Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Jenna elbows me in the ribs with excitement, and she and I both crane our necks to look down at Sophie. While I really want to attend a game where my friends and I can just chill out and have a great time, tonight was meticulously planned.
Mostly by Baden, with help from Jenna, but I was brought in as an accessory. It’s all getting ready to go down, and Sophie has no clue.
Tillie and Sophie are deep in conversation. Harlow looks past them to me and smiles knowingly.
Everyone’s in on it but Sophie.
When the ref whistles the stop in play, the red TV timeout light turns on, and the players skate to their benches, except the goalies who stay at their nets. Drake picks up the water bottle sitting on top of his net, tips his head back, and squirts water in his mouth through his mask.
The announcer’s deep voice booms over the speakers, “Titans fans… we’ve got a special request tonight from your very own goalie coach, Baden Oulett.”
The crowd cheers in response to Baden’s name, and Sophie’s head whips toward the ice.
I lean forward, holding on to the rail, and I see Baden on the bench, looking directly across the ice and up at the box. My eyes drift to Drake—he knows what’s going on, as does everyone on the team—and he’s looking up at the box too.
Not that they can see us clearly, but they know we’re up here watching them.
“What the hell?” Sophie mutters, and Jenna snickers.
“If everyone can turn their attention to the scoreboard,” the announcer says, and chills run up my spine as the arena lights dim.
Baden appears on the massive hanging board at center ice, clearly a prerecorded video. He looks directly into the camera, his smile soft and tender. “Hey, Sophie.”
A cheer erupts throughout the arena. It’s well known that Baden is dating the woman he saved from attackers, which cost him his hockey career. It also landed him the goalie coach position here in Pittsburgh, and he’s beloved by all.
“Oh my God,” Sophie whispers. Her hands clutch the rail, knuckles white.
“You know I’m a pretty low-key guy,” Baden says to the camera. “But when it comes to you and how I feel, I want to shout it as loud as I can so everyone can hear.”
Tears twinkle in Sophie’s eyes, and I notice the scoreboard moves to a split screen. Somewhere in the arena, one of the cameramen has zoomed in on her sitting in the front row of the owner’s box. As fans start to figure out where she is—because I’m sitting three people down from her—they turn in their seats and point up at her.
Sophie doesn’t see any of it. Her eyes are pinned on the video.
“I love you,” Baden says, his eyes intense as he looks at her through the camera. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
The implication is heavy and beautiful and sad all at once. If it weren’t for Sophie, Baden wouldn’t have suffered excruciating pain and temporary paralysis, a lengthy rehabilitation, and then the loss of his playing career. And yet, he’s clear in how he views it.
All of that was worth it to have her.
Tears sting my eyes, and I glance at Jenna, blinking hard to dispel her own waterworks.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” The camera zooms out slightly as video-Baden pulls a ring box from his pocket and holds it up. He opens it, and the videographer zooms in on the sparkler set within the velvet folds. “I’ve got this ring waiting to slide onto your finger after the game.”
Sophie’s gaze cuts down to the bench where Baden stares up at the owner’s box, a grin on his face. He pats his pants pocket, and the crowd roars.
“Will you accept it?” Baden asks from the scoreboard.
Sophie’s smiling and nodding like crazy, and a thunderous rumble of approval from the fans shakes the seats. Staring down at Baden on the ice, she mouths, “I love you.” It’s shown on the scoreboard screen, and a live view of him now sits beside her. He mouths the words back, and the fans go nuts.
And that’s it. The lights come back on, the TV timeout is over, and the announcer says, “The Titans’ organization wishes warm congratulations to Baden Oulett and Sophie Winters on their engagement.”
“Did you all know this was happening?” Sophie exclaims as she bolts up from her chair.
Laughing, I step out of the row and throw my head toward the bar. “We did. And I’ve got champagne to celebrate.”
The women follow me up, and I manage to open the bubbly without much trouble. Jenna pulls out chilled glasses, and I pour.
When each of us has a flute in hand, we form a circle and I lift my glass high. “To Sophie, the first of our little group to take the big step toward matrimony. May you and Baden have a long, beautiful life together.”