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Corbin and I told her family and friends to watch the Notes/Rattlers game last night so they could see the proposal. For the first couple of hours, all we did was answer calls of congratulations on our engagement.

“Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Shearer. I should have called you to ask, but I’ve had a lot going on. And I promise, anything you’ve heard isn’t the full story.”

He folds his hand over my shoulder, squeezing it, and says, “We know who you are. You were there for my baby girl when she was going through some painful times. And you’ve been there for Corbin for years. Welcome to the family. Because make no mistake, when you get Becca, you get all of us.”

My eyes pan around the room at Becca’s eight siblings—Vance is overseas, serving in the military—their wives or girlfriends, their aunts, uncles, and cousins. “That’s a lot of family but thank you, sir.”

Madison runs up to Becca, dragging a six-foot six guy behind her. Dane and Lettie are not far behind.

“Happy birthday, bestie!” Madison screams, wrapping her in a hug. “And congratulations. We need to plan the wedding.”

Becca stays in the embrace for a few seconds before pushingback and says, “You’re a liar. I thought we were having dinner with you and… Deandre. Deandre!” She quickly grabs him and squeezes his waist.

Since Becca dances for the Fireflies, she knows all of Dane’s teammates. They had a “Meet the Team” night, and Deandre stuck to her and Dane like glue. He’s young, so I hope Madison knows what she’s getting into. Madison is a fantastic human being, so I pull him aside while Becca and Madison chat at a thousand miles per hour.

“Nice to meet you, DeAndre. I’m John.” We shake hands. “Is this your first date?”

He nods. “Yeah, but we’ve been talking on the phone.”

“Be good to her, or Dane and everyone else here will… well, let’s leave it at that.”

He forces a laugh.

Becca’s younger brother, Jasper, comes over and gives me a choreographed handshake. “Hey, how’s it going, old man?”

“Watch it. I’m not too old to beat you.” He looks as if he has gained thirty pounds of muscle in the past six months. “How did summer hockey go? Corbin said you went to Michigan to play.”

“Man, it was awesome. Of course, my team won almost every game. Because… you know, I’m awesome.”

He reminds me of me, not Corbin. Corbin never flaunted his skills or talked about them. Instead, he just let his skills speak for themselves. But Jasper and I are cut from another cloth. The cockiness fuels our desire to be the best and to stay on top. It intimidates most other athletes at the high school and college level, giving you that little bit of “extra.”

I’ve rented out the restaurant, which is known for its vast selection of bourbons and cognacs. It also sports the biggest screen television that’s not an actual sports bar.

After we make our rounds, talking to our guests, the salads are served. During this time, there’s less noise, and we can hear the hockey game between Reed and Bryce’s team, the Georgia Jets and the Los Angeles Vipers. I lean over to Becca and ask ifshe wants to tell everyone about the baby. Her smile widens and nods, before giving me a chaste kiss.

I stand and tap my glass. “Thank you for coming to celebrate my beautiful fiancée’s birthday. Thank you, Corbin, for all that you’ve done to help in the proposal and this party. Now, you’ll be my brother and best friend. I’ve crushed on your sister since college and truly never thought I’d be here, having a future with her. I remember when she told me that Mamaw said she needed a hellraiser, not an accountant. Becca was crying, and I was smiling inside, knowing I was the man she needed. But I just waited. Wanted it to be on Becca’s terms. She’s the most intelligent woman I’ve ever known and damn, she loves and cares for everyone around her. I love you, Becca. I’ve tried out many pet names for her. Most she has kicked to the curb, but even though she doesn’t act like a princess, I promise I will always put you first like a princess.”

I lean down to kiss her, then hand her a large envelope and tug her up to stand by me. “Happy birthday, Sunshine.”

She pulls out paperwork, and her eyes narrow as she skims it. “What is this?”

“Your birthday present.”

“But it’s a building?”

Then I give her a last surprise. “One night, you said if you could do anything you wanted for a career, you said you would be to cheer forever. So, now you can. Kinnon, come on out.”

Her eyes widen and when her long-time stunt partner, Kinnon, appears, Becca scoots the chair back and runs to him. I must admit it, I’m a little jealous how he swings her around.

“What are you doing here? I mean I’m glad you are, but you were living out west.”

He grins. “I’m the new co-owner of a cheer gym with you. What do you say? Let’s teach guys and gals of all ages how it’s done.”

“Oh my God, yes!” She gives him a quick hug and comes right back to me. “How and when did you do this?”

Corbin helped me find the gym. “You’re my girl, and you deserve to have a career you love, and you love competitive cheer.”

Happy tears flow down her cheeks as I surround her with my arms. Our guests collectively swoon, and everything fades to black as our lips part, and the kissing begins.