Page 140 of Rust

“Good luck,captain,” I said, and watched him skate away to join the rest of his team. The whole team welcomed him with ass-pats and quickly enveloped him in a big hockey hug.

Mom and Dad enveloped me, too, in a big family hug.

“Oh, Izzy! Congratulations!” Mom said as she held me. “That was beautiful! I’m so glad we could be here to see it.”

“So you guys knew about this, didn’t you?” I snickered.

“Sure did!”

“Believe it or not, Rust showed up in the middle of the night to ask me for your hand in marriage.” Dad laughed and squeezed me tight. “I kinda wanted to kill him, but …” He shook his head. “Ah, hell. He loves you. And you love him. And I want youbothin my life.”

“Thank you, Dad. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

The events staff ushered us back down the red carpet and off the ice.

“You should go celebrate with your friends,” Mom said. “We’re visiting for a week, so we’ll have plenty of time to catch up with you later.”

“Okay!”

I joined April and Farrah, who giddily rushed to my side, eager to see the ring as we hurried off the ice.

“Oh my God, Izzy!” April gushed. “That rock isenormous!”

“Itoldyou it would be,” Farrah said.

“Wait, did you two know about this, too?!” I asked.

Their heads bobbed.

“Yeah!” April said.

“That was the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep,” Farrah said.

“When did he tell you?!”

“He told us when he showed up at the house that one day last week,” Farrah said.

“I can’t believe he told you he was going to propose!” I said.

“He didn’t have a choice. We weren’t going to let him in,” April said. “But then he told us his big plan and, well, what can I say? He won us over.”

“The sandwiches sealed the deal, though,” Farrah added.

“You guys! I’m so happy!” I hugged my friends again. I was on cloud nine.

“Aw! You deserve it, Izzy,” April said.

“Now let’s get back to that club box and get the party started!” Farrah said, wiggling her eyebrows.

We laughed, and Brandon escorted us back to the club box, where the rest of the WAGs were waiting for us.

“Congratulations!” they yelled, champagne bottles popping.