Page 214 of Check & Chase
Jackson is standing there, mouth open, eyes wide, completely stunned.
Maya saunters past him, then pauses. She reaches up and gently pushes his jaw shut with one finger.
“Careful, Jackson. You’ll catch flies.”
Then she strolls over to me like none of it ever happened.
“Well, that was thoroughly unpleasant,” she remarks. “You okay, Em?”
“You’re amazing, you know that, right?”
“I know.” She winks.
We return to the party to find Chase in conversation with Tyler of all people. The sight would have been unimaginable a few months ago.
I join them, sliding onto the stool beside Chase, his arm automatically wrapping around my waist. “Everything okay?” he asks, clearly sensing something in my expression.
“Minor venue issue,” I dismiss, unwilling to taint the evening with Carina’s drama. “All resolved. What are you two conspiring about?”
Tyler and Chase exchange glances that immediately raise my suspicion.
“Wedding present discussions,” Chase admits with a grin. “Top secret. No brides allowed.”
“Terrifying,” I observe, though I’m pleased to see them getting along. “Should I be concerned?”
“Always,” Tyler chuckles. “But not about this. I promise it’s nothing that will aggravate his knee or delay recovery.”
I raise an eyebrow and fold my arms. “Uh huh. Okay then, you guys have your secrets.” But I’m smiling as I say it, and I can feel myself relaxing.
The party continues into the night, a perfect blend of celebration and restraint. By the time we begin saying goodbyes around midnight, I’m pleasantly tired rather than exhausted, content rather than overwhelmed.
“It’s crazy to think the next time I see you, it’ll be at the altar,” I murmur, hugging him tight beside the car waiting to take him to his parents.
“Or technically, the lakeside arch, but you know what I mean.”
“Two days,” I whisper against his shoulder.
Chase pulls back just enough to check his phone, then smirks. “Technically one day, since it’s already after midnight.”
I swat his chest lightly. “Trust you to ruin the romance with a technicality.”
“Not a technicality,” he teases. “A countdown.”
“Yeah, well, try not to fall over during the vows,” I tease. “I know how weak your knees get around me.”
“Original,” he groans, but he’s smiling. “One knee is plenty weak already, thank you very much.”
I rise on my tiptoes to kiss him. “I love you.”
“I love you too. More than hockey, more than the Cup, more than—”
“If you say ‘life itself,’ I’m calling off the wedding,” I warn. “No clichés allowed in this marriage.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Anderson.” He kisses me once more before reluctantly releasing me. “See you at the lake house. I’ll be the one sweating in a suit and trying not to cry when I see you.”
“I’ll be the one in white, and definitely crying when I see you,” I counter, stepping back to let him into the car. “Rest that knee. Two more sleeps ‘til showtime.”
I watch until the taillights disappear around the corner, then turn to find my mom waiting patiently beside our own taxi, a knowing smile on her face.
