Epilogue
MADISON
The whistle blows signaling the last cheer practice of the semester is ending, but I couldn’t tell you one thing we did the entire hour we were here. Something’s happening today. I’m not sure what, but I can feel it. I grab my jacket and throw it over my practice uniform and as soon as I look up my gaze finds Hayden instantly. He’s leaning against the fence that separates the stands from the track around the football field.
His arms are crossed, and his dark eyes are locked on me. Something is definitely happening today.
I don’t stick around for the usual post-practice chatter. My pom-poms hit the grass, forgotten and I’m sprinting toward him.
Hayden leans forward just as I reach the fence, and without hesitation, he picks me up, and lifts me over the steel. When my arms wrap around his neck, his hands move to grip my thighs.
His face breaks into a rare, soft smile, the kind I know he saves just for me. That’s the thing about Hayden. He might always get what he wants because he’s a menace, but he’s also a cuddler. I mean, he really loves to just lay in bed and lay his head on my chest while I play with his hair. He’d never admit that to anyone but me, but it’s one of my favorite things about him.
“The new coach let us out of practice early,” he says as his eyes roam over my face. “So I skipped my next class because I wanted to see you.”
My heart squeezes, and I bring my hands to his face, my thumbs brushing the sharp angles of his jaw before I nudge his hair that’s fallen across his forehead.
I don’t bother chastising him because he isn’t going to do anything he doesn’t want to, and it’s not like his future is uncertain. His grandmother wants him to run her vineyard and winery. She told me all about it when I met her at the wedding. She promised to show me pictures the next time I see her, which I’m hoping will be over the winter break. She wants to teach me how to make Hayden’s favorite pancakes, which he apparently is very particular about. I’m not really sure what I want to do after college, but I’m looking forward to having the time to figure it out.
Hayden leans in, his mouth claiming mine in a kiss that’s soft but deliberate, lingering like he’s in no rush to let me go.
When we finally pull apart, his eyes are still locked on me, the intensity there making my breath hitch. He’s just looking at me, studying my face like he’s looking for something.
“What’s up with you?” I ask, my voice quieter now. “I don’t buy that you’re nervous for the last game of the season tonight.”
His lips twitch into a small smirk before his gaze softens again. “I don’t have a single thought today that isn’t about you.” The words hit me, and I can feel my cheeks heat. Before I can reply, he adds, “Will you come somewhere with me?”
“Always. You know I will go anywhere with you,” I say without hesitation, nodding as he lets me slide down. My feet hit the ground, but I swear it feels like my heart’s still floating somewhere above me.
Hayden takes my duffle bag from me before he slips his hand into mine, and we start walking across campus. I let myself lean into him, my head bumping against his arm for a second before straightening again.
I’m afraid to jinx it, but everything feels perfect now. No threats. No secrets. No more looking over my shoulder or making poor Callum cut into his lying around time to play bodyguard. And being with Hayden is easy. We complement one another in such a natural way that still surprises me sometimes.
As big of a deal as the whole stepbrother thing seemed when we first met, it’s not even a thought anymore. We don’t even go back to the home Hayden grew up in. Not because anything bad happened, but our parents have been off traveling for months, practically since the wedding. I’m glad my mom is happy, and I’m even happier that I’m here with Hayden.
We make quick work of getting in Hayden’s SUV, but he doesn’t forget to buckle me in before he pulls out of the parking lot. It’s really cold today, and I freaking love it, but my teeth are chattering. Hayden cranks the heat up and then lets his hand cup my upper thigh.
Our little Castlebrook family feels just as complete. Hayden suggested at one point that we could get our own place somewhere near campus, but I’ve gotten used to the noise of the home we have built with Winter, Tristan, and even Callum. Especially Callum because there’s never a dull moment. Last Sunday morning I came downstairs to make breakfast for everyone with Winter…it’s become our like girls of the house tradition, and Callum was in the living room trying to learn yoga. He broke three pieces of decor, knocked the tv off the wall, and sounded like someone let a herd of bulls loose in the house. But I wouldn’t trade our family for everything.
