Page 44 of Actions and Reactions (All It Takes #5)

Ivan

Five Years Later

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Si whispers from next to me.

I don’t roll my eyes because honestly, he’s so cute and endearing... so worried about me.

“I’m good, I promise.”

I lean in and kiss him softly.

We’re hiding behind the boards with our skates on, and all my teammates are here as well as all the players who ever played with Jules.

There are... a lot of us, and we’ve already spent two full hours here with Gab finding places for everyone to hide.

Ava, Adam, and AJ—Jules’s kids—have been the best behaved, honestly, and in a surprising twist, Mater’s kids have grown up to be a lot less of a handful than they were when they lived here.

“Hey, Eagle.” I hear the unmistakable voice of the most ridiculous man alive—he still insists on faking his Russian accent when he’s around us.

“What’s up?” I turn, still crouching, and look at him. Milkman, Xander, and Charlie are between us, but since he’s a giant, I can see him perfectly even in the dim lights.

“You are going to let me plan the bachelor party, right? I am your best friend.” He says it so matter-of-factly, so seriously and with a little crease between his eyebrows, that I have to smile.

I know this is probably something I should discuss with Silas, but he’s been to a few bachelor parties organized by Santa in the past few years.

Milkman and Xander’s, Twocox’s, Santa and Charlie’s... All their bachelor parties were organized by him too.

So if he has any objections, I’d know, simply because he’d be piping up, as would Milkman who’ll be standing next to me as my best man along with Lex in two months.

“Sure, Santa, you can plan it.”

“Sweet,” he squeaks and then turns back to look at the opening that leads to the tunnel.

My engagement plans were thwarted to hell and back when I was crushed on the ice by two Vancouver D-men during the second round of the playoffs.

It’s the job, but still . . .

Two broken ribs, a concussion that had me seeing double for weeks, and a dislocated shoulder left me in no state to even attempt getting down on one knee.

It was during the first of two games we went to play in Vancouver, and my plan was to drag Si to my alma mater after that first game—where he was also supposed to go—show him around, get him to see that the place was nice but that my years there had been very underwhelming without him, and then I’d get down on one knee and ask him to marry me so we’d never had to experience anything apart ever again.

That obviously didn’t happen.

Instead, the only reason I know what happened is because in my delirious and drugged state at the hospital, I had the foresight to ask a nurse to stand in the corner of the room and take a video.

Mumbling my way through the speech that I’d seeped so deeply into my brain I remembered it even then, I begged Silas to marry me, but he was adamant I was only asking because of the drugs.

I was frustrated and demanded he get me my wallet.

When he did, I showed him the gold ring I’d picked out months before and shoved it in his face.

“I have been planning this for way too fucking long, Silas. I even had a conversation with your parents about it and told them no one would ever love you more than me. I got their blessing and then I got Lottie’s blessing.

After that, I even went ahead and asked Annie just for funsies, since she replaced me as your best friend.

So for all that’s holy, will you just fucking agree to marry me? ”

Most of that sounded like a whine, but since he screamed yes a moment later then kissed the hell out of me, I still think it was one of the best moments of my life.

I have to give it to myself, even barely there mentally I knew it would be, and I made damn sure I’d have a way to remember it.

I didn’t even manage to be as devastated as I normally would’ve been when we lost in the seventh game against Vancouver.

I wasn’t on the ice, and Vancouver was just too fucking good this season—so good that they won the whole thing, so none of us can be too salty about it.

Jules still got his Lady Byng award anyway—his last one—just two days ago, and although we all knew about it already, he announced his retirement during his acceptance speech.

The world has been going through the shock, but here at the Pirates, we’ve known for damn near a year.

I know it still won’t seem real until we get back here next month and he won’t be with us.

I know Gab begged him to still work for the team, but he wants a break. Sterling’s residency is over, and they’re going to travel the world for a few months before they come back in time for their kids to start the school year.

I know Jules, though, so I’m positive he won’t be able to stay away from the game for long.

And speaking of . . .

“Why do we have to do this today?” I hear our captain’s voice coming closer.

“I wanted to stay in bed all day with you.” The whine isn’t too attractive, but when his voice goes deeper, more seductive, I feel my insides ball up in disgust. “I told you, you could spank—” The rest of it’s muffled, by Sterling more than likely.

Saving Jules’s dignity is also part of his job today, it seems.

I manage to stifle my chuckle, but not everyone does, so it’s really no surprise when?—

“What was that?” Jules asks, his voice a lot closer now.

The lights all come on at the same time, and as rehearsed, we jump and shout.

“Picard!”

His face is fucking priceless—the honest surprise, the way his eyes start filling up in seconds, and the way his hand shakes as he raises it to his mouth. His gaze jumps from one person to the next.

The next hour is spent with hugs, and kids skating around with the young guys on the team who really are just bigger kids... the ones who are going to be my responsibility now.

Jesus, help me.

And speaking of . . .

When everyone starts to leave the ice to go to the parking lot where the real party will be, Jules skates over to me and most of my teammates surround us.

Bear is right behind Jules with a rare big smile on his face, and I know this wasn’t part of the plan because I was there when this whole thing was being put together .

I’m not ready for this. I’ll never be ready. I don’t think I’m supposed to be.

Jules hands me a Pirates sweater.

I see my number on it, and when I take it and hold it up, I see the C.

“It’s been my pleasure, captain,” he says, with a way too big smile on his face. Of course he’s happy. He’s done his duty, taken us to more Stanley Cups than any other captain in the history of the NHL, gotten us five rings, and now I...

I can’t speak.

I just pull him in and hug the shit out of him.

Thank all the gods he’s not moving away, because I’m sure as fuck going to be hounding him about what the hell I’m supposed to do for the rest of my career.

“This will always be your team, Picard.” I find my voice.

“And you will always be the man who gave us everything, the one we owe our careers to.” I pull back and look him in the eyes.

“Trust me, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure your hard work and legacy are never forgotten, and that we keep dominating. ”

“I know, Eagle.” He claps my shoulder. “All it takes.”

I nod.

“All it takes.”