Page 80 of A Match Made In Fall

A smile appears on his face. “I remember everything about that night.”

“It sounds silly,” I continue, blinking back tears, “but my life was different after that moment. One conversation with you somehow turned into this.”

“It doesn’t sound silly at all.” His thumb brushes across my cheek. “I know exactly what you mean.”

His expression suddenly brightens. “That reminds me—I have something for you.”

“You do?”

He gets up and returns with a gift bag.

“Austin, you didn’t have to get me anything,” I tell him.

“Well, don’t get too excited until after you see it.”

I eagerly reach inside and pull out a dark blue and red hockey jersey. My breath catches when I turn it around and see REED. I run my fingers over letters stitched across the back.

“It’s one of my new jerseys,” he tells me. “I know I can’t make Sammy’s Halloween party, but I thought you might need it if you still want to dress up as a hockey player.”

I have no words, so I just hug the jersey to my chest, overwhelmed by all the emotions I’m feeling at one time.

“I can’t believe you’re giving this to me.”

He shrugs, but I can tell he’s pleased with my reaction. “I figured it belongs with my biggest fan.”

I laugh through my tears and pull him into another hug, clutching the jersey between us.

“I love it,” I whisper. “I’ll be wearing this at the party and possibly every day until I see you again.”

Once again, I’m hit with the painful reminder that in just a few hours, we’ll be thousands of miles apart. The thought settles heavily in my chest, but I refuse to let it ruin this moment. We still have time together, and I want to focus on that.

“And hopefully you’ll wear it soon when you come to one of my games,” he says.

A smile immediately finds its way onto my face. “Definitely.”

“I have the team schedule right here,” he says, holding up his phone. “We could pick a date and get it on the calendar. That way I’ll have something to look forward to.”

The fact that he’s already thinking ahead, planning for the next time we’ll see each other, makes my heart want to burst out of my chest.

“Okay,” I say with a grin. “Let’s plan.”

We scroll through the schedule together, discussing possibilities and comparing dates. What starts as simple planning quickly turns into excited conversations about future trips and all the little moments we’ll get to share in various cities.

After a few minutes, Austin grows quiet.

“I have to ask you something else,” he says. “I’ve already been warned by my future sister-in-law, and I don’t want to get on her bad side.”

I laugh and make a face. “That’s probably a smart idea.”

He smiles. “Would you be my date to Logan and Ivy’s wedding?”

For a second, I just stare at him.

I cover my mouth as the meaning sinks in. This isn’t just an invitation to a wedding—this is him wanting to take me home to meet his family and be with him for this very important day.

“I’d love to,” I say softly.

He pulls me into his arms, burying his face in my neck. For the few precious minutes we have left, we curl up together on his couch. His jersey is still in my lap, and neither of us says much. We don't need to say anything. I try to memorize every detail, knowing that soon this will have to last me until the next time we're together.