Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
All our eyes drop to my sister’s extended tummy, and I grin. “That’s what you get for hiding him from us. Now he wants everyone to know he’s coming.”
Elliot doesn’t find me funny, but everyone else grins. “I just don’t understand how I didn’t show for months, and now, I look like I’m carrying eight kids.”
Dimitri snorts. “Not eight, maybe three.”
“Thanks,” she says dryly, and everyone laughs at her dismay.
Once more, though, I hear when Dimitri whispers quietly in Russian to my sister that he wants her fat and pregnant. Austen’s eyes widen, but I can see the shine in her gaze. With her voice low, she tells him he has to marry her first, and he nods, determination in his eyes. With a grin, he tells her to name a date, and the look of pure happiness on my sister’s face is overwhelming. I find myself looking at all my sisters, so much pride and exhilaration coursing through me from the knowledge that we made it.
We survived.
We’re happy.
And all of us know what real love is.
Something I don’t think any of us ever expected to happen.
A tightness gathers in my chest, but then I’m caught off guard when I hear Riggs’s voice. “If I can have everyone’s attention.” All of us turn and look up at where Riggs stands with his team, the Cup in his hand as he looks out into the crowd.
No. He’s looking right at me.
Breathless, I swallow as he continues. “I want to thank everyone for coming and for supporting us through this run. I have never in my life felt pride the way I did when I watched my boys skate with this Cup above their heads.” He shakes the Cup in his hand, and the emotion on his face brings tears to my eyes. “I wanted this Cup badly this year, because not only did I know it was ours, but because this team is special. Each of these boys has the potential to go pro today. Some have already been called up and will start training in the NHL in the coming weeks, and while I’m sad to see them go, I’m glad they can go with the memory of our win.”
I smile widely at him, and when I feel the wetness on my cheeks, I quickly wipe away my tears.
“This wouldn’t be possible without you as our fans, and we are forever grateful for you. I want to thank my boys for fighting and trusting my coaching. I want to thank Dan Davenport for giving me the opportunity to win for the great city of Knoxville. As much as this Cup is for us, it’s for this city, this town. Now, let’s celebrate.”
The townspeople all cheer loudly as Riggs passes the Cup over and moves out of the way so Alex can take the mic. I watch as Riggs walks to the edge of the stage, and then my phone goes off.
I bring it up to see a text from him.
Riggs: Nearest flat surface is the post office. Go now.
My heart flutters, and I don’t even tell my sisters where I’m going.
I have a one-track mine when it comes to Riggs.
CHAPTER 31
Riggs
I’m leaning against the brick wall off the post office, out of sight of everyone, when my girl turns the corner. Her eyes meet mine, and I grin as I reach for her at the same time she does for me. Our lips touch as we wrap our arms around each other in a desperate embrace. I am a fucking eejit for suggesting we wait to tell everyone. She needed to be beside me on that stage. I wanted to thank her, tell her how much I love her in front of the whole goddamn town. Tell the world that I wouldn’t have made it through this damn Cup run without her. The simple fact of knowing she was home waiting for me kept me going.
Clara is the missing piece of my whole existence.
I cup her jaw with one hand and squeeze her hip with the other as I drink from her sweet lips. She tastes like cinnamon apples, which I assume means she ate the fried apple pies on a stick that I was eyeing. Truth is, I’m convinced they taste better on her lips than the real thing. As my tongue searches her wanton mouth, I groan and press my hips into hers. I know she feels every inch of me, and I want her to know how badly I want her, how there isn’t a moment in time when my body doesn’t crave hers. When my heart doesn’t beat for her.
I pull away, only a mere inch, as I open my eyes to meet hers. I stroke her jaw, in awe of her beauty. She has her hair up in a sleek ponytail, black and orange ribbons tied around the base. She’s wearing a championship Bears tee with tight black pants and a pair of orange flip-flops. Before I kissed her, her lips were glossed, but that isn’t the case anymore. I press my nose to hers before licking her top lip. That makes her lips curve up, and the way her eyes draw me in hits me straight in the chest.