Page 94 of The Playmaker
“I love you too, Nina.” He glances at my brother. “Get in here, Cason.” Cole pulls him in for a hug, and my heart fills as I get sandwiched between my brother, and the man I’m going to marry…my little family…all together again.
Epilogue
One year later
* * *
I shift in my chair and tears stream down my eyes as I type ‘The End.’ I sniff, push back in my plush seat, and glance around Cole’s library. Well, I guess technically it’s my library, too, since I moved in here with him after we got engaged. We spent all of last summer here at the house, redecorating and making it our own. I even framed our daisy paintings and hung them side by side in the front foyer. Cole wasn’t too thrilled at first, but I think he’s grown to love them.
When hockey season hit, I went on the road with Cole and my brother. After watching an entire season, I have a million story ideas, and just finished the second book in my series, The Body Checker.
A movement at the door gains my attention and my heart flutters when I see my husband.
Husband.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. Cole wanted to get married right away, and I agreed. We didn’t have a big wedding. Well, it wasn’t supposed to be a big one, with a ton of guests, since neither of us wanted that. But that didn’t stop almost every member of his hockey team from showing up. I didn’t mind, because the most important thing was having our family with us—and to Cole, he considers his team his family.
The ceremony was held on the lawn of our home, with a celebration out back at the pool. Tabby and Jack flew in, Jess was here, and even my parents came for it. It was perfect.
Cole lost his dad before the ceremony. It was a sad time for him and Tabby, despite everything they’d gone through. But they’ve both come a long way, healed so much.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Cole asks quietly as he crosses the room and sits on the edge of the desk.
“I just wrote the end.”
He wipes my tears away. “Sounds like it’s going to be a great one. I can’t wait to read it.”
I close my laptop and lift my mouth to his for a kiss just as the doorbell rings. Excited, I jump from my chair, and Cole captures my hand as we make our way to the door. It’s the long weekend of May, and Cole and I are having our family over for a barbeque. Having all my family under one roof gives me so much joy, and I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.
Cole pulls the door open and the warm afternoon sun shines in.
“Tabby!” I say and throw my arms around her, pulling her inside. I hug my sister-in-law, but not too tightly, seeing as she has a baby bump.
“Why didn’t you use your key?” Cole asks.
She looks at him like he’s dense. “Uh, you’re married now. I’m not going to just barge in and catch you doing…things.”
“Things?” Cole asks, laughing.
“Yeah, I read Nina’s books, you know. There are some things a sister never needs to know.”
We both chuckle, and Cole pulls me to him. He slides his arm around my back, and I bask in his heat as Tabby looks around the house. “Where’s the food?” she asks.
“Some things never change,” Cole says, and runs his knuckles over her head.
“It was a long flight and you promised food. Now feed me.”
Cole and Jack hug as he carries in the bags, and I loop my arm through Tabby’s. “Cole cooked for us.”
“Oh, God.” She rubs her belly. “Sorry, little one.”
I wink at my husband. “You’d be surprised at how good he is in the kitchen.”
“All thanks to you,” he says.
“And my first hockey book was a best seller, all thanks to you,” I respond, as he leans in and places a soft kiss on my mouth.
“Jesus, get a room already,” Tabby says as the doorbell goes off again.