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My head whips to look at Hendrix. He’s on the second line now and was when the plane went down. He stares at me, eyes dark with sorrow, and whispers, “He was a good man. They have a son, Travis.”
“Oh no. Poor kid.”
“Yeah,” he murmurs, eyes going back to Brienne. “I’ll introduce you to Danica. You’ll really like her.”
My arm slips around his waist as we watch a petite young woman with long brown hair walk up the stairs to stand beside Brienne. She lost her husband ten months ago, and I can’t even begin to imagine her pain. Yet she smiles confidently at the crowd.
Brienne slips her arm around Danica’s waist. She reciprocates, and it’s clear they’re good friends. “So, Danica and I are in a small support group formed for those who lost loved ones on the plane. I watched her struggle after Mitch died, not just with her own grief and that of her son, Travis, but how to go on as a single mom without a source of income. And she’s just one example of the many women—and men, because there are professional female athletes—who have to pick up the pieces and figure out how to navigate life after loss. I’m proud to announce that Danica will be the director of this new charity named after my brother.”
There’s applause, subdued due to the nature of the announcement, but you can feel the emotion in the room.
“I would love for each of the players who have not met Danica to introduce yourself. You’re going to see a lot of her as I’ll be throwing the full weight of the team into helping raise money whether you like it or not.” She smiles devilishly, and someone from the back yells, “We like it!”
“Okay, everyone,” Brienne says to the crowd. “Eat more food, drink more alcohol, and leave your keys at the door if you’re drinking. I’ll call you an Uber, and you can pick up your cars tomorrow. Thank you all for coming tonight.”
Brienne and Danica walk down the stairs, and the crowd disperses when someone calls out, “Wait up.”
I recognize Stone’s voice, and next thing I know, he’s trotting up the stairs so everyone can see him. I glance over at Harlow, easy to locate because of her bright red hair. She looks utterly confused to see him up there.
But I know what he’s doing. I’ve been waiting for it.
“You all know I used to be a grumpy son of a bitch and didn’t particularly care for any of you.” Everyone laughs at the jab he takes at himself. I’ve gotten to know Stone through Harlow the last several months, and I’d never know it, but according to Harlow, he had a massive chip on his shoulder when he came to the team. “But there was this sexy redhead who lived just across the hall from me who gradually coaxed me out of my shell. Her name is Harlow, and you all know her. You also know that I love her to the depths of my soul.”
Stone reaches into his pocket, and before he can even pull out the ring box, everyone is chattering with exclamations of delight and surprise.
Hendrix leans down and whispers, “Did you know this was happening?”
My gaze pins on Harlow, her mouth wide open in shock. “Sort of. I knew he was going to do it soon, but not exactly when or how. Look at her… I think her eyes might bug out of her head.”
“Harlow,” Stone says, and I turn my attention back to him. In his hand, the black velvet box is open and the diamond ring twinkles. “I’ve been trying to think how to do this for longer than you would believe. I finally decided to do it here… in front of my teammates, not because we play hockey together but because they’re part of my family. They’re part of your family, and I want them to share in my joy as I ask you to marry me and be my wife. Make my Christmas dreams come true, Harlow, and say yes.”
Stone lopes down the steps, and the crowd parts so there’s no one between him and Harlow. He takes her hand, dropping to one knee. Tears sparkle in Harlow’s eyes, and mine sting in response.
Hendrix’s arm comes around my waist, and he squeezes.
Stone slides the ring onto Harlow’s finger without receiving a formal answer. She barely looks at the ring, instead jerking him up with her hands at his shirt collar and slamming her mouth to his.
“I take it that’s a yes.” Hendrix chuckles.
Stone picks Harlow up and spins her around, his face buried in her neck. If there’s a single person in this house not swooning right now, their heart must be made of Pennsylvania coal.
For the next hour, Hendrix and I separate. I go immediately to Harlow to see the ring up close, along with most of the other females in the house. I meet Danica and more of the players, and then I end up in a discussion with Callum Derringer about my bar. He’d heard about it and wants to come check it out. Apparently, a little-known fact about him is that his dad was a biker, and Callum owns a Harley. We made loose plans for him to come by and meet my dad and maybe go on a ride together.
