Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
I laughed softly. “That’s right. Elope or no deal, right?”
“Well, I can’t live without you. So I take that back.”
“Good, because we are not going to elope.”
“Dammit.”
“We don’t have to have a big crazy wedding. Something small and simple is fine. But I would like our families there.”
He sighed heavily. “Fine. For you, I will participate in a wedding.”
“Thank you.” I kissed his chin. “How about somewhere up north this July? Maybe your mom would like to plan it.”
“She would love to. But she’ll cry when you ask her.”
I smiled. “I’ll call her tomorrow.”
His arm tightened around me. “Good. The sooner, the better, cupcake.”
Nestling into the warm, protective curve of his body, I looked at the sleeping baby in my arms, overwhelmed by my love for both father and son. Awed by love’s power to turn two strangers into a family. Excited about the future that lay before us, rose gold with possibility.
Happy beyond my wildest dreams.
joe
THREE MONTHS LATER
Mabel and I definitely had different opinions on “small and simple.” Or maybe it was my mother’s fault.
Either way, when I went out to my parents’ backyard the third Saturday in July—one year to the day after nearly missing that flight—and saw the gigantic floral arch, fifty white chairs on either side of a white aisle, a tent strung with party lights, a dance floor, a multi-tiered wedding cake, rows of champagne bottles and a tower of glasses . . . I knew there would be nothing small and simple about this wedding.
But that was fine. Mabel deserved the wedding of her dreams.
My mom had planned everything, with Mabel giving input from Chicago. When they’d struggled to find a venue with an available Saturday on short notice, my parents had suggested having the wedding in their backyard, and both Mabel and I loved the idea. Even the weather was made-to-order, warm but not sweltering, blue skies with just a few puffy white clouds here and there.
“You call this small and simple?” I teased, surveying the scene with my mom a couple hours before the ceremony would begin.
She looked slightly horrified. “I never said I’d do small and simple. I said it would be intimate and elegant.”
In all honesty, I hadn’t paid much attention to the planning process, but Mabel assured me I was forgiven for that. I was very busy being a new dad and winning the Stanley Cup.
Yes, it happened.
And even though it was every bit as thrilling as I’d imagined it would be, it still didn’t compare to the joy of becoming a father. To the pride I felt when I carried my infant son around in that little kangaroo pouch shirt. To the love that engulfed me when I watched Mabel nursing him. To the gratitude I held in my heart for her.
She made me a better man in every way.
I’d extended my contract for one more year, and after that I’d retire. Mabel and I were looking at land up here, not far from the arena Tyler Shaw would turn into Bayside Hockey Training, where I’d be the director of the program. Mabel thought she might contact the Traverse City Historical Society at some point and see if they needed any help, but she loved being a mom to Nicky and wanted more children.
I did too.
I couldn’t imagine what my life would have been like if I’d missed that flight out of Chicago. Every day, I thanked my lucky stars it had been me by her side, holding her hand. Now I’d be there for the rest of my life.
I couldn’t wait to get started.
I’ll just admit it—I cried when I saw her walk down the aisle.
I couldn’t help it. She looked like an angel, floating toward me in a long white dress, her dark hair loose and wavy around her shoulders. She carried Nicky in one arm, and the other hand was looped through her father’s elbow. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen in my entire life. She passed row after row of people we knew and loved—every single Lupo and Buckley family member and several good friends, even some of my teammates and their wives—but she only had eyes for me.
Standing there in my tux, I tried blinking the tears away. Pinching the bridge of my nose. Clearing my throat. Shifting my weight side to side. But I couldn’t fight it, and by the time she kissed her father on the cheek and handed Nicky to Ari, I was weeping like a baby.
We faced each other, and I was so blown away by her beauty and the idea that she was about to become my wife, I swear to God I didn’t hear a word the officiant said. But when it was Mabel’s turn to say her vows, I listened closely. When it was my turn, I spoke with feeling. When I placed the ring on her finger, I squeezed her hand. When she slipped the band on mine, it was like the final piece of me slipped into place. I knew I was the man I was supposed to be.