Epilogue #2
Because…he’s not wrong. Ollie runs over to us, hugging us both tightly, laughing at the joke he doesn’t quite get.
Until, as families are wont to do, our kiddo throws us a curve ball.
“Can we get a dog so he can be the ring bearer?”
Ryan
The door opens and Veronica hurries in, her hair a mess, her purse falling down one arm, a grease-stained bag of food in one hand…and her scrubs marred by a huge stain down the front of her top.
The explanation for which I clock a second later.
A fountain soda with the lid popped off.
And she is absolutely fucking beautiful.
The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
I thought it the first time I met her…every single time I’ve been in her presence since.
For the record, that’s every single time we’ve been together over the last five years.
Her gaze snaps to mine, guilt rippling through the soft brown eyes. “I’m so sorry. Tara didn’t show up again and I had to wait for Darian to come. I—”
I set the remote aside, get up, and move over to her.
First, I snag the fountain soda cup (that’s pretty much empty since it’s splashed all down her front).
Second, I grab the bag of food and her purse.
“Go change,” I order. “I’ll put the fries in the air fryer for you.”
Because Veronica and I agree about a lot of things. And one of those things is that soggy fries are a crime against humanity.
“You don’t—”
“Go, V.”
She pauses, hesitation in every cell, but I know my best friend well enough by now.
I just turn for the kitchen, hit the air fryer, and wait until her footsteps drift away.
Then I pull out my phone and fast-track another large Diet Coke for her from the closest approved fast-food joint for just this type of emergency.
Veronica is the picture of patience, of steady, of easygoing…
Except when it comes to her Diet Cokes.
There she has a strict hierarchy.
And considering her day—one that began with her being called in for a shift she didn’t want and hadn’t planned for, but covered anyway, then got longer by having to stay late, and ended with her spilling her precious caffeinated nectar—she deserves the best.
So, I make that happen.
The air fryer dings right as she comes back in. “Thanks again for staying with Alex. I know Axel would have kept him, but I…” More guilt.
“Don’t apologize for wanting to spend as much time with your kid as possible.” I dump the fries onto a paper-towel-covered plate and bring them over to her as she digs into the bag for her burger. “Or for being late. I like hanging with Alex.”
Her mouth opens.
Closes.
Then opens again. “What’d you guys do?”
“Luna was in a cooking mood, so we ate until bursting—”
Her mouth quirks.
“—we took a walk to help that settle, then the aforementioned soccer, some video games, and then I managed to coax Alex into taking a shower and to brush his teeth.”
Veronica chuckles good-naturedly. “What is it with boys and not wanting to shower?”
“The wide availability of overpowering body spray?”
Now her nose wrinkles. “Lord help me. I am not ready for Alex’s body spray era.”
“Luckily, he’ll come out the other side of it.” I wink. “Eventually.”
“Let’s hope eventually will come sooner rather than later.”
I lean back against the counter as she starts in on her burger then realize there’s no ketchup in the bag, so grab the bottle from the fridge.
“Thanks,” she murmurs when I hand it to her.
“You’re welcome, Ronnie.”
She sucks in a breath.
“What is it?”
“I haven’t had a man call me that in a very long time.”
Jealousy tears through me.
I want to ask if Axel had, if my friend and former teammate and Alex’s father had.
But I can’t bring myself to.
Instead, I try to study her face, to read her tone. But her expression is unfathomable and her voice reveals nothing. “Do you want me not to?”
A long pause.
Then, “No,” she murmurs. “Actually, I kind of like it. I…” She sets her burger down. “I guess I didn’t realize until recently that I actually missed it.”
More jealousy snapping through me.
But this time it’s tempered with a dash of victory.
She’s giving me permission, giving me something special.
Giving me a little piece of her.
And since she won’t give me all of her, these pieces are precious. They’re the most valuable treasure in the world—one I hoard like a dragon protecting his gold.
The doorbell rings and she frowns.
“Eat,” I order. “I’ll grab it.”
I make it to the porch in time to wave at the delivery driver as he walks away then bend and grab what’s basically a gallon of Diet Coke.
“Who was that—?” She breaks off on a sigh, but her face softens. “Ryan,” she admonishes gently.
“Hush,” I say, bringing it over to her. “Enjoy your liquid drug.”
A huff of laughter, but the moment I put the straw in, she immediately picks it up and takes a long sip. “Good God,” she murmurs. “That’s delicious.”
I grin. “I don’t know how you drink the stuff.”
“Rude. You know it’s the only drink that matters.”
“If your taste buds are broken.”
She shoves lightly at my chest and I rock back on my heels, start to turn away. Then spin to face her again.
Reach in.
“Wh—?” she asks on a sharp inhale.
“You have a little ketchup,” I explain, wiping the corner of her mouth.
Her lips tremble and part, her body drifting closer, and the moment…stretches.
In long seconds or minutes or hell, maybe hours as we stand there, staring into each other’s eyes.
And finally, I can’t stand it anymore.
I lean in—
She blinks. Shudders. “We can’t do this,” she whispers.
I stroke my thumb along the corner of her mouth again. “Why not?”
Another shudder, but she doesn’t pull away from my palm. “You know why.”
I know the lies she tells herself, tells me, tells our family.
I also know the truth.
She’s scared.
And God, it would be so fucking easy to just close those last inches between our mouths, to finally taste her, to have what I’ve wanted—and pushed down—for so long.
But she has a boundary.
I won’t be the one to cross it.
Only…before I can pull away, she shifts, her jaw settling more firmly into my palm, her lips parting, her eyes sliding shut, her body swaying toward mine.
As though she’s inviting me to come closer.
I’m human. I’m only so strong, only have so much control.
Control that snaps when she wets her lips…and inches even nearer.
Fuck.
I should pull back, should step away, should leave—exactly like I have every other time the temptation got too great over the years.
But tonight I don’t.
Or maybe it’s that tonight I can’t.
Because tonight I bend, close the distance between our mouths, and…
I kiss her like I’ve dreamed of for the last five years.
Thank you for reading! I hope you loved Lainey and Sawyer’s story as much as I loved writing it!
The next book in the Grizzlies Hockey series is Ryan and Veronica’s book, FRIENDS WITH NUMBER TEN
She calls our night together a mistake. I call it the beginning of forever.
CLICK HERE TO READ FRIENDS WITH NUMBER TEN NOW>
And if you want to learn more about Violet and how she somehow ended up matching herself with cocky, troublesome hockey captain, Ace Ambrose check out MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, book one in my new series, Blue Line Matchmaking.
He needs a fake fiancée. Unfortunately, he’s decided he wants me.
CLICK HERE TO READ MATCH ME IF YOU CAN NOW>
Violet
The heat of summer threatens to incinerate me as I push into the building.
I’m a mountain girl.
Give me the snow and the cold any day of the week—probably why I’ve ended up with a matchmaking business that centers around men who practically live on ice.
But there’s no ice around at the moment.
Mostly because summer matching season is fully upon me.
Something that is second only to holiday matching season.
And it’s why I have a full caseload of unlucky in love hockey players who need my special brand of expertise.
“You’re doing the Lord’s work,” I tell the vents overhead as the cool air inside hits my skin.