Next up is a few days break and then the final starts out in Jersey against the Phantoms. They have been the underdog this entire playoff and somehow managed to make it all the way, shocking everyone. The team arrives a day before the game, so we have a chance to relax. Mandy and Meyers go over to the arena to get the trainer’s room set up and unload the road trunks, so we are ready to roll tomorrow. Coach gave us a free day; however, we are all required to meet for a dinner at the hotel at six tonight, then rest up tomorrow and be ready to play. That I can handle. Cam and I meet up with Mandy, Callie and Angie and go splash around in the pool and have a snack. I love watching Callie splash in the water. When the season is over, I want to have someone come to the house and give her some swim lessons, more for my own peace of mind. I know she’s only one, but it’s good to teach them how to float if they fall in.
While Mandy and I are in the pool with Callie I notice Cam and Angie talking in hushed voices with their heads together. Interesting. I brush it off, they have become good friends and Cam makes sure she doesn’t feel like a third wheel whenever we’re on the road. We have fun at dinner, laughing and joking and smack talking the Phantoms, then all go our separate ways for the night.
Game day is here. We arrive a little early Mandy and Meyers taking their time with each of us making sure we’re game ready and taped to perfection. We haven’t won the cup yet and it feels like this will be our year if we can keep the momentum going and not have another five-period game.
The game is going just as we hoped, in our favor then in the middle of the third period Seb gets a hard check into the boards and twists his body in a weird position. The game stops and Meyers and Mandy go running out to the ice when he doesn’t get up. After five minutes he’s on his feet, Ski and Cam on either side of him helping him off the ice. Mandy rushes behind him, and straight back to the trainer’s room to be evaluated. He’s done for the night and hopefully not for the rest of the final series. He is not one we need on injured reserve. Coach makes his line adjustments and we are back in play. The final buzzer goes off and we take game one with a five to two score. Only three more wins to take the series.
42
Mandy
Ugh, not the way we need to start this series. So far, we have only had minor injuries and only a few players had to go on the injured reserve report, mainly for pulled muscles or a slight sprain. Seb however, he’s got a back strain that will most likely take him out of the series. If we go to seven games, he might be able to play in the last game. Coach isn’t going to like this, but a back injury is not something you want to mess with. Seb isn’t too happy about it either. I hear the final buzzer go off just as I’ve gotten salve applied to Seb’s back.
The boys don’t hang around on the ice after their win since we are the away team and these aren’t our fans, who are now not very happy to watch their team lose. Cam and Parker come in to where I’m with Seb to check on him and I break the news he’s out for a couple of games.
“Make the series last boys, so this guy has a chance to play in game seven. Just make sure you win in the end.”
“I can’t promise anything, I don’t like losing or letting the pucks go by me,” Parker says as he gives me a quick kiss.
“Seb, lay here for another ten minutes and I’ll be back to see how you feel,” I say as I usher Parker and Cam away and back to the locker room while I get ready for all the after-game treatments I need to do.
The boys listened to me and the series goes for seven games. Tonight, is the night to prove themselves. I cleared Seb to play tonight, his back ended up being a pulled muscle so with heat treatment and some anti-inflammatory medication, I have him ready to go. Before I let him go get dressed for the game, I tell him, “Try not to get bashed into the wall tonight.”
“I’ll do my best, but no promises,” he shoots back as he walks away.
The last national anthem of the season is sung by Nashville’s one and only Country sweetheart, the crowd goes wild at the mention of her name, then silence as the first note of the anthem is played. I’m kind of sad that this night is here. I love my job and I love the team. As sad as I am though, I’m even more excited that this is the team’s chance to get the recognition they deserve and finally win the cup. Grandma, Angie, and Callie are sitting in the season ticket seats our family has. All decked out in Notes gear. Callie with her Marsh jersey, and we got Angie a jersey that she keeps at our house with Cam’s name on the back. Her husband would kill her if he knew she wore his name on her back. The game is going great, Seb looks good as new. All these guys are going to need a vacation after this series. It’s been a tough one going back and forth with wins and losses.
The Phantoms scored in the first period, then the Notes scored in the second period. Here we go for the last twenty hopefully of the game. I don’t think either team can go into any overtime periods and be worth a damn.
Two minutes left on the clock and still no one has scored. The Phantoms pull their goalie for the extra attacker to try and score. However, they don’t get the point, we do. Parker clears the puck off to the side, and Ski picks it up and charges past the blue line, where the ice is clear and he shoots the puck, directly into the net with five seconds left on the clock. The referees get the guys set for the last face off, it isn’t even worth doing because unless a miracle happens the Phantoms won’t be able to score in the last five seconds. And they don’t. Final buzzer goes off and we are the new champions, the crowd goes wild and the bench clears with everyone rushing Parker in net. Gloves and sticks flying everywhere as the team celebrates, music is blaring through the sound system. After the initial excitement, the team and coaching staff line up for handshakes with the other team then when they are gone off the ice the cup is brought out. I have never seen such big grins on such large men, but they deserve it. During the presentation ceremony, Cam being the captain accepts the trophy for the team, then takes his victory lap. Each player takes their turn skating a lap around the rink holding the cup. When It’s Parker’s turn he stops at center ice, motions for me to join him and then goes down on one padded knee, pulling out a small box from I don’t know where and says, “Mandy, I love you and Callie so much. Will you be my forever family?”
