Game Winner (The Penalty Kill Trilogy #3)

by Lindsay Paige

  I look strangely at my dad. “We didn’t have a lot of money. I had to deal with what I could afford,” he explains.

  “Anyway,” Mom continues. “I followed it to the bathroom, where all these candles were lit, and there was a hot bath with flower petals floating in the water. The whole place smelled heavenly.” Mom pauses smiling at the memory. “Well, there was a note on the counter, and I picked it up.”

  Mom turns the page of the book, and there it is. My dad’s chicken scratch handwriting. I lean in to read the words:

  Now, that I’ve KISSED the ground you’ve walked on, and SHOWERED you with flowers, would you do the honor of being my wife?

  “When I turned around, your dad was on one knee with the ring.” A small tear escapes my mom’s eye. “It was the sweetest proposal, and I thought you should know.” Mom quickly closes the book and pulls back to her. I never understood why she kept that secret. It would be something I would share all the time, but Mom is different.

  “That’s a beautiful story,” my voices cracks a little of hearing my parents falling in love.

  “It was the best bath of my life.” Dad winks at Mom.

  “Ew.” I shake my head, covering my ears. “I don’t need to know that.”

  They laugh loudly. Once they die down, Dad hands me a another card. “Levi loves you so much, Presley. He really is a great guy.”

  “Do you know if he’s here?” I ask as I take the card from him.

  “Actually, I don’t know if he is or not,” he says truthfully.

  I stand to leave, but look at my parents one more time. “Thank you for telling me the story. I know that I can be a little stubborn at times, but I love you both very much.” I mean it too. Our relationship has been rocky, but we are rebuilt, and I know that our future is going to be just as good.

  “Presley, we love you, and we are so proud of the woman you’ve become.” I’m a little shocked by my dad’s words. He gets up and hugs me tightly. I cling to him as if I’m a little girl again. But then, sometimes a girl just needs her dad.

  When I get to my car, I have to take moment and compose myself before I open the envelope. I think about their story again. Seeing my parents together again is something I never thought would happen.

  I try to piece together again why in the world would I need to hear that story. What is Levi doing? I lay my head back and think of every possible scenario, but all I can come up with is love. Maybe Levi is showing me how much my family loves me and how we all got here. Is he reminding me that I’m not alone? That sounds like something he would plan.

  With law school starting in several weeks and moving, Levi is trying to show me all these great people in my life. I look down to the gleaming white card. When he sent me on the hunt for Valentine’s Day, it was about us. This one is about me, and I love him more for it.

  I read the words on the second card:

  Hey, Smarty. I’m going to sound like a girl, but I don’t care. One of my favorite things growing up was listening to my mother tell the story of how her and Pops got engaged. That was one of the best days of her life. Second stop will be at the address on the back of the card. You’ll find Pops there. Fair warning: You might want tissues.

  I flip the card over and see that it’s in Levi’s hometown. I bite down on my lip. I love Victor as if he’s my own father, but when he talks about Amanda, it never fails to break my heart. I check my bag quickly and there is a small pack of tissues in there. I know I’ll need them, just like Levi said.

  I head to the address and when I get closer, I realize that it’s a restaurant. It doesn’t look like a fancy place, and I’m thankful because I’m in jeans and a sweater. I park the car and walk into the place. I try to hide my smile.

  It’s a replica of a 1950’s soda shop. The music is playing softly as I see the red leather booths and black and white checkered floors. I see Victor in a far corner booth and I go to him.

  “How’s my girl?” He stands, hugging me tightly.

  “Trying to figure out what your son has me doing today.” I giggle as we sit down.

  “Levi gets this from Amanda, trust me.” The waitress comes over, and Victor orders two strawberry milkshakes before I can say anything.

  “So, I guess you’re going to tell me a story?” I question him.

  “Well, yes.” I see the sadness come across his face.

  “Victor, if you don’t want to,” I trail off.

  “No, no. I promised Levi I would.” He pats my hand and takes a deep breath. “Presley, I fell love with my wife the moment I saw her. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the one for me.”

  I feel the tears building already, because I know that it’s so hard for him to talk about Amanda still.

  “Did you know we didn’t date long before I proposed to her?” He asks.

  I shake my head. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Three months. That was it.” He stops as the waitress brings our order to us. “We had met in college, and I couldn’t wait to marry her, but I had no money, and I wanted to make sure she had the best wedding and ring that I could find.”

  I can see Victor doing that. He’s such a great man.

  “So, I got a part time job and didn’t tell her. I saved every penny I had and was able to get a ring. It wasn’t fancy, but Amanda wasn’t like that. In fact,” he looks deeply at me, “you’re a lot like her, Presley. The love and care you give to Levi is something that she would respect you for.”

  I sniff as the tear leaves my eye.

  “Anyway,” he clears his throat. “I found a ring that I knew would be perfect for her. I brought her to this diner. Back in the day, they had cheap food that was so good and greasy. Something Levi won’t let me eat now.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “We would come here often.” I watch his eyes scan the room, as if the memory was right there in front of him. “I told her how much I loved her as she drank her milkshake. I honestly don’t think she was paying attention to me.” He laughs again.

