Page 46 of From Ice to Home (The Heart of a Ranger #1)

“Luke,” I say softly. “I want to be there with you, really, I do. But I also want you to keep your relationships with the people on your team, with your coach and your GM.” I smile at him, thinking about what a rough couple of days it’s been.

“I don’t want to cause any more unnecessary complications for you. ”

His brows furrow and he’s clearly torn. Moving closer, I brush my thumb across his lips, knowing he wants to fight this somehow.

“I’m going to be at home, wearing your jersey, watching you every minute of those games. And you’re going to win both of them.” I smile softly, an ache in my chest thinking of not seeing him for almost a week. “Then you’ll come home to me and make sure to win the next two games.”

He knows I’m right. I can see the moment it hits him, the way his shoulders sag slightly and his brown eyes dim slightly with defeat. I stand on my tip toes, brushing a light kiss against his lips.

“And don’t forget to bring me back a tuque.” I’m butchering the word, which draws a small smile from him.

“I’m going to miss you like crazy,” he says, his voice low and full of emotion. “This doesn’t feel right, I don’t want to leave you.”

His hands are warm as they slip to my back, drawing me flush against him. The way he can envelop me in one move has me catching my breath. The thought of being away from him is still painful, but it’s something we’ll have to face.

“Sharing a room with EJ is not nearly as fun as sleeping next to you. I just started sharing a bed with my wife and now I have to leave.”

His eyes turn darker as he looks down at me, his gaze dipping to my mouth.

He leans closer and I tilt my head up, the sudden need to kiss him surging deeply through me.

Being with Lucas after we’ve been apart for so long has intensified every single emotion, every single feeling of longing and love I’ve ever felt for him.

It’s hard to accept the fact that there’s nothing standing between us anymore, we’re together now.

We’re married. We can be together.

And yet, somewhere there’s still something that’s holding us back.

I push the thought aside, instead focusing on the man in front of me. The man who I’ve given myself to in every way that matters, the man who has promised to always be there for me.

“Lucas, I lo—“

“There you are,” Harry Matlock interrupts, his voice loud and commanding from further down the hallway. “I have somewhere I need you to be.”

“Harry, not now,” Lucas says, his gaze locked on mine, the moment between us heavy with emotion as we try to hold onto it.

“Yes, now, Walker. This is important.”

Just as Lucas is about to tell him that he should give us some more time, two people step into view. A guy fully equipped with a microphone and video camera, while a woman dressed impeccably gives us a giant smile.

Without thinking about it, I step closer to Lucas and he puts his arm protectively around me. The warmth from his body seeps through me, comforting me in the face of this reporter whose presence is filling me with nothing but dread.

“Just a few questions,” the woman says. “Please. You guys came out of nowhere and the fans are thirsty for more info on the newest couple of their beloved Rangers.”

They sure know how to spin words.

I look up to Lucas, who has somehow managed to school his features into an accommodating smile. Although I don’t miss the slight tension in his jaw.

“Just a few minutes,” he says, looking down at me.

I nod in agreement. Lucas grips my hand, squeezing it reassuringly as we follow Harry and the reporters toward a quieter section of the restaurant.

It’s clear this space was set aside for media—tucked away enough to allow for some privacy, yet still offering a view of the team celebrating across the room.

As we take our seats, the woman from SportsNews smiles, an eager glint in her eyes. I’m more nervous than I thought I’d be in this situation. I don’t want to say something that can be twisted into something else entirely.

“Since I’m only allowed five questions,” she says, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder at Harry before shifting her attention back to us, “I’ll have to make them count.”

A part of me wants to shut down the rumors swirling about me and Lucas, to set the record straight. But another part of me knows better. People will believe what they want, and no amount of explanation will change that. All we can do is tell our story and let the rest fall where it may.

Taking a deep breath, I squeeze Lucas’s hand, making sure he doesn’t let go.

“So, Lucas, you scored the winning goal tonight,” she says, smiling brightly. “Would you say that’s because of hard work and training or perhaps because you had your wife up in the stands, cheering you on?”

