by Isabo Kelly
She broke away from him, gasping for her own breath, “I don’t understand.”
She really didn’t.
“Let’s just say I realized that there is a lot I don’t know and can’t control about my future, but there are two things I can.”
“What are those two things?”
“Hockey,” he replied instantly. But he took a deep breath before finishing. “And how I feel about you.”
Emma was fairly certain that her heart was beating so fast it was going to jump out of her chest at his words. “How do you feel about me?”
“For years I’ve heard about this amazing woman who was best friends with my sister and loved my crazy family. She was kind, generous with her time, and more importantly not impressed with the fact that I was a hockey player. She never asked my sister for tickets to a game or to meet me or any of my friends. Then I met her again. She didn’t approach me; I doubt she even noticed me until I went to her.”
Oh, she’d noticed him. Not that she’d be stopping what he was saying at any time soon.
“Then I went home with her. The truth is I’ve been falling in love with you for years, and had no clue. It wasn’t until tonight that I realized it.”
Emma was fairly certain that if Reiner hadn’t been holding her up she would be a pile of goo on his floor.
“You love me?”
No one outside those she considered family had ever told her they loved her. Not even her past boyfriends. She couldn’t believe until she heard it again.
He brushed a kiss across her lips, “Ja.”
“But we just…”
“Emma, time doesn’t matter when you know it’s right. And this is right.”
His thumbs brushed across her cheeks and she realized she was crying. This wasn’t how she’d expected the night going, it was so much better.
“I love you, too. I have for years. I just always assumed it would be an unrequited love, something I told my grandchildren about.”
“You still can.” He brushed a kiss across her lips. “But they’ll be our grandchildren, and our memories, and our love story,” he told her just before he kissed her again.
This time the kiss was full of passion, and when she closed her eyes, she saw the future. Their future.
Epilogue
Reiner looked around the locker room at his teammates, his brothers. This season had been one for the record books. To say that it had had its ups and downs was an understatement. Not only had he reconnected with Emma, but they’d also gotten married and discovered that she was pregnant. His vision had come true, and he couldn’t be more excited. And scared. And excited some more.
His gaze touched on each of his teammates. The guys were celebrating. They’d just won the Stanley Cup. Hard work paid off, and now they could relax and enjoy the fruit of their labor. At the moment, Kyle, in a T-shirt that said, Education is Important, but Hockey is Importanter, was trying to convince their captain to let him sleep with the Cup. Surprisingly, Cap looked like he’d give in. If he did it would the perfect time to test out his new god powers by turning the Cup to ice when Kyle took it home.
Yet for Reiner, even though he’d just realized a lifelong dream, he wanted nothing more than a shower and to find his wife. His wife. Those were words he’d never tire of hearing.
But tonight they’d join the guys.
His mates, his new friends, and now his wife, all held a spot in his life, in his soul. He had the rest of his life to spend with Emma. But tonight was for hockey. Tonight was for celebrating.
Tomorrow was for Emma. And every tomorrow after that.
Books in the New York Empires’ Series
Going All In
Icing the Puck
About the Authors
Isabo Kelly is the award-winning author of numerous science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal romances. She also writes best-selling paranormal romance under the name Kat Simons. Her life has taken her from Las Vegas to Hawaii, where she got her BA in Zoology, back to Vegas where she looked after sharks, then on to Germany and Ireland where she got her Ph.D. in Animal Behavior. Now Isabo focuses on writing. She lives in New York with her Irish husband and two beautiful boys, working as a full time writer and stay-at-home mom.
For more on Isabo, visit her at her website http://www.isabokelly.com, friend her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/IsaboKelly, or follow her on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/IsaboKelly
Stacey Agdern is an award winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. She also a romance writer. You can find her on twitter at @nystacey. She’s a proud member of both LIRW and RWA NYC. She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey team’s practice facility.
Website: https://staceyagdern.wordpress.com/
Kenzie MacLir is the writing duo of contemporary romance author Heather Lire, and Scottish Romance author Laura Hunsaker. One night they decided to pool their creativity and start writing together. They spend their days chauffeuring their kids to all of their various activities and their nights plotting how to torture their characters. Between Highlanders and hockey players, there’s a story for everyone.
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