Page 108 of Forever Player

After lunch, I head home with Maylee and put her to sleep in her crib. Brett calls just as I am about to lie down on the couch for a little afternoon nap since I have the day off today.

“Hi,” I answer, feeling excitement at hearing his voice.

“Hi, baby, we are going to be home in a few hours,” he informs me.

“I’m waiting for you,” I tell him.

“I’m counting down too,” he says and then he falls silent.

“What is it?” I ask, sensing some tension through the phone.

“Bonnie showed up to the game in Nashville last night,” he begins.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” I ask. I mean, obviously anyone has a right to go to a game, but Bonnie showing up to Brett’s game sets warning signals off inside me.

“She somehow got through to the locker room area. When I was walking out on my way to speak to reporters. She caught me and hugged me,” he explains.

I had missed their game on television last night because Maylee had been up the night before with teething issues, and I was completely exhausted. I crashed the same time she did at 7:00 p.m.

“What did you do?” I ask him.

“I removed her arms from around my neck, obviously, since it was an invasion of my personal space, but one of the reporters got curious and asked who she was and Bonnie answered that I dated her. I immediately said it wasn’t true, but then she got all sugary and said shit about me meeting her in a bar in Sugar Meadow. Not sure if you’ve been on social media but it looks bad.”

“Damn,” I breathe out a long breath. “I don’t look at social media anymore. I don’t see a point.”

“It’s better you don’t, it’s all lies anyway,” he advises. “When the reporter asked me about you and if there was trouble at home, I simply said. . .”

“Brett?” I ask, worry filling my stomach.

“Honey, I didn’t want to say it like this for the first time. I wanted to have an epic moment and make it really special, but Bonnie, she flustered me and . . .”

“What did you say?” I ask, dread filling my veins but only because Brett sounds a little tongue-tied, which is unusual for him.

“I said I’m madly in love with Willow Heaton and there is no other woman for me ever,” he declares, and all the dread floats away as warmth fills my chest and a smile spreads my lips.

“I love you too, baby,” I reply. “I’ve been wanting to say it for some time, but. . .”

“I know,” he answers. We have become so in sync with each other. “I wanted to find a perfect time but things have been so busy.”

“We don’t need perfect, Brett. I’m happy with the messy life we have. I’m happy to have these perfectly imperfect moments with you. I know it’s not how we both envisioned confessing our love but it’s us, unplanned, messy, a perfect storm.”

“We are a perfect storm; I couldn’t have said it better. Since you’ve come into my life, Willow, I’ve just been so happy,” he says. “I don’t want anything to get in the way of that. Definitely not Bonnie and her antics.”

“You don’t need to worry, I trust you with my whole heart,” I assure as a tear runs down my cheek. I feel the words radiating from the center of my chest and it feels like whatever worries I had in the past have finally melted away. This sense of freedom and love has my emotions in a twist.

“That means the world to me, Honey,” he sighs. “I’ll be home soon. I love you.”

“I love you too,” I say, and we end the call. I realize how far we’ve come. How we’ve shown up for each other, time and time again. I know through thick and thin; Brett Noble is my person.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Willow

The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. We are all here tonight for game, Maddie and Asher, Ms. Noble, Henry and Sally, his girlfriend, Ellie and Syd, Patty and Callie, her baby girl; Eden, Amelia, Skylar and Crew, Rebel and her two kids. Even Jacob came out for the event. We were just lucky the last game is here in New York, and we didn’t have to travel. All of us are sitting behind the plexiglass, taking up a long row.

Patty is on one side of me, and Maddie is on the other. Ellie is next to her while the older kids are sitting together at the beginning of the row.

“I’m so freaking nervous,” Maddie says, biting her nails.

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