Page 142 of Coach's Temptation

HUNTER BRODY: CAREER-ENDING INJURY FORCES RETIREMENT.

His jaw tenses slightly, his thumb tracing the brittle paper. I move towards him, sliding my hand over his arm as stalls for a moment, but then keeps going.

"How long did this take you?" Hunter's voice comes out rough as he flicks more pages.

The next section? His return.

IRON RIDGE HIRES BRODY AS HEAD COACH.

I lean into his side, resting my chin on his shoulder. "A few months. Your mom helped track down a lot of the early stuff. Your dad had this whole box of memorabilia in the attic he'd forgotten about." I smile against his shoulder. "Even Wes pitched in - he had some photos from your Vancouver days that no one else had copies of."

His head snaps up. "Wes helped?"

"Mmhmm. Eli too. He had a whole collection of Iron Ridge articles stored away at Ridgeview."

Hunter blows out a breath and shakes his head.

"I've been waiting for you to notice your pile of clippings has been shrinking," I say, nudging him as he stares a little longer at the picture of him in his office on his first day at the Icehawks."Guess we've both been pre-occupied lately. With everything that's been going on and all."

I watch Hunter flip through more pages, my heart swelling as I remember our wedding by the river in Boston.

The way his eyes lit up when he saw me in my dress, how his hands shook as he slipped the ring on my finger.

His parents crying in the front row while my mother actually smiled - a real, genuine smile that's becoming much more common these days - as she squeezed my father's hand.

It's amazing how much has changed since Mom and Dad moved into my old apartment. Mom's found a new joy in tending to Grandma's renewed place, filling the rooms with bright flowers and taking pride in decorating the place in a way that makes the whole place feel alive.

And Dad?

He's discovered a whole new side of himself, especially during post-game nights when he and Hunter huddle over stats and plays together. Sometimes I catch them laughing together in that deep, genuine way that used to be so rare in our family.

The apartment that once held so many tense memories has become a place of healing, of second chances. I do miss living there, but maybe that's what my parents needed all along… a fresh start in a place filled with love instead of obligation.

But the past year hasn't been easy.

After stepping back from the Icehawks to focus on our IVF journey, I've missed the chaos of game days and the thrill of being part of the team.

But Hunter... he's been my rock through every appointment, every hormone injection, every disappointment of not getting what our hearts truly desire.

Our very own happy little family. Filled with love and joy and happy memories.

Hunter holds my hand during the procedures, brings me tea when the meds make me nauseous, and never once complains about the schedule changes or the way our life revolves around fertility clinic visits.

Even with the pressure of unsuccessfully defending their Cup title and the seasons that have followed that magical Stanley Cup triumph, he's there for every important moment.

And today, that's what this is all about.

I get to give him the biggest thank you the world has ever seen.

Hunter's fingers trail over each page with reverence until he suddenly stops, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"This one. This is my favorite page."

And there it is. The moment that changed everything.

Our Stanley Cup kiss.

The black-and-white image of him lifting me off my feet at center ice, confetti falling around us, my hands clutching his face like I was never letting go.

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