by Anne Stone
As he made his way to his car, he realized he needed to get busy arranging their party. Instead of returning home, he headed into the Generaldome where he immediately sought out Phoenix, who was in charge of the suites. “I’m sorry, Ryne, but all of the rooms are booked for that night. I wish there was something I could do.”
“I understand,” he said, then realized he had another avenue he could try. Ryne left Phoenix and headed up to the executive offices. He was almost assured he’d found a way to make their party happen.
He approached a closed door and rapped his knuckles against it. He heard a muffled, “Come in,” then cracked open the door. He poked his head around the edge.
“Ryne, is that you? Come on in.”
Ryne strode into the room and stood directly in front of Ed’s desk. Ed rose and reached out his hand. “This is quite a surprise. Is there something wrong?”
“No, oh no, nothing like that.” He ran his hand through his hair. He was a tad bit nervous and didn’t want to be presumptuous. Still…. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Have a seat,” Ed said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. “What’s up?”
Ryne knew he needed to be upfront with him. He wasn’t even sure if Ed knew he and Jen were dating, let alone serious. “Okay, here goes nothing,” he mumbled to himself. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but Jennifer Steele and I have been dating for some time now.”
“Yeah, I knew.”
He blew out a breath. At least he knows that. “We’re pretty serious…”
“Glad to hear that’s she’s found someone like you to date.”
“Well, it’s a little more than date. Jen and I are engaged.”
Just as Ryne said the word engaged, Ed took a sip of water. When he heard the words, he swallowed wrong and started hacking away. Ryne jumped from his chair and started pounding Ed on the back. After a few moments, Ed said, “Ryne, quit beating me, I’m fine.
Ryne returned to his seat. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Fine. I’m fine.” He paused. “I guess congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
“I’m happy for you. Outside of this news, is there something else you needed?”
“Ah, yeah there is. My brothers play for the Storm.”
“I’m aware of that. In fact, wasn’t it your twin who knocked you into the boards and caused your injury?”
“Yeah, that was Etienne. He says he didn’t mean it… I need to get back on the subject here. The Storm is coming to town, and Jen and I wanted to have an engagement party while the team was here. I tried to book one of the boxes but they’re all…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Ed said, “My suite’s all yours.”
“Really, just like that?”
“Jen is like a daughter to me, especially after her parents’ deaths. I’d do anything for her. So, yes, you can use it.”
“Thanks, Ed. That means a lot. I hated having to tell Jen our family would be scattered around the arena.”
“Have you thought about using Faceoff?”
“That’s where I’m headed next. Hopefully the party room is available.”
“More than likely it will be. Let me know if you have any problems with that, and we’ll figure something else out.”
When Ryne stood, Ed said, “You’re going to be good to her, right?”
“Of course.”
“I have to assume you received Ro’s approval.”
“I did. In fact, I went to see Miles and Rowena first. I wasn’t too sure, but Rowena actually likes me. At least that’s what she told me.”
“You must be a good man, not that I don’t know you are, but Ro’s a hard nut to crack.”
“That she is,” Ryne added as he walked to the door. “I appreciate it Ed and I’ll get back to you.”
“Hey, Ryne. Is this a secret, or does everyone know?”
“Give me ten minutes and everyone here will be up to speed. I just came from Lakeview. Johnston was totally clueless to our relationship, and her class was overflowing with excitement. They were so loud; Carson’s wife came running in thinking something was wrong.”
“I didn’t want to say anything if it was a secret. Did you just get engaged last night?”
“No. I proposed during Christmas break. I haven’t seen her since, and she decided to keep it quiet until I returned from our road trip.”
“That’s good to know.”
Ryne proceeded to the locker room where he shared the news with his teammates. Congratulations rang out from everyone. “You mean we’ll have to play nice with Etienne and Philippe?” Derek asked as he slapped him across the back.
“Not during the game,” Ryne said. “I plan on being my normal rough self. I definitely won’t be going easy on them, especially Etienne.”
Derek roared with laughter. “But after?”
“Well, they are my brothers, so I have to play nice in the sand since my family and Jen’s will be there too. I need to be on my best behavior, especially around her grandparents. I won them over, and I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
The weeks leading up to their engagement party were busy. Ryne had gone on two short road trips, leaving Jen to handle the nitty gritty details of planning.
While Ryne was on the second of his prolonged road trips, Jen and Lauren took the long President’s Day weekend and went wedding dress shopping. Jen was unsure what she wanted in a gown, so they visited traditional wedding dress shops, wedding boutiques, and anywhere else that might have the perfect dress. Luck wasn’t on her side. She was tired and cranky when she said goodbye to Lauren and stopped by her grandparents’ home for dinner.
Since Wilford and Rose were expecting her, she walked right in. Her grandmother was at the stove. The smells pierced her senses as Jenn leaned over Rose’s shoulder, peeking into the pot. “What smells so good?” she asked as she kissed Rose’s cheek. “Ooh, looks like your special sauce.”
She ran her finger along the wooden spoon Rose had used to stir the red sauce, and touched it to her tongue. “Oh my, that’s good. I can’t wait for dinner.” The smells lifted her spirits after a depressing day of looking for dresses.
