Epilogue - Gemma
I sat at the vanity, staring at my reflection, trying to take it all in. Not just the stellar makeup job that Megan had done for me, but everything that had led to this moment. How could I have known I had met the man who would become my future on that fateful night? I hadn’t even wanted to go to the masquerade. I wanted to stay home and make sure everything was packed according to my list.
Instead, I met Casey.
Looking back on it now, there were clues. Every guy I met after him paled in comparison. Either they couldn’t carry on a conversation to save their life, or they were mediocre at best in bed. I kept comparing everyone to the masked man I’d only known as Red. No one else could live up to that night.
Megan stood behind me, curling my hair with practiced precision. Her focus was intense, but every so often, she glanced at me in the mirror with a small smile, as if she couldn’t quite believe this was happening either. “You’re going to look amazing.”
“You think so?”
She smirked, setting down the curling iron. “Gem, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re glowing, and you’re not even married yet. Casey won’t know what hit him.”
I smiled at her in the mirror, though my hands still fidgeted in my lap. My dress was simple but elegant, ivory satin that hugged in all the right places, flowing down to my ankles. I couldn’t wear anything I’d brought after I spotted this dress in the window at the hotel boutique. It was too perfect. The bouquet Casey had chosen—a mix of white roses and lavender—rested on the counter beside me, its scent soothing my nerves.
Casey had taken care of everything. He’d planned this wedding from start to finish, insisting I didn’t lift a finger. Somehow, he and Nico managed to do the big parts while I packed a suitcase and the smaller details while we were in the air. They were miracle workers.
“You handle enough for everyone else, and come season, I’ll need you to handle things for me,” he’d told me with that teasing smile. “So, let me do this for you.”
And he had. A spa day for me, Winnie, and Megan, a rooftop ceremony at sunset, and all the other details I didn’t even know about yet—he’d handled it all, saying he had some surprises up his sleeve still to come. I wasn’t a fan of surprises, but I’d gladly take whatever he gave me.
As she finished my hair, Megan carefully said, “We were never the girls who planned some big, elaborate wedding. But is this what you want for your wedding?”
I chuckled. “Well, it sets the tone for what I’ll pick as my second wedding?—”
She snorted a laugh. “I’m being serious. It’s not too late to say this isn’t what you want.”
I turned around and held her hand. “Meg, I want this more than anything. You’re right—we were never those girls who cut dresses out of bridal magazines or even thought about bouquets. All that stuff…it doesn’t mean anything to me. But I’m getting a beautiful wedding, despite my lack of planning, after a lush spa day that I got to share with you and Winnie. My daughter and brother are here. You’re here. I get to end the day with a husband who put all of this together for me, just so I could have a special day. I don’t think there’s much more I could want.”
She smiled and gave my hair one last fluff, then stepped back, folding her arms as she admired her work. “Then I think you’re ready to get married.”
I stood slowly, smoothing the fabric of my dress as I turned toward her. She was right. I was ready for this. I didn’t have butterflies or cold feet or any of that. I was happy and ready for more of this in my life. “Thank you. For being here, for doing my hair and makeup, all of it. This wouldn’t happen if you weren’t the best friend and babysitter in the world, and ready to take my baby whenever I needed you to.”
She smiled and sighed. For a moment, she just looked at me, her tough exterior cracking. “You’re going to be so happy, honey. And yes, I will babysit for her when you go on your honeymoon.”
“I haven’t even thought about a honeymoon.” I laughed as I threw my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.
“Don’t cry. You’ll ruin the makeup.”
I laughed, sniffling as I pulled back. “No promises.”
“I was talking to me.”
I laughed again, and she handed me the bouquet, then gestured toward the door. “All right, bride-to-be. Let’s do this.”
In the hallway, Winnie bounced on the balls of her feet, clutching her basket of rose petals like it was the most important job in the world. As soon as she saw me, she announced, “Mommy, I’m ready!”
I knelt down, adjusting the bow in her hair and smoothing the hem of her dress. Her dress was perfect because it was a similar one in her size but with sleeves. Megan had already done her hair into a pretty French braid and I let her wear pink lip gloss since it was a special occasion. “You look beautiful, sweetheart. You’re going to do such a good job.”
She nodded solemnly, her expression so earnest I had to bite back a laugh and a tear.
As we stepped onto the rooftop terrace, the cool evening breeze brushed against my skin. The sky was breathtaking, painted in shades of orange, pink, and gold as the sun began its descent. The terrace hosted several trellises and arbors, all woven with flowers and vines, and their scent carried on the breeze.
A green carpet path hooked right ahead of us, so we couldn’t see where we’d meet my future husband, but violins played, and their music came from that direction. An attendant spotted us and signaled down the trellis-blocked path, and the music shifted from light and peaceful to The Wedding March.
Winnie took her job seriously, scattering rose petals with determined precision as she made her way down the aisle. I wondered if, in her mind, she was playing hockey. She glided side to side as she moved forward, looking like the cutest hockey player skating down the ice. With every flick of her little hand, she covered the green carpet with pink petals. Megan and I followed a few steps behind her, but as I looked ahead, I stopped in my tracks.
