Page 61 of The Rookie

His throat makes a sound as he swallows, and his chest rises and falls fast. “You mean that?”

“Yes.”

“That means a lot to me, but the sea is in your soul, Charlie, I’d never take—”

I press my lips to his, to smother his words and the crowd cheers. “You don’t have to explain anything else to me,” I whisper. “I get it. You know me, just like I know you.”

“I do have one thing to explain.” His look is sheepish when he says, “It’s a confession, really.”

My heart stalls. “A confession?”

“Yeah, you see, I wasn’t honest with you. Not totally.”

I falter a little but he puts his arms around me to hold me to his body. “When you asked if faking it with you, if kissing you, was all to prove to Breton I was taken…it wasn’t the entire truth.”

I frown, not understanding. “Wes?”

“I kissed you because I wanted to. Needed to. I think the second I set eyes on you at the shop I fell in love.”

“You thought I was a guy.”

His laugh curls around me. “God, you’re never going to let me live that down are you, Mack,” he teases as Jules and Rider smile as they hug each other.

“How about we go somewhere…” I go up on my toes to kiss him and whisper in his ear. “Somewhere private so I can show you that I’m all girl, and we can start planning those toques and sweaters you want to knit.”

He smiles at me and my heart soars when he picks me up and spins me around. “I love you, Charlie.”

I grab his hand and tug. “Then come on, farm boy who’s good at hockey. Come show me how much.”

Epilogue

Wes

One Year Later:

After a very successful NHL season, Charlie and I are happy to be back in rural Nova Scotia, headed to Brier Island, with Rider, Jules and Sophie, who is now almost two. They’re not just here for whale watching. Nope, Rider is standing up for me next week, and Jules is standing up for Charlie. If it was left to me, we would have been married last year, right after I told her I loved her, but she wanted to wait and do it right.

As we walk along the dock, Charlie, Jules and little Sophie ahead of us, I glance at my buddy Rider, who has far too many bags over his shoulder, and ask, “Did I ever thank you for letting me know the team was looking to hire a part time manager?”

He laughs and slaps me on the back. “Only about a million times.” Charlie glances at me over her shoulder and when she gives me a little smile and bites her bottom lip—our secret message—I stifle a groan. My heart squeezes. I love seeing her this happy, and she jumped right into her job with both feet, and our manager raves about Charlie’s skills.

All the wives and players naturally took her in, and she’s a part of our big family now, but her family is and always will be here, which is why it was so important for me that we return every summer. We went ahead and bought a cottage on Watauga Beach. Charlie fell in love with one big enough for a family of ten, and believe me, I’m working on that. Although there is a part of me that’s a bit worried that we’re not pregnant by now. Although I’ve kept that worry to myself.

We reach the fishing boat, and Charlie drops to her knees to talk to Sophie, telling her all about the whales. Sophie giggles and claps her hands, and my heart fills with all the love I have for Charlie, all the love I can’t wait to give our own kids.

Charlie jumps onto the boat with grace and helps Jules and Sophie on. I follow behind and Rider tosses me a few of his bags.

“How much stuff do you need, Jules?” I ask.

She lifts her chin an inch. “When you have your own child, you’ll understand.”

I grin, but again, my stomach tightens. Maybe I should get my swimmers checked?

“Okay, let’s get a life jacket on Sophie, and everyone sit while I get us out of the bay.”

Everyone does as she asks, and I can’t help but follow her to the cabin and watch as she effortlessly maneuvers the big boat out to deeper water.

“Impressive,” I say, and Charlie glances at me over her shoulder.

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