Page 71 of Pucking Obsessed

“You laugh,” I continued as I glance up at him, “but Winter told me he helped someone kidnap a woman. Chloroformed her and married them while she was passed out so she wouldn’t testify against the guy in court.”

He shakes his head, his laughter making his chest bounce with the motion. “That’s called creative problem-solving,” he says in a playful way, but I can tell he’s a hundred percent serious.

As we reach our ride, he stops and turns me toward him again, his hand sliding into my hair. “I love you more than anything, princess,” he murmurs.

And as he leans in to kiss me again, I know that there’s nothing in the world that could ever feel as right as being here with him.

Every seat is filled and the crowd is hyped up because our boys are dominating the visiting team.

“God, the other team hasn’t got one goal on Tristan,” Winter says as she leans closer to me.

I nod, my eyes fixed on Hayden as he moves the puck effortlessly. He dodges a defender like it’s second nature, snapping a quick pass to Callum.

“We’re never going to hear the end of the gloating when we get home,” Winter laughs, shaking her head. Hayden glances toward the stands, like he’s checking that I’m still watching.

The puck flies across the ice, Callum’s stick swipes at it and rockets it toward the other team’s net. The goalie dives, but he’s too slow. It’s so quick, if you blinked, you would have missed it. The buzzer sounds, and the crowd loses it.

I jump to my feet with Winter, screaming and clapping as the boys celebrate on the ice. Hayden skates toward Tristan and Callum and I have to laugh because Tristan is swatting his goalie stick at both Hayden and Callum, letting them know he doesn’t want any part of a group hug.

Winter nudges me, nodding down at the ring on my left hand. “We found out that he was going to ask you, but he wouldn’t tell anyone when or where,” she says, and she always sounds so genuine. “He wouldn’t let anyone see the ring before he gave it to you. Not even me. He did really well, it’s you.” Her smile fades and she scrunches up her face when she says, “I was afraid it was going to be a giant rock with his angry face chiseled on it, so other men will know you’re off the market.”

I snicker at her words, because honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him. I glance down at the ring, and it catches the arena lights like it’s showing off. “He wouldn’t let anyone see it at all? I assumed at least Tristan saw it before he gave it to me.”

She laughs, brushing a stray hair out of her face. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the jeweler wear a blindfold so you’d be the first person to really see it.”

I snort, shaking my head. “The fact that you’re probably right is ridiculous.”

Before Winter can reply, the crowd erupts again, chanting as the guys finish shaking hands with the team they just defeated. Hayden’s head tilts up, his gaze locking on me.

He skates toward the exit and presses his glove to his lips, then points right at me. I know exactly what he’s thinking. He wants me to run down there and kiss him in the hallway before he goes in to shower.

Winter and I make our way toward the hallway where Hayden and Tristan will exit to head to the locker room. It’s where we always wait for them, but before we get there, the speakers crackle, and a familiar voice cuts through the noise.

“Is that…?” I trail off, because…this can only end up in a circus sideshow. Who would give Callum a microphone?

We stop and turn back, and sure enough, Callum is standing at center ice, holding the announcer’s microphone like he owns it. He’s grinning ear to ear, still in his uniform and skates, but he’s ditched his helmet for his backwards hat.

“Lilac Fairbanks,” he calls out, his voice echoing across the arena. “Get your pretty ass out here. Don’t make me come find you.”

“What the hell is he doing now?” Winter asks, and I can see the corner of her mouth twitching with a suppressed smile. She’s living for this

I watch as Lilac steps cautiously onto the ice, her long chestnut hair flowing past her back. She’s wearing a short, light purple dress that flutters around her thighs. Even from here, I can see her wide, confused eyes scanning the crowd.

Hayden and Tristan stride up beside us. Hayden’s arm slides around my waist without hesitation, and I lean into him.

“You did good out there, future husband,” I say, looking up at him.

Hayden’s lips twitch into a small, satisfied smile.

The sound of the microphone crackling pulls my attention back to the ice, and my jaw nearly drops when I see Callum drop to one knee. The arena goes completely silent, all eyes on him.

“Lilac Fairbanks,” Callum says, grinning like he knows exactly what kind of chaos he’s causing right now. “Will you marry me?”

I gape, turning to look up at Hayden.

“I’ll kill him,” Hayden snaps, his dark eyes narrowing at Callum like he’s already plotting his murder.

I laugh, grabbing his arm and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “There’s no way he could have known that you proposed earlier today.”

---