I’m standing there shocked, I honestly wasn’t expecting this from him at least not right now, during his moment to celebrate. Then I hear, “Say yes already!” I snap out of it and back to reality staring up at me from one knee on the ice.
“Yes!” Parker hops up on both skates and picks me up kissing me and swinging me around in a circle. When he puts me down on steady feet, he places the beautiful rose gold and clear diamond ring on my finger, kisses me again, then picks up the cup and speeds his way around the rink hollering, “Yeah, best night ever.” Once he completes his lap, he hands the next teammate the cup and he takes his lap, along with the rest of the team while Parker and I stand at center ice. Cam, Seb, and Ski all come over to us. Cam holding Callie and the other two helping Angie and Grandma reach us without falling. We all have our own celebration going on. Best night of the year.
Now that is has been a few weeks since the final, locker room clean outs have been done, and the team has been released officially for the season, it’s time to take a vacation. We ask Angie to join us, but she declined the invite. She said she had a meeting with her lawyer to start the divorce process. So, Grandma, Callie, Parker, and I all hopped a flight to Fiji for a week where Parker got a two-bedroom villa on the beach. I had never experienced such a beautiful place before. The white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. It was all so breathtaking, if only I didn’t feel like I wanted to throw up half the time. I’m sitting outside trying to eat some breakfast when I get a knowing look from my grandmother sitting across from me holding the now walking one-year old Callie.
“Have you taken a test yet my dear?” she questions half laughing because she knows I just realized why I have not been feeling well. Parker thankfully was inside getting more fruit and coffee from the
kitchen where the server left the tray.
“Uh, nope. Might want to find a way to do that.”
“Never fear, Grandma is here.” She laughs. “I suspected last week before we left to come here. I went out and bought a test for you and brought it along for when you realized you needed it.”
“And you couldn’t let me in on the secret?” I ask.
“Nope, this is more fun.”
Why couldn’t I have a normal sweet kind grandmother? “Fine, where is it?” I ask.
“In my toiletries bag. Callie and I will be here waiting, go confirm what you already know.”
“This isn’t funny, Grandma.”
“Oh, I think it is.” I hear her chuckling as I walk away to go take the damn test.
Five minutes later I come back to the table and all she has to say is, “Well?”
“As always, you’re you are correct in your observation.” Parker is now sitting at the table holding Callie with a questioning look on his face but, I am not ready to tell him the news. I need to wrap my head around it first.
“What’s going on with you two? Maggie has a huge grin on her face, and you look like you saw a ghost. Do you feel okay?” he asks me.
I glare at Grandma and tell Parker, “Yeah I’m good, nothing’s going on. Is that more of this fabulous fruit?”
He looks at me weirdly but goes with it. “Yup and more coffee too.”
“Great. What do you all want to do today?” I ask, trying to change the awkwardness of the moment.
“I was thinking that we could go grab some jet skis for a couple hours while Maggie and Callie stay here and play in the pool. Then this afternoon we can spend some time on the beach together. I love watching Callie play in the sand,” Parker suggests.
“I’m fine with that. This way Callie and I both can get a good nap in before we go to the beach this afternoon.” She chuckles.
“I have a date night planned for Mandy and me, are you okay staying here with Callie or is there something you’d like to do. I don’t want you always taking care of Callie while we’re here. Maybe a spa day tomorrow?” Knowing Parker, he’s already planned a day for Grandma, thinking of everyone.
The day goes by fast. We had the best time skimming over the clear blue water after breakfast on the ski doo’s. The beach was hot but beautiful and Callie had the best time. Now I am getting ready to have my date night with Parker. I found this gorgeous blue ombre maxi dress the other day when Grandma and I went shopping, giving Parker some alone time with Callie. I think tonight is the perfect night to wear it, and now that I’ve had the day to think about being pregnant, I’m ready to tell Parker.
Parker set up a private dining space on the beach for dinner, it was a perfect surprise. After dinner we go for a walk along the beach. Holding hands and walking through the surf. I stop in my tracks.
“Parker, I need to tell you something.”
“I knew something was going on this morning. What is it?” he asks with a concerned look on his face.
I turn to him and raise up on my tiptoes holding his face making him look at me. “Parker, I’m pregnant.”
His look goes from concerned to shock and then right into excitement, picking me up and twirling me in a circle right there at the edge of the water.
“Are you serious? This is for real?” he says as he sets me back down in the sand, then pulls me into his lap as he sits down.
“I am profoundly serious. I took the test this morning. Grandma knew before I did and came prepared with a test in her bag. I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling so off lately, now I know.”
