Epilogue
Dylan
Eleven Months Later
“First annual Williamston Friendsgiving,” Blaze announces, raising his glass from his spot by the window. “Who would’ve thought?”
“Certainly not me,” I admit, clapping him on the shoulder as I pass. “But here we are.”
My living room barely resembles the bachelor pad it once was. The walls that once displayed only hockey memorabilia—my jerseys, signed pucks, team photos—now share space with framed pictures of Cheyenne and me ... plus the Thanksgiving decorations she insisted would “warm the place up.”
I look around at the fall-colored streamers, along with the few strategically placed pumpkins and the banner that reads Happy Friendsgiving in Cheyenne’s perfect handwriting.
She was right, of course.
My teammates are scattered throughout the space with their wives and girlfriends, creating little pockets of conversation and laughter.
Paul and Genna are cuddled up on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder as they talk with Addy.
It still takes me a moment sometimes, seeing my teammate with my sister, but the way they look at each other makes any lingering big-brother protectiveness fade away.
They’re good together—anyone can see that.
Cam and Nila stand by the fireplace, deep in conversation. Cam’s usual grumpy demeanor softens around his wife, his hand resting on the small of her back as she animatedly describes something that has him actually smiling. Miracle of miracles.
Kade moves between the kitchen and the living room, helping his twelve-year-old stepson Colton sample every appetizer on the table.
The kid has Kade’s serious expression as he deliberates over each bite with the concentration of a food critic.
Ella watches them both with obvious affection, shaking her head when Kade sneaks Colton an extra cookie.
My eyes find Cheyenne in the kitchen, arranging another tray of appetizers.
She’s wearing a burgundy sweater that makes her skin glow.
Her dark hair falls in waves around her shoulders.
She must sense me watching her, because she looks up.
The coy smile she gives me makes my heart skip a beat, even after nearly a year together.
I make my way to her, weaving between teammates and friends. “Need any help?” I ask, sliding an arm around her waist and dropping a kiss on her temple.
“Just bringing out the last of the appetizers before we set up for dinner,” she says, leaning into me. “The sweet potato casserole needs another five minutes.”
“It smells amazing in here.” I steal a deviled egg from the tray she’s arranging, earning myself a playful swat.
“Those are for our guests, hockey star,” she scolds, but her eyes are bright with amusement. “Just because you scored the winning goal last night doesn’t mean you get special treatment.”
“No?” I raise an eyebrow, moving closer. “What about because I’m dashingly handsome? Or because I peeled all the hard-boiled eggs before the guests arrived?”
She pretends to consider this, tapping a finger against her lips. “Hmm, that might earn you one deviled egg. But just one.”
“I’ll take it.” I grin, popping the stolen snack into my mouth. “Worth it.”
With the final tray of appetizers ready, we move back into the living room together, falling easily into the rhythm we’ve developed over months of navigating social gatherings as a couple. She leads the way, greeting everyone with that warm smile that made me fall for her in the first place.
The room fills with laughter. Looking around at the faces of my teammates who have become family, I’m struck by how much has changed in a year.
Last Thanksgiving, I was still the team’s resident playboy, too afraid of real connection to admit how I felt about the woman who’d been right in front of me for years.
Now, she fits so perfectly against my side, in my home, and in my life that it’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t together.
The timer in the kitchen beeps, and Cheyenne slips away to check on the sweet potato casserole. I watch her go, still amazed that this is real—that she’s mine.
“What are you thinking about?” Kade prompts, following my gaze to the kitchen where Cheyenne is pulling the casserole from the oven.
“Everything,” I admit. “How different things are from last year. How right it all feels.”
“Being happy looks good on you, man.” Kade grins.
“Thanks,” I say, meaning it. “It feels good.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Cheyenne calls out from the kitchen, and there’s a general movement toward the dining area.
I hang back for a moment, taking in the scene. My home—our home, really, though Cheyenne still keeps her place—is filled with people I care about, everyone talking and laughing together. The air is rich with the scent of home-cooked food.
