Page 32 of From Ice to Home (The Heart of a Ranger #1)
HANNAH
T he idea of settling into Lucas’s home is nothing short of stepping into a dream.
I may have had a daydream or two about quiet mornings folding laundry, or preparing lunch while my New York Ranger husband is off at practice.
But never, in a million years, did I think it would actually come true.
Especially not like this, not overnight.
This house is absolutely beautiful. My hands tremble as I trace the edge of the staircase, disbelief tightening in my chest. It’s more than I ever pictured.
Bigger. Quieter. More permanent.
God, You’ve always given me exactly what I needed, even when I didn’t understand it at the time. So why am I standing in this wonderful place, wondering if I even deserve it?
Compared to my tiny apartment in Durham, this place feels like another world.
I never needed much. Just a desk, a bed, a quiet place to breathe between classes and shifts.
But this place…it’s what you need when your husband plays for the NHL.
Or maybe it’s what he needs. And I’m just the woman who landed in the middle of it all.
Father, how did my life change so suddenly? So drastically ?
And what if this wasn’t a gift, but a test? What if I misunderstood Your plan? If this was Your plan all along, please help me see it. Help me accept it. Help me believe this might be grace, even if it started in an act of disobedience.
I walk room by room, letting myself imagine what could be. A dinner with his teammates on the patio. My textbooks spread across the kitchen island. Our families spending holidays with us. Our things in a house we’re going to make into a home.
Tucked into a small corner of the house, I find a small room with light yellow walls and the softest carpet ever I’ve felt beneath my feet. The bay windows call to me. Opening them, the fresh summer breeze blows in along with the lush and green view of Westchester.
For the first time since arriving, a sense of peace fills me.
Thank you, Father. Even if I don’t know what I’m doing, I know You’re here.
The sound of my phone buzzing pulls me from the moment. I glance down and see a text from Lucas.
Don’t freak out. Just breathe.
My stomach twists as I notice the link attached. I tap it, and the team’s social media page opens to a bold headline:
‘Lucas Walker: First Ranger to tie the Knot!’
An action shot of Lucas fills the screen. He’s in the zone, dark eyes focused on the puck, his jaw tight with determination. I can almost feel the energy of the game radiating through the photo. A smile tugs at my lips, pride blooming in my chest.
But as I scroll down, reading the article, my smile falters.
It’s short and leaves you with more questions when you’re done reading it.
The PR team wanted a statement from us, but it’s not mentioned anywhere.
We decided on something short and to the point, something that left no room for confusion or assumption.
We didn’t want to say anything that would make people think we had a quickie wedding in Vegas—knowing how easy it would be for people to get the wrong idea about our relationship.
And yet, this article leans hard into the ‘romantic whirlwind’ angle, leaving so much unsaid that there definitely will be rumors.
The frown between my brows deepens as I scroll down to the comment section. Most of them are positive and others even congratulate us. But there are a few that leave a cold pit settling in my stomach.
‘Guess it’s official…but it won’t last.’
‘She must’ve trapped him somehow.’
‘Puckbunny with a ring.’
How can people be so cruel when they don’t even know me? Before I can torture myself even more by reading a thread of nasty comments, my phone rings in my hand.
“So this is how we find out?” Liz says instead of hello. “That’s not very Southern of you, Hannah. At all. I feel like I should be revoking best friend rights.”
“I know, I know.” I slump down against the wall, the fluffy carpet cushioning me as my heart sinks thinking of how I didn’t include my best friends in one of the biggest moments in my life. “The past two days have been insane. If I had a second to call and have this conversation, I would’ve.”
Liz is quiet on the other end of the line, and the silence stretches uncomfortably. Now I know I’ve really hurt her feelings by hiding this from her. No matter our differences, Liz and Mona have been my family for the past five years.
“I’m so sorry, Liz,” I add, hoping she hears the sincerity in my voice. “I still haven’t really processed what happened. Please know this is not how I wanted you to find out.”
Mona shouts from somewhere in the background, “Only way to make it up to us is by getting us tickets!”
A reluctant laugh escapes me. “Tickets to what?”
“The games of course,” she calls out. There’s muffled shuffling on the other side of the phone before Mona’s voice cuts in, clear as day. “And we want locker room passes.”
“I don’t think that’s a thing,” I say, smiling despite myself. Leave it to Mona to keep things light-hearted.
