Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
I dance around my office, throwing fists at shadows, and hollering silently before he comes in. Once he knocks, I compose myself, take a few deep breaths, and open the door.
I’m expecting him to be sad, but he smiles widely when he sees me.
“Congratulations,” he says, hugging me as he kicks the door closed. “I’m so happy for you.”
That’s what I love about this man. He’s so mature and supportive. He can be happy for me even if it means bad things for him. Most guys would be having a pity party and taking it out on their girl even though she had nothing to do with it, but not Brantley. Not my man.
He kisses me, celebrating my win.
“I thought you’d be upset,” I say when he puts me down.
He shakes his head as he looks at me. “How could I ever be upset when seeing you?”
I blush and smile shyly as I look away.
“I kind of like it like this,” he says as he runs the back of his hand down my cheek. “Three—three. It’s even. It’s fair.”
“After the next game, it won’t be. Will you still love me if you lose?”
“I’ll love you no matter what,” he says, cupping my cheeks and gazing into my eyes. “I’ll love you until my last breath on earth and then I’ll love you for an eternity more.”
I step on my toes and kiss him.
“I feel the same way,” I whisper, my head spinning from his delicious cologne mixed with his tantalizing taste.
“Then let’s make it official,” he says as he reaches into his coat pocket.
I step back and gasp as he pulls out a ring box and drops to his knee.
“This time with you has been the best time of my life, my love. I want to marry you. I want to be your husband. I want you to be my wife.”
My hands are shaking as he opens the purple box, revealing the largest, most gorgeous diamond ring I’ve ever seen. I don’t even want to know how much that thing cost.
“Will you marry me?”
Tears flood out of my eyes as I drop to my knees and wrap my arms around him. “Yes,” I say without hesitation. “Yes!”
He puts the ring on my finger and I stare at it in shock.
No matter what happens during the next game, we’ll still be one.
And that’s all that matters to me.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Brantley
“Sixty minutes,” Coach Moss says to the boys in the locker room. They’re all suited up like modern-day gladiators, holding their hockey sticks and listening intently. “Sixty minutes to achieve the dream we’ve all had since the first time we laced up our skates. Sixty minutes to greatness. Sixty minutes to immortality. Give me everything you got for the next sixty minutes and when you’re an old man bouncing a grandkid on your knee, you’ll have an epic story to tell that excited little face.”
The boys are nodding as they listen. I look at Sebastian Kemp, his blue eyes brimming with intensity. He’s been in the league for five years and brought home three Stoney Cups with the Miami Eels. Winning one with the once worst team in the league will cement his legacy in hockey history forever. I know he wants it badly.
So does Harris Sutton, the skilled veteran. He’s probably on his last season and how incredible would it be for the flamethrower to skate into retirement with a Stoney Cup raised over his head? His wife and son will be watching in the front row tonight and I know that’s going to push him to play even harder.
“Lay it all out on the ice tonight,” Coach Moss says, clenching his fist. “Leave nothing behind. At least then, win or lose, we’ll have no regrets.”
Tucker’s jaw is clenched as he nods his head. The beast enforcer is probably thinking about slamming his fist into Carson Rochon’s face. The two brutes have been dancing around each other all series long. The crowd has been frothing at the mouth waiting for those two beasts to collide in an epic battle.
“We’re the best team in the league,” Coach Moss says, the intensity in his voice rising. “The best team hockey has ever seen!”
“Fuck yeah!” Austin Gambill shouts. Win or lose tonight, the talented rookie has a long career ahead of him. He’s going to be one of the greats one day.
“We got this, boys!” Edvard Svensson shouts.
“If Edvard can date Gemini-X, then anything can happen,” our goalie Nolan Barlowe says and everyone laughs. From what I heard, the Swede has been dating the famous pop singer, Gemini-X. I hired her to perform on my yacht for a charity gala and they caught each other’s eye.
“Damn straight,” Edvard says with a big grin on his face. Even he knows that she’s wildly out of his league.