Epilogue
CHLOE
Two Years Later
“Yessss. Let’s goooooo!” I scream out.
“James has got this,” Hannah tells me.
“Yes, he does. We have the dream team now. I can’t believe we managed to get Wyatt Scott too. He’s the best goalie in the league,” I tell her.
“You think he will sign my trading card?”
I laugh. “Girl, I will get him to sign your panties if that’s what you wanted.”
She shakes her head as she rolls her eyes.
Hannah has been a pleasant surprise. What started off as two strangers bonding over hockey has turned into quite the friendship. She fits right in with us girls and comes to hang out as much as she can.
It’s not only us, though.
Richard and Brantley have become close too. They fly across the country to play golf every other month. Sometimes the other guys join them, but a lot of times it’s just the two of them.
If you would have asked me two years ago if I would be here, I would have told you that you were crazy.
Yet here I am. Sitting with the rest of the WAGs as we watch the Foxes in their first PHL Cup championship game in the last decade.
It has been a long road, but Brantley worked his ass off getting the team where they needed to be. We have a new coach who sees a vision for the team that aligns with the vision Brantley has. Clayton James is now the captain of the team, showing leadership skills unmatched in the league.
It’s like Brantley wrote down everything he wanted out of life, and life said, I got you.
“We are going to win,” Olivia says from my other side.
“We have to.” Adrianna is practically chewing her nails off.
“I think I need another drink,” Iris whispers.
“You? My husband has been on the edge of his seat this entire game,” Sandra, another pleasant surprise, says.
After everything went down with Gregory Hamilton, Richard gave Brantley the in he needed to speak with Mr. Lindle. While he did that, I was able to bond with Sandra.
Now our little tight-knit group has grown, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Shoot the puck. Come on!” Arianna screams out, making us all laugh.
Mason is by her side, making sure she doesn’t fall out of the window.
She is growing up to be a really wonderful young lady.
One who happens to love ice hockey. She even asked if she could join a team.
Now Mason is losing his shit trying to figure out how to keep his little girl from getting hurt while letting her fly around the ice with two knives strapped to her feet.
Poor guy.
“Ari, you tell them,” Brantley calls out to her, beaming with pride.
Then he looks at me. The smile on his face has my own forming.
Man, I love that man.
“We gonna win this, Playboy?” I call out to him.
“You bet your sweet ass we are.” He winks at me.
I shake my head, looking back at the game. There are only three minutes left.
The Ottawa Penguins are no joke, though. They are flying across the ice, stealing the puck every chance they can get. We are up by one, but that can change in a New York minute.
Clayton James gets the puck, flying down the ice. I stand, leaning out of the box as I watch him.
“Go. Go. Go,” I chant under my breath.
Then an Ottawa player slams him into the glass. I groan as he shoots the puck away, holding Clayton against the glass.
I pound on the window of our suite. “Oh, come on. That’s holding all fucking day.”
I know the referee didn’t hear me, but he still blows his whistle, calling the penalty.
“Yes. Finally.”
They call the two-minute penalty giving us the power play. I smile as they come back out on the ice.
This time, there is an urgency to the team. They know they are so close. I’m sure they can taste the win.
Clayton is back on the ice, flying down toward the Ottawa goal. He passes the puck before getting it back, slapping it toward the goal.
I swear I feel like it happens in slow motion as it flies toward the goal. Then the buzzer sounds, indicating a goal.
“Yesss.” I jump up, hugging Olivia and Hannah at my side. Then I offer high fives to the girls I can’t reach.
“Only thirty seconds left. Come on, boys. Let’s bring this home.”
Ottawa pulls their goalie as they get out on the ice and do their best to get back in this, but it’s too late.
The final buzzer sounds, indicating that we have won the whole thing.
Climbing over the back of my seat, I run to Brantley. He catches me as I throw myself into his arms.
“You did it,” I tell him.
“We did. it. We are a team, remember?”
I do, but I still feel like this is all a dream sometimes. Like this can’t be my real life.
I don’t tell him that, though. He shows me every single day that he doesn’t regret having me in his life.
“I love you,” I tell him.
“I love you. Come on. We have to get down there and celebrate with them.” To the suite, he calls out, “Come on, everyone.”
I smile as I watch everyone follow us. This is so Brantley. This isn’t his win. This is everyone who’s helped us get here win. From the sponsors to our friends and family. Everyone who supported us.
I once thought I would never find a man I truly loved. Someone who could love me for the chaotic mess I am.
Now, I’m proud to say I have never been more in love.
How I went from a girl with a string of bad first dates to the love of my life, I will never know, but I won’t take it for granted.
I won’t take him for granted.
Brantley Gibson is my endgame.
I can’t wait to see what this crazy, beautiful life brings us.
brANTLEY
Today has been perfect.
The team played their hearts out, and it really showed. Everyone is on a high right now, giving their post-game interviews.
I lead my entire crew down to the ice.
I stop beside the guard. “These are all my guests.”
