Page 62 of Icing the Enemy

A sudden burst of laughter comes from behind me, and it’s my former Stallions teammates: Bryce and Emmaline, Brookeand Reed, Presley, and Flynn, with Dane and Lettie by their side. And John is by himself, the last holdout since I’m now married. I’m damn lucky to have friends like them.

Back slaps and fist bumps come with congratulations.

“Oakley, Becca.” I raise my voice and motion for them to come over.

Becca knows everyone but Emmaline. “I’ve heard so much about you. Corbin says Bryce isn’t the same guy.” She turns to John. “How have you been? It’s been a long time.”

“Waiting on the love of my life to realize she married the wrong guy.” My sister blushes.

What the fuck is going on?

John says to Oakley, “Good to see you again. You vanished at their wedding.” He hooks his thumb at Bryce and Emmaline.

“She didn’t vanish. She stole my truck.”

Oakley smirks. “Yeah, but then I stole your heart. You said so on our wedding night.”

If I’m honest, she stole my soul and the ability to breathe the day I met her.

“True.”

The satisfied smile on Oakley’s face makes my heart pound against my rib cage.

“Who’s babysitting the kids?” I ask Dane.

He answers, “My mom and Lettie’s grandparents. Looks like we lost our sitter.”

“I love your kids, and I want them to know their Uncle Corb. That’s what Kingston and Laney call me,” I say to Oakley.

Laughing, Oakley says, “You have a lot of nicknames: Corby, Sugarbear, and Uncle Corb.”

“Don’t forget God,” I tease, and it’s the first time I feel the distance between us dissipating.

She slaps my arm. “I have never called you God.”

“We need to correct that, my little thief.” This time, I lean down and cuddle her lips for a moment. When I pull away, her eyes are still closed, so I kiss her again and again. My former teammates wander off to mingle with my current ones.

The Stallions grab Oakley and make a circle around her, and we welcome her to our Stallion Family, each giving her blue carnation.

"Listen up, folks, a new bride is in town. She’s joining the Stallions, and we won't let her down. From slap shots to cake cutting, we'll show her the way. She's now part of our team, like it or not, eh! So, let's raise our glasses and welcome her with cheers. Another member of the Stallions family, we'll have no fears!"

Her face is red as a tomato as all eyes are focused on her until Becca says, “Everyone gather around. Our host has a speech prepared.”

With my fingers laced with Oakley’s, I clear my throat and summon the words I want to convey from my heart.

“Thank you for coming on short notice. I worked all week to keep this a secret from my bride. She deserves the world, and I admit this first week of marriage has been hard, for all the same reasons I didn’t want to find someone to settle down with, until my career was over. We hardly see each other, and she’s lonely. Since her mother passed away, Oakley has been on her own, so I need to give my family to her. She’s worthy of a family, but in all honesty, I’m not sure if I’m worthy of this woman standing next to me. My Mamaw once told me that I would find the person who makes my heart pound and my belly flutter. I knew what it meant because I was a teenager once, and every girl made me feel like that—but that was all hormones. With Oakley, I get them when I just look at her whether she’s dressed up like today or if she’s in her pajamas, with bed head, curled up with her dog Dixie.”

She pulls on my hand and looks at me from her lashes, showcasing her gorgeous, expressive eyes. “Our dog. When you married me, you got Dixie too.”

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips. We’re making progress unless this is all fake on her part. I peck her cheek and continue, “Anyway, I remember calling Bryce on his wedding day, letting him know I might be late because a girl and her dog were stranded at a truck stop. I’m paraphrasing here, but he said something like ‘You don’t have to rescue everyone that needs help. I should call a tow truck or pay for a rental car. She may not want to come to a wedding in Atlanta.’But if I had given her money or paid for a tow truck, we wouldn’t be standing here today. I love her spirit, her stubbornness, her lips.”

My chest rises as I actually mean everything I’m saying. This has nothing to do with our arrangement.

I’m in love with Oakley. Oh God, help me.

“Oakley, thank you for being everything I ever wanted, and I promise to earn your love each day,” I say with a heavy exhale, not knowing how she truly feels about me. I know she wants to be friends, but I’m not sure if she wants more.

My teammates yell, “Cheers!”

---