Epilogue
Briar
My feet are killing me but the shoes I found on our day-long shopping spree are freaking gorgeous.
Cream-colored satin pumps with crystals embedded all throughout.
And they pair perfectly with the dress I found—or really, the dress that Jade, Aspen, Lily, and Willow found during our wedding planning extravaganza that was two nights ago.
Because Banks is playing here in Vegas tomorrow night.
So, he and the team flew in late last night after their game, and when he woke up, he joined Colt and the guys when they went off to get the marriage license and tuxes from Atlas’s tailor.
Luckily, the Vipers’ head coach was nice enough to let him out of the morning skate.
I smooth my hands down the front of the dress my new sisters found.
It’s…perfect.
Everything I never thought I would have, but secretly wanted so, so badly.
I look like a princess.
The thin crystal-studded straps settle perfectly on my shoulders, but they don’t dig in.
They’re supported by a corset that looks sheer in my torso but is actually lined with skin-colored mesh so I’m not exposed, and the bodice is lined in white.
And the whole thing is covered with lace and crystals and pearls.
And don’t even get me started on the skirt.
It’s big and flouncy, miles and miles of organza that feels light enough to walk in but is adorned with those crystals and pearls and also a swathe of fabric flowers. And it has a high slit that makes me feel sexy, showing off plenty of leg.
Enough that Dash will be scowling as he walks me down the aisle.
And Colt will be drooling.
Total sexy princess, as Lily had called it when she showed me the laptop screen a couple of nights ago.
And kismet because the designer lives in L.A.
Loves Lily and Jade’s music (and Willow’s movies) and really, it pays to have friends in powerful positions.
Within twenty-hours I had a dress in my size and alterations underway.
And now I’m wearing it…and Frankie is wearing the matching one the designer made for her too.
And her shoes have sparkles too.
And my girls are dressed to the nines as well—gorgeous beyond measure, but it’s not just the heels and dresses and hair and makeup we all had done.
It’s that they’re overjoyed for me. For Frankie. For Colt.
For the family we’re building.
For all the joy that’s coming our way.
My heart is full.
Because I’m happier than I ever thought possible.
There’s a knock at the door, and Willow opens it.
“Is it safe to infiltrate the female zone?” Dash teases as he walks into the bridal room at the chapel, his hand over his eyes.
Willow huffs out a sigh and pulls his hand free. “It’s safe, goofball.”
He touches her cheek then turns my way and freezes, his face going soft in a way I’ve never seen before. Then he’s striding over to me, his eyes damp, his voice a little rough. “You look beautiful, sis.”
“Thanks, big bro,” I whisper.
He hugs me carefully, mouth at my ear when he murmurs. “Like a fucking princess, Thorny. And I can’t imagine anyone better than you to marry my best friend.” He leans back, cups my jaw. “And I can’t imagine anyone better to marry my sister than Colt.”
There’s a sniff.
And my eyes aren’t dry either.
“No tears!” Aspen commands. “The makeup artist left already.”
I suck in a breath, exhale—and I’m not the only one.
Then I have to do it again when he reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls out two boxes.
“From Colt,” he murmurs, passing one to me and one to Frankie.
Inside are matching delicate gold bracelets with our initials on them.
Perfect.
Simple.
As is the letter Dash hands me.
I’ll be the one waiting at the end of the aisle.
-C
P.S. I love you more than my next breath.
We make it through the letters and the bracelets and the last minute preparations without having to do massive makeup repairs—though I do wipe away a tear when Dash crouches in front of Frankie and uses his big hands to carefully put on her bracelet.
Then the girls are walking out the door.
I smooth Frankie’s hair back.
“You ready, baby?”
She nods vigorously, sending the bow in her hair shaking. “I’m ready!”
I grin, knowing our family is finally complete and watch her skip through the door.
“What about you?” Dash asks. “You ready?”
I nod. “More than ready.”
“Good.” He holds out his arm for me to take it. “Though, I’ll still kill him if he hurts you.”
Laughter bubbles up in my chest. “I love you, big bro.”
“I love you too, Thorny.”
We walk out into the chapel, and I see them, my family, all around.
The dream.
The fantasy.
My reality.
Jade is starting to show, but is still beautiful in her dress, Frankie standing at her side.
And Royal is next to her, holding my daughter’s hand in the one that was so badly injured, the one that he wouldn’t let her touch all that long ago. But he’s been working hard at physical therapy, and he’s coming along so well that he’s working on a solo album.
Banks is in the opposite row, Maisie cradled against his chest. He looks as happy as I feel, and I know it’s not because he’s the league’s leading scorer.
It’s Aspen, who’s working on opening a second location for the Sapphire Room, and it’s Maisie and…
it’s Mrs. X, who’s here and all dolled up.
She winks at me as Dash and I pause at the end of the aisle.
My gaze swings back to the other side, seeing Lily and Atlas standing there.
Lily is getting ready for a break before the European leg of her tour, and no surprise, Atlas took over their wedding planning.
So far there are four ceremonies in four different countries so the whole world knows she belongs to him.
Lily laughed when she heard the news, patting his cheek and murmuring something in his ear that had him blushing.
God, I love him.
And I love them together.
