Cayden
FIFTY-FOUR
“This isn’t the way to my parents’ house,” Luna says, looking out the window. “The turn off was back there.” She looks at me, and a smile plays on my lips.
We are on our way home from dinner and picking up Scarlett from her parents’ house. They have all their grandkids over for a pizza night and invited Scarlett, so we decided to sneak away for a date, or at least that’s the story we all decided to tell Luna.
“I know. There’s something I want to show you first.”
“What is it?” Her brows furrow in confusion, and I shake my head.
“It’s a surprise.”
Her demeanor changes instantly as my favorite dimple appears as she tries to hide a smile.
“Do I get a hint?”
“No, you don’t,” I chuckle, taking her hand in mine and interlocking our fingers. “You’ll just have to wait patiently.”
Her lips form a cute little pout, and I want to kiss it right off her beautiful face.
“Fine,” she mumbles, but I can tell by the way her eyes are shining that she’s brimming with excitement underneath as she glances out the window to try and figure out where I’m taking her.
It’s been a month since the night I told her I loved her. One whole month of waking up next to her. One whole month of late-night talks and family movie nights with Scar snuggled up between us.
Every day I smile, and every day I fall more in love with the woman who saw past all my scars and showed me how to live again.
I turn off onto the private strip of road that sits along the coastal shores before pulling up to the white house on the end that sits further away from the others.
The dark wood on the wrap-around porch gleams in the warm glow of the setting sun. Flowers overflow from the planters hanging over the railings on both levels of the house, giving it a warm, welcoming feel.
“Whose house is this?” She whispers, peering up at the turrets as a smile appears. “It’s beautiful. Scarlett would love this. Looks like a castle in one of her books,” she laughs.
“I thought the same thing when I bought it a couple of months back.”
“What?” Her eyes widen as she turns to me. “This is yours? You bought this house?”
“Not mine,” I say, shaking my head with a grin. “Ours.”
“You…you want me to move in with you?”
“Something like that,” I chuckle, opening the door and walking over to her side. “Let me show you around first, and I’ll explain.”
“O…okay,” she says, stumbling. I can only imagine all the questions going through her mind now as I lead her up the front porch stairs.
Unlocking the door, I hold it open for her as she steps inside.
“Oh my,” she says, putting a hand to her heart. “It’s even better inside. Look at this beam ceiling and this mantle.”
She walks over and runs her hand along the grains of the restored wood that’s been here longer than both of us combined.
“Your brother did an amazing job restoring the place,” I say, watching her eyes whip to mine.
“This is one of Noah’s houses?”
“It is,” I grin. “When I bought the place, he still had a month left of work to be done, so I’ve been going back and forth with him on a few things I wanted to add.”
“Like?”
“You’ll see,” I grin, holding out my hand as we walk through the bottom level. I watch her take in the place, and every part of me knows I made the right decision. She feels it too.
It’s home.
She stops at the back of the house full of windows overlooking the beach and ocean in the distance below, her misty eyes scan the backyard with the pool and outdoor kitchen next to the big grassy area, now fully equipped with a swing set and sandbox.
“One of your additions?” She asks, smiling at the castle tower with a slide.
“That’s one of them,” I smile, taking her hand and showing her the bedrooms and office on this floor before leading her up the wooden staircase.
“I thought this would be a perfect room for Scarlett,” I smile, walking into one of the bedrooms on the opposite side of the master.
“It’s pink,” she grins, walking into the room with the already built-in white bookcases for all her toys and books.
“I took a wild guess that she would want pink walls,” I tease, causing her to laugh.
“She’s going to love it,” she whispers, looking at the window seat that overlooks the water.
Leading her across the bonus room that mirrors the layout of my condo, to the opposite end of the house, I show her the master bedroom.
“Oh, my god,” she whispers. The full wall of windows gives us a stunning view of the ocean. The wooden beams replicate the downstairs design and provide contrast to the white walls. Where the turret rounds, custom bookcases are built in on both sides, forming a cozy nook.
Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I bend down close to her ear. “I thought it would be the perfect spot for you to read or listen to music,” I say softly. “We could get one of the comfy oversized chairs, and we could sit and watch the sunrise.”
“It’s all so surreal,” she whispers, swiping at a tear.
“Wait until you see the size of the tub in the master bath,” I chuckle, taking her hand and walking across the wooden floors.