  I smile because I was sipping my drink at the time. “I’m listening to you. I just have a small addiction to these.”

  “I know. Levi told me.” He clears his throat and continues with his story. “Well, Amanda did pay attention once I slid the ring box across the table. I told her,” he stops, and I see it. The tear from the corner of his eye. It takes him a moment to say it, and I feel the hot tears on my cheeks. “I told her that she would have to marry me because I can’t breathe when she isn’t with me. She was my air, and I can’t survive without her.” His voice low, and his tears come stronger.

  I can’t take it. I get up and go to him, hugging him tightly. Even though he said Levi is like his mom, I think he’s more like Victor. We don’t say anything for a while. We just let the tears fall.

  “I’m sorry, Presley. I didn’t mean to ruin this.” He takes a napkin, cleaning his face.

  “You could never ruin anything. Thank you for telling me.”

  “I know it’s been many years, but it hurts still,” he tells me honestly. “I know that Levi and you have that same connection. I’m so happy you two found each other.”

  Victor pulls out the card and hands it to me. “Is he here, Victor?” I whisper to him.

  He only smiles at me. I open the card and read the words to myself:

  Meet me at the pond on my father’s land. I’ll be waiting, Presley.

  I look at the card again before turning back to Victor. “Can I tell you something?”

  “Of course, Presley.” He lovingly pats my hand.

  “I love you as much as I love my father. I think you’re an amazing man, Victor.”

  He smiles at me, the same smile Levi gives me. “Presley, if Amanda and I ever had a daughter, I would pray that she was just like you. I’m so proud to have you in our family.”

  I smile up at him, hugging him one more time before I leave.

  The drive to the pond isn’t that far. I think about Victor’s amazing story of him and his wife. But something h
e said still holds tightly around me. ‘Our family’? Did he mean what I think? No, he couldn’t. Are we ready for that? Our lives are still chaotic. He wouldn’t do that now.

  I push the thought out because I can’t wait to see Levi. I want to hold him so badly. Listening to the stories warmed my heart. Our parents are such wonderful people, and now that I know that past, going to Pennsylvania will be a bit easier. I’m not alone. I have a huge family and people that love me.

  I see Levi’s SUV, and I park next to it. He turns as I shut the door. His blue eyes shine on me. I love him. As my heart picks up, I can’t walk to him. It’s impossible. So I run through the snow, jumping into his arms when I reach him. It’s where I feel the safest. It’s home to me.

  “I love you, Levi.” Even though my voice sounds sad, it’s the truth. I love him.

  “I love you, too. What do you think about your day so far?” He sits me back on the ground.

  “I figured it out. I know why you sent me on this hunt,” I tell him proudly.

  “You do?” He seems shocked. “Tell me then.”

  “You wanted me to feel loved and show me it’s okay for me to do things on my own, but I’m not really alone.” I know that I can do it now, and my family will be there to support me too, if I need them. Even going through all that they went through, they made it. It worked out for them, just as it will for Levi and me.

  “I’m happy that’s what you took from that, but it’s not why I did it.” He gives me a small grin.

  “It’s not? Then why?” I furrow my eyebrows.

  “Because I wanted you to see how their lives forever changed with a couple of words, which gave your parents you and my parents me. And now, we’re standing here together about to embark on our own journey.” The love is so clear in his voice.

  “Aw, Levi, that’s so sweet. I can’t wait until we both are in Pittsburgh together.” I hug him tighter to me.

  “Me either, Presley.” He pulls back from our embrace and looks into my eyes deeply. “I have a bigger purpose, though.” I study his face, and he looks a little nervous. He takes a deep breath. “You are perfect. There’s no other word that fits you for me. You have made me improve myself as a person, a son, and a man. I’m so thankful for you and that you put up with me and keep me around. I love you, Presley. You make my life infinitely better.” He stops, looking deep into my eyes. “And because I can’t picture my future without you, I want to make sure there isn’t a doubt in your mind of what I want. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, making you happy. Presley Marie McCarthy, will you forever be mine and marry me?”

  I step back and my mouth drops. “Wha…What? Marry? What?”

  “Will you marry me?” He asks me again.

  “Oh my God, you’re serious!” I shout at him and slap his arm as I finally grasp the question that he’s asking.

  “I’ve never been more serious.” He chuckles as he grabs my hand, holding it tightly.

  I can’t move. This is like a dream. He stands there, staring at me, waiting for an answer. I regain my breathing. “Levi, I love you so much. I can’t tell you what this past year has meant to me. It’s been rocky, but we made it through together.” I look at him with all my love. I can’t imagine anyone else, but him. “I would be honored to be your wife and be with you forever.” I leap into his arms, hugging him as tightly as I can. Levi is mine and forever will be. My heart is beating so fast I think it might pop out of my chest. I kiss him hard on his lips, and the coldness around us leaves. It’s only the warmth of our bodies around us.

  “A ‘yes’ would have worked just fine, you know.” He smiles against my lips.

  “What fun is that?” I tease back, kissing him again. He sets me down on my feet, the snow crunching beneath me. “Levi, may I ask a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Do you have a ring or is this just a verbal agreement?” I wink at him.