Lucas smiles, a practiced smile as he keeps his eyes on the reporter.

“Well, it’s never just one man out there.

My teammates are all a part of the win tonight, as well as the coaches who have a hand in everything that happens on the ice.

We were locked in, from the start, playing perfectly together and capitalizing on the Leafs’ mistakes.

” Lucas looks down at me, his eyes filling with affection.

“But having Hannah there was special in a different way. It definitely influenced my play. God knew how much I needed her here and He made sure that our paths crossed when it did.”

The reporter nods, her lips tightening at the mention of God but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she smiles and fires the next question.

“The two of you have caused quite the stir in the world of hockey. Hannah, you’re first official Ranger wife, how does it feel to be a part of all this? Especially since you got married in Vegas, it must have been a sudden change? ”

I take a deep breath, not dropping my smile or eye contact. Lucas squeezes my hand next to me, grounding me while his warmth comforts me.

“I didn’t think I’d be the first one, it was a bit of a shock.” A small laugh escapes me. “But it’s a great feeling to be a part of something so special. The people I’ve met have all been amazing to me. It’s only been a short while, but I already feel so welcomed by everyone.”

The woman looks pleased, as she looks at Lucas next.

She asks him about his thoughts on the upcoming Vancouver game.

But instead of listening to his answer, my gaze lands on the GM who’s standing behind the reporters.

His arms are crossed, his expression serious but there’s a glint of approval in his gaze as he looks at both me and Lucas.

We answer the next question relatively easily, and I’m somehow more at ease than when we started. I lean into Lucas, waiting for the final question.

“Hannah, our sources say that you’ve been appointed as the new Head Counsellor at the Youth Counselling Center in Durham. That’s an amazing accomplishment. How do you plan on juggling your career with your newfound responsibilities as not just a wife, but a hockey wife?”

The question catches me off guard. I glance toward Lucas who keeps his features steady, but I don’t miss the way his jaw tightens. We haven’t really discussed this yet. I haven’t gotten around to telling him about the job offer I accepted before I went to Vegas.

“Well, like you said, this is all very new and sudden. We’ve had to face some big changes and there are a few more things we still need to navigate. But it’s definitely something we’ll tackle together,” I say, hoping she believes me because it’s the absolute truth of the matter.

She smiles, looking between me and Lucas, nodding. “Well, thank you both so much for your time. I know the fans will want to know more about you moving forward.”

She stands up and extends her hand to both me and Lucas before turning to Harry, asking for the next player to sit for an interview. Harry nods, the serious expression on his face not relenting for a second before he calls Declan closer.

I exhale, running my fingers through my hair before stealing a glance at Lucas.

His jaw is still tight as he gently puts his hand on my lower back, guiding me from the interview spot back toward the main restaurant area.

His teammates have all taken their seats, celebrating and enjoying their food.

Lucas leads me to the bar, ordering me a glass of champagne and a glass of water for himself.

He doesn’t look at me as we wait for the bartender to finish pouring our drinks but it’s clear his mind is whirring with what he just found out—from someone that isn’t me. It should’ve come from me, I should’ve been the one to tell him about the job.

“Lucas—“ I touch his arm gently, and he turns to face me, his brows knitting together.

“When were you planning on telling me about this job offer?” he asks. His voice is filled with hurt, but no accusation.

Guilt forms in my stomach as I try to find the reason why I didn’t tell him about the job immediately.

Lucas accepts our drinks from the bartender before handing me the glass of champagne.

Taking a sip of my drink, the taste reminds me of that night in Vegas when he set a glass down in front of me.

Right at that moment, my entire life changed.

Everything that happened before that moment, no longer mattered, or at least, it couldn’t compare to the man that walked back into my life and what that meant.

“We’ve barely had time together, Luke,” I say, looking up into his eyes.

“Plus, I don’t even know why I didn’t bring it up.

It just hasn’t felt like the most important thing to deal with.

It honestly hasn’t crossed my mind that much.

