Page 110 of A Scoring Chance

Pride swells in my chest that she publicly claims me as her own. Things could change at any minute. There is a tough road ahead for both of us, but we can do anything if we stick with each other. Not wanting to leave her alone in this fight, I slide up beside her, lacing my fingers through hers.

“Fucking disgusting.” Annamarie makes a sound deep in her throat before spitting in Ramona’s face. “You're just a distraction. A whore to warm his bed, which he’ll kick to the curb when he’s finished with you. He’ll come find me when he comes to his senses. We’re meant to be.”

Beauty reaches up and wipes the spit from her face. “Is that why you hate me so much? Because I have a meaningful life? Surrounded by people who love and care for me?”

“You don’t deserve any of this. I did everything to get him to notice me, but you came in with your tricks and that damn bastard of yours. Cooper has a big heart. Of course, he’d want to be a good role model for that fucking bastard kid of yours. You can find a daddy for him down at the corner. Surely that makes more sense for you.”

“Don’t you ever talk about Darius like that again,” Ramona growls, pulling back her arm and hitting Annamarie right below the cheekbone.

“Fuck, that hurt!” Ramona bellows as Annamarie sinks like a dead weight into the guards’ arms, effectively ending the conversation.

“Take her to my office. I’ll call a doctor to look at her before driving her to the hospital myself. I just hope she’ll go willingly,”Henry commands as he watches his daughter’s limp body being carried out of the room.

I should probably say something to him so we can figure out where we go from here. His daughter messed with my career and my life, manipulating him for her own sick desires. The trust I’ve always had in the team and our owner is broken. Maybe it’s time for me to find a new home to finish out my NHL career.

I lift her hand gingerly in mine, turning it from left to right, looking for any wounds. “I really should teach you how to throw a proper punch.”

“It looked a lot less painful on television.” She hisses as I touch a tender spot with my thumb.

“Everything is less painful when it’s on television,” Melody says as she appears beside us, holding out a bag of ice to my beauty. “You’re going to want to ice that and take some painkillers for the swelling.”

“You know a lot about bruised knuckles?”

“More than I’d like to admit.” Something akin to horror crosses her face, but it disappears quickly, a forced smile in its place. “I’m guessing I can report all of that in tomorrow's edition.”

“Everything but the part about the owner's daughter trying to kill the two of us. Everything else is fair game,” I respond, laying the ice gently across Ramona’s knuckles.

“Great. Congratulations again, you two. Do you have a date in mind for the wedding?”

Ramona and I look at each other and smile. I didn’t plan on asking her to marry me today, but I made a promise to spend the rest of my life with her. I would love nothing more than to hop on a plane to Las Vegas and be married before midnight, forgetting all our problems and shoving down all the pain deeper before slamming the box shut again. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about all of this is that those negative emotions festerthe longer we wait to deal with them, leaching into our system slowly before it’s infecting every part of our lives.

“No. We have all the time in the world.” Beauty lays her head on my shoulder, bringing my hand to her lips and kissing it.

When I stopped at the crossing leading into Redwood Falls, I believed my life as I knew it was over. Everything was slipping through my fingers or just out of reach. But the minute I laid eyes on Ramona on the back of Bluebell, the sun silhouetting her perfectly, my life was irrevocably changed. That wasn’t the end. It was the beginning.

“That’s right, Beauty. All the time in the world.”

God damn it. I really owe BlueBell a lot more than just some apples.

Epilogue

Cooper

It’s been a week since the press conference, and this is the first time I’ve left my apartment since. After telling Coach James everything that happened, he graciously offered to take over coaching the team until I could get everything finalized here in Portland.

Today is my meeting with Henry, and I still have no idea what I’m going to do. My Beauty said she’d support any decision I make, and I know she will, but there’s a part of me that wants to take her as far away from all of this as possible, choosing to opt out of the final year of my contract and retire. But a life without hockey in it isn’t the life for me. I need the ice beneath my skates and the adrenaline rush of scoring the game-winning goal to truly be happy. Hockey is in my blood. Do I let one terrible experience ruin years of amazing ones?

The elevator dings loudly, signaling I’ve reached Henry’s office. The doors open to an open area, the walls lined with different photos and team gear from over the years. I spot a photo of Beau and me, holding the Stanley Cup over our heads after we won the franchise their first one. Further down the hall, there is a photo of Beau saving the game-winning penalty shot against our brother, Cole.

“Good afternoon, Cooper,” April, Henry’s receptionist, says from her place behind her desk. “Henry is waiting for you. Go on in whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks, April.” I smile at her before shoving my hands into my jeans pockets and striding toward the door. I knock twice and wait for Henry to give me permission to enter.

I push open the door to find Henry already on his feet, headed toward me. “Thanks for coming today, Cooper. Do you want anything? Coffee, tea, or soda?”

“No, I'm good. Thanks, Henry.”

I take a seat in one of the plush chairs flanking his desk and look out the window. It’s another beautiful day for this time of year. I can see Mount Hood clearly on the horizon, the city skyline framing it perfectly.

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