Hayden squeezes my leg, and I glance up at him. I think about everything it took to get here. There were some really rough times, and yet I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. Because when we first met, we didn't have anyone, and now, we have each other.
I knew where we were going before we got here, but seeing our favorite spot never gets old. It’s snowed here, which means a dusting of flakes is probably headed toward campus by tomorrow. “Oh, I needed this,” I say to Hayden, leaning forward to look out the front window at the pond. He’s brought me up here a few times to skate. I’m not very good, but he never lets me fall. I’m thinking of asking Callum to get his friend Lilac to teach me how to skate. I’ve seen her practicing in the arena when I cut through to leave little notes in Hayden’s locker. She’s so talented, and it would be cool to surprise Hayden by not having wobbly knees.
Hayden gets out and heads over to open my door. I give him an inquisitive look because we didn’t bring our skates, so I assumed this trip was just for us to spend a little alone time together.
“What’s going on?” I ask, but he just shakes his head as if to tell me I have to wait to find out.
Hayden walks me over to the pond’s edge and wraps his arm around me as we gaze out at the mountains. It’s like we’re in a literal painting, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over this view.
“We should go up to the Falls over break and–” I start to say, but Hayden shifts, dropping down to one knee and I feel like I’m glitching because he’s holding a light pink velvet ring box out to me. My eyes bounce from the sparkling diamond ring to his face. My mouth is open in shock, and no words will process from my brain to my lips.
“It’s a princess cut,” Hayden says, grinning at me.
“Hayden,” I warn him, and I roll my eyes. I can’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. Of course, he’d pick a princess cut. He’s probably had this planned since the moment he decided I was his.
“Madison Marie Caldwell…” he scowls like he’s tasting something bitter when he says my current last name, and honestly, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Hayden. “Will you give me the greatest honor of my life by letting me give you my last name?” he asks, his grin boyish and confident.
“Of course I will,” I manage to get out, but he’s not in the mood to wait, because before the sentence is out of my mouth, he’s already sliding the ring onto my left ring finger. It fits perfectly, like it was meant to fit my finger specifically.
“Marry me, Madison,” he’s says, still kneeling. “As soon as possible. Be my wife. Be mine for real. Have my babies. I’ve been obsessed with you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I can’t even explain how much deeper that obsession grows every second I spend with you.”
I don’t think. I just move. My arms fly around his neck, my face burying into his shoulder. My heart feels like it’s going to burst right out of my chest. “Yes. Yes. Of course, yes. I’ll marry you,” I whisper, my voice breaking with emotion.
Hayden stands, lifting me into his arms effortlessly and spinning me around playfully. The snow falls heavier now, swirling around us, but I barely notice.
“I wouldn’t have taken no for an answer,” he murmurs against my ear, his voice rough. There he is. I love the sweet side of Hayden, but this part of him that’s feral only for me? Yes, please.
He spins me one more time before setting my feet on the snowy ground. His hand finds mine again, lifting it so he can admire the ring. His eyes meet mine, and his expression softens into something that I swear knocks the air out of my lungs.
“It’s perfect,” he says, brushing his thumb over the ring and then my knuckles. “Just like you, Mrs. Madison Lockwood.”
“Hey, we’re not married yet,” I tease, my voice breathless as I try to take in everything that just happened.
I’m baiting him on purpose, because the end result is always fun for both of us. Hayden’s lips pull into a familiar, teasing smirk. “Don’t tempt me. I’ll camp out in front of the courthouse until they open in the morning,” he says, his tone daring me to challenge him.
Before I can reply, his hand slides to the small of my back, pulling me flush against him. His other hand cups my face, his thumb brushing my cheek as he leans in.
The kiss is anything but soft. His lips move against mine and his fingers tighten on my back as his other hand slides down to grip my ass.
I gasp against his mouth, and he takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue sweeping against mine in a way that makes my knees weak.
