Page 63

Henry

“Are you all packed?” I peek my head into Bodhi’s room to find him trying to zip his suitcase closed. I wink, and he smiles, nodding.

We’re heading to Holland because that’s the place Bodhi picked. He wants to see the sunsets there. I wasn’t opposed because I really want a do-over where I’m on that plane to Holland with Jade.

I return to the master bedroom and find Jade struggling with her luggage also.

“I think I overpacked,” Jade says, trying to get her suitcase off the bed.

“What do you have in here?” I lift it for her and put it next to mine on the floor.

We’re not leaving until tomorrow, but we wanted to make sure we had everything ready to go tonight because we’re heading to Reed and Victoria’s to celebrate the end of the season. At least that’s what Jade thinks we’re headed over there for.

Sadly, we didn’t win the Cup like most predicted, but we made it into the final round. I know next year is ours. At least, I hope so.

“Ready?” I ask, wrapping my arm around Jade’s waist and kissing her. “I can’t wait to travel with you. Our first big trip.”

“Are you sure Bodhi will be okay on a flight that long?” She wipes her lipstick off my lips with her thumb.

“He’ll be fine, and if not, I’m going to tell everyone he’s yours, and I’m the manny.”

She shakes her head with a laugh.

“Kissing again?” Bodhi asks, skidding to a stop in the doorway.

I shake my head and abandon Jade to pick up Bodhi, putting him over my shoulder. “You like us kissing. You spied on us kissing, remember?” His belly laugh keeps me going.

“Let him go.” Jade comes up and holds out her arms. I let her take Bodhi, and he wraps his arms and legs around her as she turns her back to me. “I’ll protect you.”

I reach around them and tickle Bodhi. We all laugh, then a knock sounds on our door.

“Saved by one of your uncles,” I say to Bodhi.

Jade releases him, and he slides to his feet, dodging me to go to the door.

I decided to tell Bodhi to call Rowan, Conor, and Tweetie uncles and give them the respect they deserve as important men in his life. After Reed talked to me, I realized how important it is to surround yourself with all kinds of different role models. Even Tweetie has qualities I’d love for Bodhi to replicate.

Bodhi opens the door with me right behind him.

“Ready?” Conor asks.

Finally, the Chicago weather has turned warm. All the guys stand on the other side of the door, along with Kyleigh. Jade grabs her purse, and I follow her out the door.

We arrive at Reed and Victoria’s twenty minutes later, and I’m thankful they were all able to keep their mouths shut. I was worried Tweetie wouldn’t be able to resist using some coded language that would make Jade dig into what he was talking about.

As soon as we get there, Bodhi runs off to the basement with Owen and Waylon. The rest of the gang settles around the island, eating some of the appetizers Victoria’s placed there. I’d asked Eloise to be here, but she said something came up. I think that might disappoint Jade, but I’m still continuing on with my plan.

Victoria comes over to us. “Can I talk to you both for a minute?”

She sounds serious, and I wonder what this could be about. Jade and I exchange a look before we nod.

“Sure,” I say.

“We’ll be back, Reed,” she says.

Jade and I each give each other a questioning look. Victoria walks to the front door and keeps it open for us to follow.

“Mom, the party is…”

“I know. Just humor me.” She walks down the stairs, and I take Jade’s hand, following.

Victoria turns left on the sidewalk and heads up the walkway to Jade’s grandma’s house, where she inserts a key into the lock.

“What are we doing here?” Jade asks.

“You okay?” I place my hand on her back, leaning in to make sure seeing all her grandma’s things isn’t going to upset her.

She nods.

There isn’t any furniture in the house though. Still, it’s like a time warp. I think of all the times her grandma watched us while Reed and Victoria went out. The sleepovers on the family room floor, the late snacks at the dining room table. Jade steps a little closer to me, and I wrap her in my arms because I’m sure she’s remembering our time here as well.

“Your grandma left me this house when she passed. It took me about a year until I was ready to go through everything, then I got to thinking about whether I wanted to sell the property. And I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t sell it to some developer who would gut it—or worse, demolish it to build a multi-unit property. I know it’s old, and you guys would probably want to do the same, but at least you’d cry doing it.” She laughs, although it sounds empty.

Victoria steps forward, holding out the key.

“Mom,” Jade says.

“It’s yours. We’d love to have you next to us, but we also know the family you’ve made at the…” She rolls her eyes. “The Nest is important to you.”

“We can’t just accept the house.” Jade shakes her head, eyes wide.

“Victoria, it’s too much. You could get a lot of money for this.”

She smiles. “I appreciate that, but she would’ve been happy to give it to the both of you. Seeing you two making it would have really made her believe in true love again.” She laughs.

Jade’s grandma had been divorced a long time when I first met her and apparently had a pretty awful ex-husband.

“Thank you,” Jade says with tears in her eyes.

Her mom drops the key in Jade’s hand.

“Thank you, Victoria,” I say, knowing those words alone aren’t enough.

She opens her arms and hugs us. “You’re welcome. I’m gonna go next door to make sure everyone is handled.”

“Hey, can you send Bodhi over?” I ask.

“Sure.” She smiles and hopefully it doesn’t give anything away to Jade.

Jade spins around. “A house.” Her shoulders fall. “An old house.”

“Your grandma’s house.”

She nods, and her gaze falls to every corner. “I loved this house.”

“Me too.”

She leans her head on my chest, and I tighten my arms around her. “This is where our friendship bloomed.”

“I know.”