  “Of course, I do.” He turns me to our cars. I didn’t notice it before, but there is a small tree near Levi’s SUV. It’s slightly decorated for Christmas. “Do you see it?” He points to the one of the branches.

  He takes my hand, and we walk over to it. Hanging from the branch is a dark blue box with a bright red ribbon around it. My hands are shaking as I pull it from the tree. Removing the ribbon, I open the box and gasp. Inside is a simple solitaire diamond with smaller ones surrounding it. Along the sides are accent diamonds, and it seems to be a more vintage piece than modern.

  “When I knew I was going to ask, there were a few things I had to do first. I talked to your father and he grilled me a bit before he approved. I wanted your brother to know, so I told him too. But when I told Pops, the first thing he said was that my mom would have been tickled about you joining the family. He asked me if I knew when or what kind of ring I would buy. I didn’t know either of those things yet. You don’t wear jewelry, so I wasn’t sure what you would like. Pops reminded me of Mom’s ring and what it looked like. He said that she would want me to have it, to give to you, and Pops wanted to give it to me. That’s my mom’s ring and we all want you to wear it. If you want to.”

  I gasp, covering my mouth. This is Levi’s mom’s ring? I stare at the most precious ring I’ve ever seen and feel like I’m about to burst with pride and honor of wearing her ring. “Levi.” The tears are flowing down my cheeks, and my voice cracks. “I would love to wear it.”

  Levi smiles as I see a small tear in his eyes. He tries to be the big tough hockey player, but I know the truth. He’s a softy. He takes the ring from the box and holds it gingerly in his hand before taking my left hand. As he slides the ring on, it’s a perfect fit. Seeing it on my hand is an unbelievable moment. I feel like the world has stopped and it’s just us two.

  As he kisses me, I feel the love flowing between us, as well as the vibrating.

  I break our kiss. “What the hell is in your pocket?”

  He laughs. “My phone. I’ll answer it later.”

  I step back. “No, answer it now. Your dad was a little upset when I left, it might be him.”

  He pulls the phone from his pocket. “It’s not my dad.” He looks confused at the phone as he answers. I step back listening to the conversation. “Yes, this is he.” His expression remains the same. “Yes, sir, I can.” I can see a small smile creeping on his face. “That sounds great, sir. Thank you, sir.” He ends the call and stares at me.

  “Who was it? It must had been important to mess up this moment.” I tease him, but he doesn’t say anything right away. “Levi?”

  “Well, my plan was to stay with you all night tonight and head back early in the morning before your movers come, but I have to leave you sooner.” His smiles deepens.

  “Why? Is everything okay? Did your roommate burn down the place?” I tease. I can’t fathom why Levi would leave me at this moment.

  “No, not yet anyway. I have to leave because Penguins practice starts at ten tomorrow morning.”

  I stop breathing. “You got called up?”

  He nods. I literally scream and jump back into his arms. “I knew you could do. I just knew it, Levi.”

  “I hate to leave you right now.” He holds me tightly.

  “Hey.” I pull back from him. “As your future wife, I’m telling you: get your ass to Pittsburgh and show them who Levi Carr is.”

  “I love you, future Mrs. Levi Carr.”

  “I love you, future Stanley Cup winner, Levi Carr.”

  We both laugh before we kiss. It’s true, I’m going to be his wife. There’s nothing more in this world that I wanted than that. Our relationship is one for the books because we have been through it all, but that just means we can conquer anything. Levi loves me, and I love him. That’s all we need. We just need us.

  Forever.

  The End.

  Acknowledgements

  We would like to thank all of our wonderful beta readers: Andrekia, Ariana, Beth, Charity, Heidi, Jenifer, Louise, Lucy, Michael, and Robin. Thank you so much for taking t
he time to read Game Winner and helping us improve.

  We would like to thank our amazing cover designer, Damonza, for giving us our great cover.

  We would like to thank Kathy from K² Editing for working with us and helping us edit our story.

  We would like to thank all the readers and bloggers for sharing your love of reading with others.

  During these Stanley Cup Playoffs, Mary would like end this trilogy by saying, “Go Blackhawks!” And Lindsay would like to say, “Go Penguins!”

  About the Authors

  Lindsay Paige is a romance author from North Carolina who has published six books on her own. She is a huge hockey fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and loves to play tennis. When not writing, Paige is focused on completing college.

  Mary Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, but currently lives in West Virginia. She is an avid reader, co-founder of Book Nerds Across America, and author of the Ice series. She goes nowhere without her cell phone or Kindle. Mary loves anything to do with Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp, and hockey related!!

  Lindsay and Mary created The Penalty Kill Trilogy through their love of writing and hockey. Through their late night writing sessions, text messages, and emails, they have created a trilogy following two characters dealing with college, family, friends, and the one sport that connects them all. Even though Lindsay and Mary are fans of different NHL teams, they are still close friends…except when their teams play each other.

  Coming Summer of 2014

  Lindsay Paige and Mary Smith are teaming up again to bring you a new standalone series titled:

  Oh Captain, My Captain.

  Like Lindsay’s and Mary’s Facebook pages to stay up-to-date on this new project.