Page 62 of Unrivaled Love (D.C. Renegades #2)

ONE YEAR LATER

JO

"Wait, you're actually taking the time off?" Brie asks me as I clean out my locker for the mid-season break. We came in today after our game yesterday for a team meeting and, yes, for the first time in my career I'm taking time off, by choice.

"Yes ma'am. I'm meeting Bryson and the family in Telluride."

"That's fantastic but can you perform some captcha verifications because I'm seriously doubting if you're the real Jo Hamilton." Brie jokes.

"Shut up." I laugh and toss some tape at her.

She catches it and steps closer to me.

"I assume you heard about the D.C. expansion team starting next year."

"I have and I already threw my name in the ring for consideration but without a coach confirmed, I don't know what my chances are."

"They're about to confirm a coach. Later today in fact."

"How do you know? Wait, is it McEmbry?" God I hope not.

"Nope, he's staying here."

"Are you seriously going to make me guess?"

"I wasn't planning on it actually, you just started." Brie says.

"Oh." I laugh. "Go on then. Out with it."

"It’s me! I'm going to be the head coach in D.C.!"

"What? Holy shit! Congratulations Brie!" I wrap her in a hug. "That's amazing! "

"You know what this means though, right?" She continues.

"You're finally getting the job you deserve?" I venture another guess.

"Well, that, but also, I get to pick my team."

"Ohmygod." My eyes go wide. Holy shit. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I think you and Bryson should look for a place to share."

Tears spring to my eyes and I wrap Brie in a hug. She laughs with me as we jump around in a circle.

"I can't wait to tell Bryson!" I tell her as I wipe my tears away.

"Are you gonna call him now?" Brie asks as she takes a seat on the bench.

"No, I've got a better idea."

brYSON

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Emmett says as he helps me coil the fishing line across the path.

"Yes I'm sure. I told our family so they're not going to use the trail until after I can get Jo to trip and fall. And I'm putting it high enough that it's going to hit her mid shin which could cause a stumble at best."

"I think this is a way better proposal than Young Gun's last summer." Crosby says.

"I can't believe I left Europe early to come back for this only to get ragged on." Aiden says and I laugh.

I look around as my carefully planned proposal comes to life. The setup is simple. Jo trips on the fishing line causing a chain reaction. A little lever will switch, turning the string lights on. When the forest is illuminated in soft golden light she'll turn and see me down on one knee.

"She's not moving to D.C. though is she?" Duncan asks.

"I know she's expressed interest in being on the new team but I don't know if she's heard anything." And it's been so frustrating to have that be completely out of our control. "But I can't wait any longer to be engaged to her."

And hopefully she's okay getting married at the courthouse in town. I want to leave Colorado next week fucking married and then whisk her off for another week of honeymooning. Then two weeks wherever she wants to be before she has to go back to Salt Lake City.

"I think it's romantic." Felix says.

"Thank you, French Fry."

"But so help me if this party is spoiled because you decided to maim your fiancé before proposing." Felix grumbles. He’s planned the engagement party at the house afterwards and currently has our family decorating.

"She'll be fine." I assure him.

"Couldn't you just flip the lights on when she gets closer?" Emmett asks.

"No, you guys don't get it. We're together because of pranks and her storming through the woods to get away from me. It's fucking poetic that she's going to trip coming through the woods to get to me this time."

"I suppose it does have a nice symmetry to it." Crosby says before he whistles for Estelle who is loving the great outdoors.

My phone pings with a text.

"It's Jo. Okay she's landed and is getting her bag. She'll be here in like 30 mins because the airport is tiny. You guys gotta go back to the house."

"Okay, okay," Duncan complains as I start to shove him back down the trail.

"And make sure the sign is up so she doesn't go inside first."

"We will." Felix says before placing both hands on my shoulders and forcing me to slow down. "You got this bud. Jo is hopelessly in love with you and you're down bad. It's going to be alright."

"Okay," I take a deep breath and exhale. "Thanks, Cap."

I watch Felix and the boys disappear down the path.

I’m so thankful for my boys. This past year would have been impossible without them.

They have held me together when I couldn’t have Jo in my arms. They distracted me with BrUNO tournaments and we’ve all come to adore our time with Stella-Bo-Bella.

If the boys had bet me as I stood on the ice holding up The Stanley Cup that two years later I’d be proposing to the love of my life, I would have taken it and lost out big time.

But I still think I’m coming out on top because I get to marry Jo.

JO

The car drops me off at the end of the driveway. There are already six cars lined up and I roll my shoulders back to prepare for seeing my whole family and Bryson's family and Bryson himself.

He came out to Salt Lake City a few weeks ago to visit after his season ended and then he went back to D.C. to help with a hockey clinic. And now I’m about to walk into Casa de Svobilton and be with his family and mine.

As I get closer to the porch I see a note hanging from the pillar.

Jo - come meet me at our spot before you head inside - Love, Bry.

This is actually perfect. I slide my phone into my pocket and grab the keys I got made after talking to Brie earlier.

It's a symbolic gesture since the keys are dummies but I figured it would be a cute way to tell him I'm moving closer.

