Page 41 of Tempting the Goalie (Riverside U #5)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I sabelle

The doorbell rings as I’m sitting on the large sectional with my brothers—minus Phoenix—Daddy, and Sandy watching an old Bruce Willis movie.

“I’m not getting it,” Asher announces.

“Neither am I,” Becket says.

Everyone is tired after we spent about twelve hours on the ski slopes yesterday. There is a fire crackling in the fireplace, and we are all warm and cozy. The weather outside is brutal with blowing snow and below freezing temperatures.

The doorbell rings again and each one of the Thorne men take a stubborn stance.

“I’ll get it.” Sandy laughs.

“It’s fine. I’ll go get it,” I offer. “I don’t know who it could be at this hour.”

I open the door to Luc, standing in his big black puffer jacket and a toque on his head that looks like it was once blue, but with all the snow attached to it looks white.

“Luc, what are you doing here?” I fly into his arms. The snow on his jacket gets me wet. “Come in.” I release him enough time for him to enter the foyer and roll in his luggage inside the house.

“It didn’t feel right being in Punta Cana without you. Aaron and Briar got married. I fulfilled my role. I needed to see you,” he says.

He pulls off the toque. “OMG, Luc, I’ve missed you so much.”

“Bean, who’s here?” Daddy calls from the family room.

“It’s Luc,” I shout.

I hear Asher mutter Loverboy and Daddy tells him to hush.

“I know we’ve been going back and forth on what to do and it’s been eating away at us,” he says.

“Do you want to take your boots off and come in? This sounds important,” I say to him.

He eagerly removes his boots and follows me into the house. “I should say hi to your family.”

“Can you do that after? It feels like whatever you came to say is important,” I feel my heart kick up pace.

His skin is sun-kissed and it makes his gray eyes pop.

But it isn’t only his good looks that have me in a twist. It’s the look in his eyes, a look of admiration mixed with anticipation that has me on edge.

“It is, I left my trip a week early because I needed to be with you.”

I feel my smile spread from cheek to cheek. “I missed you too.”

“I more than missed you, Izzy. You felt missing. I didn’t feel whole.

. .it wasn’t. . .right. I want you beside me always.

You’re what matters most to me. More than hockey or a Stanley Cup.

You’re a part of me, Izzy, you always have been.

When I saw Briar walking down the aisle I zoned out, and suddenly it was you, it was us.

. .” He blinks. “I don’t know if I’m making any sense. ”

“You’re making perfect sense,” I encourage, holding his hands in mine.

“I want it all, Izzy, I want as many kids as you’ll be willing to have, I want to be around you and them always.

I don’t want to miss out. I love you so damn much.

I don’t care what team I land on. It’s a job.

One I’m committed to do my best at. But you’re the best part of me and I love how much you love your family and want to be close to them.

So if you want to move to Montreal and go to school there, I will sign with Montreal because my home is wherever you are, and if it’s some other place you want to live, I’m all in.

It doesn’t matter where I work as long as I have you by my side. ”

I fling my arms out and wrap them around his neck. I kiss him like it’s nobody’s business.

We break apart a few minutes later. “I was regretting not coming with you to Punta Cana. I was missing you like crazy. I love my family, and they will always be my family but you’re my home, Luc. I want to be wherever you are. We can always come back here to visit.”

He takes a step back from me and then he is on one knee.

“Luc, what are you doing?” I ask him.

“I’m going to need to apologize to your father for not asking permission first,” he begins.

“No need,” Daddy says from the entrance to the kitchen. I notice Becket, Asher, and Eric are standing beside him.

Tears fill my eyes.

“I know this isn’t some grand romantic gesture but I know with my whole heart this is right.

Isabelle Thorne, I have loved you all my life.

We have been through some tough times together and we have a friendship that lasts, but it’s my love for you as a woman, as a lover, as my best friend that makes me know you’re my soulmate. ”

Asher makes a barfing sound when Luc says lover, and I look up in time to see Eric elbow him in the ribs.

“Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” Luc asks and then he reaches into his pocket and produces a red velvet box in the shape of a rose. He opens it up to a huge diamond ring.

I gasp.

“Luc, that’s too much,” I say to him.

“Baby, that’s not the answer I was looking for here,” he replies with a chuckle.

“Sorry, yes, I’ll marry you,” I say to him. He finally stands and places the ring on my finger. I hug him so hard it’s like I’m scared he’ll up and disappear.

My brothers cheer and then we’re all hugging and everyone is congratulating us.

Daddy pours champagne and toasts our engagement and we all hang out in the kitchen. I notice Luc speaking with Daddy. He says thank you to him and apologizes to him once again for not asking his permission first.

Daddy’s response to him chokes me up when he says, “I knew when you asked me to date my daughter that you were really asking for permission for forever. I watched both of you grow and I watched that love grow. I knew when she followed you to Riverside, she would follow you anywhere.”

Those words bring tears to my eyes but it’s when Luc hugs Daddy that I full-on start bawling. “Thanks, sir.”

“Luc, you’re my son. You always have been, but welcome to the family,” Daddy replies and pats his back. When I look at Luc, his eyes are tear filled and my heart is so full it feels like it almost bursts.