Page 127 of Brooklynaire

He shakes himself. “Yeah, of course. It’s just…” He taps his lip. “That stupid article had a grain of truth to it. I had a lot of reasons for buying the team. But one of them, at least, was that I could just picture beating Dallas in the playoffs on their home ice. I don’t, like, sit around and think about her,though…”

“I know,” I sayquickly.

He turns to me in the darkness. “But I always just assumed she was happier, you know? It’s worse that she isn’t. Never mind. I’m sorry to talk about her. That’srude.”

“No! It isn’t. But I didn’t know smart girls could be sostupid.”

Nate snorts. “Smart people are stupid all the time. Ask me how I know.” He leans across the seat, hooks an arm around my hips, and tows me across the leather until we’re hip to hip. “Tonight has been rough so far. But maybe it’ssalvageable.”

I don’t weigh in. I just tuck my cheek against his strong arm andsigh.

* * *

An hourlater we’re happily ensconced in the Jacuzzi tub—the very same one I refused on principle to get into with him two weeksbefore.

There’s champagne in our glasses. Because fuck it—bubbly wine isn’t just for people who win. And Nate’s free hand is stroking my foot underwater.

We’re quiet, but not sad. An odyssey has ended—for now. “There’s always next year,” I say, taking anothersip.

From the other end of the tub he raises his glass in agreement. “We’ll be there to see it.Together.”

This makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside. “Even if I’m working someplace else, I wouldn’t miss sitting in the box withyou.”

“Speaking of making plans,” he says, setting his glass down on the ledge. “I have a proposition I want to discuss withyou.”

“What’s that?” But I know what he’s about to say. He is going to come up with some reason or another that I shouldn’t look for another job. I still have to consider it,though.

Nate reaches up and grabs a washcloth off the ledge. And from inside it he pulls a very small box. It lookslike…

“Holy crap!” I hear myself say. Because that can’t be what I think itis.

Nate opens the box with his thumb. And maybe it’s the expensive Ritz lighting but the diamond that pops into view isdazzling. And large. Anddazzling.

“Rebecca.Sweetheart—”

Sweetheart.

“Will you marry me? I know it’s fast. But it isn’t, really. Seven years seems like plenty of time to figure out that you’re my favorite person in the world. And I don’t want to go another year withoutyou.”

I would love to answer him, but I can’t speak. My eyes get blurry—which does nothing to diminish the sparkle of that diamond—and there’s something caught in mythroat.

He’swaiting.

I don’t even hesitate. I’m done searching my soul, when the answer has been right in front of me this whole time. I scramble to lift my rump off the floor of the tub and wiggle toward him. I’m straddling his lap, and he has to lift the ring out of the way when I splash forward to look him right in the eye at close range. “Y-yes,” I stammer, feeling more certain than I sound. “Iwill.”

Those light brown eyes smile, and he leans forward a few inches to kiss me. “Thank you,” he says between kisses. “My timing is weird,but…”

I kiss him again. I’m done worrying about our timing,too.

“Bec.” He laughs against my lips. “Don’t you want to see the ring? You could choose any style youwant…”

“It’s beautiful,” I say even before I get a proper look. And it is. When he slides it onto my finger, I see that it’s a vintage setting—a cushion cut diamond surrounded by more tiny stones. “Wow. Fancy. I love it somuch.”

An engagement ring from Nate. Onmyfinger.

When I look up at him again, the view of his face is even more beautiful. His eyes look damp, and he’s smiling at me like he just won…the Stanley Cup. “I love you,” hewhispers.

“I love you, too.” I’m holding my hand so carefully above the water because I can’t imagine letting such a precious thing out of mysight.