When he finally pulls back, his hand trails down, sliding between my legs, his touch firm and possessive even through the thin fabric of my cheer shorts.
“Fuck,” he groans as his forehead rests against mine. “When I get you home, baby, I’m going to fuck you like you’re already my wife.”
My breath hitches, my body responding instantly to the promise in his words. The heat in his gaze is enough to make me forget the cold entirely, and I know without a doubt that he means every word he’s saying to me.
I try to catch my breath, but he doesn’t give me a second to recover, brushing the snow from my hair as his hand slides back to my waist.
“You’re stuck with me now,” he says, his voice lighter, almost like he’s feeling as giddy as I am.
I laugh softly, leaning into him as he wraps his arm around my shoulders, guiding me back toward the SUV.
“I was half-afraid Tristan’s cousin was going to pop out of the woods in a priest costume and drug me,” I tease, because the Blackwood lore is so shocking, it’s hard to tell what’s fiction or fact.
Hayden snickers, his arm tightening around me. “All of those stories are alleged. I never saw him pretend to be a man of the clergy,” he says, his grin breaking through. I can see the look in his eyes, he knows things that would probably send my brain into space.
“You laugh,” I continued as I glance up at him, “but Winter told me he helped someone kidnap a woman. Chloroformed her and married them while she was passed out so she wouldn’t testify against the guy in court.”
He shakes his head, his laughter making his chest bounce with the motion. “That’s called creative problem-solving,” he says in a playful way, but I can tell he’s a hundred percent serious.
As we reach our ride, he stops and turns me toward him again, his hand sliding into my hair. “I love you more than anything, princess,” he murmurs.
And as he leans in to kiss me again, I know that there’s nothing in the world that could ever feel as right as being here with him.
Every seat is filled and the crowd is hyped up because our boys are dominating the visiting team.
“God, the other team hasn’t got one goal on Tristan,” Winter says as she leans closer to me.
I nod, my eyes fixed on Hayden as he moves the puck effortlessly. He dodges a defender like it’s second nature, snapping a quick pass to Callum.
“We’re never going to hear the end of the gloating when we get home,” Winter laughs, shaking her head. Hayden glances toward the stands, like he’s checking that I’m still watching.
The puck flies across the ice, Callum’s stick swipes at it and rockets it toward the other team’s net. The goalie dives, but he’s too slow. It’s so quick, if you blinked, you would have missed it. The buzzer sounds, and the crowd loses it.
I jump to my feet with Winter, screaming and clapping as the boys celebrate on the ice. Hayden skates toward Tristan and Callum and I have to laugh because Tristan is swatting his goalie stick at both Hayden and Callum, letting them know he doesn’t want any part of a group hug.
Winter nudges me, nodding down at the ring on my left hand. “We found out that he was going to ask you, but he wouldn’t tell anyone when or where,” she says, and she always sounds so genuine. “He wouldn’t let anyone see the ring before he gave it to you. Not even me. He did really well, it’s you.” Her smile fades and she scrunches up her face when she says, “I was afraid it was going to be a giant rock with his angry face chiseled on it, so other men will know you’re off the market.”
I snicker at her words, because honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him. I glance down at the ring, and it catches the arena lights like it’s showing off. “He wouldn’t let anyone see it at all? I assumed at least Tristan saw it before he gave it to me.”
She laughs, brushing a stray hair out of her face. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the jeweler wear a blindfold so you’d be the first person to really see it.”
I snort, shaking my head. “The fact that you’re probably right is ridiculous.”
Before Winter can reply, the crowd erupts again, chanting as the guys finish shaking hands with the team they just defeated. Hayden’s head tilts up, his gaze locking on me.
He skates toward the exit and presses his glove to his lips, then points right at me. I know exactly what he’s thinking. He wants me to run down there and kiss him in the hallway before he goes in to shower.
