Page 37

On the morning of our vow renewal, I woke unusually early, a strange case of nerves fluttering in my stomach despite the illogical nature of the anxiety. We were already legally married; this ceremony was simply a public declaration of private truth. Yet the significance felt greater than our original wedding, precisely because the emotions behind it were genuine rather than manufactured.

Sienna still slept peacefully beside me, her hair spread across the pillow, features softened in repose. I allowed myself a moment to simply watch her, marveling at how completely this woman had transformed my life in just a few months.

Before leaving the bed, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, careful not to wake her. She deserved rest after the emotional whirlwind of the championship and her parents' impending arrival.

Downstairs, I prepared breakfast – nothing elaborate, just coffee and toast, but made with attention to her preferences: cream and two sugars, bread sliced thicker than standard. Small details I'd learned during our time together.

When she entered the kitchen, sleep-rumpled and yawning, her smile at seeing breakfast waiting created a warmth in my chest no championship victory could match.

"Morning, champion," she said, accepting the coffee gratefully. "Sleep well?"

"Surprisingly, no." I settled across from her at the breakfast bar. "Nervous about today."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "You? Nervous? The man who scored the championship-winning goal in Game 7?"

"That was just hockey," I replied with a shrug that made her laugh.

"Just hockey, he says. After dedicating his entire life to the sport."

"Priorities change." I reached for her hand across the table. "Speaking of which, I have something for you."

From beneath the counter, I retrieved a small box I'd been saving for the right moment. Inside rested my championship ring – a massive, jewel-encrusted symbol of hockey's ultimate achievement.

"Jax, I can't take your ring," she protested immediately. "That's... that's your accomplishment."

"It's ours," I insisted, placing it gently in her palm. "I wouldn't have gotten here without you, Sienna. The person I was before we met wasn't capable of the leadership this team needed. You changed that. Changed me."

"By spilling coffee on you and entering a fake marriage?" Her tone was light, but I could see the emotion in her eyes.

"By believing I could be more than just the Ice Man. By creating a home I actually wanted to return to. By showing me that vulnerability isn't weakness."

Her fingers closed around the ring, acceptance in the gesture. "Thank you. I'll treasure it always."

Perfect Home Furnishings had arranged for an elegant ceremony at the historic Club, a refined setting far different from the sterile courthouse of our first wedding. Upon arriving for final preparations, I was pleasantly surprised to find Olivia had followed my specific requests about personal touches.

Most notably, the original wooden sign from Grandma Rose's Bakehouse – saved when the storefront was renovated years ago – had been restored and displayed prominently at the entrance. Sienna's grandmother's handwritten recipes were framed as decorative elements, and the dessert station featured recreations of her signature pastries.

As guests began arriving, I found myself greeting Sienna's parents, whom I was meeting for the first time. Their physical resemblance to their daughter was striking, though their artistic, somewhat bohemian presentation contrasted with Sienna's more practical style.

"So you're the hockey player who's made our daughter happier than we've ever seen her," her father said, studying me with interest. "Even on video calls from Italy, we could see the difference."

"I think it's mutual, sir," I replied honestly. "She's changed my life too."

"Andrea, please," he corrected with a warm smile. "And while we're initially skeptical of anyone who sweeps in so quickly, we can't argue with results." He gestured around at the celebration. "Championship, successful bakery, and most importantly, a daughter who lights up when she talks about you."

Their acceptance – so much warmer than my own father's initial skepticism – touched me deeply. These were people who had flown across continents on short notice simply to witness their daughter's happiness.

Speaking of my father, I spotted my parents entering the venue, my father moving carefully as he continued his recovery from his health scare. I excused myself to greet them, prepared for my father's measured assessment of the situation.

To my surprise, he pulled me into a gentle hug before I could offer a more formal greeting.

"Son," he said, his voice rougher than usual with emotion. "I'm proud of you. Not just for the championship, but for this." He gestured around the gathering. "For finding someone who makes you genuinely happy."

The approval I'd spent decades seeking – delivered now not for athletic achievement but for personal growth – created a lump in my throat I struggled to swallow past.

"Thank you, Dad," I managed finally. "That means a lot."

"I owe your wife an apology," he continued, surprising me further. "I judged her unfairly when we first met. Assumed the worst about her intentions."

"You were being protective," I offered.

"I was being cynical," he corrected firmly. "And I was wrong. I've never seen you like this, Jax – truly happy, not just satisfied with achievement. That comes from more than hockey success."

My mother squeezed his arm supportively, her own eyes suspiciously bright. "What your father is trying to say, in his roundabout way, is that we're thrilled to officially welcome Sienna to the family. Even though we know it's just a formality at this point."

Their sincere acceptance of the woman who had begun as a business arrangement but had become essential to my happiness completed a circle of sorts.

The ceremony itself exceeded anything I could have imagined. The setting was elegant but intimate, filled with people who genuinely mattered to us – teammates and their families, bakery staff, longtime customers like Mr. Henderson, close friends including Leo and Chloe.

