Epilogue
Tuesday evening at the Reynolds household, Marlie and Damon joined their families and friends for a heck of a celebration.
Not only had the Mavericks won the championship, Will had scored the winning goal.
“Everyone, your attention,” Will said to be heard over the noise.
Mona had invited what felt like the entire town. Marlie recognized the Flashman brothers and their families, to include their parents, who had become good friends with Damon’s folks, apparently.
His parents had arrived with his sister, who kept giving Damon evil looks, which he ignored. Or tried to. He kept inching closer to Marlie until she barely had room to breathe.
Jenna and Melly had come with their parents as well, since the Mason family did a lot of business in town and were well known and friends with Ed. Steve had brought a female cop as his date, and Marlie recognized her as the goalie from the Sharks team. Interesting development there.
And of course, Jeff and his parents were there, with Jeff standing awfully close to Will, though the two had been a non-couple all night. She wondered if this was the moment her brother would finally get a pair and announce them in love.
Though many would be surprised, as she had been, when she’d asked Will about it, he’d told her he cared less about gender than the person. And apparently, he’d had a crush on Jeff for years he’d never acted on.
“Well? We’re waiting,” Ed called out.
Someone lowered the Christmas music, and everyone focused on Will.
“I just wanted to say thanks for coming, and thanks to Mom and Dad for hosting.”
Everyone toasted them, and Mona looked pleased.
“Also, thanks to the Shark players in attendance for losing gracefully to a much better team.”
The Flashman brothers booed until their mother gave them a look which had the crowd laughing. The cop with her brother glared at him too, and Steve meekly smiled back.
“He’s whipped, no doubt. Hopefully not pistol whipped. Cop chick looks mean,” Damon murmured into Marlie’s ear. “But she wasn’t a great goalie.”
Marlie tried not to laugh when Will glared at them.
“Sorry. Go on.”
“I’m trying to make a statement here.”
“Could you get to it? I’m hungry,” Ed said.
Will sighed. “Fine. I just wanted to say how happy I am to be surrounded by family and friends. And that I’ve asked Jeff to marry me.”
The entire room grew silent.
Then Marlie whooped and threw herself at her best friend before hugging the crap out of Will. The crowd erupted in cheers and congratulations, love flowing as freely as the spiked cider throughout the guests.
Damon finished hugging Jeff and Will, who poked at Marlie and whispered, “Your turn.”
Damon heard him and asked her, “Should I…?”
“Nah, I got this.” Marlie let out a loud whistle. “Sorry. This will be quick. Just wanted to let you know I’m keeping the gimpy goalie. He’s mine.”
Damon glared at her. “So romantic. What she means is she’s in love with my fine self. So try not to get between Mad Marlie and her man.”
“Oh?” She planted her hands on her hips, waiting.
Then he laughed, swung her into his arms, and kissed her in front of everyone. “She’s the love of my life. When we win the Cup next year, I’m dedicating it to Marlie.”
“Hell, yeah!” Steve sounded more exciting about the Stanley Cup than Marlie, but whatever. “And don’t forget the playoffs after Christmas.”
“Yeah, let’s not forget that.” Marlie rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop grinning.
Her parents smiled. His looked satisfied and pleased, and before Marlie knew it, her mother and Damon’s laughed and plotted while Big Mike and Irv seemed deep in discussion about a downtown project they were both working on. Well, Big Mike when he finally healed.
Grace hugged them both and warned Damon to treat Marlie right. But when he asked about Grace’s friend, she warned him to shut the hell up. So he did.
Later that night, at home in their bed, Damon lay back as she knelt over him. He stared up at her with love in his eyes. “I am so, so glad I busted my knee and my parents nearly died.”
“Um, what?”
“Because all that pain brought me more pain. You, darling Marlie!”
She snickered. “I’ll give you pain, all right.”
They made magic, and all their holiday wishes came true.
* * *
On June 17th, during a postgame interview with several members of the Portland Ice Raptors, Demon Sinclair, their phenomenal goalie, made a statement.
The guy hadn’t let one goal slip past him during the entire playoffs, resulting in the Raptor’s 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets in a fantastic run that clinched their position as the top team in the league the second year running.
“The team crushed it this year, and mostly without me,” Damon said. “But I had to play my heart out for the playoffs. My fiancé refused to marry me unless we won.”
The reporters laughed, but behind them in the back of the room, a tall woman glared at Demon. One reporter noted the woman made a threatening gesture that had the most impressive goalie in the league laughing.
“It’s now official, Marlie. You gotta be mine.”
The tall woman took a step forward and smiled. “Try again, Demon. I think it’s more along the lines, you’re finally mine.”
No one missed the wide smiles between the couple, or the size of the rock on her hand.
But it was the team’s incomparable center who shocked them all when he announced, “Can you believe she’s seen me without pants and still chose Damon over me?”
“And me,” Lars Kels, their defenseman, added.
Flashes exploded as the room captured Damon Sinclair tackling his teammates while the players laughed and joined in the chaos.
The next day’s headlines made national news.
Demon attacks teammates over naked party with fiancée; Fight broken up by beauty conquering the beast.
It wasn’t long before Damon and his fiancé announced their collaboration with a soothing new tea company that proclaimed its ability to calm even the angriest of souls. In no time, it became one of the most popular brands to hit the market.
And Damon’s agent cried with joy.
* * *
THANK YOU for reading Marlie and Damon’s story. I love the town of Hope’s Turn, where love fills the town with joy and hope during the holidays. Wishing you all a lovely time of year where anything’s possible.