EPILOGUE
I think your sister is hitting on me
JAKE
THREE YEARS LATER
I don’t think I’ve been more nervous in my entire life.
I wasn’t even as nervous during my first professional game. I was more excited than anything.
But today—today is an important day.
I’ve flown our closest friends into town, and all of them are currently setting up the best engagement party ever planned.
Well, that is if she says yes.
I’ve been planning this engagement for months, everything from the location down to the flowers. Sydney and Maddie have both been very helpful in the ring-buying process and thank fuck for them because this isn’t something I’d be able to do on my own.Who knew there were so many different cuts and styles of rings? And apparently diamonds are on their way out, according to Sydney.
My mom and Autumn have also been an amazing help to me. Planning something on this scale is hard when you’re on the road for half the year. Autumn made sure the caterer had everything correct and checked the menu over multiple times.Mom donated all the flowers for the party including the custom flower arch in the backyard and the various bouquets positioned around the house. Even after I insisted on paying her, she refused my money.
I check my phone for the third time tonight, but still no word from the group chat.
The movie is almost over, so I’m really counting on everyone to pull their weight right now. I’m also praying that Vanessa hasn’t noticed how many times I’ve taken my phone out.
I glance over at her, but her focus is solely on the Disney movie we’re currently watching. Some princess is singing about how she’s sad or something, I’m not really sure what’s going on because my brain has been a little too preoccupied.
I send another message to the group, hoping to finally get a response.
Jake:
Is everything set up?
Nate:
Ice rink ready to go *thumbs up emoji*
Eli:
Food is piping hot and so am I *checkmark emoji*
Kieran:
Your mom finished setting up the rose petal trail.
Did you really need this many flowers?
Levi:
Jake, your sister is hitting on me. Please hurry
The last text makes me laugh. I shove the phone back in my jacket pocket as Vanessa gives me a weird look. I guess now isn’t the time to laugh during the movie.
For the rest of the film, I sit and fidget with the box that’s hidden in my pocket.
This is my first day back after a long eight-day roady.I told Vanessa we could do all of her favorite things this weekend, but she has no idea what the grand finale is.
We started the morning with breakfast at her favorite cafe, La Rochelle , and I ordered her favorite, a hazelnut latte and a cheese-stuffed croissant.
We spent the rest of the morning browsing multiple bookstores. I think we left with two bags full of novels she wants to read—all recommendations from Maddie. I’ll have to thank Maddie for fueling Vanessa’s newfound hobby. A very costly one . But as long as it makes Vanessa happy, I’d buy her a whole damn library.
Maybe I’ll ask Dad to build some more bookshelves. At this rate, Vanessa will have her own library by the end of the year.
I continue to watch Vanessa rather than the movie, because hell, she’s much more entertaining.There hasn’t been a dull moment in our life since we met, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every day I’m grateful that she decided to give me another chance, because if she didn’t, who knows where I would be right now. Probably sitting at home, alone, and watching reruns of The Office.
The credits roll and I wipe my sweaty hands on my pants.
“I can’t believe that movie made me cry.”
I laugh as she tries to wipe away her dried tears. “I can, you cry at almost every Disney movie.”
“It’s not my fault. I swear they purposefully make them sad.”
Yeah, they definitely make them more sad than they need to be. This is the same company that made you love a dog and a fox and then cry at the end of the film.
“So where to next? We still have a few hours before the sun goes down.” I open my Jeep door for her, letting her climb into the seat.Most guys buy a new car within their first year of playing, but I will never get rid of my Jeep. I’ll run this thing into the ground before I get something new.And even then, I’d rather put thousands of dollars into fixing it than buy a newer model.
“I’m thinking maybe ice cream?” She furrows her brows. “Or I guess we should get dinner first.”
The one thing I’ve learned over the years about Vanessa is that making decisions is not her strong suit. Especially when it comes to food. But luckily, we’re not doing either. I’m only giving her the illusion that she has a choice.
“Let’s stop at home first. If we’re going out, I wanna shower quickly.” It’s a lie, but I need to make up some excuse to get us back to the house.
Her eyes sparkle at that. “Maybe we can just stay in and order takeout from that new sushi place? Snuggle on the couch. Maybe do some other things.” Her fingers trail up my arm as I start the car.
The whole way home she’s peppering my neck with light kisses, whispering sweet nothings into my ear.
Fuck . I hate being on the road. When I’m gone, we find time to call or text, but nothing beats being home with Vanessa. She’s made our house into a home, one that I never want to leave. Maybe I should call Autumn and tell everyone to go home so I can fuck my girlfriend properly.
