Page 106 of Heartless As Puck

My eyes stung. I sniffed. “You had to just go and be sweet, didn’t you?”

One side of his mouth hitched up. “What do you say?”

I shook my head. “I don’t mind doing the assistant stuff for you.”

“But you shouldn’t have to. You should focus on getting a job as a speech therapist. I know you’ve had a couple of companies interested in hiring you, so do your research and decide where you want to work. Let me take care of things for a while.”

I bit my lip. “You’ve already given me all that money. It feels like too much.”

He rolled his eyes. “I should be able to spoil my wife however I want to.”

“Y-your wife,” I stammered, confused.

He gestured to the locket. “Open it.”

With trembling hands, I removed the locket from the bed of velvet. As I lifted it, there was a faint clink of metal on metal. My pulse thrummed steadily at the base of my throat, and I forced myself to draw in a slow breath as I eased the clasp open.

Sitting inside the locket was a gold ring with a princess cut diamond in the center and the infinity sign wrapped around small diamonds to each side.

I looked up, only to find that Austin was no longer sitting beside me. Instead, he’d dropped to his knee in front of me.

“I love you, Jane Foster-Wright. Marry me?”

“Yes!” The word emerged without a single quaver or stutter. I’d never meant anything more.

Austin picked the ring up between his too-large fingers and slid it onto my ring finger, then he kissed along the length of it and across the back of my hand to my wrist.

“Thank you.” He rose and kissed my lips, smoothing my hair back from my face with one hand. “You mean the world to me.”

My breath caught. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” His smile became mischievous. “And when we’re married, you’ll definitely be wearing my name anytime we play the Dragons. Standing in my section. Cheering for me. Your husband.”

I smirked. “I suppose I will.”

Alec would forgive me.

“Kiss me again?”

He obliged, and I went into his arms beneath the twinkling stars. Safe in his embrace, I couldn’t wait to start our future.

Together.

Austin

The Monday following our loss to Detroit in Ann Arbor, I arrived at the Chicago Ice Center five minutes early for our team meeting. I passed the team physiotherapist as I rounded the rink and greeted him with a nod. Just as our season was over, so was his. No doubt he was here tidying everything up until next season.

I marched up the stairs and along the corridor and went straight to an armchair so I wouldn’t be tempted by the snacks table. Jane and I had already eaten breakfast, so it wasn’t as if I were starving. My self-control just tended to dip in the postseason.

“Hey, man,” Nick said as he approached the seating area and lowered himself onto the beanbag beside my chair. The beanbags were a new addition. I imagined that Jane would like them. They made the place homier.

“Morning. How are you doing?” I pulled a notebook and pen from my pocket, resigned to taking my own notes.

Nick tested his limbs. “A bit achy, but that’s what comes when you start getting old.”

“Shut your mouth.” The last thing I wanted was to be reminded that I might only have a few seasons left in me.

Matthews and Gauthier flopped onto the beanbags with the ease that came from being a little younger. Matthews was tearing into a sandwich like a ravenous lion and glancing around as if he hoped no one would comment on it.