Chapter 29 Mel
Chapter twenty-nine
Mel
Tuesday passed in a blur of rink-side reports, hydration updates, and quiet glances exchanged with Sean in passing. We were professionals in motion, orbiting each other in the middle of Cup-week chaos, holding tight to the silent promise of seeing each other soon.
Today was no different.
Thirty minutes before the end of the day, my phone buzzed.
Maria: Quick meeting upstairs before the team travels tomorrow. Third floor, multipurpose room.
I grabbed my bag and headed up, expecting a rundown of logistics and routines. But when I walked in, the room was full—players, staff, and the team president, Felix Wilson.
Some people remained standing, and I did too.
Felix Wilson stood at the front, shared words of encouragement, then stepped out.
Sean took his place, calm and impressive. He spoke about grit and what this Cup meant to Tahoe West. His voice was steady, but his eyes kept flicking toward me. I felt warm creeping up my neck.
When he finished, people filtered out.
I lingered, waiting for him. While he wrapped up conversations, I chatted with Maria. When he finished, I said goodbye, and we walked out together.
The sunset was gorgeous for late June, the air a mix of car honks and distant alpha chatter.
“You promised we’d hang out Wednesday, so here I am.”
He chuckled. “You’re excited.”
“That spontaneous bike ride, tattoos and leather jacket—straight fire.” I hooked my arm through his.
He gazed sideways at me. “Should I worry about this wild side that I’ve woken up?”
I smiled. “You might need a taming potion to keep up.”
He laughed, full and unguarded. “Mel Boyd, my favorite kind of wild.”
At the garage, I paused and turned to him. “I need to take my car home—I won’t be back until Sunday. Can you follow me?”
He grinned. “Lead the way, girlfriend.”
So, he did. A very sensible boyfriend.
My house was quiet again. I’d already packed for Florida, and not knowing what Sean had in mind for tonight, I should be ready for anything. It made sense to leave from his house tomorrow.
I brought out my suitcase.
“I’m taking my baggage to your place, I figured it’d be easier to head out from there tomorrow.”
“Smart, thinking ahead,” he said, taking it from me and loading it into his trunk.
It felt simple. Easy. Like something we’d done a dozen times.
Then he drove us to his house.
An hour after leaving Tahoe West HQ, the sun had dipped low, the sky glowing orange on the horizon. I wanted to take another bike ride straight into that beauty.
Sean parked in his driveway.
We got out of the car and Sean grabbed my luggage from the trunk.
“I expected Cassy to come out,” I said.
“Ha, yes. She’s having dinner at the neighbor’s house today.”
The house smelled delicious food when we entered, but no sign of Abby. I wanted to ask but Sean went down the hall with my luggage. I peeked into the kitchen, mostly clean, then into the dining room, where the table was set for two.
My mouth watered, I was hungry.
In the background, I heard the toilet flushed, water running. I was getting ready to open the cover, curious to see what smelled so good, when Sean’s footsteps approached.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“That obvious?”
He smiled and offered me his hand. I took it. He walked me out through the back door. My eyes landed on the gazebo—it glowed with a yellow light from wired garlands. My heart kicked into overdrive, I became breathless, my stomach flipped in anticipation of what was coming.
When we reached the gazebo, soft music played overhead, which my heart beating in my ears had drowned out until now.
Yellow and white flower petals were scattered across the floor, and the air was thick with the scent of roses.
Small delicate bouquets of white and yellow roses alternated along the railing.
My eyes prickled at the corners. This was so unexpected, so sweet, so gorgeous… everything.
Sean went down on his knee.
“Cutie,” he began, “I-I didn’t plan on falling for you. You weren’t on the calendar. I planned plays, led a team to the Cup, maybe upgraded my coffee habits.”
A small shaky laugh escaped me, tears already welled.
“But then you walked into that arena, sure, funny, and brilliant; everything changed. You push me, you trust me, you make me want more than a win. You’re the real playmaker this season.”
He took my hand.
“You saw the mess behind the suit—the baggage, the headlines—and you stayed. Every time I look at you, I remember what grace looks like.”
Then he fumbled with his pocket and pulled out the ring.
I was melting.
“So tonight, away from our very public lives, I wanted this moment to be only about us… will you skate through life with me? Will you marry me?”
My hand clutched my chest, lips trembling, trying to say “yes” a thousand times at once.
“Yes,” I whispered. Then louder, laughing through the tears, “Yes. Of course, yes.”
Sean let out a breath and slid the ring onto my finger with a reverence that made my chest ache. It fit perfectly.