“Hey.” Cheyenne appears at my side, slipping her hand into mine. “You okay? You looked lost in thought.”
I squeeze her hand, bringing it to my lips for a quick kiss. “Just taking it all in. Our first Friendsgiving.”
“First of many?” she asks, a question in her eyes that goes beyond just holiday traditions.
“Definitely,” I tell her. “First of many.”
She smiles, leaning up to press a quick kiss to my lips. “Come on, hockey star. Let’s go feed our friends.”
Together we set the table and everyone settles in.
Throughout dinner, I try to act normal, joining conversations and laughing at Blaze’s stories, but my awareness of my teammates’ movements around my house makes it hard to focus.
Cam casually adjusts the lighting, dimming the main overhead fixtures while brightening the lamps in strategic corners.
Nila disappears into the hallway and returns without her bag, giving me a subtle thumbs-up that I assume means the candles are in position.
Blaze and Addy take turns slipping away from the table, presumably retrieving and arranging the photos I’ve collected over the past year—snapshots of our journey from friends to something much more significant.
The jewelry store photo that caused such a stir, the Christmas tree adventure, our New Year’s kiss, beach trips and hockey games and quiet moments at home.
Kade catches my eye across the table and gives me a reassuring nod. Everything is going according to plan. Paul has Genna and Chey thoroughly engaged in a debate about the best Thanksgiving side dish, keeping their attention away from the subtle preparations happening around her.
The guys who’ve had my back on and off the ice for years are executing the most important assist of my life with military precision. Cam, Kade, Blaze, and now Paul. My team. My brothers. It feels right having them here for this moment.
“Who’s ready for pie?” Cheyenne asks. There’s a chorus of appreciation from around the table as my teammates exchange knowing glances.
“Actually…” I stand up and offer my hand to Cheyenne. “Before dessert, there’s something I want to show you.”
She looks up at me, surprised but smiling. “Right now? But the pies—”
“It’ll just take a minute,” I promise, my heart racing as she places her hand in mine. “It’s important.”
“Okay,” she agrees, allowing me to help her up. “Lead the way.”
As I guide her away from the table, I catch Kade’s eye one last time. He mouths “You’ve got this” as we pass, and I nod gratefully.
The corner of the living room has been transformed in the short time we’ve been eating.
The overhead lights are dimmed just enough to create a warm, intimate glow, with string lights twinkling along the window frame.
Flameless candles are arranged on the side tables, their soft flickering adding to the ambiance.
And the photos placed along the wall and the surfaces create a timeline of our relationship.
Cheyenne slows her steps as she takes it in. “Dylan, what is this?”
“Just a little something I put together,” I say, my voice miraculously steady despite the earthquake happening in my chest. “To remind us how far we’ve come.”
She moves closer to the display, reaching out to touch one of the frames. “These are all pictures of us,” she says softly, turning to look at me with wonder in her eyes. “When did you do this?”
I take a deep breath, gathering my courage.
Behind Cheyenne, I can see our friends watching from a distance, trying to appear casual while not missing a moment.
Paul has his arm around Genna, who looks confused but intrigued.
Cam actually has a hint of a smile. Nila is recording the whole scene on her phone.
Blaze and Addy are grinning from ear to ear.
And Colton is whispering up to Ella and Kade, probably wondering what the heck is going on right now.
“I had some help,” I admit, taking her hands in mine. “I wanted everything to be perfect for this moment.”
Understanding dawns in her eyes, and her lips part in surprise. “Dylan...?”
“I love you.” The words come out easier now than they did the first time I said them, but no less meaningful. “More than I ever thought possible. And I’m ready, Chey. Ready for everything, with you.”
I reach into my pocket, fingers closing around the velvet box that holds our future. The room seems to hold its breath as I drop to one knee in front of her, ring extended, heart exposed.
“Before you, I thought I wasn’t cut out for this—for real love, for forever.
I was so sure that staying unattached was safer, that keeping things casual meant I couldn’t get hurt.