Jen grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with ice cold water. Taking a sip, she lost focus and the cool water dribbled down her chin. She wiped the coolness away and strayed to the table, where she plopped into her seat.
“Rough day?”
She nodded her head. “I lost track of the number of stores we visited. I feel like we drove from one end of the city to the other, and nothing called out to me saying this is the dress.”
Rose turned from the stove and walked out of the room. Momentarily she returned with a huge box. Jen could tell it was relatively old, the cellophane over it had yellowed and become brittle. Parts of it had cracked open.
“What’s this?”
“See for yourself, my dear.” She set the box on the table. “Open it.”
Again, she asked, “Grandmother, what is this? It looks old.”
Rose sat across the table gestured again for Jen to open it.
“Are you sure?”
“Dear, if I wasn’t, do you think I would have struggled getting it down from the closet? Please just open it. If you don’t like it, I’ll have it rewrapped. In fact, by the condition of this box, I need to do that as it is.”
Jen chewed on her lower lip unsure what was in the massive box. As she contemplated what to do, Wilford walked in. “Hey there, honey. I didn’t know you’d arrived.”
“I’ve only been here a few minutes.” Her grandparents exchanged a look.
“What do you have there?”
“I don’t know. Grandmother just gave it to me.”
Wilford sat next to Rose and reached for her hand. “Why don’t you go ahead and open it.”
She saw a second glance exchanged between her grandparents as she pulled the box closer. Some of the cellophane crumbled. She
wiped her hands together, then ran her fingernail along the edge of the box, breaking the seal. She pulled the brittle covering away, crunching it into a ball, and set it aside. Rose stood and threw it away. As she returned to her seat, she grabbed onto her husband’s arm.
Both Rose and Wilford watched her lift the lid and pull aside the yellowing tissue paper. Jen gasped as soon as she realized what lay before her. Tears began to cascade down her face. She tried to brush them away but one fell right after the next. “She would want you to wear it.” Jen didn’t utter a word as she listened to her grandmother’s voice.
A glimmer of sadness crossed Rose’s face but was replaced with an expression of peacefulness. Jen’s breathing slowed as she took one look at the off-white dress sitting in the box and knew she’d found her answer. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and ran her hand along the delicate fabric. The briefest of smiles crossed her face as she laid her hand across her heart. She knew this was right.
She gazed at her grandparents and saw the look of love on their faces as they watched her. Rose opened her arms and Jen found herself engulfed in a tight embrace. Somehow, she contained her emotions.
“I can still see your mother in this very dress walking down the aisle on your grandfather’s arm. Her eyes shone brightly with unshed tears. I knew she was happy and that your father was the only man for her. They loved one another, I think, from the moment they first laid eyes on one another. Their love never waned, and I have to believe they are living happily together right now.”
Rose lifted her head and grasped Jen’s hand. “Jennifer, I see in you and Ryne what I saw in your parents— an all-consuming love. The way you look at him and he looks at you— I feel like I’ve fallen back in time and I’m witnessing your parents all over again. Stay true to that love. Never forget what you have.”
Jennifer knew exactly what Rose spoke of. She clearly recalled every time her father walked into a room; her mother looked at him with the brightest of smiles. If there was one thing she’d always remember about her parents, it was the true love that always emanated when they were together. She hoped she’d forever feel the way she did right now. Ryne was her world and he meant everything to her.
“So, what about the dress? Will you wear it?”
Jen looked back at the gown. It was such a gift that her grandmother had given her. She knew by wearing it, her parents would be close to her heart on her special day— as though they were there in spirit. She lifted the dress from the box, holding up the top half. “Of course, I’ll wear it. Mom and Dad will be with me as I pledge my love for Ryne.” She ran her hand along what she knew were puffy sleeves. Being a dress from the 1980’s, the sleeves would need to be tamed down a bit. “I think we’ll need to alter these,” Jen said pointing to the puffiness. Rose broke out in laughter. “Don’t you think, Grandmother?”
“I’d have to say yes. Those sleeves are definitely out of date. A few alterations and it will be all yours.”
Jen enjoyed the remainder of the evening. Rose’s dinner was the perfect way to end the emotional rollercoaster of a day. What had been a truly stressful one driving around the city looking for the perfect dress turned into one filled with memories of her parents’ happiness and undying love for one another. Jen was relieved when she closed the door on the last few hours. She’d found the perfect dress. Now she could move forward planning the remainder of their special day.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ryne’s parents and sisters arrived on a mid-morning flight from Calgary. Ryne was caught at an early practice, so Jen arranged a personal day to meet them. She hadn’t slept the night before as she was worried about everything. From the tidiness of her house, which was spotless, to whether or not his sisters would be bored out of their minds without school or hockey practice.
Ryne had called her after his game the evening before as he waited for their plane to take off for St. Louis. They’d won their game, although it was a hard-fought battle in which he incurred two penalties. He hadn’t been happy with his play and was out of sorts when they spoke. “Hey there, babe,” he said. “I wasn’t sure you’d answer.”
