Epilogue
Win or Lose, Baby
We’re back in Florida, this time at the Amalie Arena for the Frozen Four against Quinnipiac.
We’re down two with only three minutes in the game, but Sav is cheering against the glass like we’re about to win the Stanley Cup.
The only person louder is Izzie, who can almost reach over the glass from her perch on Clay’s shoulders.
I’m surprised she’s not with Dallas, but then I see him talking to Doug, who looks starstruck.
“Callahan, get out there,” Coach Benson tells me, so I hop over the boards with just over two minutes left.
I try to focus on nothing but what’s happening on the ice, but I hear Savannah and can’t help but smile as I intercept a pass from Quinnipiac and skate towards their goal.
I pass to Spring, but he doesn’t have a clear shot, so he sends it to Colt, who looks straight at the goalie while shooting it back to me, and I one-time it through his five-hole.
We don’t make another goal, so Quinnipiac wins, and we’re knocked out of the competition, but as much as I want to go home and be alone right now, I want to find Savannah and take her in my arms even more.
I bite my bottom lip and wait for the guys to come out.
Noah no longer tries to avoid me after losses, but this was a big one, so I’m not sure what kind of mood he’ll be in.
Or how happy he’ll be to entertain both our families tonight, which is why I volunteered us to potentially go back to the condo and ‘babysit’ his siblings while the others enjoy a night out. Depending on the game’s outcome.
I’m prepared to wait, because as captain, Noah thinks it’s his responsibility to make sure everyone else is okay and to be the last one out of the locker room, but it seems like everyone comes out at the same time.
Noah smiles at me and I immediately run towards him, feeling like a weight is lifted off my chest when he takes me in his arms and twirls me.
“You were amazing out there,” I tell him.
“We lost,” he points out, but he’s smiling.
“You okay?”
“Win or lose, baby, as long as I’ve got you.”
He kisses me, and my knees would have buckled if he wasn’t holding me up.
“Eww, gross!” Izzie teases, my idiot brothers joining in, so we pull apart and I watch Noah hug everyone, from his sister who is looking at him like he’s her hero, to his mom, who didn’t make it to the stands with us, but hung out in the coffee shop with my mom.
Still, she’s here now, crying as she tells him how proud she is, and my heart is bursting for him. For everything they’ve overcome.
We go for ice cream, because it’s family friendly, but my phone has been buzzing in my pocket, mostly his teammates letting us know they’ve found a bar, so I can only imagine how Noah’s phone is blowing up.
“Savannah, do you have the picture of me on Clay’s shoulders? I was way taller than Dallas,” Izzie asks me, then tells her brother.
“I’m always taller than Dallas, so that isn’t hard to do,” Clay points out, getting a punch in the shoulder, but it’s all facts.
“Of course.” I unlock my phone and am about to find the picture for Noah, who is leaning over my shoulder, when I see the notification for an email on my pen name’s account, which I’ve literally only used for my Kobo Originals submission.
“Open it, babe,” Noah says, kissing my neck.
“It’s probably spam,” I convince myself before opening the mail app, but it’s from Kobo. I turn away, but nod when Noah looks at me, to let him know he can read it.
“Dear Miss—” he cuts himself off before revealing my pen name, which I don’t intend to share with anyone besides Noah, who helped me come up with it. “We are thrilled to inform you we’d love to publish your manuscript, and look forward to bringing the entire series to life.”
I take the phone from Noah and reread it. He paraphrased and skipped everything that identifies my series, but the jist is right.
I’m going to be a published author!
I turn to face him, not quite believing it, but he’s looking at me and shaking his head like he’s amazed by me. He often does this, and it always gives me butterflies.
“They’d be idiots not to,” he says, taking me in his arms again. “I am so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I tell him.
“You definitely could have,” he argues. “But I am so glad you didn’t.”
He kisses me, and this time Izzie doesn’t tease us, but everyone cheers. It gets the attention of the other ice cream shop patrons, but I am so happy I don’t even care that half of them have their phones out and it’s only a matter of time before they start asking for autographs.
“You kids go celebrate. We can catch up at brunch,” Mrs. Callahan suggests after they all congratulate me.
I take my phone out again, to see where everyone is at, and to let Lacey know, but I already have a string of texts.
Lacey
You did it!!!!! So proud of you, babe!
Ivy Gang
Colt
Woohoo! You da bomb Sav! Never doubted you for a second.
Owen
Congratulations Savannah!
Mike
So happy for you!
David
Glad they’re recognizing my new favorite author.
“You put it in the Chat? Tonight?”
“I’m proud. And they’re excited for you. This is incredible and you deserve to be celebrated.”
“This is your night.”
“We needed a win. You gave us that.”
I know it’s not at all the same thing. I’m not on the team. This is a baby book deal for a pen name I will never share. But their support and excitement for me means the world.
“How did I get so lucky?” I ask Noah.
“I ask myself the same thing every day.” He kisses me, and I have half a mind to suggest we just go back to the hotel and celebrate on our own, but my phone buzzes again, with probably another one of his teammates, and I can delay having Noah to myself if it means I get to be a part of this.
Thank you so much for joining me and the Wynchester Wolves for Noah and Savannah’s story.