Willow, beside them, just wrapped on her first movie since breaking free of her asshole of an ex and is positively radiant as she smiles at me.
Not merely pieced back together.
Whole and living a bright, beautiful life.
Because of the man beside me.
The music changes, but I don’t start walking, even when Dash does.
He pauses, glances down at me. “Briar?”
I touch his cheek. “You know how much I love you, right?”
His eyes go damp. “You know I love you that much back, right?”
I nod.
He exhales, blinks, then smiles his patented Dash grin. “Then let’s do this.”
“Let’s do it.”
And then I take my first step toward forever.
Or maybe I’m already there.
West
A mariachi band is playing at full volume in my head, and the pounding is so loud I’m tempted to put my hands over my ears.
Fuck.
Last night might have been a bridge too far in Project I’m-getting-over-Briar-one-puck-bunny-at-a-time. Well, one specific puck bunny and way too many shots of tequila. That was a colossal mistake but one I’ve been making regularly the last few weeks.
All while watching the woman I fell in love with fall back in love with her ex.
I let her go without a fuss because, really—he had her first. He left her, and their baby, but that’s a long sob story and I’m all out of fucks to give when it comes to him.
The thing is, Briar went through enough while Colt was gone.
She didn’t need me to make her feel bad about going back to the love of her life.
Who also happens to be her daughter’s father.
Even if he left her for five fucking years.
But there’s a lot of history between them, so I was never going to win that competition.
The old adage that nice guys always finish last? Yeah, I should consider getting that tattooed on my forehead.
After last night’s shenanigans, I’m running late, so I practically skid into the dressing room to get out of my street clothes and into my gear.
“Someone looks rode hard and put away wet,” my friend and teammate, Magnus, chirps.
I flip him the bird as I yank on my equipment.
Why does hockey require so many damn pieces? If I was an accountant, I’d already be sitting at my desk.
Despite the pounding in my skull and the bile threatening to come back up, I almost laugh at the thought of being an accountant. Numbers are definitely not my jam.
I sink onto the bench in the locker room and stuff my feet into my skates. Beside me, Banks is taping his stick.
“How’s it going?” he asks.
“Good.” We’re close, but there’s been a bit of distance between us since this thing with Briar. He introduced us, after all.
“You, uh, hear about the wedding?”
“Yup.”
Briar married her ex the day before yesterday and of course, I forgot we were still friends on social media. Those pictures popped up and fueled my tequila-laden night of revelry.
“Dude, come on. It’s me.”
“Your loyalty is to Briar,” I say quietly, focusing on lacing my skates. “I don’t expect you to pick sides.”
“It’s not about sides,” he says. “You’re my friend too. You’ve been part of my life the whole time Colt was gone. I’m not going to walk away from all my other friends just because he’s back.”
“Doesn’t matter anyway.” I glance around since I don’t want word to get out just yet, but I don’t mind telling Banks. “I let my agent know that I’m interested in the new team in Atlanta. I’m down to be picked up in the expansion draft.”
Banks just stares at me. “Is that really what you want? We’re a family here.”
I lift one shoulder in a shrug. “You have a family, Banks. I have teammates. Some friends. This isn’t home to me.
Management is good to us but it’s common knowledge that you have a no-trade clause, so you’re not going anywhere.
That means Briar and Colt are going to be here.
At the games. In the family lounge. Most team events…
and I’m only human, man. I let her go without making a big deal because I know what she went through, but she hurt me.
Watching her with him at every game—I can’t do it. ”
A look of regret crosses his face, but then he nods. “I understand. I’m sorry it went down this way.”
“This isn’t on you. You had no way of knowing he would come back from the dead.” I shake my head. “None of us did, least of all her.”
We’re both quiet for a beat.
What else is there to say? This isn’t Banks’s fault. It’s not even Briar’s, though she could have picked me. She could have—
Knock it off, McGregor.
That ship has sailed off into the sunset.
And left me on the shore.
“Anyway, I think if I offer myself up in the draft, that saves someone who really wants to stay. And a change of pace will do me good.”
“There’s all kinds of talk about the new franchise,” Banks says thoughtfully. “Personal issues aside, there’s a lot of money going into that team. It might become a great place to play.”
“That’s the plan.” I give him a grin. “Anyway, keep this between us, okay? Right now, everything is on the down low.”
“Absolutely.” He cocks his head, squinting slightly, one side of his mouth quirking up. “You look like shit, by the way.”
“Maybe.” I chuckle. “But there was a lovely lady and a whole lot of tequila.”
He grimaces. “You’re a better man than me—I don’t think I’d be here after a night of tequila.”
“You must be getting old,” I joke.
“Probably.” He laughs and gets to his feet. “See you out there.”
I nod and grab my gloves.
Time to focus on hockey because my days here are numbered.
If Atlanta doesn’t take me, my agent knows I want to be traded.
Briar and Southern California are going to be in the past by summer.
And maybe by then, so will my broken heart.
Thank you for reading! We hope you loved Briar and Colt’s book as we enjoyed writing it! This concludes the Gamebreakers series. Thanks for coming on this awesome ride with us!
And don't miss West's story in CHASING LOVE. Sometimes heartbreak is just the beginning of the right love story…