Okay, no. I shouldn’t do that.We all put a lot of work into getting this night right.
As we pull into the driveway, I notice the lights are out and everyone was smart enough to park their cars on different streets. Vanessa has no clue what’s coming her way.
Our house isn’t a mansion, but it’s one Vanessa and I spent months finding.When I started playing for New Jersey, I purchased a two-bedroom condo in downtown Newark. We stayed there for about two years until we found this place. It’s in a small suburban area on the outskirts of Newark, close enough where my commute isn’t long, but far enough that we don’t need to hear sirens going off at two in the morning. Living in our condo downtown was enough city living for the both of us.
We settled on a two-story, colonial-style home with white siding and dark green shutters and trim. The wraparound porch is what sold Vanessa on this place. It took me a little more convincing, but once we saw the big backyard with a patio, gazebo, and beautiful willow trees and greenery that lined the back fence—yeah, that’s what got me. We put an offer in the second we got home.
We’ve been in this house only for a couple of months, but this will be the first holiday we’ve celebrated here. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I thought, what better time to ask Vanessa to marry me then the anniversary of when we became official for the first time.
I know she loves sentimental gestures. Her romance novels are riddled with that kind of stuff.
I put the car in Park and kill the engine. Swiftly, I grab my eager girlfriend and kiss the hell out of her. If we didn’t have our family and friends waiting inside for us, we probably wouldn’t leave these seats. It wouldn’t be the first time we got it on in the car.
“C’mon, I have something to show you.” I break the kiss and slide out of the car.
I walk around to open the door for Vanessa, her face pure lust and shock. I know she’s probably racking her brain trying to figure out what I’m up to. The one good thing about being with her for so long is I learned how to master my poker face. She never knows what I’m going to pull out of my sleeve.
I grab her hand and have her follow behind me.We walk up the driveway to where our fence meets the garage. The second I open this gate there is no going back. It feels like my heart might physically jump out of my chest.
I push open the gate, and immediately hear Vanessa gasp.
Well shit, our friends really outdid themselves.
Warm-colored string lights hang from the willow tree branches and are draped throughout the backyard, connecting from the gazebo to the patio. Floral arrangements line the poles of the gazebo, rose petals of all shades of red and pink litter the walkway that leads to the homemade ice rink. I can’t believe the guys were able to pull that off.
“W-what is all of this?” I watch as Vanessa takes it all in, her eyes shimmering from shock but also what I can only assume to be more tears.
I keep a hold on her hand and walk her over to the gazebo. The rose petals lead up the stairs to a giant heart in the middle of the floor. Candles are lit along the rails of the gazebo, lighting up the entire space along with more string lights that intertwine with the flowers and greenery.
Okay. This is it.It’s now or never.
“Ness.” We stop in the center of the heart. Her eyes are practically bulging out of her head, her glasses magnifying them even more. Fuck, I’m so in love with this woman. She watches me closely, her eyes never leaving mine as I lower myself onto one knee, pulling the small velvet box out of my pocket.
“ Oh my god.”
“Vanessa.” Her eyes pop at her full name; it’s very rare I call her anything but Ness or angel girl.
I take both of her hands in mine. Looking at her, I see my future—my wife, the mother of our future children, my soul mate.
“I love you so fucking much. There is not a single person on this earth I want to spend the rest of my life with besides you. Who knew that a little over three years ago, I would meet this stunning, amazing girl at a damn bar. A girl who turned my life upside down. For the better of course.”
She rolls those gorgeous green eyes thinking back to the night we met. I still remember that black dress she wore, fuck I love that silky dress. I should pull it out of her closet and have her wear it again for me.
“I wasn’t lying when I said that you’re it for me. I wouldn’t change a single thing about our love story, Vanessa. I would do it all over again to get you. You are everything to me. You give me the energy to wake up every day. You make me strive to be a better person. I want you by my side for the rest of our lives. I want to wake up next to you each morning. I want to go through life with you, experiencing everything the world has to offer for us. I want to live the rest of my life with you by my side, rolling those beautiful green eyes at me.”
I look up at the most amazing person who’s graced my life and I can’t fathom how I was so lucky to get her. I don’t know what I did to deserve her love, but I’m going to hold onto her forever.
“I fell in love with your kind heart, your generosity, and your sassy attitude. But mostly, I fell in love with you because of who you are to me. You’re my best friend. The one thing I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to live without.”
I swear she makes a sound so high pitched, dogs could hear it.
