Page 143 of The Hockey Grump Saves Christmas

The rest of the kids who were lining the path scurry out from behind the bandstand and skate out onto the ice, forming a little huddle. They’re now decked out with antlers, crowns, tinsel wrapped around their arms, and all manner of festive nonsense.

“And there’s the young townsfolk too,” Abigail says, indicating the new crowd, “they gather each year, all dressed to perform for everyone’s amusement.”

Grayson drops his chin, looking down at himself. “My chest,” he cries. “It is a-swelling.”

I swear to God, the bandstand actually shakes with everyone’s laughter.

“This town fills everyone with love, Sir Gabriel.” Abigail skates in circles around him. “I knew it could work its magic on you too.”

“Indeed it has.” Grayson catches her hand and halts her circling. “For now I see your beauty and your intellect and your ability to prevail with a smile through all adversity. I feel, in fact, Miss Natalie of the Bourne…feelings.”

Oh my God, it’s just not possible to cry-laugh anymore.

“True feelings,” he says. “Feelings the like of which my chest has never felt before.”

Abigail affects a swoon.

“I believe this might be…” Grayson looks up at the bandstand. “Dare I say it?”

“Yes!” we all holler back.

Grayson turns back to Abigail. “I believe this might be what folks refer to as love.”

We all let out a loudyay.

“Indeed,” Grayson says. “This town has cracked open my cold, stony heart of grump and filled it instead with light and warmth and cheer. And now I know I am in the deepest of deep love with you, Miss Natalie of Bourne.”

Gabe pulls me to his side.

“I love you too, Lord Gabriel,” Abigail sighs.

“This love thing is the strangest of strange sensations,” Grayson says. “It fills me with an irrational desire to present you with a small animal.”

My cheeks hurt.

He reaches inside his cloak and produces one of the plush pigs from the pig tail game, exactly like the one Gabe gave to me in front of everyone exactly one year ago.

Abigail clutches it to her heart. “Justwhen I thought I couldn’t love you more, you gift me a poor orphaned piglet and I fall for you ever deeper.”

Grayson takes her hand and holds it aloft as they both turn to face us.

“We shall be man and wife this instant,” he proclaims.

“And they both lived happily ever after,” Abigail says as they take a deep bow.

The whole place erupts in applause and cheers—everyone in the bandstand, as well as everyone on the ice behind those two little stars, Grayson and Abigail.

Gabe dips his head to kiss my temple, sending a shimmy of pleasure down my side. “You have turned my life upside fucking down,” he says, cupping my cheek. “I will love you forever. And I can’t wait for our kids to be in one of your bonkers plays.”

Then he lowers his lips to mine.

And here we stand, kissing, surrounded by the joyous sounds of the people we love the most, of the town we love the most, and all I can think is that there’s even more joy and love for us to discover together that’s still to come.