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My eyes fill with tears all over again. This isn't a half-life. This is so much better than that. This is…well, this is as close to perfection as I've ever come. Closer, even.
I frown as a thought occurs. "Who won the game tonight?"
"We did." Kris grins at me. "Well, the team did. I was here."
My face falls. "You left?"
"I went where I was needed most." He brushes his lips against my forehead again. "I told you, princess. I'm not leaving. Not now, not ever. When you need me, I'm here. I don't give a fuck about anything else. You are what matters."
I melt into him. How can I be mad at that? There's no way any woman on this planet could be mad at that. He is who he is, and I love him exactly as he is. Even if he is bossy and overprotective.
"At least ease my mind by telling me Wes didn't beat Jay up while I was unconscious and you were here," I say, cuddling up against his chest. "I'd rather not have to deal with that PR nightmare when I go back to work."
"Nah, he didn't beat Jay up. And what do you mean when you go back to work? Your pretty little ass is going to be resting, Kelsey."
"I can work from home, Kris."
He heaves a sigh. "I'm only agreeing to this because there may be another PR nightmare that needs your attention."
"What happened?" I ask, pulling back to look at him.
"I threatened an EMT in front of the media," he says with a straight face.
I stare at him levelly.
"He was trying to keep me out of the ambulance. That didn't work for me."
"Kris," I groan.
"You were in that ambulance, princess. There was no fucking way he was keeping me out of it." He tips my chin back until our eyes meet. "You're my world. I'll do whatever I have to do to protect my world."
"You make it really hard to be mad at you," I mumble.
"That's because you love me."
"I do love you. More than anything."
"That right there is all I need in this world." He tips his head down, touching his lips to mine. "Just you and your heart. So long as I have that, and you're healthy, nothing else matters."
Epilogue One
Kelsey
One Year Later
"Wake up, princess," Kris murmurs, running his lips across my shoulder.
I groan, burying my face in the pillow. "It's too early."
"You always say that."
"And you always try to make me get up anyway."
He chuckles, placing his lips against the side of my throat. "It's important this time," he whispers, driving me crazy with little kisses. "Really important."
"Sex is not important at five in the morning, Kris."
"It's midnight, Kelsey. And I'm not waking you up to fuck."
I groan and roll over onto my back, peeling one eye open to peek up at him. "If you're waking me up to tell me that you finally learned how to make the perfect sushi roll, I'm going to smother you with a pillow."
Ever since he retired, he's been driving himself crazy trying to keep himself occupied. He spends two days a week at the arena, helping Coach with training things. It's good for him. It keeps him busy. Otherwise, he just finds new ways to drive himself nuts. He loves being a stay-at-home dad to our baby girl, but she sleeps a lot, leaving him far too much time on his hands.
He spends it picking up new hobbies. Like trying to become a master chef. Or woodworking. Or trying to restore an old car. He likes to stay busy. He's done it for so long, I don't think he knows how to do anything else.
But he's slowly learning to relax and enjoy life after the NHL.
"This isn't about sushi. Come on. Sit up."
I grumble and let him pull me upright in the bed. He tucks the covers around me, fussing over me like he always does. I let him do it. It makes him happy. And I'm learning that making him happy makes me happy. Letting myself be loved is still new to me. It's still a learning experience, but I'm getting better at it every day. When Kris is the one doing the loving, it's a lot easier to let myself fall into it.
He takes such good care of me and our baby girl. Even through the worst of my pregnancy, he was right there. We have a healthy, happy three-month-old who looks just like him. Sadly, she acts just like me. She's sassy. We're working on it.
"Today is five years."
"Hmm?"
"Today is five years," he says again, stretching across me to grab something from the bedside table. He drops it in my lap before pulling me into his arms. "You've been in remission for five years today, Kelsey."
I freeze, staring at him with wide eyes. "You remembered the date?"