“So, angel girl, I have a question.” Her eyes well with tears as she starts furiously nodding her head, already knowing the question I’m about to ask.
“Vanessa Lilian Nichols, will you marry me?”
“Y-yes, of course I will.”
I grab the dark emerald ring out of the box and slide it onto her shaking finger.
She holds her hand out, admiring the deep-green stone I picked out specifically for her. Maddie and Sydney have been secretly sending inspiration photos from her Pinterest so I would at least get this one thing right.
I rise, grabbing her face softly with my hands.As soon as my lips are on hers, the backyard fills with cheers. Our friends and family pour out of the house, clapping, cheering, and wooing at our engagement. I barely get a second to kiss my fiancée before she’s pulled away.
“Lemme see, lemme see!” Sydney grabs Vanessa’s hand, admiring the ring. “Holy shit, Shepherd, you did a fabulous job.”
“Well, I did have some help.” I motion my head to her and Maddie.
“What are you guys doing here?” Vanessa looks around the backyard, finding all of our friends and family emerging from their hiding spots.
Sydney puts her hands on her hips. “Do you really think we would miss a moment as big as this?”
“You both knew and kept it from me? You guys are horrible friends.” Ness crosses her arms in the sassiest way possible.
“Girl, shut up, do you know how hard it was to keep this from you? I pretended to be working on a grad school paper just so I didn’t have to talk to you this past week. ’Cause I know if I did, I would’ve spilled the secret.”
I leave the girls to scream and obsess with each other so I can join my family.
“You guys are fucking incredible. I can’t thank you enough for all your help.” I grab Autumn and pull her into one of those sibling-crushing hugs.
“Well, as a thank-you, I’d kindly ask for you to let me breathe, Jacob!” Autumn squirms in my arms before I let her go.
Immediately she runs over to Vanessa, fawning over the ring with the rest of the girls. The two of them have become so close over the years, sometimes I feel like the third wheel when we’re all together.
Mom comes over next, engulfing me in a hug. “I’m so happy for you. You two are the epitome of love. Looking at you together, it’s like I’m watching one of my Hallmark movies.”
She wipes a tear that falls down her cheek. Leave it to my mom to start the waterworks. If Vanessa sees this, she’ll be blubbering all over again. You should see the two of them watching a romance movie together, not a dry eye in the house.
A hand clasps my shoulder, and I turn around to find Kieran with a smile spread across his face—a sight that used to be rare to see.
“Fuck man, congrats. How are you feeling?”
I run a hand through my hair, how am I feeling?
“Honestly, I feel like I’m on cloud fucking nine. I knew she was going to say yes, but my hands were sweating more than they do in my gloves.”
Kieran shakes his head at me, not liking the comparison I used. But hey, my hands do get pretty fucking sweaty in my hockey gloves.
We both move our attention to the girls still freaking out in the gazebo.
“She’s perfect for you, man. You really hit the jackpot.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
The sound of a utensil clinking glass grabs everyone’s attention, and we all look over to my dad, who’s holding a glass of champagne.Levi, Nate, and Eli start passing out flutes filled with the bubbly liquid.
“I’d like to make a toast.”
Vanessa rejoins me at my side, and I sling my arm around her waist, pulling her into me, placing a kiss on the top of her head. The rest of our family and friends gather around us, champagne in hand waiting for Dad to continue.
“A few years ago, Jake asked if he could bring a friend to breakfast. Normally we’d think nothing of it, until he told us it was a girl. And not just any girl, but Vanessa.”
Kieran and the boys make oohing noises and I shake my head at them. Everyone here knows our story.
“He didn’t notice, but I was watching them the entire meal. The way his eyes were stuck to her, watching her every emotion. He’d be telling a story, but his attention was always on Vanessa. I’ve never seen him so distracted, and that boy has ADHD.
“When they came home for Thanksgiving, that’s when I knew this was it for him. Jake, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age—courageous, selfless, and you put your family above all else. I am so proud of the man you’ve become and the family you’ve created for yourself. Vanessa, you’ve been a part of this family for years now, but we couldn’t be happier to have you as our daughter. Cheers to the future Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd!”
I take my glass and clink it against Vanessa’s. The second she pulls the flute away from her lips, I take her chin and tip it up to kiss me. Her lips are wet from the champagne, but fuck she tastes as heavenly as ever.
“I love you, soon-to-be Mrs. Shepherd. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
“Mrs. Shepherd? Hmm, I think I could get used to that.”
She kisses me deeply this time, pouring all her love into it.
Yeah, I think I could get used to this too.