SCORING BIG

BONUS EPILOGUE

“Hold on babe. I’m gonna rock your world.”

“Oh yeah.” I’m ready for it.

Nate grabs both my hands and starts spinning me. Other skaters flow around us on the ice at Rockefeller Plaza. The lights slide by in a dizzying stream of glowing color—white lights on tree branches, multi-colored bulbs on the huge Christmas tree, skyscrapers towering around us, the gleaming golden Prometheus statue.

I’m laughing and giddy and so in love with this man.

Quinn skates around us on her little hockey skates, a better skater at seven than I'll ever be. “That’s so fun! Daddy do that to me!”

Nate grins and releases me. “Okay, pop tart.”

He spins Quinn, a little slower, but she’s unafraid, squealing and giggling. I watch them with an expansive joy in my heart.

Brielle came back to New York for Christmas since she had a break from filming. Nate doesn’t have a lot of time off, but he’s spent as much time as he can with Quinn. And so have I. Seeing her again makes me so happy. Even though I’m already happy. I’m going to be a published author. I’m in love with an amazing man who loves me back. And just before Christmas, I got a call from Ezra Ryan. He’s a filmmaker who started a media studio focused on content that talks about the power of human connection. One of his films was about traditional masculinity. He heard me when I was a guest on Sara’s podcast and wanted to meet with me to talk about doing a podcast together—him and me. I am so thrilled about this! Our podcast will start in the new year.

Sara has given me lots of great advice, and she and I have gotten to be friends. It’s been fun getting to know the other hockey WAGs, too, and the players, who are Nate’s friends and teammates. In fact, Sara and Josh are here skating. Sara cracked me up telling me about Josh teaching her how to skate last year. She’s still wobbly but happily gliding around the ice surrounded by Christmas lights, skyscrapers, and festive music. The beauty of my surroundings fills my soul with joy.

Nate lets go of Quinn once he makes sure she’s steady on her feet and skates toward me. His effortless strokes are athletic and graceful. His smile warms my heart. He takes my arm, and we resume our circular tour around the rink. “Just about time to head home?”

“I suppose.” I turn my face up. Snowflakes have started to fall, gently drifting down around us, making even more magic. “It’s past Quinn’s bedtime.”

“You’re such a tyrant.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I am, compared to you. But it’s Christmas and I’m not that much of a hard ass.”

“No, I wouldn’t describe your ass as hard.” His hand lowers below my jacket and gives my butt a squeeze. “It’s firm. And very nice.”

I give him a little nudge in the ribs with my elbow, but I’m grinning. He can grab my ass any time.

Not only is Nate’s teammate Josh here, Josh’s entire family skates around the rink. The Hellers decided to spend the holidays in New York rather than travelling, and there’s a big crew here, even Josh’s grandparents—skating!

“Look at Josh’s grandma skate,” I say to Nate. “She makes me jealous.”

“Right? Apparently she played hockey when she was younger. She has to be about seventy now.”

“Amazing.” The whole family stands out with their skating.

“It’s been interesting having them as owners,” Nate says. “They haven’t made a lot of changes yet, but the fact that they’re so accessible, always dropping into practices or the dressing room and just hanging out makes us feel like they know what’s going on.”

“I’m glad it’s going well.”

I look down at my wrist, where I’m wearing Nate’s Christmas gift to me. The diamond bracelet sparkles, a double strand tennis bracelet with a beautifully designed bow in white gold, also set with diamonds. It literally looks like someone took a long strand of diamonds and tied it in a bow around my wrist, and I love it.

Nate catches me admiring my bracelet and grins.

“I love it,” I tell him again.

He leans over and smooches me. “I love you.”

“Mmm. Love you too.”

We catch up to Quinn, exchange a glance, and split apart to skate up on either side of her, each of us taking a hand. She smiles up at her dad, then me. “This is so fun!”

“We have to go soon,” Nate says.

“Noooooo!”

“If we get home in time we can have hot chocolate,” I tell her.

“With the peppermint candy sprinkled on whipped cream?”

“Yep!”

“Okay, I’m ready!”

Nate gives me an amused and admiring glance. “Good job,” he mouths.

We skate around to say goodbye to the others, then take off our skates and head home.

In Nate’s apartment, we turn on the Christmas lights—the big tree in the corner and the decorated swags and wreaths I had so much fun putting up—and go into the kitchen to make the hot chocolate. Quinn drinks hers slowly, stalling as usual, but like I said, it’s Christmas and she’s here and we’re together.

One of her gifts was the promise of a trip to the new Harmonia amusement park during the all star break. Nate and I are going to fly to California to take her and I have to admit I’m pretty excited about it.

Then Quinn’s in bed and Nate and I settle on the couch in front of the tree with another cup of cocoa.

“So what do you think about moving?” Nate asks me.

I look up at him. We talked about this last week. He knows I wanted my own home. Even though I could afford it now, I really don’t want to move out. This is my home. I told him that, but he still offered to move somewhere new—a home we both chose. He said I could do what I want and make it my own.

“I’ve been thinking about it.” I sip my chocolate. “But I don’t want to move anywhere else.”

“You know I will, if you want.”

“I know.” Our eyes meet. “This is home for Quinn. And for you. And now, for me, too. The night we came here…after you schemed that dinner with Gianna…when I walked in, I had such a feeling of coming home. Like I belong here.”

His eyes warm. “Good. Because you do.”

“It’s because of who is here,” I continue. “It’s not so much the actual place that makes a home. It’s love.”

“I feel that way, too,” he says, his voice low. “It’s always been my home, but having you here makes it even more. It’s my safe place. A place to be with you, and Quinn, when she’s here. Where I can just be myself and we can make memories.”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t matter where we do it. Make those memories. Build that future.”

“Then let’s do it here.”

“Until I get traded.”

I gasp.

He grins. “I’m kidding. Sort of. It’s always a possibility.”

“I know.” I touch his cheek. “But you just said it—it doesn’t matter where we make that life together. As long as we’re together.”

Have you read Josh and Sara’s story, You Had Me at Hockey ?

Easton and Lilly meet in Must Love Dogs…and Hockey , and Hunter and Kate’s sizzling love story is Talk Hockey to Me .

And… Owen and Emerie’s fake relationship story is The O Zone , and Brandon and Lola’s sexy fling begins in Good Hands .

Do you want to know more about the Heller brothers? They all have a romantic story, starting with Jase in Breakaway , Tag in Faceoff , Logan in One Man Advantage , and Matt in Offside – plus a holiday novella about the family in Hat Trick !