Page 121 of The Final Faceoff
I am seconds away from finally getting some goddamn sleep, when a tiny, barely-there whimper. Leif is out of bed so fast I swear he defies physics.
I groan, forcing myself upright. My body screams in protest, but I manage to shuffle toward the nursery, dragging my feet like a half-dead zombie.
When I get there, I stop in the doorway.
Leif is holding her, his massive hands cradling her impossibly small body like she’s his whole damn world. He’s swaying slightly, his voice low and achingly soft as he sings under his breath.
A lullaby. My giant, gruff, hockey-playing boyfriend is singing our baby to sleep. And just like that—I’m gone. This man ruins me even more with his gestures, with the way he loves me, but more so with the way he loves Luna.
I step into the room, pressing a hand to his back, and he turns, kissing my forehead.
“She just needed a little cuddling,” he murmurs, his voice warm and full of something too big for words.
I lean into him, staring down at our daughter, and let out a slow breath. Our final faceoff is over.
“Thank you for giving her to me,” he says. “I love you, Hailey Bean. I love you so fucking much.”
“I love you too, Leif. So much.”
Epilogue
Leif
The Forever Contract
It’s been a strange year. Definitely a winning year. I move into a new city—which was painful. I started playing for a new team. But the most important thing was that I finally got to tell Hailey how I felt about her—how much I loved her.
The New York Vipers won the league championship. I finally have that settled—sorry, Kaden. However, I’m about to do the most important thing, next to being at the birth of my baby girl. I’m about to ask the woman I love to be my wife.
Hailey is standing on the balcony, barefoot, wearing one of my hoodies and a pair of shorts, her hair up in a messy knot. She’s holding Luna against her chest, swaying slightly, humming some soft melody under her breath.
The moon reflects off the water in the pool, the skyline stretching behind her like a damn painting.
My two girls. My everything. I step onto the balcony, still wearing my dress shirt from the team’s post-game party, but the top buttons are undone, the tie long gone. The adrenaline is still buzzing in my veins, but all of it—all of it—fades when Hailey looks up at me.
She smiles, soft and real. “Hey, champ.”
My throat goes tight.
God, I love her.
I cross the space between us, pressing a kiss to Luna’s forehead before Hailey lifts her gaze to mine.
“You should be out celebrating,” she murmurs, voice teasing, but her fingers curl into my shirt like she doesn’t want me anywhere else.
I shake my head. “I am celebrating.”
Her lips part slightly, like she’s about to say something, but I slip my hand into my pocket, wrapping my fingers around the small velvet box that’s been burning a hole in it for weeks.
I take a breath, my heart hammering, and then I sink to one knee.
Hailey’s breath hitches, her eyes going wide, her arms tightening around Luna like she needs something to hold on to.
“Leif—”
“Marry me.”
The words are rough, raw, like they’ve been waiting to break free for years. I reach for her hand, my thumb brushing against her skin, and I don’t let go. I won’t let go.
