “Be careful, Tate. That’s how it starts. With a jersey.” Leo’s eyes flash to mine.
“Oh, no.” Tate shakes his head. “Not Lauren and me. We’re totally incompatible.”
“That’s what they all say,” I tell him, giving Leo a quick smile. “You better get back to your job before Lauren comes down here and ‘accidentally’ spills coffee on your shirt—just to make you change in front of her.”
Tate glances over his shoulder, as if half-expecting Lauren to be lurking behind him, before he and Rourke head back to their spots.
“One more thing,” Leo says, turning to me before he leaves. “I want you to know how proud of you I am today—no matter what happens on the ice.” He presses a kiss to my cheek and leaves me with a grin that makes my heart sigh.
When I came back to Sully’s Beach, I realized that more than anything—more than skating, more than chasing old dreams—I wanted this. I wanted Leo. I wanted to stay. So I made the choice to hang up my skates for good. The sport was killing me mentally, but I’d clung to it for so long, convinced that achieving this dream would finally make me happy.
But you know what actually made me happy? Finding my people. Trying new things that sparked joy, like baking with Jaz and Sloan. Even teaching little kids how to skate was remarkably satisfying. Soaking in the little, everyday moments that once felt so ordinary... those were the things that made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
As hard as it was to tell Peter I was retiring, I was also the one who helped him find his next partner—one of Sloan’s best skaters, who just graduated from the university and wants to go pro.
But Leo insisted on one last performance—a chance to give my biggest fans a proper farewell. That’s why I’m here tonight.
He went all out, arranging a private event at the Ice House, dubbing it Fake Nationals. It even comes with a panel of totally unbiased judges: Sloan, Delilah, and, of course, Leo himself. Then he invited everyone we know—his teammates, the Crushers’ staff, our families, and all the kids I teach. And because he never does anything halfway, he even got Pro Ice Gear to film it, making sure this moment is one I’ll never forget.
Ironically, when I told the company I’d have to end my partnership with them since I was quitting the sport, Robbie and Desmond approached me with a compromise.
“The response to your commercial has been epic,” Desmond told me. “People love you and Leo together. Especially that moment on the couch. So we want to keep you both on, even if you’re retired. Because it’s just not the same without you.”
So not only do I still have my sponsorship, I’m also back to teaching lessons at the university ice rink. Turns out, little kids are more my speed these days. Their carefree approach to skating makes me remember how the sport felt when I started—the glorious feel of the ice beneath my skates, the way my hair would fly behind me, and how falling down wasn’t a mistake—it was just another chance to get back up and try again. Now I’m making sure that every kid knows that their value isn’t in what they do or how many times they fall, but in who they are. And then I give them one of Delilah’s delicious brownies.
“Miss Victoria,” one of my five-year-old students calls from the stands nearby. She’s waving at me, wearing her skating costume—a glittery pink leotard with a silky skirt—and holding a bouquet of fresh-picked dandelions, probably from her yard. “I wanted to give these to you for your performance tonight!”
She hands me the bright yellow bouquet. “Thank you, Luna. That’s so sweet.”
“Break a leg!” she says, then frowns. “Except don’t really break your leg. That would be bad.”
“I’ll try not to,” I reassure her with a smile.
When I look into the stands and catch Tina taking a seat next to my parents, my heart feels like it’s going to burst.
Since moving back, Leo has been scouring apartment listings to get me and Delilah out of Bellgate Apartments. With Brendan’s help, he found the cutest little house in town with upper and lower rental units. Delilah and Tina have hit it off so well they’ll share an apartment until Tina gets on her feet. Delilah thinks Tina will benefit from the accountability, and Tina’s been an enormous help to my neighbor. I’ll be living above them, and Leo will have to accept that Big Bertha might never stop insulting him.