She pulls back. “I’m sure we can figure out a way to redo it, but…” She stops. “Maybe we shouldn’t leave The Nest. You probably don’t want to be away from your teammates.”

I laugh. “Last I checked, I’m a grown adult, not a frat boy. I think it would be good for us to live here next to your parents. Waylon and Owen.”

She hums. “Do I really want to share you with all those people?” She taps her lips.

“Plus, we’re not far from the guys. We can go to Peeper’s, and we have built-in babysitters next door. It’s really a win.”

She nods. “I guess we can talk about it in Holland, but I do love the idea of making this our own. It feels full circle.”

“Here he is,” Owen says and leaves Bodhi with us, shutting the front door behind him.

“What is it?” Bodhi asks.

I eye him because it’s time. I was going to do it in front of everyone, but it feels right to do it here now. It’s perfect.

Jade walks into the kitchen, looking around. “There’s not a ton of space in here. It felt so much bigger when we were younger, you know?”

“Hey Jade, I just remembered you forgot something for Holland,” I call.

I fall to my knee, and Bodhi does the same beside me. We both pull the ring boxes from our pockets.

“What did I forget?” Thankfully, she comes to the archway from the kitchen to the family room.

I open the ring box to reveal a diamond ring nestled in velvet. Bodhi opens his that holds a ring with our three birthstones set along a band.

“Say yes,” Bodhi says.

“Buddy.” I shake my head and chuckle.

Jade glances at him, and her eyes well with tears. Happy tears.

“Jade, I probably first realized I loved you within these walls. You’ve always been my person. There’s never been anyone else. But this ring comes with a promise from me. A promise to be your support, your constant, your anchor. I will be your partner in every sense of the word. Please do me the honor of finally becoming my wife and marry me.”

Bodhi clears his throat. Where did he learn that from?

“Us. Marry us .” I wink at Bodhi, and he smiles, inching his box closer to her.

“So, it’s a two-for-one thing?” She waves her finger between us.

“Afraid so.” I shrug.

“And you’re sure I can’t just take Bodhi?” She giggles and steps closer. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

“Both of us?” Bodhi confirms, and she steps over to him first.

“Want to slide it on?” She holds out her right hand and wiggles her ring finger.

Bodhi takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto her finger.

“I love it, Bodhi.” Jade holds out her hand and studies the ring.

“It’s my birthstone.”

“I know, that’s why I love it.” She squats, and he hugs her tightly around her neck.

I get choked up watching the two of them together.

“Can I go back and play now?” he asks.

We both laugh.

“Sure,” I say.

He rushes out of the house, and we hear Owen telling him to come over.

Jade stands, and I take the diamond ring out of the box and place it on the tip of her left ring finger. “I’ve waited more than a decade to do this.”

I slide on the ring, and she holds her hand in the air.

“It’s beautiful. Oh my god, Henry, you spent way too much.” She leans over, and I capture her lips in a kiss that I hope cements my promise to her.

“It’s never too much when it comes to you.”

“I love you, Henry.”

“I love you, Jade.”

Pounding on the window behind us steals our attention, and we turn to find everyone watching us through the glass, Bodhi in the middle of them.

Our family. And I wouldn’t trade any of them… not even Tweetie.

Three weeks later, we’re back from Holland and at Eloise’s wedding. I’m in the church pew with Rowan and Kyleigh to my left since Jade is in the wedding party.

We were both unsure if Eloise would end up here, but supposedly the wedding is on.

Eloise’s groom, Tristan—who feels a little like a frat guy who never grew up—stands at the front of the church with his groomsmen. I’m pretty sure they’ve been drinking based on their lack of seriousness on this important day.

The music starts, and the bridesmaids walk down the aisle, Jade bringing up the rear in a conservative pink satin dress that hides her legs. I can’t wait to see it on our floor tonight.

We decided to move out of The Nest and are renting a house close by while our house is being renovated. We just felt as though we needed a little more room for ourselves, especially since Jade is still weirded out at the idea of doing it with Bodhi’s room being right next door. Conor and Tweetie’s roommate situation has outlived its desirability for them both, so Conor moved into my old place.

After lots of discussion, Jade and I decided to add an entire floor to her grandma’s place so that there’s room to grow our family. We’re interviewing contractors now, and thankfully, Reed knows some woman named Maddie who makes a living flipping houses. He thinks she’ll be perfect.

The bridal march starts and everyone stands and turns their attention to the back of the church. Eloise stands at the end of the aisle before the white runner with flowers strewn over it, and she forces a smile. I look at the groom and find him talking to his best man instead of staring at Eloise.

She’s not looking at him either. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my eyes off Jade at our wedding.

Eloise walks down the aisle and doesn’t really look up or smile. Her gaze never falls to Tristan, and he’s too busy snickering with his friends to give her the attention she deserves. Jade bites her lip and whispers something to Eloise as she hands Jade the bouquet, but Eloise shakes her head and turns to face Tristan.

“Everyone may be seated,” the officiant says. He begins the ceremony, and the entire time, Eloise appears fidgety, glancing at the door. Then the officiant gets to the part that always makes me hold my breath, though I don’t know why. Nothing’s ever happened. “Does anyone have any objections as to why these two shall not be married today?”

The doors of the church burst open, and I startle with the loud boom of them hitting the walls.

“I object!” a familiar voice shouts from the end of the aisle.

I turn to see who it is. “Conor?”

What the hell is going on?

Whoa! How does Conor know Eloise? Why is he stopping her wedding? Up next for The Nest gang is a stop the wedding, he falls first, help me cross off my list , and the swooniest Falcon player , Conor Nielsen!