Page 61

Brooke

I walk into the hotel dining room and spot Cami standing with Gunnar and his mom and dad. Gunnar has the biggest smile I think I've ever seen on his face as he looks down at Cami laughing with his mom, so I decide to leave them to it and head over to the bar where Bear is standing.

"Brookie." Bear hugs me tightly as I walk up. "What do you want to drink? I'll buy you anything."

"Bear, you don't have to." I laugh. "Let me get you a drink. You're the one heading to the Frozen Four."

"Can't celebrate till you're happy." He shrugs, turning around and bending down. "Now hop on, I'm going to tell the entire bar you're my good luck charm."

"Bear," I say, touched. Normally, it's reserved for Cami. "You sure?"

"Come on!" He backs into me until I'm laughing, and I jump on his back to enjoy him shouting the house down to many cheers.

I end up meeting the entire team's families this way and talking about The Drop with many of the moms, who offer some old items of the boys' for the final hockey drop before the Frozen Four, as Coach approaches me.

"Brooke, there you are. I just got a call about the last Drop. He's going to cancel it. The distraction will be too much for the team when they need to focus. This is exactly what I didn't want Grant to deal with, and it's not fair to him or the team.

"I understand, I can postpone or cancel..." I try to lessen the blow by suggesting it myself.

"Woah, woah, no," Coach frowns down at me grumpily. "I don't want to cancel it. I know a guy who wants it filmed as part of the Frozen Four coverage."

"What?" I stutter, wide-eyed.

"They want to film the last shoot and are thinking of an auction of the last lot of clothes." He nods, checking his phone distractedly, like what he's just told me isn't the biggest deal.

"No way," I say, letting out a stunned laugh.

"Yup, the charity will receive their cheque at the final auction," he confirms. "You should be proud of yourself. This team has bonded over the shoots, and I know they all think of you as an unofficial team member."

"Oh my God, Coach, please stop. I might cry," I croak out, and I am already tearing up.

"Well, before you do, make sure you're on the ice for the team photos tomorrow afternoon, please," he finishes, clapping me on the shoulder. "You've earned a spot."

"Okay, I'm going to go cry in the bathroom now." I wave my hands in front of my eyes, trying to dry up the tears.

"Well, at least it's not because I yelled at you," he jokes. "Bear and Price like to pretend they don't head in there after I yell at them, but I know they do." He chuckles to himself as he walks off, and I just stare after him, too stunned to speak.

"Did I just imagine that entire conversation?" Cami says, coming up to stand next to me.

"I'm going to say yes because I don't want you to think I go cry in the shitter when Coach yells at me," Adam quips, and I burst into laughter with Cami following me.

"I'm so proud of you, B." Cami hugs me. "I know we are celebrating the boys, but you're a boss."

"Thank you for helping me with it. It wouldn't be such a success without all you did and cheering me on." I smile as we pull back, and now she's got tears in her eyes.

"Oh, you know it's just what lifelong best friends are for." She pretends to shrug it off and wipes under her eyes as Adam pats her on the shoulder and she slaps him off with the quickness of a ninja, “Quit it, Adam”

He rolls his eyes at her and I smile at him for trying, but at that second, Grant walks in.

"Oh, God, hide me," I mumble as I slip behind Bear, who takes it as his life mission, immediately puffing himself out to be bigger.

"Let's go join the freshmen; no one will want to sit with them." Adam nods towards the tables.

"That's so offensive," Cami mutters as we shuffle over and join a pretty full table so Grant can't join us.

"Am I overreacting?" I whisper as Adam and Bear talk about the game with the freshman, "I mean, should I be going over there and saying, 'Hey, Mr and Mrs Anders, I'm kind of dating your son and also the reason he won't get back together with your dream daughter-in-law.'"

"He called her their dream daughter-in-law." She gasps. "That's so rude."

"Okay, he didn't call her that, but you saw her."

"B, you're not overreacting. You're giving him space to figure it out." She comforts me, rubbing my arm.

