Page 81 of Offside for Christmas
He stepped closer.
"ONE! MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
The tree exploded with light—thousands of tiny white bulbs blazing to life, transforming the square into something magical.
And Cole kissed her.
Right there, in front of the entire town, in the middle of the most public event of the year, he kissed her.
It wasn't long. Wasn't inappropriate. But it was unmistakable. A claim. A declaration.
When they broke apart, the square had gone oddly quiet. Ellie opened her eyes to find half the town staring, Mac whooping and pumping his fist, Sophie openly crying happy tears, and Coach shaking his head with a smile.
"Cole," Ellie breathed. "Everyone saw."
"I know."
"We were keeping it quiet."
"I'm done keeping you quiet." His hands framed her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks. "Is that okay?"
She was laughing, maybe crying a little, definitely not breathing properly. "Yeah. That's okay."
He kissed her again, softer this time, and the square erupted in applause and cheers.
"FINALLY!" Mac yelled from somewhere nearby. "I've been waiting for this for WEEKS!"
"About time!" someone else called.
"I told you they were together!" Mrs. Henderson's voice carried across the square. "I saw them behind the diner!"
Ellie buried her face in Cole's chest, laughing and mortified in equal measure. "We're never going to live this down."
"Good," Cole said into her hair. "I don't want to."
Cole and Ellie were back at the town square after the game. The Eagles had lost to their rivals—the Greenwood Falcons—but it hadn’t been without moments of brilliance. Cole had sat on the bench, his shoulder wrapped and ice-packed, unable to play. But he was fully present, leaning forward, watching every shift, every pass.
Whenever Mac or Jamie struggled, Cole offered guidance, pointing out positioning, strategies, and giving pep talks that seemed to light a fire under them. Late in the second period, with the Eagles down by a goal, Mac had been hemming and hawing near the Falcon’s net, unsure how to make his move. Cole leaned in from the bench, tapping the play he wanted Mac to try. A subtle adjustment, a reminder to keep his head up.
The next time the puck came to Mac, he executed it perfectly—sliding between defenders and snapping a clean shot past the goalie. The crowd erupted, and Cole had been the first to clap, practically bouncing on the bench with a proud grin. His guidance had directly helped Mac find that goal, and the satisfaction on Cole’s face made it clear he’d enjoyed every second of coaching from the sidelines.
Ellie had watched from the stands, impressed.He’s good out there. Really good—coaching, encouraging, making the team better, even when he can’t play.
When she’d mentioned it later, Cole had just shrugged, a lopsided smile tugging at his mouth. “I kinda like it,” he’d said.
They helped with cleanup, holding hands the entire time, no longer hiding.
The town was gossiping, but fondly. Ellie's mother kept squeezing her shoulder and smiling. Her father shook Cole's hand and said, "You're good for her." Even Coach, who’d come to clean up, pulled Cole aside for what looked like a serious conversation but ended with a handshake and a smile.
By twelve PM, the square was mostly clear. The last of the volunteers were packing up, and Ellie was doing a final check to make sure nothing was left behind.
Cole walked her back to her car, their fingers intertwined, their breath visible in the cold night air.
"You just outed us to the entire town," Ellie said, but she was smiling.
"Technically, you outed us to Mrs. Henderson. I just made it official."
"Fair point." She stopped at her car, turning to face him. "Any regrets?"