“Of course, I’d answer. Don’t I always?”
“You do.” He could discern in the tone of her voice and the way she responded to his question that something was wrong. Ryne ran his hand through his hair as he waited for her to speak. He really wasn’t in the frame of mind to carry on a conversation. He was tired, sore, and just wanted to sleep in his own bed. I’m getting too old for this, he thought as he waited for her to speak. For some reason, the traveling was getting to him this season. Deep down, he believed it was because he always missed her with a passion and couldn’t wait to return to her smiling face.
“So, what have you been up to?”
“What do you think? Come on Ryne, your family’s arriving in a few short hours. I’ve been cleaning up a storm.”
“Honey, your house is immaculate in the worst of times. You have nothing to worry about.”
“You say that now. Your family is staying in my home. I have to worry about its appearance. My house reflects on me. On whether or not…”
“Will you stop it? Just stop, okay?”
“Stop?” she practically yelled into the phone.
“Jen, take a deep breath and listen to me for a minute.”
“Ryne!”
He could hear the panic in her voice. He couldn’t fathom why she was acting this way. It wasn’t as though she’d never met his family before. She had no reason to try and impress them. They already loved her just the way she was— without having to go above and beyond the call of duty. She needed to just be the Jen that he loved and all would be well.
“Jen, you need to calm down.”
“I am calm.”
“Not from where I’m sitting. I can hear the panic in your voice. Look, everything is going to be just fine. Stop your worrying.”
“Easier said than done.”
“Ya know, I don’t think we’re going to see eye to eye here tonight. The plane is boarding and I need to get going. Think about what I just said. Be yourself and stop this unnecessary worrying.”
“Glad you think it’s unnecessary.”
“I love you.” When she didn’t respond to his endearment he added, “Trust. You need to trust that everything will be just fine. My parents love you, my sisters love you. In fact, Emma can’t wait for us to be married. You’re all that she talks about. Have faith in us. Listen, I’ve gotta go.”
With that he ended his call, grabbed his bag and boarded the plane. He felt awful with how their conversation had played out. He needed to make it right and he would just as soon as he could. He was clueless and surprised by how emotional she was. Since their engagement, she’d been in a better place and seemed less rattled by past memories.
Thankfully, the Generals had played in Chicago which was a short plane ride from St. Louis. The wheels had barely touched down at the airport, and Ryne was readying to leave the plane. In minutes from the doors’ opening, he’d deplaned and hurried to his waiting car.
It was late when he pulled up at her door. The house was still ablaze with lights. He knew with her scheduled day off the following day and by the way their earlier conversation played out she was still awake. He grabbed his bag, hurried up the stairs, and rang the doorbell. He was surprised when she didn’t answer. He was certain she was still awake.
He stood at her door as the cold northeast winds blew across her front porch. When she didn’t come to the door, he whipped out his phone. It rang quite a few times before she answered. He thought it was heading to voice mail when he heard her voice.
Immediately, he could tell she’d been crying. His heart dropped to his stomach. He hadn’t a clue what had caused her this pain. “Hey, it’s me. Can you open the door?” He wearily leaned against the doorframe. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was holding it together himself. They’d endured another long four-day road trip. Exhaustion had taken over as he drove to he
r house. He closed his eyes and waited.
“Hmm hmm,” is all he heard before she opened the door. Standing before him was the love of his life. He took one look at her, dropped his bag, and drew her into his arms. He held her tightly as his own weariness increased.
He pulled away, grabbed his bag, and closed the door all the while holding her close. He led her to the family room, sat down in the curve of the couch, and reached for her. She curled up into his embrace, resting her head on his chest. He comforted her—from what he hadn’t a clue.
He rested his head along the back of the couch as he stroked her back, then raised his finger to her forehead brushing aside some of her hair that had fallen from her messy bun. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss against her brow. “Feel better?”
He felt her nod as her head brushed against his chest. As he sat there with her in his arms, he grew more tired by the second. He’d taken several hard hits during their game against the Wind, and his muscles were starting to feel the strain. Out of the blue, his thigh started to seize. He’d felt the onset and tried to rub it out but his efforts didn’t lessen the pain. He sucked in a deep breath when the strongest of cramps hit.
She practically jumped off his lap when she heard his gasp. “What’s wrong?” He’d closed his eyes as he focused on massaging the cramp from his leg. He scrunched his eyes and as the pain lessened, he felt her hand on his. “Let me,” she said and started a deep massage of his leg. He’d experienced those miracle fingers before, but this time they felt like manna from heaven. In a matter of minutes, the cramp was gone.
He pulled her up beside him and secured his arm around her shoulders. “Thanks,” he mumbled. “That feels so much better.” He struggled to get into a better position all the while grunting until he finally felt settled again.
“Rough night?”
“You could say that three times over.” He caught her eye and raised his finger to her lips. “Don’t worry about me right now. I’m okay. Just a little rough around the edges.” He smoothed his hand along her cheek. “What’s upset you? I know it can’t be all about my parents and cleaning. There’s definitely more to this picture, isn’t there?”