Winter and I make our way toward the hallway where Hayden and Tristan will exit to head to the locker room. It’s where we always wait for them, but before we get there, the speakers crackle, and a familiar voice cuts through the noise.
“Is that…?” I trail off, because…this can only end up in a circus sideshow. Who would give Callum a microphone?
We stop and turn back, and sure enough, Callum is standing at center ice, holding the announcer’s microphone like he owns it. He’s grinning ear to ear, still in his uniform and skates, but he’s ditched his helmet for his backwards hat.
“Lilac Fairbanks,” he calls out, his voice echoing across the arena. “Get your pretty ass out here. Don’t make me come find you.”
“What the hell is he doing now?” Winter asks, and I can see the corner of her mouth twitching with a suppressed smile. She’s living for this
I watch as Lilac steps cautiously onto the ice, her long chestnut hair flowing past her back. She’s wearing a short, light purple dress that flutters around her thighs. Even from here, I can see her wide, confused eyes scanning the crowd.
Hayden and Tristan stride up beside us. Hayden’s arm slides around my waist without hesitation, and I lean into him.
“You did good out there, future husband,” I say, looking up at him.
Hayden’s lips twitch into a small, satisfied smile.
The sound of the microphone crackling pulls my attention back to the ice, and my jaw nearly drops when I see Callum drop to one knee. The arena goes completely silent, all eyes on him.
“Lilac Fairbanks,” Callum says, grinning like he knows exactly what kind of chaos he’s causing right now. “Will you marry me?”
I gape, turning to look up at Hayden.
“I’ll kill him,” Hayden snaps, his dark eyes narrowing at Callum like he’s already plotting his murder.
I laugh, grabbing his arm and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “There’s no way he could have known that you proposed earlier today.”
Hayden frowns down at me. I guess I should have said that Callum is telepathic and knew that Hayden proposed today. I can’t control my giggles. I can’t say I’m sad to share my engagement day with Lilac. I just feel so sorry for her that the man attached to her ring is Callum. I bring my hand up to cover my mouth because if I don’t stop laughing, Hayden is going to rip this building down with his bare hands. Winter and I are hungry, so we don’t have time for that kind of setback.
“Oh my God. You and Callum are going to be absolutely insufferable next semester.” Tristan says, pinching the bridge of his nose and tilting his head back like he needs a stiff drink. He stills, turning his head slowly to look at Hayden. He lets his hand down and grins when he says, “Didn’t Winter tell you that you should let us know when you were proposing so nothing ruined it?” This is all very amusing to him.
“It was private,” Hayden grits out, glaring at Tristan while Winter and I try not to laugh.
“It’s not real. It can’t be,” I say, glancing back at the ice. “It’s gotta be a prank.”
“I’m still kicking his ass,” Hayden says, gripping my waist tighter as we all start walking toward the locker rooms.
“Okay.” I shrug, because despite the talk, Hayden considers Callum a friend and they wouldn’t actually fight. “Just make the ass kicking quick because Winter and I want to get stuff to make tacos on the way home,” I say, leaning up to kiss him quickly.
He softens instantly, his palm flattening on my stomach, I guess because I alluded to the fact that I want food. He’s my not-so-little ragey teddy bear and I’m so glad that we were put together that night we met.
“I love you,” he says suddenly and leans in to brush his lips against mine in a kiss that’s soft but leaves me wanting more.
“I love you too,” I whisper.
Hayden pulls back, his hand lingering on my lower back as he turns and follows Tristan toward the locker room.
As they start to walk in, I hear Tristan say, “I’ll hold him so you can suckerpunch him. Whatever gets me out of this place the quickest. I want to go home.”
Winter and I lean against the wall, waiting in the hallway. “Next semester is going to be something,” she says with a laugh.
“It sure is,” I murmur, my voice warm as I glance down at the ring on my finger.
To think of where I started and how far I’ve come now with a fiancé who loves me more than I ever thought possible, a best friend I didn’t know I needed, and a family I never imagined having.
For the first time in my life, everything feels exactly as it should be.