Page 60 of Christmas on Ice
“Yes.” I slipped my hand in his, and we made our way out back. Ryleigh was sitting on a blanket with Ava and Natasha. She ran up to us when she saw us.
“Dmitri says you have to kiss a boy at midnight!”
I laughed. “You don’t have to, sweetie.”
She looked at Trask and raised her arms. He picked her up, and she cupped his face. “I think you need to be kissed, Mr. Tiggerman.”
His smile showed pure adoration. “I do. I plan to kiss your mommy at midnight.”
“Yeah. But I’m going to kiss you first.” He turned his head, and her lips connected with his cheek.
“Thanks, Ryleigh-girl. I did need that.” He hugged her close, and when she wiggled, he let her down. Around us, guests began the countdown.
“Mommy! It’s your turn!”
“Ten, nine, eight…”Trask pulled me to him, and our noses touched.
“Happy New Year, Kami.”
“Seven, six, five…”
“Happy New Year, Trask.”
“Four, three, two, one…”
“Happy New Year!” Ryleigh yelled as Trask’s lips came crashing down on mine. Fireworks lit the sky above us, but the biggest explosions were happening inside my heart.
I was all in, wherever this would take us.
I pulled my face back from his. “Trask?”
“Yeah?”
I slid my hands down to take his and lifted them so that they were pressed to my heart. “I … I love you. I know it seems soon to say, that, but—”
“Kami.” He lifted our joined hands higher and placed a gentle kiss on my knuckles. “I love you, too. I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you. I can’t explain it, but I felt—”
“A connection.” We spoke at the same time, and then we were kissing again.
“And I love you both!” Without a word, Trask and I bent to scoop Ryleigh into our arms.
A new year and a new beginning. I couldn’t wait to see where the future would take us.
Epilogue: Trask
June
“It’s not much farther, Mama.” She looked so fragile, but she was walking on her own, mostly, aided only by a cane. Up until a month ago, she’d needed a walker. My dad was on her other side as we strolled into the garden at the Ellis’s bee farm.
It was great to be home in South Carolina for the rest of the summer. The Voltage had made it to the playoffs, but we lost in the final round. I’d been called up to the Edge’s roster to play a couple games for their playoff run, and then we’d stayed in Palmer City for the Brewer-Ranford weddings. Kami’s sisters wanted to throw her a belated graduation party to celebrate her receiving her doctorate, and if all went to plan tonight, we’d be celebrating something else, too.
Yesterday, I’d brought over a dozen pots of milkweed to help Ryleigh create her own butterfly garden. As the cluster came into sight, her little curly-haired ponytail and big blue bow appeared over the tops of the plants as she stood up.
“Any butterflies yet?” I called.
Ryleigh looked up from the milkweed bush and bolted toward me. “Tiggerman!” I scooped her up, and she kissed my nose.
“How’s my Ryleigh-girl?”
