Page 354 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

"You shouted it before they got out of the truck," Toby replies.

"I was overcome with emotion."

Coach appears in the doorway; hands tucked comfortably into his jacket pockets.

He surveys the scene for a moment before looking directly at us.

His eyes settle briefly on Annette's left hand. A smile—small, genuine, unmistakably Coach—touches the corners of his mouth.

"Well... About time." And he nods.

Everyone laughs.

My mother reaches us first. She wraps Annette in a hug that says everything words can't. "I've been trying very hard not to call you my daughter for weeks."

Annette laughs through fresh tears. "You don't have to wait anymore."

She hugs her even tighter. "And I've been waiting a very long time to hear that."

Dad steps forward next. He looks at the ring. Then at me. His eyes say exactly what they said when he handed me the silver coin.

You chose well.

He pulls me into one of the strongest hugs I've ever received. "I'm proud of you, son."

"Thanks, Dad. You've built a wonderful life with Mom; now I'm getting started."

***

Across the porch, another familiar voice calls softly.

"Sweetheart..."

Annette turns to see her own parents standing just inside the doorway. For one heartbeat she simply stares, then she runs. Her mother catches her first, wrapping both arms around her while her father pulls all three of them into one enormous embrace.

"We had to try so hard to keep the secret," her mother says, laughing through tears.

"You knew?"

Her father smiles. "We've known for two days. We had to fly in, or your mother would have disowned me."

She walks back across the porch, takes my face in both hands, and kisses me with absolutely no concern for the audience now cheering around us.

Liam cups his hands around his mouth. "I KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE CHARGED ADMISSION!"

Coach doesn't even look at him. "Liam."

"What?"

"Be quiet."

"I am supporting romance."

"You are interrupting it."

"I suppose that's fair."

The porch erupts in laughter again.