Page 48

And I’ve never been as scared as I am on one knee looking up at Margot, and the stupid part is I'm grinning like an idiot, because I can't help it, because it's finally happening.

"Jax." Both her hands leave mine and fly to her mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Ruining your big playoff night, apparently. You look terrified."

I get the little box out, and of course my thumb won't work the lid, I’m full of nerves and I can't open a jewelry box.

Cade reaches down and flips it open for me, because even now the man's got my back.

Behind him, of all the people on this earth, Derek has his phone up, filming.

"Derek, Are you recording this?"

"Yes, my bet was on tonight." Derek doesn't lower the phone. "Protecting my investment. Keep going, Hunter. You're doing fine. Slow down on the crying."

"I'm not crying."

"You're crying. It's a good look. Keep going."

"Margot Callahan." I look up at her. “I spent years being the wrong man on purpose so nobody would ever guess I only wanted to be the right one for you." My voice does something embarrassing and I let it. "I love you. Always have."

She's crying and laughing, and I've never wanted anything more than seeing her happy.

"I've loved you my whole life and I'm going to keep doing it for the rest of it, and I don’t want to waste one more day not being yours."

Then I feel the grin take over my whole face. "So marry me, Callahan. Make it official." I let the smile go crooked and warm and all the way hers. "And I can’t wait to work on that spreadsheet with you."

And I wink.

The noise she makes is not remotely dignified, and I love it. She grabs a fistful of my jersey and hauls me up onto my feet.

"You are insufferable." She can barely get it out with all the crying. "I can’t wait either."

"Will you marry me, Margot?"

"Yes." She grabs my face in both hands.

She said yes and I kiss her.

The room erupts. Torres whoops. Harper's sobbing into Aiden's chest, and Aiden, stands there grinning like a proud captain.

I get the ring onto her finger with hands that still won't quit shaking, and she looks at it, then looks at me and smiles.

"Got it." Derek finally lowers the phone, entirely unbothered, like he didn't just film the best moments of my life. "I won the pool." And then, gruff, like the words physically cost him. "Congratulations, Hunter."

And the enormous man claps me on the shoulder on his way out to go collect his money.

Cade hauls his sister into him, kisses the top of her head, then grabs the back of my neck and knocks his forehead to mine.

His voice is thick. "Off-limits is officially retired, Hunter. You were always my brother but now you're officially family. Which means I get to chirp you every holiday for the rest of your life, and I’m starting tonight, because that was the single worst proposal I have ever heard, and she said yes anyway, so honestly, congratulations, you found the one woman on earth who thinks a spreadsheet is romantic."

"You have no idea."

"She has a head injury, clearly." But he's laughing, and wiping his face, and he pulls me into a hug.

"Cade." Margot holds up her hand so the ring catches the light. "Thank you for helping me have this."

"That's the job for a big brother, Mar." He smiles, my best friend. And then he's gone, off to the visiting teams locker room.