Looking up, I catch his eye, and he holds my gaze for a second as he talks to a player's dad, and his mom and dad smile proudly next to him. I make a snap decision. "I'm going over," I say with confidence I don't have.

"Oh, my god, please don't say what you just said to me," Cami begs, pulling on my arm. "That will go wrong."

"Wasn't going to, but thanks for the support." I laugh and stand, smoothing down my dress and heading over to Grant and his parents; Grace and his sister have disappeared somewhere.

He sees me coming and moves around his parents, reaching his arm out and pulling me toward him into a side hug.

"Hey," he mumbles into my hair.

"Hey," I whisper back, giving him a tentative smile.

"I don't want to scare you off, but do you want to meet my parents?" He grabs my hand, squeezing it, and I feel that familiar comfort he gives me when he knows I feel uneasy. Telling me he is here with me.

"That was the exact reason I was coming over." I squeeze his hand back to let him know I'm okay.

"Really?" He looks at me in surprise, but it turns into a smile quickly.

"No, you are directly in line with the exit." I deadpan nod behind him at the doors. "I planned to hug you and manoeuvre you out of the way so I could escape."

"Sneaky, I like it." He smirks before placing a hand on my lower back, moving toward his parents. "Come on."

"Mom, Dad?"

They both turn from the conversation they were having together and smile at us.

"This is Brooke." He holds a hand out to gesture to me. "Brooke, these are my parents."

"It's so nice to meet you finally, Brooke," his mom says, pulling me into a hug.

"I- It's nice to meet you both, too," I stutter as she releases me, and his dad shakes my hand.

"We've heard all about the clothing drop, seriously impressive numbers you've raised," Grant's dad compliments me.

"Thank you. It's been a lot of the team's effort to promote it, so I'm grateful to them," I say, trying to give credit where it is due.

"No way, you worked so hard. That's all you." Grant smiles down at me, and I blush.

"You know, if you were ever interested in launching it as an official business, I know some people who could help," Grant's dad says.

"Thanks so much, I'll keep it in mind." I smile. Mrs McDonald comes over and squeezes Grant's cheeks, and she starts a conversation with his parents. Grant’s hand skims my lower back again and guides me towards the bar.

He orders us drinks while I lean against the bar, admiring his side profile as he speaks to the bartender. I nervously fiddle with the paper napkins laid out in preparation for our drinks, overthinking all the ways our conversation could unfold.

"I spoke with Grace," Grant says, turning toward me and pulling me out of my mental spiral. "I told her I was sorry for not being more honest, but it's been over for me for a long time."

Letting out a sigh of relief, I nod. "I believe you."

He smiles at me, and I smile back as he leans in, cups my cheek with his hand, and presses his lips to mine. Pulling back slightly, he says, "I'm in love with you, Brooke."

My heart skips a beat upon hearing the "L" word, and I finally feel all the butterflies that should accompany it. "Okay." I bite my lip, trying to hold back my joy as I nod at him.

"Okay?" His brow furrows, clearly expecting a different response.

I laugh, cupping his cheeks and kissing him again. "I'm in love with you, too."

I've been in love with Grant longer than I realised.

"The playboy hockey player," Grant Anders, whom I met in September, is nothing like the Grant Anders I know now, who is caring and careful with my heart. He makes me feel safe and secure, and, most importantly, he loves me for who I am, not for what I could be.

He kisses me softly, and I can feel him smiling against my lips just as much as I am. "Just so we are clear, you're my only girlfriend."

“Yes, Captain”, I giggle against his lips as he kisses me.

Our friends find us at the bar, smiling stupidly at each other.

"You two are insufferable." Cami gags, stealing Grant's drink and knocking it against mine before drinking it.

"I'm so glad you have finally given in to what Bear and I have been seeing for months." Adam laughs.

"Am I the only one who didn't see it?" Gunnar says, shocked, and we all nod at him while Cami pats his arm.

"You were busy," she comforts him.

"You're going to have to give him up for a few weeks, Brookie," Bear teases. "We've got a championship to win."

"I guess I can live with that." I smile up at him as he kisses my forehead.