He nods as we watch all of my people walk onto the carpet that’s now been placed on the ice. They are setting up for the presentation ceremony.
Once the last person is through, I walk through, nodding at the guard. Pushing my way through the crowd, I find everyone celebrating with the team. As I get closer, my heart melts.
Down on one knee, Clayton James and Beckett Hayes are talking eye to eye with Ari. She is blushing like crazy as they give her their full attention. I walk up behind her, wrapping her up in my arms.
“Ari, we won!” I tell her.
“Uncle Brantley, you’re embarrassing me,” she hisses low.
Clayton and Beckett both laugh as they stand.
I reach out, shaking each of their hands.
“One hell of a season, guys. I am so beyond proud of you,” I tell them.
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to play for you. This isn’t the end either. We are going to keep moving on and up,” Clayton promises.
“Yes, thank you. It has been an honor,” Beckett adds.
These are two great men.
“I want you two front and center for the ceremony. This is your win,” I tell them.
“Our win,” Clayton says. “You better be up there too.”
I smile a little wider. “Ari, go find your mom.” As she runs away, I pat Clay on the shoulder. “You two can actually help me with something.”
“Anything.”
As I lay out my plan, they both nod.
“We got it.”
They head off to the stage as I go and find my woman. She’s not far. She’s standing with the rest of our friends who have become family as they bask in the energy throughout the room.
Walking up to her, I kiss her on the cheek. “I’m going onstage, but stay close.”
“Okay.” She presses her lips to mine.
The PHL representative comes onstage with the trophy. He says his speech, but I can’t even tell you what he said. Then he hands over the trophy.
I’m happy to see Beckett and Clay right up front with Wyatt at their side. The rest of the guys are there too, but I know how important this was to them three especially. They won a college championship together and now a PHL one. It has to be extra special.
Confetti is launched as the team celebrates. I look around, finding the person I’m looking for.
“Hey, you want a scoop?” I ask the sports analyst.
“Always. What do you have in mind?”
“Keep the cameras rolling,” I tell the man.
I jump back onstage and stand at the mic.
“Excuse me. I would like everyone’s attention, please.”
I wait for everyone to calm down. In my peripheral, I see Beckett and Clayton discreetly collecting confetti off the ground. It seems like they have roped the entire team into doing it.
“Hello. Many of you know I’m Brantley Gibson, and I’m the owner of the Boston Foxes.
We have had some tough years since I took over, but I have to say, I never for one minute doubted that we would be here today.
I knew that each and every player on this team had it in them to get to this point.
This wasn’t only the players and coaches, though.
This took an entire village to get to this point.
From our amazing sponsors to the marketing team.
Even the accounting department and the mailroom.
Every single part of the organization had a part to play, and we wouldn’t be here without them. ”
I reach into my pocket, feeling the ring. It helps calm some of my nerves.
“None of you know this, but if it wasn’t for my girlfriend, Chloe, we wouldn’t be here. Chloe, would you join me?” I ask.
She looks a little stunned, but Mason and Max push her toward the stage.
One of the players helps her onto the stage as they all make room for her to stand next to me.
“What are you doing?” she says through her smile.
“You’ll see.” I clear my throat. “The woman beside me came to me at a time when I was really struggling. She showed up and helped me see that not everything has to be about business. Not every person you meet wants something from you. Sometimes they just want to be there for you. Some might say she is a lot. She is chaotic and clumsy at times. She can laugh a little loud or do something out of the norm. Truth be told, that’s why I love her.
It is because of her personality that I was able to meet a dear friend that changed the course of this organization.
She likes to say it’s all me, but I don’t think that he would have even given me a chance had it not been for her influence. ”
I turn toward her, Clayton jumping forward to grab the mic and holding it between us.
“Back then we bickered all the time.”
“What’s changed?” I hear Max call out, making everyone laugh.
“Okay, so we still bicker all the time, but I knew back then that I would rather spend the rest of my life bickering with you than be with a woman who wouldn’t challenge me, and you do.
You challenge me every single day. To be a better man for you.
To be a better owner for this organization and to be a better person for this world.
You changed my life, and now I want to change your last name.
” Dropping to my knee, I pull out the ring, holding it out to her.
“Chloe Ann Spears, I want to live in your chaotic world until the day I stop breathing. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
She is crying as she stares down at me. Her head is already shaking yes, though.
“I need the words, baby,” I joke.
“Yes, you big dummy. I will marry you.”
I slide the ring on her finger before jumping up and kissing her.
“She said yes!” I yell.
The entire team throws the confetti as the crowd cheers.
“Are you sure you want to tie yourself to me? It is for a lifetime, after all. Who knows what kind of trouble I can get us into?”
I smirk at her. “When are you going to get it through your beautiful, thick, stubborn skull? I want every single bit of your trouble. Even if it means broken pipes, trips to the hospital, and injured dicks. I would take you a million times over.”
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you too, future Mrs. Gibson.”
“Now I like the sound of that.”
I kiss her deeply before pulling back.
“Me too.”