Chapter 5
5
BOUCHER
Keith couldn’t sleep.
His mind kept replaying everything in his head like a wound ripped open and festering. He was scared that Constance would back out, had been avoiding the subject within the team, and dreaded each hour that ticked by because it was one moment closer to the end of his career. He was lying there, arm tucked behind his head, wondering what she was thinking and how he would make it based on his savings. Maybe he could afford to get by for a little bit or…
And his phone screen lit up in the darkness, causing him to pause. It was nearly midnight, and he saw Constance’s name scrolling across the top. He cursed fluently before drawing in a deep breath and bracing himself.
“You’re innocent?”
Her voice was hoarse, raspy, as the question was volleyed at him without any preamble or hesitation.
“I swear it,” Keith uttered, running a hand through his hair, staring at the ceiling as he held the phone to his ear.
The silence between them stretched, heavy and unspoken, but he could hear Constance breathing on the other end. That alone was enough to tell him she was just as restless as he was, just as tangled up in the weight of tonight’s conversation. Neither of them could sleep. How could they, after the life-altering decision they were standing on the edge of?
He wished he could see her face, wished he could read her mind, but for now, all he had was the quiet between them, thick with uncertainty, and something he desperately wanted to believe was hope.
“I will take care of you,” he offered gently, his voice steady despite the riot inside him. “I will treat your children like they are my own.”
There was another pause, but this one felt different. It felt like a breath held too long, a hesitation wrapped in fear and longing. Then, finally, she exhaled.
“Yes,” she said in a hushed voice, barely more than a whisper. “I’ll marry you.”
Keith’s heart slammed so hard against his ribs that it was almost painful. He sat up, pressing the phone tighter to his ear as if he might somehow hold onto the moment, anchor himself in the enormity of what she’d just said.
“Are you sure?” His voice was rough, raw, with something that felt too big to name.
“No,” she admitted, and despite everything—despite the uncertainty, the sheer madness of it all—he smiled because that was Constance. Honest, even when she was afraid. Unfiltered, even when she wasn’t sure of herself. And maybe that was what he liked about her so much. There was something real between them, something solid, even though they were practically strangers.
“Well,” he chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension in both of them. “Considering the courthouse is closed right now, and we’ve both got work tomorrow, how about we talk tomorrow night?”
“I’ve got open house at the school tomorrow night,” she reminded him.
“Want me to bring three Happy Meals to the school for dinner?” he offered without hesitation. He heard the tiny gasp of surprise, then a soft, nervous laugh that sent warmth curling through his chest.
“I’m not joking,” he added. “You might need help with Kayla, and Paige can tell me what a horrible person I am publicly.”
“She wouldn’t do that.”
“Sure.”
“She wouldn’t.”
“I’m agreeing with you,” he chuckled, enjoying the way her defensiveness flared on instinct. It meant she cared. It meant she wanted to believe in something good.
She was quiet again, and he could almost picture her biting her lip, debating whether or not to let him into her world, even in the smallest of ways.
“What school do you work at?” he asked gently.
“You don’t have to show up,” she countered quickly, almost too quickly. He could hear the nerves creeping in, the instinct to keep a wall up. “How about we talk on Tuesday night?”
“Sure,” he agreed easily, not wanting to push. “But the offer still stands—for the extra set of hands and dinner.” He hesitated for only a moment before adding, softer this time, “And thank you, Constance. I mean it. Thank you for giving me a chance.”
There was a long pause, and then he heard it—the slow, heavy sigh of someone making a decision they weren’t sure they were ready for but wanted to be brave enough to take.
“Bowie,” she murmured.
“Excuse me?”
“You asked what school—I work at Bowie Elementary.”
His heart swelled at the admission, the small but significant act of trust.
“You got it,” he said just as softly, committing the name to memory. It wasn’t just a school. It was a step toward her. A step toward the life he was starting to believe they might actually build. “Get some rest and try to quit worrying.”
“I should say the same to you,” she murmured, and he could hear the exhaustion beneath her words.
He huffed out a small laugh, running a hand over his jaw. “You’ve taken a load off my shoulders,” he admitted. “I’ll sign the contract tomorrow, get a few house listings, and we can look at them together.”
“This is crazy…” she breathed, half to herself.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed without hesitation. “And I understand. It sounds too good to be true, but it strangely is, right?”
“It does feel that way,” she admitted. “And I keep waiting for something or someone to jerk the carpet out from under me.”
Keith closed his eyes, his grip tightening on the phone. He understood that feeling. He’d lived in that uncertainty for too long himself.
“No carpet,” he promised gently. “It might be cheap flooring beneath our feet, but we’re about to upgrade, dear wife-to-be… so all you need to do tonight is sleep and decide if you want carpet, wood, or marble floors in your new house.”
