Page 105 of Chips & Checks
“She did,” I confirm, the words soaked in pride and awe.
“Fuck yeah!” Lenyx throws his glove in the air like we just won the Cup. It hits the ceiling and flops onto Viktor’s head, which earns him a solid elbow to the ribs.
“You proposed mid-game?” Tristan’s voice cracks as he laughs. “Are you trying to make the rest of us look bad?”
“It was either this now or skywriting later,” I say, still clutching the tape ball like it’s a holy relic. “She deserved a moment.”
Cam’s expression softens. “You both did.”
“I was gonna wait until after the win,” I add. “But she said yes anyway. I think that makes her the brave one. So don’t let me down, boys. Don’t make the day my girl agreed to become my future wife the same one that you lost the conference championship.”
Viktor wiggles his brows. “Pretty sure she earned her courage badge earlier tonight.” He gestures vaguely below the waist. “You good, bro? You look… ruined.”
“I’m better than good,” I say, pulling Violet closer. “I’m hers.”
And yeah, the buzzer might sound in a few minutes, and yeah, we’ve still got a whole third period ahead of us—but thismoment? With our friends, our weird little hockey family, and a future finally taking shape?
This is the real win.
I kiss her again—slow, reverent—like maybe if I do it right, I can imprint this moment into the lining of my soul.
I want to remember every detail. The taste of her lips. The way her fingers shake just slightly as they rest on my cheek. The way she looks at me—like I’m hers. Not the team’s. Not the headlines’. Just… hers.
The guys wobble back to the locker room on their skates, leaving me alone with Violet.
I lean my forehead against hers. “You know, when I wrote all those rules, I thought I was protecting myself. Turns out, I was just keeping the best thing in the world at arm’s length.”
“You’re not the only one who was scared,” she whispers. “But you’ve broken every one of your rules for me.”
“Yeah,” I say, voice rough. “And I’d do it all again. A thousand times.”
She touches my face, thumb brushing away a stray tear I didn’t even feel fall. “You’re the only one I’d ever want to break my rules for, too.”
Something cracks open in my chest.
And this time, I don’t fight it.
I pull her against me—not just a hug, not just a snuggle. A full-on huggle. The kind my dad used to give. The kind I once swore off forever.
Violet goes still for a beat, then lifts her head to squint up at me. “Wait… is this what I think it is?”
I press a kiss to her temple and hum low in my throat, just like he used to. “Yeah. It’s a huggle. How am I doing?”
Her mouth falls open in mock shock. “Bowen Murphy just gave a woman his first huggle? Am I dreaming? Did I die post-proposal?”
“Shut up.” I laugh, but my voice is thick. “You’re the only one who’s ever earned one.”
She melts against me, smug and glowing. “Damn right I did. Better not be the last either. I kind of like huggles.”
I hold her tighter, humming again because it calms me as much as her. “My dad gave them out like candy. It used to annoy the hell out of me.” I pause, voice soft. “But now I get it. I think he wanted everyone to feel safe. Even if he didn’t always know how to give that to me.”
Violet presses her cheek to my chest, right over my heart. “I think he’d be proud of this moment.”
I squeeze her until there’s no space left between us.
This isn’t the end of the story.
It’s the start of something better than I ever thought I’d have.