We’re definitely still figuring out how to be a family, but we’ve made progress. Even my mom, who wasn’t thrilled about my decision to quit, is starting to come around. Her biggest fear was that I’d throw away my career for a relationship that wouldn’t last. But Leo’s proven he’s here for the long haul, and I think she’s finally realizing that not all hockey players are bad news. More importantly, I think she’s beginning to see that having me nearby—happy and in love—is worth more than any gold medal.
The loudspeaker squeaks as Tate’s voice booms over the rink. “Welcome to Nationals!” Then there’s some whispering and shuffling as Tate clears his throat. “I mean...Fake Nationals. Tonight, Victoria Jenkins will be skating with Peter Petrosky to ‘Wildest Dreams.’”
From his seat, Leo’s eyes catch mine. He had no idea that I chose the music for this final performance—the same song we danced to in the rain.
Peter and I skate to center ice and take our poses. When the music begins, I forget about the people watching me and whether I can perform perfectly. I just let myself enjoy this final performance, pouring everything out, skating purely for the pleasure of it. I’d forgotten how good it feels to be in my own skin, doing what I was made to do. But I was also made for more. Skating will always be part of me, but it’s not who I am.
When we finally hit our final pose in the routine, the entire crowd rushes to their feet and erupts in cheers. Sure, maybe it’s forty people, but it’s my people. I could’ve fallen on my head and they’d still be hollering like I just sprouted wings and flew over the arena like a superhero.
The judges hold up their cardboard signs with their Sharpie marker scores, because we’re professional like that at Fake Nationals.
Surprise, surprise, all of them are tens. When I look at Leo’s “Ten plus infinity” sign, he flips it around and shows me the other side. That’s when I see the words on the back: Will you marry me?
My mouth drops, before widening into a smile of impossible proportions. Before I can even get the words out, he jumps over the judges’ booth and walks across the rink toward me while Peter moves away. That’s when I notice he’s holding something in his hand.
The skates, tied together by the laces, a shiny object dangling between them. It suddenly hits me why he planned this final performance. It wasn’t just closure for me. It’s because he’d always wanted to propose after a big performance.
And this one is the most epic of all.
I can’t breathe. I can’t even move, because he’s striding to me with this huge grin on his face. The spotlight is on us, and the entire crowd slips into darkness.
When he finally reaches me, he gets down on one knee, unties the laces with one swift move, and slides the ring off, holding it up for me.
“I’ve waited a long time to give this to you,” he says, looking up at me. “I’m so glad I never let it go or gave up on us.” His blue eyes hold mine, steady and sure. “I don’t want you for a season, Victoria. I want you for a lifetime. I was born to love you. And I want to marry you more than anything. So I’m yours, if you’ll have me. Forever and always... yours .”
My heart feels like it’s doing a triple axel in my chest. I can’t get the words out, because I’m smiling through my tears. So instead, I lean over and press a kiss to his mouth, nipping his bottom lip lightly as I whisper, “ yes, my love .”
Then I pull back to gaze into his blue eyes. “You’ve always had my heart, Leo Anderson. I’ll never walk away. Not ever.”
When he stands, he slides the ring on before cupping my face. I melt into him, kissing him with all I’ve got as the crowd whistles and cheers. Delilah wipes tears away while holding up her score card—a perfect ten—for Leo’s proposal.
The hockey team descends on the rink, circling around us. Even our parents are clapping as Leo kisses me once more on the forehead, looking into my eyes like no one else exists.
“So, are you still claiming to be a grump after this?” I ask. “Because this moment completely destroyed your tough-guy reputation.”
The smile he gives me is downright heart-stopping. “Vic, I’ll gladly ruin my reputation, if it means I get to have you.”
If you enjoyed this book, be sure to check out the next book featuring Tate and Lauren’s story: Perfectly Grumpy .
BONUS EPILOGUE
One last celebration before Leo and Victoria’s big wedding day.
One epic girls vs. guys hockey match.
And a surprise guest in the form of the tiniest (and cutest) new team member—Brax and Jaz’s baby.