Page 91 of Cash

He drove them through the town and turned into a little taco shop, but instead of parking, he pulled in the back to a drive through and ordered way too many tacos and two drinks.

Then he turned out and headed out to the edge of town. She wasn't sure why it felt familiar, but something about it did. Then she saw the drive-in sign.

"The drive in?"

"Old movies and tacos and making out in the back of my truck. I can’t think of a better way to spend the night," he said grinning at her.

"Me either," she beamed at him.

Before she knew it, she was sitting in the back of his truck sitting on a pile of blankets, a large cherry coke sitting next to her and a bag of tacos before them.

"This is perfect," she said.

He laughed at his phone.

“What?”

He just shook her head and grinned. He flipped his phone to show her the screen. "Mother Dearest?" she shrieked in laughter. "That's a little too perfect if you ask me."

She couldn't help but watch him as he took a sip from his straw then turned his head and wrapped his mouth around another taco. How did he make eating tacos this hot? She had a problem, but it was not a problem she was looking to fix anytime soon.

"Cash, I really do want to apologize for the stuff my mom said to you. You know I don't think like that right?"

He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. "I've never felt that from you. You do force me to be a better man, but that's just because I want to make you happy and prove to you that I deserve you, because honestly I'm not sure what you’re doing with me."

"Are you serious?" He could not seriously think that. On what planet was Cash not good enough. "I feel the same way about you. I want to be better for you."

"Please don’t be anything other than yourself. There’s not a damn thing I would change," he said as he brushed her hair behind her ear. "I meant what I said, I love you. You’re everything to me."

"So, what now?" she asked as she took a sip from her straw.

"I mean, I'm here for the happily ever after bullshit. For once in my life that sounds pretty amazing."

The pure happiness that bubbled up in her heart was something she usually tried to squash back down, but for once she just decided to feel it. Maybe things would work out for her. Cash Hawthorn had come out of nowhere and turned her world upside down, but she was finally starting to believe that maybe she had done the same thing to his world. Now they just needed to figure out what those worlds looked like together once all the dust settled.

"I want that too Cash, I know both of our lives are busy and full of travel between my coaching and your season, but I really want this to work."

"We'll figure it out. We still have a couple weeks before training camp, then a few more weeks until pre-season starts. I'm sure there will be bumps in the road, but I have never felt the way I feel about you before. I fucking love you, Evelyn. Like big, serious love."

Her heart was in serious danger of bursting out of her chest. It was just so full of love and happiness even though the previous hours leading up to this perfect moment had been an absolute shit show.

"I know things got all screwed up at the wedding, but I know I love you and that I want you to be my person. When all the dust settles from the troubles of life, I want you by my side. I have never been more sure."

"Right back at ya, baby girl." he said with that fucking smirk the drove her crazy. "Tomorrow, do you want to come over for dinner with me and River? There's a pretty good chance he's going to be living with me for a while and I'm really hoping you'll be around more too, especially during the season."

"I would love that. I know things aren't going to be traditional in the way we have to do them, but that's okay with me. I just want to be with you. You make me so happy."

He held her chin and tipped his head and put a kiss on her lips. She turned to him and ran her fingers up into his dark hair and deepened their kiss. He pulled her close and they slid down into the bed of his truck and got lost in each other under the stars. While their future still did hold uncertainty and they still had lots of things to figure out together. But one thing both of them knew was they would be doing it together.

If anyone would have told Evie before the gala, she would be in love with hockey's playboy, she would have laughed in their face, but here she was, and it was everything.

EPILOGUE

1 year later

Cash

Cash and Evie sat at a sticky table with a beer and a vodka tonic before them. Next to them sat Meadow, Conner, and Sasha. Cash couldn’t help but smile at the look on Meadow’s face as she watched River play for the first time.

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