He pulls me to him and kisses the hell out of me. When he pulls back, he has a huge smile on his face. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad. Mandy this made my year. I got it all. When I thought I had no chance of ever having my own family because I didn’t feel like I deserved it, I found you, who knocked me on my ass, in a good way. Maggie was great too, I never had a grandparent that gave a shit about me, and then learning you were a single mom and meeting Callie. It all made me want to be a better person, be someone who deserved a family like you already had. Meeting you has been the best thing for me, and I wouldn’t change a single second of it. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Meeting you has shown me that every thought and opinion about professional players was wrong. We have learned a lot about each other, and each grown in our own way. You made me trust in a man again. We both have a lot to be grateful for.”
I turn and straddle his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck and take possession of his lips. In a simple kiss we show each other exactly how much we love the other. As we kiss, Parker finds the hem of my dress and slides his hands up my thighs, then up my torso to my breasts pulling the cups of my bra down he finds my nipples and starts tweaking them with his thumbs. He palms one breast while his other hand moves slowly down my torso to the waistband of my panties, to my clit and starts rubbing in slow circles. I break from the kiss, needing to catch my breath and moan at the same time. I can’t take much more as my orgasm rushes through me. Parker catches my mouth with his to mute my scream. When I come back to earth, I reach for the button of his pants and then the zipper. I pull his cock out of the opening and slide my hand up and down circling the tip with my thumb. He can’t take my teasing anymore and pulls my panties to the side and slides me down his cock until I am full. We take a second to enjoy the feeling before he starts lifting me up and down his shaft. He kisses down my neck until he reaches the neckline of my dress pulling it down along with the cup of my bra so he can take possession of my breast in his mouth. He pounds into me faster. I tighten around his shaft as my orgasm starts building within me. Four hard pumps later and we are crashing our mouths together, trying to muffle the sounds of our release. He lays back in the sand bringing me down with him, still inside me I lay on top of him while we catch our breath.
“I love you,” he says then places a kiss on my forehead.
When we’ve recovered and straightened ourselves up, we find sand in places that it shouldn’t be. In need of a shower now, we go back to the Villa and do just that.
Grandma is sitting in the living room when we come out of our room, “How was your date?” she asks.
“It was the best date I’ve ever had,” Parker answers.
“So, she told you, good.” She smiles. “Congratulations kids.”
“Thank you, Maggie. I can’t wait to tell the team. We have a lot of planning to do when we get home. I want to marry you as soon as possible,” he tells me.
“I guess we can put a small wedding together in a few weeks. I mean we really don’t have any family to think about inviting, we’re all here. So, it would be the team and Angie. We can have it in Grandma’s backyard.”
“Grandma, what do you think?” I ask.
“If you want a wedding you will get a wedding.” She pulls out her phone to look at the calendar, “How about August third, will that work?”
“Looks like we’re having a wedding,” Parker says excitedly.
“Talk about a whirl wind, just something simple. It’s all I really need.”
“What about your dad? Do you want to contact him and give him an update on your life and invite him?” Grandma inquires.
“I guess that’s the least I can do, however I want you to walk me down the aisle. No one else deserves the right to do it.” I promise to call my father when we return back to Nashville in a couple days, though I don’t expect much from him if he even bothers to show up.
We end the vacation on a high note, making a few plans for the wedding but nothing set in stone yet. I’m finally able to get Parker to promise me he won’t tell anyone about the pregnancy until after I’ve had the chance to go to the doctor and make sure everything is as it should be. I don’t think I’ll be able to hold him off until after the first trimester, but I’ll try.
We arrive home and Grandma starts setting plans in motion, taking over the wedding only asking for colors and styl
e preference and then of course the guest list. We haven’t been home for more than four days when she wakes me up to tell me I have an appointment in two hours at a boutique downtown to try on dresses.
With such short notice and only two weeks until my wedding day my choices are limited. It’s the fifth dress I try on that fits like a glove and blows me away.
“That’s the one,” Grandma says with a gleam of tears in her eyes.
“I agree. It doesn’t hurt that I won’t need any alterations either. We can take it home today.”
I purchase the dress, along with shoes and a small headpiece then I’m told that we have another appointment to get to after a bite of lunch. We need to get flowers.
I don’t know how she managed to get so much accomplished in a few short days, but she did.
Before I know it, it’s my wedding day. Angie and Callie are with me in my room getting dressed, John didn’t join her, which wasn’t surprising, especially after he was served papers yesterday. Grandma is downstairs making sure everything is ready, already dressed and ready to go for the big moment. Parker and I were basically told to show up and at what time. Angie and I are sipping on flutes of mimosas, mine being only the orange juice, waiting for Grandma to come and get the three of us when we are ready to start. I’m not even sure what the final look of the back yard is.
I take the last sip when there is knock on the door. It’s Cam coming to get us, instead of Grandma. “Before we head downstairs,” he says, “I have a gift from Parker. He wanted you to have this before the ceremony started. You ladies look beautiful by the way.”
He hands me the long box along with a note,
To my beautiful bride,
Today I will finally have the family I never knew I wanted, and I couldn’t be happier. I love you, and Callie like she was my own. I wanted to make sure you both had a little something blue. I hope you like them.
Breakthrough Page 24
