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Conner smirks, setting his phone back in his pocket. “I was always good at playing hide and seek. He roams his eyes over me again, avoiding a growing death glare from Chase. “Excuse me.”
Coach Riley’s jaw works and he steps up to us.
“Coach,” Chase starts, and there’s no telling what he’s about to say, but he doesn’t get the chance to.
Riley lifts his palm. “Does Lonnie know?”
Chase hesitates, but I trust this man. Maybe more than I should, but I do. “Yeah, Coach. She knows.”
He nods at me once. “We’ll talk later. I’ll take care of Conner.”
“Chase,” I exhale the moment we’re alone.
He shields me, extending his arms so I’m locked between them, with the bar behind me. “Shh. Keep your voice down,” he mutters in that low voice that soothes me. He hovers his lips over mine. “You’re okay. This is why we have this story. So if Troy walks through that door right now and calls you out—I tell him that you’re mine.”
I swallow, my eyes closing with tears on the brim.
“And that we’ve been in love for over a decade. That you went off to college and thought you could forget me but on the day of your wedding, realized you made a big mistake. Because deep in your heart you knew…you always belonged in Hideaway Springs.” He lifts my chin. “And with me.”
I sniffle.
Chase pulls his phone from his pocket and opens a random social media platform. Through blurry eyes, I see him enter a hashtag into the search, then flips the screen to me. Several images of him in uniform and a petite redhead in his arms pull up.
“It’s us.”
He raises a brow. “If he finds you, and plans to hold you to your contract, he might want to rethink it when he sees these headlines.”
I scroll upward through his phone.
Love on Ice.
Denver King Finds His Queen.
A Game Changer for Chase “the King” Reeves.
“There’s apparently an auction going for the puck I tossed you last week. One that supposedly says ‘Will you marry me?’”
I laugh. “No way. Where is that anyway?”
“Who knows? My guess is someone grabbed it before the period started and is auctioning it off.”
I shake my head, handing him back his phone. My heart tugging with hope. My fears still lingering. “I guess this is…”
“Everything we planned.”
I release a breath. “Thank you.”
He wraps his arms around my waist. “I’m not letting anyone take you from us, Pepper.”
“Chase.”
He swallows hard, his jaw working as he holds up his hand. “I’m not letting anyone take you from me.” He strokes my cheek. “I promise.”
23
The ride back to my apartment is a complete blur. As the elevator doors close, I crowd her against the back marbled wall.
“I’m sorry.” I’m not even sure what I’m apologizing for. I just know another minute of watching Pepper on the verge of a breakdown had me ready to punch a wall. No. Not a wall.
