Harrison was right behind him, his long legs eating up the ice separating them until he was close enough to reach out and touch him. He almost knocked the puck off his blade, but Jett sent it flying into the net for his first point.
He celebrated and shot finger guns at his boyfriend, making Harrison laugh and shake his head.
This continued for a little while, but as time passed, Jett could tell Harrison was hurting. He hid it well, but he was slowing down and grunting in pain whenever he had to take a turn too fast. It had barely been ten minutes, and already the pressure on Harrison’s bad leg was becoming too much.
When they took center ice for the last time, Jett gazed into determined blue eyes and allowed the fierce protectiveness for his boyfriend to wash over him. Harrison was pale and drenched with sweat, but he was giving them this moment together, and it wasperfect.
“Ready?” Jett asked him.
Harrison nodded, but then his knee abruptly buckled and hit the ice.
Jett dropped his stick and clasped the fabric of Harrison’s shirt so he could drag him back up, but Harrison lifted his hand, and his eyes locked onto the black box resting in his palm.
“Jett Fraser.”
Jett let go of Harrison and jerked away, taking a step back.
“I’m a bit out of breath, so I don’t think I can get through my entire speech, but you told me my actions speak louder than words.” Harrison opened the box to reveal a gorgeous ring to match his gorgeous smile. “You are the only star I want to orbit for the rest of my life—however long that life may be. I want to share every moment with you until our last, whether it’s marriage and children, or axe murderers chasing us through the woods.”
Jett laughed and covered his mouth, impatiently waiting to hear the rest.
“The good and the bad, I don’t care what happens. I want every second on the clock we’re given, and I’m stubborn enough to find you in our next life to ask you for more. So, with all that, and the rest pending, will you marry me?”
“Goddamn it, Harrison.” Jett returned his hands to Harrison’s shirt and pulled him up before he passed out from pain.
“Yes, I’ll marry you. The leg didn’t need to be sacrificed to ask the question.”
“I said I had big plans.” Harrison grimaced as he waited for Jett to remove his gloves so he could give him the ring. “I’m going to need abigamount of Advil later too.”
Jett took the ring from him and slipped it onto his finger, holding it up to show it off until Harrison was satisfied. “No shit, Coach. I’ll text Max and ask him to bring your old man candy to the rink, so you’re not suffering through the—”
He was swept into a bone-crushing hug, and Harrison’s mouth crashed onto his. The force of the kiss had them drifting backwards, and Jett clung to him to keep them both steady. They kept it chaste since they were in public, but even though it was lacking the hunger they usually shared, it was one of the best kisses he’d ever had.
“There.” Harrison drew back, but he lifted Jett’s hand and kissed the ring. “Now that you’ve had your pre-game kiss…go win us a fucking cup.”
Epilogue
Harrison
“Stay where you are, Snow.”
Harrison glanced up from the strategy board he was reviewing in time to see the massive defenceman from the Vancouver Bigfoots, August Snow, gliding over the red line. He was 6’7 without skates and almost 7 feet with them, so no one liked to step in and give him hell, but he was now on the Sunbursts’ side during warmup.
The big guy had no fucks to give as he pushed past Bracken, ignoring his warning, and slid to a stop before Jett. The guy was handsome with his sharp jawline and ice-blue eyes, framed by dark lashes. From what Harrison remembered, Snow had white-blond hair when he was a rookie, but he’d dyed it white to match his last name.
Jett pushed himself onto his skates and looked up, cranking his head far back to meet Snow’s eyes. “Can I help you?”
Harrison grinned at the bratty tone in his fiancée’s voice. Only Jett would stare down one of the biggest players in the NHL like he was a misbehaving puppy.
“It’s been fun playing against you,” Snow said, his voice deep and pleasant. “You’re a badass, Fraser. I mean that.”
Wolf, who had been on his way to start a fight, stopped and frowned at Bracken when he was held back.
It looked like Snow was going to live to see another day.
“You waited until today to say that?” Jett gave the giant man a tap on the chest with his stick. “But yeah, may the best team win.”
When Snow smiled, he appeared less intimidating. He clapped Jett on the arm, nearly taking him off his skates.
