Epilogue
Cole
One Year Later
“Nervous?” Jess teases, handing me a mojito mocktail to match hers. “Ready to pop the question?”
“Quiet down,” I mutter, stealing a glance across the room to where Cassie is laughing at something with her mom and Britt by her side.
I’m glad I quickly won over those two women, because Cassie loves them with a passion. Jess also quickly became tight friends with Cassie and Britt, which at first was slightly alarming and now just makes my heart swell with joy. Even if I’m banned from attending their weekly girls-only brunches.
Tonight is our housewarming party, because obviously I never threw one when I first moved in.
Perfect term for the party, really. Cassie moved in with me a month ago, and though I’ve lived in this big house for several years now, it never really felt much like home until she got here.
Now it’s filled with bright colors and her presence everywhere I look.
She’s made my cold, empty house as warm as a summer’s day.
But that’s not why I wanted to throw the party.
I was worried it would be enough to tip Cassie off that I was planning something big, but she didn’t seem to catch on.
I’ve never liked parties much, but that’s just another thing Cassie has brought into my life.
She cares so much about her ‘team’—the people around us who make up our family, whether related by blood or not.
I knew they had to be here when I finally asked her to marry me.
Jess is the only one I’ve told what this party is really for. Tonight, surrounded by all the people we love in the world, I’m going to ask Cassie to be my wife.
Now the party is in full swing, everyone drinking and laughing while music fills the room, illuminated by brightly colored string lights.
I’m so goddamn nervous I’m practically sweating through my shirt.
This makes the Stanley Cup finals feel like a pleasant stroll through Boston Common.
“Oh my god, dude,” Jess cackles. “Relax. Cassie can’t hear us from across the room. And come on, she’s totally going to say yes. You guys are the most disgustingly cute couple I’ve ever met.”
Even when she’s annoying me, it always lifts my heart to see my little sister grinning like this.
Just over a year in Boston and she’s happier than I’ve ever seen her at her job, dedicating her life to helping people through social work—people who just like her have struggled with substance abuse and other vulnerable situations.
Our parents even come to visit us in the city now, in between our trips back home to Maine.
Our family feels whole again. As much as one day I want to retire to Maine and live out between the forest and the rocky coast, I know right now that this is where I belong.
On the Nor’easters, in the same city as my beautiful girlfriend and her kickass career.
Two years ago, I had shut in on myself. I pushed the people I loved away.
I fought with my love for hockey and threw myself into trying to be there for my family because of a guilt I thought was here for good.
And in all the years before that crisis struck my family, I always had a wall of ice up around me.
And hey, I still have my grumpy exterior. But Cassie has enough warmth to melt away all the ice in a New England winter.
“Stop talking to me and go do it,” Jess says, eyes gleaming. “Go get me a badass sister-in-law.”
My heart hammers against my ribs as I begin walking across the room toward Cassie.
But Britt appears in front of me, sipping on an IPA. She flips her braids over a shoulder and points a finger at my chest.
“Goalie. I just want to let you know a couple things. Number one, I forgive you for stealing my roommate. Number two, I’m going to be coming over here to hang out a lot.
If you ask nicely, maybe I’ll consider moving into one of your spare rooms. Number three, I’m really glad Cassie found you, because you’re actually pretty awesome, and that girl deserves all the happiness in the world. ”
A laugh breaks through my nerves. “Thanks, Britt. Glad I have your approval. You’re welcome to come over any time, but I think you already know that.”
I keep walking across the room toward Cassie when Landon and Miller block my path. Miller throws an arm around my shoulder. “Freeeeeze! I knew you had a party animal inside of you!”
Holy shit, is everyone at the party going to stop me before I can get to Cassie? Feels like I’m doing a damn obstacle course.
But I’m glad my Nor’easter teammates could be here tonight. They’re as much a part of our story—Cassie’s and mine—as anyone.
We fought it out in the finals to Game 7 last season, but we didn’t bring home the cup. But standing in that locker room, none of us felt like we’d lost. We’d fought our way to the finals, I’d played the best hockey of my life, and this team—this family—had proven we belonged at the top.
I have a great feeling about this year’s playoffs. I think we’re ready to take it all home.
I stare after Cassie, praying she’s not going to walk off. “Fellas, now is actually not a great time—”
“Yo, why are you looking like that? Your face is all like…” Miller screws up his face into a look of anxiety.
“That’s not how I look,” I grit out. “We can talk later. I have something to do.”
“Hey, Cassie’s mom is cute in a cougar sort of way.” Miller waggles his eyebrows. “How about I become your new father-in-law?”
Landon sighs. “Don’t be disgusting, Miller. What have I told you about not hitting on people’s moms?”
I forcefully shake myself free from Miller’s grip and leave my teammates to bicker.
As I walk toward Cassie, everything in the room fades away except for her. She looks radiant tonight. Stunning. Breathtaking. She’s wearing a perfect white sundress, dotted with a pretty sunflower pattern.
“Hey, sunshine,” I murmur.
She turns to face me, and her wide smile slowly softens into an expression of pure shock as I sink down to one knee.
I slip the box out of my pocket and open it up. The nerves jolt harder.
Inside sits a ring—a pretty damn perfect ring, if I do say so myself.
It took me weeks to pick it out. The band is gleaming gold.
I knew it had to be gold for my sunshine girl.
I knew she’d want something pretty and classic, so I chose a stunning round cut that’s almost as beautiful and dazzling as Cassie.
I knew it had to sparkle like sunshine on ice.
“Cassie,” I begin. “I once told you I’m not a man who makes big speeches.
But I can’t spend the last year and a half in love with you and not want to tell you exactly how I love you.
I love your brave soul. I love your bold, ferocious spirit.
I love your kind heart and your ray of sunshine personality.
I love your beauty and your body—god damn do I love your body.
I love how you changed me for the better.
I know there won’t be a single day of my life where I don’t love every single one of these things.
So, here, surrounded by all the people who love you, I want to ask you this. Cassie Wells, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” she yells, her eyes glittering with tears. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Everyone at the party loses it, cheering and whooping like crazy.
I vaguely see Britt and Tanya clutching each other and hopping up and down, and my teammates all yelling their asses off and high-fiving.
The sound fills my ears, but I only have eyes for Cassie’s face, Cassie’s lips, Cassie’s hands.
All I can hear is Cassie’s voice still whispering “yes”.
I rise to my feet and scoop her up against me, kissing her hard.
“I wanted to do this a while ago,” I murmur, sliding the ring onto her finger.
It hits me hard, just how right it feels.
“From pretty much the first time we kissed, actually. But I wanted to give you time to settle into your new job at the agency first. Planning a wedding and starting your agent career at the same time would be a lot of work.”
“Are you kidding me?” she laughs. “You know I love work. I’m already excited about all the different color-coded binders I’m going to use.”
I laugh, low and warm. “That’s what I get for marrying a sports agent.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she says with a glittering smile, “you love it.”
“I love it, sunshine,” I say, and kiss her again. “I always will.”