But you changed everything, Chey. You made me want to be better, to try harder, to risk more.
And every day with you has been better than the last.”
Her eyes, those beautiful hazel eyes that shift between green and gold depending on her mood, fill with tears.
I can hear my pulse thundering in my ears, and I can feel every molecule of air between us.
A year of loving her—of learning her, of growing with her—has led to this moment, and now that it’s here, I can barely breathe.
The world narrows to just her face, her expression as she processes what’s happening.
“I want a lifetime of days with you,” I continue, “Cheyenne Blackwell, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she says, the word coming out as a half laugh, half sob. “Yes, Dylan. Of course I will, yes.”
Relief and joy flood through me so intensely that I feel lightheaded.
I fumble slightly with the ring before sliding it onto her finger.
The solitaire diamond ring settles perfectly against her skin like it was always meant to be there.
The first time I saw it on her finger at Meridian Jewelers, we were just playing a part.
But now, I’m choosing Chey for real.
Her arms come around my neck as she rises on tiptoes to kiss me, and for a moment, we’re the only two people in the world.
Her lips are soft against mine, tasting of salt from her tears and sweetness that’s just Cheyenne.
I hold her close, pouring everything I feel into the kiss—all the love, the gratitude, the promise of a future together.
The moment is broken by a collective cheer from our friends, who apparently can’t contain themselves any longer. Suddenly we’re surrounded, Genna reaching us first with a shriek of delight as she practically tackles her best friend.
“Let me see the ring!” she demands, grabbing Cheyenne’s hand. “Oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous! Did you know about this? Did you suspect anything?”
Cheyenne laughs, looking slightly dazed but radiantly happy. “Not a clue. I thought we were just having Friendsgiving.”
The guys move in next, Blaze with a whoop of excitement as he claps me on the back hard enough to leave a bruise.
“Congrats, man!” he exclaims, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. “Welcome to the marriage club! It’s the best decision you’ll ever make.”
Addy hugs Cheyenne, then me, her smile genuine and warm. “I’m so happy for you both. And that ring is absolutely perfect.”
One by one, my teammates offer congratulations, their usual locker room banter replaced with sincere emotion that reminds me why these guys are more than just teammates—they’re family.
“Knew you had it in you,” Cam says.
Kade pulls me aside briefly, his hand firm on my shoulder. “I told you she’d say yes,” he says with a satisfied smile.
Nila appears with champagne flutes on a tray, and Colton follows with a bottle of sparkling cider for himself. “I had these ready just in case,” she explains with a wink. “Cam said there was a 95% chance you wouldn’t chicken out.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I laugh, accepting a glass.
Paul uncorks a bottle of champagne, filling glasses as they’re passed around. When everyone has a drink, Kade raises his glass.
“To Dylan and Cheyenne,” Kade says, his voice carrying over the excited chatter. “Who took the longest possible route to find what was right in front of them the whole time.”
“Hear, hear!” Blaze calls, lifting his glass higher.
“And may your lives together be as beautiful as the love that brought you here,” Paul adds. “And may we all be lucky enough to witness it.”
“To the future Mr. and Mrs. Williamston!” Cam exclaims.
“To Dylan and Cheyenne!” everyone echoes, glasses clinking as the toast ripples through our little gathering.
Cheyenne finds her way back to my side, fitting perfectly against me as my arm slides around her waist. She tips her face up to mine, her smile bright.
“Mrs. Williamston, huh?” she says softly, just for me. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too,” I tell her. “More than I can say.”
A year ago, I never would’ve believed I’d be here—happily committed, planning a future with the woman I love, surrounded by friends who feel like family.
A year ago, I was still hiding behind the facade of Dylan Williamston …
the hockey playboy, too afraid of getting hurt to admit what I really wanted.
But Cheyenne changed all that. She saw through the act, challenged me to be better, loved me not despite my flaws but with full knowledge of them.
And somehow, miraculously, she’s chosen to spend her life with me.
Can life get any better than this? I don’t think so.