First Epilogue
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TWO WEEKS LATER
“Surprise!”
The chorus of what sounds like a hundred people shout as soon as I step inside my door.
Before I have a chance to look around or register what the fuck is going on, Bianca—or I should say Honey Pants because it’s her favorite name even though she protests when I suggest we change it officially—launches herself at me, landing in my arms with a hug so forceful that I’m knocked back a step.
She kisses me as the shouting goes on wishing me happy 21st birthday.
“What the fuck is this?” I say into her mouth while a laugh surfaces, ending the kiss.
“It’s a surprise birthday and everyone is here to wish you well. It’s a landmark year so I couldn’t very well just bake a cake and call it a day. So I—”
“Okay, I get it.” My smile might match hers in size, but probably not in wattage and I feel like I need to hold her in place or she’ll float to the ceiling.
She throws her arms around me again before mom and dad come forward and drag us the rest of the way inside to the zealously decorated space that used to be my condo. Now it’s our condo—not officially of course—but in every other way.
Kara and my brothers are here and I do a double-take because Nora’s here too. “Now that’s a true surprise,” I lean in and whisper in HP’s ear.
She looks confused for a second, an endearing expression that I enjoy creating every chance I get, before I nod in the direction of Nora.
She shrugs apologetically. “I’m not one to hold grudges.”
I pull her to my side where she fits like magic and kiss the top of her head as we’re drawn into the crowded living room to greet most of my team, her family, Kat and Jett and his wife with their baby.
“Where are your glasses?” I whisper. “You know it’s one of my favorite things to take them off you.”
She blushes and then elbows me. “Not now, Brody.” She looks up into my eyes and my breath disappears like it does every time I come home to her or she walks in the door as if I’m seeing an impossibly beautiful mirage and I tell her to pinch me because it feels like I’m living a dream.
Maybe I am. But if so, I have no intentions of waking up. Ever.
“Come over here you lucky S.O.B.” Ax says and he and Sabien steal me away from my girl to slap me on the back and hand me a drink.
Coach Nash says, “No morning skate,” as he raises his glass and cheers go up. People laugh and I down half my beer.
“No whiskey?” I ask.
Ax whispers, “Coach Logan got wind of the party—”
“Because I invited him,” Brooks puts in.
“And he said nothing stronger than beer since you’re a virgin drinker.” Ax laughs and I’m pretty sure he’s making that up—the part about coach saying I’m a virgin drinker. Coach couldn’t possibly have that good a sense of humor.
Coach Logan finally gets to me and shakes my hand with a nod and his serious as a Bishop face confirms my opinion of his sense of humor.
Then he says, “I’m proud of you, Brody. You’ve made a good choice here and seem to have matured years in a matter of months.”
Shock has me nodding without saying a word. Brooks circles her arms around me and leans in, tilting her head up to treat me to that adoring expression that makes my heart double-up for a beat.
She whispers, “He’s all grown up now, isn’t he?”
“What’s that?” Coach says.
“Nothing.” I keep my eyes on her, suddenly wishing all these people, my friends teammates and family who I love—yes, I’m no longer afraid of feelings and expressing my emotions, at least not in my head—would disappear.
After making the rounds and making sure I give a hug and sometimes a kiss, to everyone here, I end up in the kitchen with Honey Pants, Sabien and Ax.
“A lot has happened in a short time,” Sabe says. “Hard to believe you landed upright on your skates and relatively unscathed.”
“Relatively unscathed?” Heidi says as she joins us, standing closer to Ax than is strictly casual in my opinion. “He’s come out of this like a bouquet of roses when he should be smelling like shit.”
Brooks laughs and I pinch her ass. She squeaks and my grin goes supersonic.
“She’s right. Brooks and I are lucky. The press got over our fake marriage pretty quick.”
“Yeah—because you’re shacked up now and all lovey-dovey,” Ax says.
Sabien snickers. “I’m impressed by what hams you are now, eating up all the attention and going out of your way to tease your fans.”
“Our fans?” Brooks says.
“Yeah, hockey fans and all romance lovers. They’re enjoying the hell out of speculating on what’s next—”
“Don’t start that again,” Brooks says. But I know she thinks about it, possibly as much as I do.
“Fans love us because what they see is real and I tell the truth.”
I have no idea where it’s going, but I’m in love. Not married.
Turns out I do believe in love. Though I’m still not sold on marriage.
But Bianca thinks I’m too young to be concerned about marriage.
Not when she’s in the running for the role of wife and she has no time to add those duties—whatever that means. I know she’s deflecting.
Jett insisted she stay with the agency and build their music talent division after getting Kat a gig opening for Imagine Dragons at the Garden in Boston.
She’s also helping Kat leverage her YouTube followers and monetize the site with subscriptions. As of today, my honey pants is in talks with Spotify for a deal with Kat—no last name.
Me, I’m kicking ass on the ice and my headaches have finally disappeared, literally and figuratively.
My mom and Mrs. Brooks shoo us out of the kitchen to bring out the food.
“You didn’t cater?” I’m surprised.
“No. You deserve a good old fashioned celebration where the people who care about you make the food.” Her eyes sparkle.
Then I laugh because I remember her parents own a diner. “Right. We’re having diner food.”
By the time everyone leaves, I should be exhausted, but the only thing worn out is my voice. The rest of me is high on a cloud of euphoria and anticipating the best part of the night with unusual energy.
“About dessert?”
“I wouldn’t want you to exhaust you. You must be tired.”
“Sex energizes me.”
She gives me a skeptical look.
“Only one way to prove it, honey pants.”
“What about cleaning up?”
“We can clean up after dessert.”
She laughs because she knows Doris, our cleaning lady will be here first thing in the morning.
I scoops her up as she screeches and giggle, sending a jolt to my dick. I throws her over my shoulder and carries her to the bedroom and drop her on the bed. Then I pounce.
“Honey will always be my favorite dessert,” I say into her mouth as I nibble on her lips and she moans because my hands are roaming to all her best parts, everywhere.
“God how I love you, Brody” she whispers.
I slip my hand into her honey pants and slide my thumb over her nub, pressing to release her magic.
“Brody…”
The way she utters my name is half moan, half complaint and all surrender.