Full rows of people were seated on either side of the aisle, their heads turning as we stepped into view.
I grabbed Megan’s arm, my voice a frantic whisper. “What’s going on? Did we get the timing wrong? Or—are these people at the wrong wedding? Are we?”
Megan looked just as surprised as I felt. “I don’t think so…”
And then I saw them.
Nico stepped out from behind a trellis near the rear row of seats, his grin so wide it nearly split his face. But it wasn’t him that stopped me in my tracks. It was the man he pushed in the wheelchair.
My breath caught, my heart slamming against my ribs as I took in the sight of my father.
I couldn’t move. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming. My father—who hadn’t been to an event like this in years, who never left the nursing home—was here. In Vegas. At my wedding.
What had they done to get him here on such short notice? What rules had they broken…hell, knowing Nico, what laws had they broken? The expense alone had to be astronomical. I couldn’t believe they did this for me.
Megan gasped when she saw him. She had known him as long as she’d known me and knew exactly how monumental this was. She murmured under her breath, “Oh my God.”
Tears blurred my vision as I clutched the bouquet tighter, my legs trembling beneath me. Megan lent an arm for support, and slowly, I made my way to him, my eyes never leaving him, in case this was a mirage.
Everything else had been surreal. Maybe I was finally freaking out.
But when I reached him, I knelt beside his wheelchair. It was real enough. The man sitting in it was, too. I studied him, memorizing every detail.
Sparse gray hairs lay on top of his bare scalp, brushed and neat. Dad liked to keep a tidy appearance, even now. He wore a suit, much to my surprise. Navy and vintage. His hazel eyes were foggy, the lines of his face deeper than on my last visit. Maybe that was because he was finally outside, and I could see him better than in his dim room at the nursing home. They insisted he preferred it that way, but seeing him here and now, I wasn’t so sure about that.
He squinted from behind his wire-rimmed glasses. There was a flicker of recognition as he looked at me, and that was all it took to bruise my heart. His good days were almost worse than his bad days. Getting glimpses of the man he truly was…well, it made the other days all the more painful. I knew I should appreciate the good days, but I missed him so much. Seeing him recognize me now, I struggled not to sob.
“I know you.” His voice was still weak, but he smiled. “Gemmie.”
A sob escaped me, and I covered my mouth, nodding as I fought to compose myself. Hi, Dad,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m getting married today.”
“Well, I know that. Nickie told me.” His lips curved into a wider smile, making one side droop just a little. He reached for my hand, his touch featherlight but warm. He was having one of his rare good days today by some miracle. I refused to waste one second of it.
“Will you walk me down the aisle?” I whispered.
He nodded, and Nico stepped forward, his expression soft as he placed a hand on the wheelchair’s handles. “Let’s do this.”
Casey stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. I couldn’t look at him yet. I knew I’d lose it. I wanted to run to him and cry in his arms, I was so damn grateful. Somehow, he had made this happen for me. He knew what it meant, and he made it happen for me. Before now, I had no doubts about becoming his wife.
But now, I would accept nothing less.
I stopped across from him and slowly looked up. His tux was classic black perfection, but he had a navy blue and gold pocket square. That had to be from Nico—a reminder of the team that had helped us find our way to each other. Twice.
Casey’s expression was pure love, his blue eyes shining with unshed tears. I had never been happier in my life. As Nico pushed our father’s wheelchair toward him, Casey stepped forward to meet him.
My father placed my hand in Casey’s, his touch lingering for a moment longer than I expected. “Nickie says you’re a good man.”
“I try my best.”
“You better take good care of my baby girl.”
“It will be the honor of my life, sir.”
I glanced back at the audience, and only then did I realize who they were. The team had come to support their coach. Even Whitney was there, and the owner, Matthew. A pair of twenty-something blondes flanked the elderly man, and I wasn’t sure if they were his dates or his granddaughters, but everyone looked happy, and that was what today was all about.
Megan and Winnie sat in the front row with Nico and our father. The ceremony was simple, but every word was imprinted on my soul.
When Casey slipped the ring onto my finger, his hand was steady, but his voice cracked as he said, “With this ring, I promise to love, honor, and cherish you. Always.”
I slid the ring onto his finger, tears streaming down my face. “With this ring, I promise to stand by your side through everything. Always.”
As the officiant pronounced us husband and wife, Casey pulled me into a kiss filled with every bit of love we had for each other. The sound of applause brought me back to the moment, and I turned to see Winnie clapping the loudest, her little face glowing with joy. My father smiled faintly, his hand resting on Nico’s shoulder.
For so long, I’d felt like pieces of my life were scattered and incomplete. But now, standing here with Casey, Winnie, Nico, Megan, my father, and the team, I knew everything was finally whole.
No more secrets.
No more fear.
Just love.
And it was perfect.
Are you ready for more Pucking Daddies from the Atlanta Fire?
The Spice Play: A Single Dad Hockey Romance (Seb’s story)
The Fake Play: A Surprise Baby Hockey Romance (Luke’s story)
Stay sassy and fabulous.
xx
Mia