Page 22 of Goal Line Love

I stand on a chair and whistle. “Attention! Everyone, thank you for coming. The guest of honor has pointed out the fault in my plan. My love is requesting we head elsewhere. To the Blue Line!” I raise a fist in the air.

“Blue Line!” everyone cheers and after they know she’s driven off they start out the door.

I pay for what I had ordered, a buffet of exceptional chef created selections and tip extra for the staff to deliver it all to the nearest children’s hospital for the doctors, nurses, and staff to have a great meal. They agree immediately and the wait staff starts boxing up the chaffing dishes. Many of the staff are excited to have a night off. I invite them to join us over at the Blue Line and I see some of the rookies’ eyes light up at my offer to the young women who’ve been making googly eyes at them.

Professional googly eyes, of course.

I ride with Lexie and Caia to the Blue Line. I rideshared to Zest so I could drive Bergan home.

Everyone is waiting outside. I lift Millie into my arms. “You ready?”

“Lub you, Arrison.”

“Lub you, too, but Bergan loves me, too.”

“I lub Bergan, too.”

I’ve gotten the go ahead, or at least something similar. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Alexie steps up and turns. “Formation!”

The team flanks Millie and me as we walk hand in hand, and we start through the door.

Bergan’s sitting at the team’s normal high-top table, her back to the door. I round the table with the team behind me.

“Ummm… what’s going on?” She sits straighter on the stool.

All of the wives and partners of the team file in behind Bergan.

She’s all decked out in a beautiful green velvet dress, her hair piled on her head like at that auction in Storm Canyon. I think she knows what it does to me to remember that night.

Bergan watches the team file in behind me and then looks behind her and her eyes widen. “Harry…what’s… going on?”

Alexie chuckles, “Harry.”

The team snickers along with him.

I kicked Alexie’s ass on the ice in a shoot-out to stop him from calling me that. But old habits die hard.

I give them all a quick glare and they clam up.

“Bergan, my life has only been better because of you. You make me stop and look at sunsets over the mountains. I appreciate great writing more. You have me shown me the brilliance in putting the cap back on the toothpaste and not having to clean up a pile of toothpaste.”

She smiles a wide smile. “So gross.”

The ladies behind her agree.

“What I’m saying, baby, is that I never want to stop. I want to keep finding a new goal in life with you. I want to be with you forever. I love you, Bergan and…”

The guys lift me up while I’m kneeling and pull the ring out of my pocket, opening it as the room goes silent.

“Will you marry me?”

She slides a piece of paper across the table to me. The guys lower me and all eyes are on me.

I pick it up and read it. She knows me too well. I hold it up in victory. “She said, ‘yes’!”

The room erupts and I round the table, lifting her into my arms and smothering her with a long kiss.

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