When Sienna entered in a simple but beautiful dress – not the hastily purchased costume of our courthouse wedding, but a gown she'd chosen herself that reflected her personal style – the sight nearly stopped my breath. She walked toward me with confident steps, her smile containing none of the nervous calculation of our first ceremony.

This time, when we exchanged vows, the words came from genuine emotion rather than rehearsed performance. I spoke from the heart, abandoning prepared remarks to simply express what she'd come to mean to me.

"Sienna," I began, my voice steadier than I'd expected given the emotion behind it. "When we first met, I saw you as the solution to a problem – the missing piece in a calculated plan. What I didn't realize was that you would become the answer to questions I hadn't even thought to ask."

A murmur rippled through the guests, but I continued, holding her gaze. "You showed me that the walls I'd built around myself for protection were actually barriers to the connections that make life meaningful. You created a home where I'd only had a house. You believed I could be more than just the 'Ice Man' – that I had value beyond what I accomplished on the ice."

Tears glistened in her eyes, but her smile encouraged me to continue. "Today, I'm making promises that mean something completely different than they did the first time we stood before an official. I promise to be your partner in all things, to support your dreams as fiercely as you've supported mine, to continue learning how to be vulnerable rather than just strong. I promise to love you not for what you bring to my life, but for who you are – the passionate, determined, flour-covered woman who spilled coffee on me and changed everything."

The ceremony proceeded with emotional intensity that had been entirely absent from our first wedding. Midway through the exchange of rings, a commotion at the back of the room drew everyone's attention – Sprinkles trotting down the aisle with a small basket of flower petals attached to her collar, her tail wagging proudly at her important role.

The unexpected appearance created laughter that perfectly captured the joy of the day.

When we were pronounced husband and wife for the second time, the kiss we shared held nothing back – no calculated performance for witnesses, just the honest expression of what we'd become to each other.

As guests applauded around us, I made a split-second decision – one we'd discussed but hadn't fully resolved. Taking Sienna's hand, I turned to face our friends and family.

"Before we continue the celebration, there's something you should all know," I began, feeling Sienna's reassuring squeeze of support. "Our relationship didn't start quite the way we've presented it."

A hush fell over the gathering as I continued, "Sienna and I initially entered a marriage of convenience – a business arrangement designed to help her save her bakery and improve my public image for endorsements."

Murmurs spread through the crowd, but I pressed on, "What neither of us anticipated was that living together, supporting each other through challenges, sharing our lives even in a theoretical way... would lead to genuine feelings. The arrangement became real somewhere along the way, transforming into the love we're celebrating today."

I looked at Sienna, drawing strength from her steady presence. "We wanted to be honest with the people who matter most to us. Our beginning may have been unconventional, but the commitment we're making today is absolutely genuine."

The silence that followed felt eternal, though it likely lasted only seconds. Then, from the back of the room, came slow, deliberate applause – from Leo, who stood with a knowing smile. Chloe joined immediately, followed by Finn and Willow, then teammates, family members, and finally the entire gathering.

Relief flooded through me as I realized our truth had been accepted, even appreciated for its honesty. Sienna's eyes, when I looked down at her, shone with both tears and pride.

"Well," she whispered, "that's one way to start a marriage. With complete honesty."

The reception that followed contained none of the awkward performance of our early public appearances. We moved among guests with genuine enjoyment rather than calculated precision, sharing jokes with teammates, accepting warm wishes from family, exchanging knowing glances with friends who'd suspected the truth all along.

The dessert display, created by Chloe according to Sienna's specifications, became a focal point of the celebration – an elaborate showcase of pastries that told our story through flavor combinations and decorative elements. Hockey-themed cookies alongside traditional bakery favorites, championship symbols paired with flour-dusted classics.

When it came time for speeches, I surprised everyone – including Sienna – by announcing the official opening date for the expanded Grandma Rose's Bakehouse and Café, presenting her with the keys to the renovated neighboring building, the architectural plans now finalized with her input.

"Your grandmother's legacy," I said as I placed the keys in her hand, "expanded through your vision. Exactly as it should be."

The tears that filled her eyes – joy mixed with gratitude and love – created a corresponding tightness in my throat. This woman who had entered my life through a business proposal had become my partner in all senses of the word.

Throughout the evening, I noticed Leo and Chloe's obvious happiness. When Leo caught me watching them, he offered a rueful shrug and grin, as if to say, "Who would have predicted this?"

"Happy?" I asked softly, my lips near her ear as we moved slowly to the music.

"Happier than I ever thought possible," she replied, her head resting against my chest. "Especially for someone who once had coffee dumped on her by an arrogant hockey player."

"I believe you dumped coffee on me," I corrected with a smile.

"Details." She lifted her face to mine, eyes shining with a joy that matched my own. "The important part is where we ended up."