“Well, it should be a thing,” she says, her voice serious enough to make me laugh again.
Liz’s voice returns, from the background, “As I recall, you chose ‘suit idiot’ when you had two perfectly fine Rangers sitting at our table in Vegas. Tell us again how that one worked out for you?”
“Not my finest moment, I admit,” Mona tosses back, her dramatic flair in full swing. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t make up for it. So that’s why Mrs. Walker here is going to make those locker room passes happen.”
“Hannah Walker,” Liz says, and I can hear a faint smile in her voice. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“Oh, show us the ring!” Mona yells.
I glance down at my bare hand and cringe. Before we left, I took my wedding band from the glove compartment in my car and packed it in my suitcase. Lucas isn’t wearing his ring either, and I’m not really sure when we’re going to start…or if we should…or if he even wants to.
“I can’t,” I admit sheepishly. “It’s…still in my bag somewhere.”
There’s a beat of silence before Liz cuts back, her voice incredulous. “Wait, you’re not even wearing it?”
“I told you,” I say defensively, “it’s been a rough couple of days. We haven’t really figured everything out yet. And they’re not extravagant or anything,” I add, embarrassment creeping up my neck. “We got them from the chapel gift shop.”
Mona is basically an heiress and Liz has a very well-known family in Manhattan, who have their moments in the spotlight. To them, the plain white gold wedding band might not be enough…to a lot of people it wouldn’t be.
But to me it was kind of beautiful in its simplicity. And it felt like the perfect fit.
“Oh no, no, no,” Mona groans, dragging out the syllables for emphasis. “Darling, you’ll need to get a proper rock on that finger, pronto. Those hardcore fans won’t believe you actually married him unless they see the proof.”
Liz sighs, the sound heavy and knowing. “She’s not wrong. You’re stepping into a world where image matters more than it should. A nice ring could save you from a hurricane of nasty comments in the future.”
My shoulders slump, reminded of the horrible things people had to say about me. I let out a defeated breath just thinking about the term ‘Puckbunny’.
“Did you read the whole article?” I ask.
“And the comments,” Liz answers my unspoken question, her tone turning softer. “Listen, Han, this is going to be something you’re not used to. Not everyone is as sweet and caring as you.”
“Yeah, that’s why you have us,” Mona cuts in, her tone light and teasing. “We know you like things to be perfect. You want things sweet, soft and perfectly balanced. Like a cookie. And then there’s us…we’re like the nuts in your cookie. The rocky to your road.”
I roll my eyes but I can’t help the small smile creeping onto my face. “You’re insane.”
“The insane to your asylum,” she adds quickly, clearly delighted with herself.
“Stop it,” I mutter, but I can’t help the small smile creeping onto my lips.
“We love you, is what she’s trying to say,” Liz says, cutting through Mona’s antics. “And we know you. And if any of the pining of the past five years is anything to go on, Lucas knows you too. Don’t let a bunch of strangers tell you how to feel or what’s going to happen in your relationship.”
She’s absolutely right. I shouldn’t worry what other people think about our relationship.
The only opinions that matter are Lucas’s, mine and God’s.
But even as I tell myself this, a gnawing doubt settles in my chest. I’m not entirely sure where God stands on our relationship.
Because I keep wondering if God would bless a Vegas wedding?
Would He have been there in the chapel with us as we exchanged vows after running into each other a few hours earlier?
“Thanks,” I whisper, my voice tight as I tug on a small thread on my sweater. “I can’t tell you how much it means to know I have you guys in my corner.”
“Anytime,” Liz says, her tone lightening. “So, you’re in New York?” she asks, her words slower, as if she’s treading carefully. “When does your new job start?”
Heaviness settles inside of me. I just got the job of a lifetime…the job I’ve been working so hard for. I’m sure if I check my emails, I would find the necessary documentation sent over. The contracts I have to sign and send back. I’m not sure how to handle this part.
I take a deep breath, leaning my head against the wall.
“I’m in New York right now,” I say, glancing sideways, taking in the scene outside the window, focusing on what I do know. “In Westchester. Lucas has a house here. But I have no idea where I’ll be in two days, let alone in three weeks when I have to start that job.”
“That’s not like you, babe,” Liz says, her voice laced with concern. “You always have a plan.”