Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
WEAK IN THE KNEES
TULLY
I’m in a hotel in Detroit after a game. I just got off the phone with Lola, and I’m missing her. I’m watching a reel on my phone when Goldie calls.
I answer immediately. “Hey.”
“Good game.”
“Thanks.”
“Um. I need to ask you something, and I need you to say yes.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing yet,” she says. “That’s why I’m calling.”
I sit up straighter. “Why do you sound giddy?”
“You’re off Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas.”
“What, do you and Camden just go around memorizing my schedule all the time?”
“For this, I had to check. Do you want to go to Vegas?”
“For—?”
“I want to marry Milo,” she says. “I don’t want to do any work. We’ve worked so hard on Windhaven and Elm & Echo. It’s been a lot, and we’re tired. I don’t want to plan a thing. I don’t want to think about centerpieces or seating charts or signature cocktails—”
“Okay, I hear you,” I say.
She exhales. “I want to get married, and I want it to be small…and warmer weather sounds really nice right about now. I know it’ll be slightly ridiculous, but that’ll be fun to tell our children one day, you know?
And I want my family there. We can have a party in the spring when hockey season is over, and maybe then I’ll be ready to think about a signature cocktail, but the actual marrying part”—her voice cracks a little—“I just want it to be ours.”
“I love this,” I say.
“Yeah?” She sounds relieved.
“I do,” I say. “Who’s coming?”
“I’ll work on it,” she says. “Just had to run it by you, Tulls.”
“Aw, Golds. You know I’ll do whatever you want. I got your back always, remember?”
“I know you do,” she says softly, then sniffles. “Would you be my man of honor? Or best man, whatever you call it.”
“You mean it? Of course I will,” I say, getting choked up.
“Thank you,” she squeaks and sniffles again. “Oh my goodness, I’m gonna be a crying mess, even without doing all the work,” she says. “I want everyone to come. Addy and Penn might have the hardest time pulling it off.”
Addy was Goldie’s college roommate and is still one of her best friends. And we’re all a little starstruck by Addy’s husband Penn, who’s the star running back for the Colorado Mustangs.
“What can I do to help?”
“Just get there. And Lola too, of course. I’ll call her so she knows how much I want her to come, but you can prepare the way.”
I laugh. “Okay, I will.”
“I’m really happy,” she says. “I’m happy for me. I’m happy for you.”
“I know,” I say. “I’m happy for us too.”
She hangs up. I sit up and call Lola.
She answers on the second ring. “I thought you were going to bed.”
“Goldie called. She’ll be calling you too, probably tomorrow.”
“What’s up?”
“How do you feel about Vegas for Christmas Eve and Christmas?”
A beat. “Uh, sure?”
“Goldie wants to get married there.”
“Oh!” she says, her voice brightening. “Exciting! Like The Elvis Chapel?” She laughs.
“Probably not Elvis,” I say. “But The Wedding Chapel, yes.”
“I love it.” I can hear her smiling. “I’m in,” she says.
“Yeah?” I say.
“Absolutely.”
“Well, I guess I’ll be spending Christmas in Vegas with you, Trouble.”
“I can’t wait.”
Christmas Eve in Las Vegas is an experience.
The city does everything completely, one hundred percent, and you’ve gotta respect that kind of dedication.
Every surface and every building is lit up.
It’s fifty-two degrees, which feels like a gift for my Minnesotan family.
I’ve had a little reprieve already from playing in California leading up to this.
We arrive in waves. My family gets in before me, all flying in on the same flight, and Lola and I arrive within half an hour of each other.
I kiss her so long that she starts tapping my arm, like she’s tapping out, and we break apart, laughing.
Penn and Addy fly in from Colorado with their kids.
My grandmas and dad have already offered babysitting services when the parents want to stay out late.
We had to arrange for several large vehicles to pick us up, and once we make it to The Venetian, some of the Vegas energy has rubbed off on us.
Grandma Nancy looks at the Vegas Strip for approximately three seconds and says, “Now this is a city that knows what it’s doing.”
That makes Lola crack up. She gets a lot of enjoyment from my grandmas, who adore her right back.
We hear cackling behind us, and Grayson is laughing at something Penn has said.
I grin. That saying “Never meet your heroes” doesn’t apply to Penn Hudson.
The few times I’ve been around him, he’s been even greater than I could have imagined.
We go to our rooms, which are really beautiful, and start to get ready. Well…first, I have Lola spread her hands on the floor-length mirror while I fuck her from behind. It’s so fucking hot. She comes so hard that her entire body trembles, and I enjoy every second of watching her fall apart.
“I’ll take my time with you later,” I promise in her ear.
“Can’t imagine it being any better than that was,” she says, her eyes glazed as she looks at me in the mirror.
“I never want to leave your pussy,” I whisper, kissing her skin.
Her cheeks flush, and she leans her head back on my shoulder. I tug her barbells in the mirror, and she squeezes me from the inside.
“Fuck, Trouble.”
“We can’t be late.”
“Okay, you’re right.” I groan and pull out. “I’m the fucking man of honor.”
We get ready, and when Lola puts on a short blue dress that clings to every curve, I beg her for another quickie.
“Nuh-uh-uh,” she says, wagging her finger. “We have a wedding to get to.”
Goldie’s plan was to get married right away and then have a blast for the next two days. I think Penn and Addy have to leave tomorrow, but everyone else is staying.
