Knox
As I watch Cheyenne cry and laugh, as if her whole damn world has been turned upside down, I realize how much I want to get her alone.
“Come on,” I say.
She looks up at me, eyes still wide, cheeks flushed and streaked with tears. “Where are we going?”
“Home.”
I take her hand before she can ask any more questions, threading my fingers through hers and tugging her toward the door. She follows without hesitation, still looking half dazed as everyone talks around us.
“Hey, where are you two going?” Rina asks.
“Knox just realized his woman is staying,” River says from somewhere behind us.
I don’t bother turning around.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get everyone together later to celebrate,” I call back, not about to let any of them derail this.
Jax snorts. “Damn right we will.”
I push open the door and we step outside into the cool air. Chey is still shaking by the time we slide into the Maserati. I keep one hand on her thigh the entire drive, rubbing my thumb back and forth as traffic moves around us and the city passes by in a blur.
She looks over at me. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Believe it, baby.”
“I actually got the part, Knox.” She releases a shaky laugh. “I got it.”
“Damn right you did.”
It doesn’t take long before I’m sliding into a spot in the parking garage and cutting the engine. By the time we step into the elevator, Cheyenne is tucked against my side and I’m breathing in the delicate scent of her shampoo, grounding myself in the fact that she’s here with me.
She tips her face toward mine, her eyes bright and a little glassy. “You’re not even surprised?”
“Nope.” I press a kiss to her temple. “Not even a little.”
“How aren’t you?” she asks with a laugh.
“Because you’re so damn talented, Chey. That’s the part you still don’t understand. All you had to do was open your mouth and let them hear how magical your voice was.”
The elevator doors slide open and we walk into the entryway. The second we step inside, she turns to me, still shell-shocked.
“I don’t understand how you could believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
I stare at the woman who has become my everything. Her hair is a little messy and her makeup is smudged from crying.
“Maybe you don’t realize it, baby, but you shine like a star.”
Her eyes fill again. “Not in a million years did I think they’d give me the part.”
“You have so much more talent than you give yourself credit for. Not only am I proud of you for nailing the audition but for having the courage to put yourself out there.”
“The truth is that I almost didn’t go,” she admits, her voice wobbling. “I kept thinking… if I’m not good enough, I’ll have to go back to LA and the show. Back to a life I don’t want.”
My jaw tightens.
Before I can say anything, she continues, “And I kept thinking I’d lose you.”
I lift my hand and cup her face. “You’re never going to lose me.”
Emotion crashes over her features.
“I’ve always been yours,” I add, my thumb stroking over her cheek.
She lets out a shaky laugh. “Knox.”
I lean in until my forehead can rest against hers. “It’s true, Hollywood. I’ve just been biding my time, waiting for you to figure out that what your life was really missing was a hockey player.”
“I’ve never wanted anything more.”
My heart stumbles as she lifts her hand and presses her palm to my chest. “And that includes Broadway.”
I pull back just enough to search her face. “You really mean that?”
She nods, and this time there’s no hesitation. “I do. No matter what happened with the part, we would’ve found a way to make it work. I can’t imagine my life without you anymore.”
The words hit me like a goddamn freight train. All I can do is stare, allowing them to sink in.
She chose me.
Not because she got the role or Chicago was convenient.
But because of me.
I pull her close enough to kiss, needing her to feel every emotion running through me.
Every ounce of love I tried to deny.
Every bit of certainty I’ve finally stopped fighting.
I’m done holding back and playing it safe where this woman is concerned.
I draw away just enough to rest my forehead against hers. “I love you.”
Her breath catches, and for a second, she stares at me as a smile spreads across her face. “I love you too.”
I close my eyes, fighting to keep it together.
“Knox?”
My gaze finds hers. “Yeah?”
“Will you play something for me?”
I smile. “If that’s what you want.”
The truth is, I’d do just about anything she asked.
With her hand in mine, I lead her toward the piano.
Once I lower myself to the bench, she climbs into my lap, turning to face me.
My gaze stays locked on hers as my hands settle on the keys and I begin to play.
The melody comes easily. It’s the same one from the night she found me playing after the Railers event.
It’s funny how that felt like the beginning of something even though neither of us understood it at the time.
Her head rests against my shoulder, her fingers bunching the fabric of my shirt.
“You know,” she murmurs against my neck, “if you ever decide to give up hockey, I think you could probably find work as a pianist.”
A laugh rumbles out of me. “Pretty sure that’s not in my immediate future.”
“No? Then tell me, Knox McNichols, what’s in your immediate future?”
I turn my head and whisper the truth in her ear. “You.”
The word comes out easily, without an ounce of fear or hesitation.
I continue playing with her nestled in my lap. The room is quiet except for the music and the soft sound of her breathing.
For the first time since I found her in my living room and she turned my life upside down, everything feels settled in a way I never could have imagined.
And it has everything to do with the woman in my arms.
The one I can no longer imagine a future without.