“Holy cow,” she laughs, her eyes going wide. “You could fit three people in there.”
“Or one very beautiful dancer and a large goalie,” I say, my lip tugging at the corner.
“Or that,” she giggles. “The shower is massive as well. It’s bigger than my entire bathroom.”
“More room to have fun in,” I grin, giving her a wink.
A blush spreads up her cheeks as she stares at the shower.
“Picturing me naked in there?” I ask, raising a brow.
“No,” she giggles, “well, maybe,” she says, breaking out into a grin.
“God, I love you,” I chuckle, taking her hand and lacing our fingers together. “One more surprise to show you,” I smile, walking us through the bedroom and back toward the opposite end where the other bedroom lies.
I gesture toward the closed door. “After you,” I say softly.
She turns the knob and walks in. I hear her gasp as I follow in behind her.
Floor-to-ceiling windows line the wall, showing off the blue waters below, but it’s the rest of the room that has her hand to her mouth and tears streaming down her face.
Mirrors reflect our images as I watch her hand run over the smooth wooden barre I had installed.
“It’s a dance studio,” she whispers, brushing back a tear.
“I thought my girls needed a place to dance.”
“Cayden…” She shakes her head, and her eyes meet my reflection in the mirror. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“Haven’t you learned by now that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you?” I smile, lowering to one knee.
Whirling around, her green eyes widen in surprise before a love so blinding steals my breath, and it takes me a second to find my voice.
“Before you,” I say quietly, “I thought my heart would forever be scarred, wounds so deep they would never fully heal.
Then I met you. And everything I thought I knew got turned upside down.
My scars slowly began to fade, and for the very first time in a long time, my heart began to beat for another.
You breathed life back into me, little moon,” I say softly, as she drops to her knees in front of me, smiling through her tears.
“I’m not asking you to move in with me,” my lips quirk up, remembering her guess from earlier as I pull out the small box from my pocket and open the lid.
Her eyes take in the sparkling round diamond in the center with two diamond crescent moons on either side as tears fall silently down her cheeks.
“I’m asking you to marry me, Luna Marie Bennett.
I’m asking you to be my wife and for us to spend the rest of our lives choosing each other. I want Scarlett to grow up knowing this is what love looks like.
If loss taught me anything, it’s to grab onto the happiness while you still can. I don’t want to wait another minute to start our future together.”
“Yes,” she smiles, laughing through her tears. “I would love nothing more than to be able to love you and Scarlett for the rest of my life.”
“And I’ll love you for the rest of mine.”
I slide the ring on her finger and laugh as she lunges at me, causing us both to topple backwards.
Grinning at her as she hovers above me, I brush her cheeks with my thumb as I palm the sides of her face.
“I love you,” I breathe. “All the way to the moon and stars,” I smile, saying Scar’s favorite saying.
“All the way to the moon and stars,” she whispers, right before her lips melt into mine.
Opening my eyes, I remove my headphones. I’m fully locked in on my focus for the third period as I grab my mask sitting next to me on the bench and run a hand over my much longer scruff, or what most people call the playoff beard.
Hockey players are superstitious if anything, and we all know it’s bad luck to shave during the playoffs. It’s our first round, and a win tonight pushes us through to the second.
We’re leading by one, and judging by the silence and determined look on my teammates, we plan to keep it that way.
Glancing down at my helmet, I brush my finger on the pink star for good luck and the new pink moon I added next to it for my fiancé.
Fiancé.
Just saying the word brings a smile to my face as I put the mask on top of my head and grab my stick.
Luna and I have slowly moved into our new home over the past month, in between her work and my schedule. Together, we’ve created a home for Scarlett, and I’ll never tire of coming home and watching them dance every night.
Even Mae has settled in nicely in her new space. She broke down in tears when she first saw the guesthouse. With Luna’s help, they put Mae’s touch on the place, making it her own. She’s thriving in Crystal Isle and even takes daily walks with Mimi along the beach, who she’s grown very close to.
“All right, boys,” Stone says, getting everyone’s attention. “We’ve worked all season to get here. All we have is one period left to knock these fuckers out. I want your hearts and minds out on that ice, and we don’t leave tonight unless it’s a win.”
Sticks start banging on the ground as the energy in the room rises.
“Come on, you fuckers!” Hayes shouts, leading the way to the tunnel. “Let’s show them whose ice they’re on!”
“Fuck, yeah!” Foxx yells.