We all meet at The Wedding Chapel, and through the French doors is a beautiful fountain. Lola gasps when she sees it. Goldie has been working with someone over the phone, and everything has been done to perfection. Flowers and twinkly lights fill the room. It looks like Goldie.
I look around for her, wanting to see if she’s got any wedding nerves. She pokes her head out of a side room and waves us over.
We step inside the room, and Goldie is radiant.
“Golds—” I say, suddenly struck with emotion. “Wow.”
“What do you think?” she asks, lifting part of her dress with one hand.
“Stunning,” Lola says, hugging her.
“Thank you.” Goldie’s eyes meet mine, and both of us have tears about to spill over.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her. “You look like the princess you always pretended to be when we were little.”
Her lower lip wobbles. “Thank you,” she whispers. “I wish Mom was here.” She lifts her face up to the ceiling, and the tears fall down both our cheeks.
“I wish she was too.” I take her hand. “She would be so proud of you…and she’d love Milo too.”
She fans her face. “She would love him.” She nods. “Dammit, I didn’t want to cry.” She laughs.
“Impossible,” I say, and we laugh again. I reach into my pocket and pull out a little box. “I have something for you.”
She gasps. “What did you do?”
“It’s…don’t feel like you have to wear it…I just saw it and thought you might like it.”
She opens the box and gasps again when she sees the diamond bracelet. “Tully!” Her eyes flash to mine. “This must have cost a fortune!”
I lift my shoulder. “Worth it.” I grin. “I liked the flower of diamonds.”
Goldie snorts. “Yeah! Me too!”
“That’s beautiful,” Lola says. Her eyes are glassy too. “So sweet!” she says.
“Help me put it on.” Goldie lifts her hand, and I’m all thumbs as I try to clasp it on her.
We’re all giggling like idiots, but I manage to get it on.
“This is the prettiest bracelet I’ve ever seen,” Goldie says, admiring her wrist.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Did you see Milo?” she asks.
“Not yet.”
“Would you check on him and make sure his parents feel welcome?”
“Of course.”
She blows out a breath. “Okay.” She nods again and smiles. “Okay. I’m getting married, Tulls.”
Her lip wobbles again, just as the girls come through the door.
“Oh no, you don’t. We’re not having any crying yet,” Erin says, pointing at us. “I saw Sex on Stilts out there. He is looking groom-worthy, I tell you what. Are you ready to do this?”
“I am,” Goldie says, wiping her face. “I’m so ready.”
Goldie and Milo stand facing each other, staring at each other with dreamy expressions that I’d laugh at if I weren’t crying.
“We were intense before we ever began,” he says.
“You were the most beautiful, most infuriating person I’d ever met, and I thought about you constantly…
and never stopped.” He exhales a small laugh.
“I promise to always be in your corner. To argue with you honestly and love you loudly. I didn’t see you coming, Goldie.
But I don’t remember my life without you, and I don’t want to.
I want to spend forever making you smile. ”
Goldie blinks, and a tear drops. Then she lifts her chin like she’s steadying herself.
“You were so annoying,” she starts, and the whole room laughs.
“You got under my skin before I even knew your name. And then one day I woke up, and the most terrifying thought I’d ever had was losing you.
” She takes his hands tighter. “I promise to choose you. Not just today or on the easy days, but on the difficult ones too. You make me happy every day, and I will spend my whole life making sure you know how much you mean to me.”
My God, I didn’t cry like this at Camden’s wedding, but this one is getting to me. They’re pronounced husband and wife, and we break into applause.
After we take a million pictures in the chapel and in front of the fountain, Goldie throws her bouquet directly at Lola, who catches it on instinct.
They both look at me, Goldie with a pointed expression and Lola more furtively, and I grin.
I’m not scared of committing to Lola. I can’t wait to spend my life with her.
We eat a delicious meal, everyone laughing and talking at once. Then Dad and my grandmas hug Goldie and go up to one of the suites with all the kids.
Dylan appears between us with an arm around each of our shoulders. “Are we painting the town red?” he asks.
“Or white!” Goldie says, throwing her hand up in the air. “Just let me go change really quick.”
It’s not long before she’s back in a short white dress. She walks up to us and grins.
“All right, I’m ready—I want to go dancing!”
“What my wife wants, she gets,” Milo says, tugging her to him and kissing her hard.
My brothers and I groan, and they just laugh.
We go to TAO Nightclub, and Goldie leads Milo on the dance floor by his tie.
We drink and dance and I kiss Lola and we drink and dance and kiss some more.
All of us end up in the middle of the floor, dancing like it’s our job.
It’s been a long, stressful year, and letting loose with my favorite people—I get overwhelmed. I’m so grateful to be here, now.
Even Noah dances, and he’s not terrible!
At some point, I see him talking to someone. Dark hair, bright smile, leaning in to say something close to his ear. I watch Noah laugh and think Huh, interesting, and then she turns slightly, and I catch a few words.
“It took forever to get through customs—”
I nudge Lola and lift my eyebrows when Noah laughs again. Lola grins back—she’d already noticed.
Later, much later, we spill out onto the street, and Goldie tips her head back.
“It’s Christmas,” she yells.
I put my hands on Lola’s waist and lean into her ear.
“Merry Christmas, Trouble,” I say. “I have everything I want for Christmas right here.”
She turns, and her lips brush mine. “So do I, Captain. So do I.” She leans her head against my shoulder. “I’m having the time of my life.” She smiles up at me.
“It’s about time, isn’t it?” I wrap my arms around her. “Time for our happily ever after.”