Page 112 of King of the Crease

He huffs a quiet laugh. “I’ve been through a messy divorce, raising a child on my own, and dealt with some of the grossest pipes you could imagine. I’m up for the challenge.”

“I mean it. Ardenia is far away. Different. You would be giving up everything familiar.”

“I’ve spent my whole life here. Same streets. Same bars. Same everything. Maybe I’m ready for someplace new.”

We round a corner past a trophy case for the hockey team. I grab his hand, halting us. “Is that you?”

I point to the chubby teenager in the group photo hoisting a trophy cup in the air. I recognize the other team members from the Comebacks. Bill still has the same angry stare. South Rock High - State Champions reads the caption.

Hank’s hair was much thicker, cheeks fuller, but that twinkle in his eye is ageless.

“Guilty,” he says.

“Cute!” I exclaim. I totally would’ve had a crush on Hank in high school.

“Let’s keep it moving. Keep pressing your nostrils together.” He pulls us around a corner.

“So you’re amenable to living in Ardenia?” I ask.

“I’d like to try,” he says. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”

He opens a door with a red light above it, BACKSTAGE written across the wood. Once inside, the music of the song “Skid Row” swells. Seymour sings about being poor and sweeping floors. Hank leads us against the back wall, behind the curtain at the back of the stage.

“I used to hide my stash here back in the day,” he says.

The comment reminds me that we’ll have to do a vetting process and lots of media training for Hank.

He stops at the white first aid kit hanging on the wall, removes a piece of gauze, and shoves it up my nose. After a few seconds, the bleeding stops. I pull out the gauze, now half-red, and toss it in the trash. Hank checks out my nose.

“Doesn’t look broken. Just a hard bonk. How does it feel?”

It’s hard to determine because I’m transfixed by this gorgeous man staring at me in the face.

Instead of an answer, I kiss him. I flew halfway around the world and got my nose bashed in to win back the man of my dreams. I’m not waiting a second longer.

When our lips touch, I’m reminded of everything I was missing. His warm mouth coats mine, calming all my fears and nerves about the future. As long as I’m with Hank, it’ll all work out.

He pulls me in, returning my kiss softly at first, like he’s relearning me. Then deeper, warmer, familiar in a way that settles something restless inside my chest. His hands slide into my jacket, gripping tight, like he’s afraid I might disappear again.

When we finally pull apart, we’re both smiling.

As is everyone on stage and the entire audience.

We quickly realize that during our kiss, the curtain had been pulled back. Hank and I have found ourselves center stage, light shining on us.

“Maybe they can’t see us?” Hank whispers to me.

As a born-and-bred royal, I lean on instinct to get us through this moment. I lift our clasped hands in the air.

“Smile and wave,” I say through gritted teeth.

The audience breaks out in wild applause, not unlike the studio audience when Chandler and Monica had sex in London in the Friends season four finale. Our Comebacks teammates give us a standing ovation. In the wings, Brody gives us a thumbs up.

It’s awkward and so utterly perfect.

Hank turns me and plants another kiss on my lips, sending the audience raving all over again.

“This is just like in Love Actually,” I say to him.