Her laughter came then, soft and throaty, and he swore it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.
“Get some sleep, Keith,” she murmured. “You sound ridiculous.”
“I might be,” he admitted with a grin. “Sweet dreams, Constance.”
The call ended, but he didn’t move. He simply sat there, staring at the ceiling, the phone pressed against his chest as if holding onto it would make this all more real.
“I’m getting married,” he whispered to the quiet room, his own disbelief settling over him like a weighted blanket. He let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head.
“And moving to Quebec.”
Another pause, another chuckle of pure astonishment.
“Unbelievable.”
N early eighteen hours later, Keith was navigating the hallways of a crowded school, feeling every single set of eyes on him. The hushed voices, the whispers, all of it was playing on his anxiety as he quickly made his way to Constance’s classroom. The door was closed except for an inch – and he heard her speaking, pausing to listen.
“I’m so excited to meet all of you, and this school year will be an exciting one full of growth, change, and moments we’ll never forget. I believe in making schoolwork fun, and believe it or not, by the time I’m done teaching your children, they will say the same.”
He smiled softly at the ripple of easy laughter from the parents inside – and hesitated, realizing that Constance wasn’t saying ‘goodbye’ to them yet. Not that he blamed her, because they were just now taking baby steps toward a wild new future.
Keith had only signed his contract today, had called his agent, and narrowed down the selection of houses to three of them for her to choose from. He had answered a ton of questions regarding his wife’s size and his childrens’ – which he guessed at because Constance didn’t have a cell phone for him to text. But she would now , he thought silently, holding a surprise gift bag in his hands.
All he had to do was send over the marriage license, the relocation check would be deposited in his account, and the announcement would be made almost immediately when the team was announced to the public. Oh yes, when this happened – it was going to be quick and everywhere .
“Mom,” Paige interrupted. “Keith is here, gawking at the door.”
Lovely child, I swear. And he winced, not wanting to interrupt the classroom, as he saw Constance lean to the side and wave him in. Gingerly, he stepped into the classroom holding the Happy Meals and the Verizon bag, waving politely.
“Please, go ahead…” he said simply, moving to the back of the classroom – and froze a second later as a voice interrupted.
“You’re Keith Boucher – aren’t you?”
Craaaaap.
He didn’t say a word, just gingerly lifted a hand to wave and smiled warily as he met Constance’s surprised expression.
“As I was saying,” she began again, trying to take control of the rippling movement in the confined area. “Classroom time should be fun, and with our broken schedule, I only have a little time to make things stick – which is why, as you move through the open house tonight, you’ll be following your child’s schedule. Each bell ring, you’ll move to the next classroom and…”
“Can I have your autograph?”
Keith swallowed.
“My kid loves to see you on the ice…”
“Daddy, is that really him?”
“I think so…”
“Wait a second… that’s the hockey dude…”
“Constance?” he said quickly, realizing he didn’t even know her last name yet. “Please finish your speech. When the bell rings, I’ll sign a few autographs quickly – but we’re here for the teacher and the students tonight,” he offered as a gentle reminder – and then the bell rang.
Keith made his way to Constance within seconds before the flood of bodies pressed against both of them. He put Constance’s kids behind them, handing them the Happy Meals.
“Paige, help your sister,” Keith offered quickly, grabbing a Sharpie off Constance’s desk like he was born to it, and turned to face the gauntlet, standing beside her as she faced her own staggering volume of questions.
“Oh wow, I can’t believe you are here…”
“This is so cool…”
“My son came home with a blue folder. I sent him with a green one…”
“What happened to all the paper that was turned in on the first day…”
“I put his name on his Kleenex boxes, but then he said you took them up…”
“My son’s backpack is missing…”
“My daughter cannot sit beside that girl…”
“Did you know that little Timmy lost a tooth today…”
“Why do you have an NHL star in your classroom – and who’s waiting in the next one to do autographs?”
Keith and Constance exchanged a glance as the bell rang again.
“Okay, everyone,” Constance said loudly as Keith scribbled his name as quickly as possible on a few items shoved in his direction. “That was the bell, and the next class is already seated. We’re going to need you all to move along to your child’s second-period class, please. Second-period class!”
“Constance,” he interrupted, seeing that no one was leaving the classroom. “I’m gonna go wait in the car. Take your time and text me when you’re done – Paige has the phone in the bag. Bye!” he rushed out quickly, ducking forward to kiss her on the cheek, immediately leaving with a trail of people following him out of the classroom.
Yeah, he was definitely causing a scene for her, and if she hadn’t told the kids yet, now was not the time to drop that bombshell.