He stood, cupped my face in both hands, and kissed me. A deep seal that didn’t ask a question but answered one.
When we finally broke apart, I saw movement at the back door. Cassy stepped out first, clapping like she’d just won a championship. Abby followed, misty-eyed, and Jeff trailed behind with a grin.
I laughed some more through my tears. Even in our quiet corner of the world, we had an audience.
They swarmed us with hugs, cheek kisses, and laughter. I wiped my tear-streaked face with the napkin Abby handed me.
“Welcome to the family, Mel!” Abby hugged me again.
“Congrats to both,” Jeff said, patting Sean on the back.
“Thank you! Wait—you were here?” I asked, hugging Cassy back.
“Cassy was with the neighbor. We were lurking in the car,” Abby said, pointing at Jeff.
“I happened to be working from home and was pulled into this impossible mission today,” Jeff said.
I laughed again, fully, happily.
“Thanks man, I owe you one,” Sean said.
“Alright, let’s get the newly engaged pictures,” Abby called out, grinning proudly.
She had to—she nailed this engagement setup. This image of the gazebo was forever etched in my brain.
Sean and I posed, and Abby clicked away.
In one photo, he stood to my right, one arm looped around my waist. I rested my left hand on his chest, angled so the ring caught the light just right.
In the other, he sat in a chair with me on his lap, my head resting casually on his shoulder.
I mentally high-fived myself for not looking too much like a deer in headlights.
My heart pounded as our eyes met.
I’d never felt so visible in my life, and today and every day, I didn’t want to hide from anything. With him, taking up space felt easy, even perched on his lap in front of a camera.
We all walked inside. Abby said goodbye while Jeff held Cassy’s hand. I glanced at her, surprised.
“We already have plans,” she said. “Got to take advantage while Jeff is in town.”
“Congrats again,” Jeff said.
“Bye Mel, bye Uncle Sean,” Cassy said, and they stepped out.
The house went quiet.
“Want to check out that food now?” Sean asked.
I sat at the dining table, though my hunger had vanished.
I relaxed back and admired the gem. Vintage gold, worn smooth at the edges, held a single oval sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds. Elegant, timeless. The cool weight of it grounded me: I was totally, head-over-heels smitten, soon to become Sean Murphy’s wife.
He sat near me and took my hand. “You like it?”
“Are you kidding? I love it! I’d snap a pic and send it to Sam and my friends. Then probably frame it, maybe even turn it into a billboard.”
He chuckled and kissed me. Slow, lingering. “Let’s save this for later,” he murmured against my lips.
A flutter zipped through me. That was a promise. A very, very good promise. The Ruby Boyd daughter voice in my head had officially clocked out.
When I had my hand back, I snapped a picture of the ring.
I sent the picture to Sam, Erica, a few other friends, and Dad with a single word: Engaged!
Then I hovered over my mom’s contact but closed the app.
Nope. This glow was nonnegotiable. Ruby Boyd could get the news from the tabloids if she really wanted to know the happenings in my life.
I was getting married to the love of my life. My mom was going to need a strong drink, maybe several. I considered sending her a warning text, then decided against it. Let her stew. I had champagne in my veins and a sapphire on my finger.
Sean chuckled at my excitement and pried open the food.
“Want something to drink?”
“A sangria.”
“You’re starting to like the fruity stuff, huh?”
I grinned. “From now on, it’s my official celebratory drink. And I am absolutely celebrating being engaged to you.”
He laughed.
I slipped down the hall to the bathroom. While washing my hands, I caught my reflection. A woman in love, wearing his ring. My heart made ridiculous little skips.
He’d fallen for me. Freaking me. The random girl from Folsom who used to think “exciting” meant finding a matching pair of socks had snagged the West Coast’s most wanted GQ bachelor, according to Sam.
My smile spread wide. Someone pinch me, preferably with a very large, soft pillow. I splashed cool water on my face, steadying my grin. When I returned, Sean was at the kitchen island mixing the drink.
I walked over to him.
He handed me the drink. I took a long pull from the straw, savoring the flavor.
“May I?”
He took a sip from my glass, and I realized he’d only made one. He knew how to turn sharing is caring into an incredibly hot moment.
We passed the glass back and forth between sips and kisses. Then the kiss lengthened and slowed. When he pulled away, he caught my hand and kissed my neck, below my ear. I tilted my neck, breath hitching, and he followed the invitation.
“This curve of your neck is perfect. Everything about you is perfect,” he murmured.