So, maybe I’ve already decided what to do about it and a discussion wasn’t even necessary. ”

He frowns, looking at me for a second like he’s trying to figure out if I’m being serious.

“How can you say that? Head Counsellor? Hannah, that’s not something small.

That’s a great position, no doubt one you’ve been working toward—” Realization hits.

“It’s the job you spoke about when we were in Vegas. It’s why you were there celebrating.”

I shrug, unable to meet his gaze.

“Am I right?” he asks.

“You are.” I turn away from him, taking another sip of my champagne.

“But it’s not that simple any more. Before Vegas, I was set on taking the job, no doubt about it.

They’ve sent over the contracts and I just need to sign to finalize.

But then I saw you in Vegas…” I say, looking up into his eyes.

“Everything changed, Lucas, and you can’t stand there and tell me otherwise. ”

Something shifts in his eyes. He swallows, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Everything changed, yes. But Hannah, if giving up this opportunity is going to cause you to resent me later on…you should rather take the job.”

I shake my head, the excitement I had over this job hasn’t been stirring in me since I married Lucas. It hasn’t even been on my mind, not the way it was before Vegas, and that should tell me how I really feel about this offer. Or at least how my feelings about it have changed.

“We said we’re going to give this marriage our all, Luke, and I meant that.”

I look at the man standing next to me. It’s a gift from God to have him in my life again. We’ve made a mess of a lot of things…getting married in Vegas, not telling our families, me running from him…but I’m not going to make this mistake too.

“And we can do that,” Lucas says with determination written across his face. “Even if you take this job. We’ll make this work.”

“Of course we’ll make it work, but why should we have to put ourselves, or our marriage, through something so difficult?”

He almost looks a bit offended. “Do you think we’re not strong enough to deal with distance? Or challenges?”

I sigh, taking a sip of my champagne, gathering my thoughts and trying to get the right words together.

“That’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just that with your schedule it’s already going to be hard.

We won’t be able to see each other as it is.

Add to that the fact that I’ll be the Head Counsellor, not only seeing my own clients but overseeing all the other cases—all in a different city.

We’ll be lucky if we see each other on weekends, maybe every second weekend.

Is that the kind of marriage you want?” I ask, the thought of living that way causing my heart to ache.

The answer is written in his eyes. It’s the same answer that’s written on my heart.

No.

“I also don’t want a marriage where my wife has to give up on her dreams,” he says, his voice sounding pained.

“I’ve always had dreams, many of them, and I’m sure there will be many more. But I believe marriage is a gift, and I’m not going to take chances with it— unnecessary chances.”

I reach up, cupping his face, loving the feel of his hard jaw against my hand. “Jobs will come and go, Luke, but what we have, what we’ve been given…it’s special and it means more to me than anything else in this world.”

His gaze softens at my words. “It feels like I’m asking too much of you,” he says, turning into my palm, brushing his lips against my palm. “Like I’m asking you to give up everything, to change your whole life. ”

“You’re not asking me to.” I smile at him, loving the words that are coming out of his mouth.

“Lucas, that’s what it means to be married to someone.

That’s what I said yes to the moment we decided to get married.

That all else will change and that you and I will remain.

There are jobs everywhere, in every city in the world, but there’s only one Lucas Walker. Only one man I gave my heart to.”

He leans closer, brushing his nose against my cheek as he places soft kisses along my jaw, my neck, my ear. Love and contentment rushes through me, the feeling of being home settling deep into my bones as he pulls me close.

“I want to dance with my wife,” he whispers in my ear, his breath soft against my skin, leaving a trail of fire along my skin.

I don’t need to think about Durham anymore. The past five years have been…challenging and exciting. Setting goals and reaching them on my own gave me a sense of independence that I’ve longed for for as long as I can remember.

But as Lucas is leading me onto the dancefloor, his warm hands on my waist, pulling me close to him, moving with me along to the music, I’m more content than I ever was.

This is where I belong. No job title, or university degree could ever make me as happy as spending my life with the man I love, with the man I know God made for me.