It's not a done deal yet but Brie said I was her first choice in the expansion draft and I'm currently unprotected with Salt Lake City.

I had to take a pay cut but now that I'm working with Bryson's agent, Allie, I'm earning more from sponsorships and have the added flexibility in my contract .

She got Bryson and me a perfume ad together. We shot it last February on a beach in California and I think beachy Bryson is my favorite version of him yet.

Being near the water reminded me of the summer we reconnected. The memories bring a smile to my face again now. With my keys in hand I head towards the lake where it all began again.

brYSON

Where the hell is she?

I’ve been pacing the clearing for over an hour. Twice as long as it should have taken her to find me.

I bet the sign was put in the wrong place or they told her to go somewhere else just to mess with me.

Not cool.

I might be the prankster but I’d never mess with someone’s pivotal life moment.

It's late, and getting dark. Which will make the lights pop but also makes it trickier to get home.

I stand up, pace in a circle, and then sit back down again on my stump. Maybe I should just call her and see if she's still at the airport or something. God I hope she's okay.

"Bryson?"

I whip around behind me and see Jo standing at the other edge of the clearing.

"What are you doing there?" I ask her wondering how the hell she made it past me in the first place.

"What are you doing here ?"

"I'm waiting for you. Didn't you get the note?"

"Yeah it said our spot so I waited at the lake."

Oh shit. That makes so much more sense. She went to where we finally got together, not where she stepped on a log and caused an electrical outage and totaled her car.

And, yes, fine. I put the log there in the first place but without that we might not be here today, so you’re welcome.

"Ah, yeah, that's a good spot for us too.” I grab at the back of my neck. This is a disaster. “Sorry. Umm, could you come over here?" I ask her as my feet stay glued to the spot.

I haven't hugged or kissed her yet. Will she think that's weird?

In jerky movements, I stride to her and plant a wet one on her very surprised lips. Something drops to the ground as she lifts her hands. I break the kiss and look down. It's a set of keys but they don't look like the Telluride house keys.

"Here you dropped these." I bend at the hips to pick them up.

"Actually those are yours." She says.

"No, you dropped them just now." I say as I stand. Damnit, I should have bent at one knee and proposed while I was down there.

"Yeah, I know but they're for you, Bryson."

"Huh?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Jo swipes the keys from my hand and gets down on one knee.

“Wait!”

“What?”

“No. You can’t do that!” I cry in desperation. What is she doing?

“I can’t?”

“No!”

“But, I need to ask if you will m-”

“No!” I yell as I pull her up by the shoulders to stand.

“-ove in with me.” She finishes.

“What?" I ask, blinking rapidly .

"Brie got the coaching job and she said I'm at the top of her list for the expansion draft and so I should be headed to D.C. next season."

"Seriously?"

"That's the plan."

"Ohmygod! Yes! I'd love to live with you!

Jo, this is amazing!" I wrap my arms around her and bring her into my chest. I can't believe it's happening.

We've endured two years of long distance.

We've learned how to support each other through the highs and the lows.

We've prioritized each other, made sacrifices, and have built such a deep understanding of the other person that we can only succeed from here.

I set her feet back on the ground and kiss her. My Jo is getting transferred. Neither of us had to leave a team or retire. It's happening naturally and it's the moment I've been waiting for.

"Are you happy?" Jo asks and I stare into her emerald eyes.

"So happy. But, wait." I can't believe I forgot.

"What?"

I step back and drop to one knee. I pull the ring box out of my pocket and open it for her.

"Jo Hamilton, you’re the love of my life.

You’re strong and resilient and funny and sexy.

So fucking sexy. I want to spend the rest of my life earning the title of World’s Best HAB every day. Will you be my wife?"

"Ohmygod yes!" She kneels down and we connect in a kiss. So much is happening all at once and my heart is about to burst.

When we pull back there are tears in both of our eyes and I help her fit the ring on her finger.

"It's beautiful." She says as she admires it.

"She is," I say without taking my eyes off her. She cracks into a wide grin as our gaze connects and throws her arms around me to hug me tight.

“Why are we here and not at the lake?” Jo asks as she smiles at the ring on her finger .

“Well, if you would have walked in from over there,” I turn toward the path coming from the house, “you would have tripped a wire and turned on twinkle lights. The forest would have been illuminated in a soft amber glow setting the scene for a romantic proposal.”

“But instead I sat by the lake for twenty minutes and snuck up on you.”

“Yep.”

"Does everyone know this is happening?" Jo asks as we stand and brush off our knees. I couldn’t care less that this didn’t go according to plan.

Jo is my fiancé and we’re going to get fucking married.

"Yes, and this is your fair warning that Felix has thrown a party for us. You need to act surprised." I tell her as I intertwine our fingers.

"I can do that."

"We won't repeat what happened at Aiden and Harper's engagement." I tell her. She wasn't there but basically the two got frisky with all of us just outside on the patio. It was hella awkward. I told Jo all about it later that night when we FaceTimed before her semifinal match.

"We're so gonna win best couple." Jo says and I laugh.

"You are in for some tough competition, Killer."

"Well, I was born to win so bring it on." She says and I pull her to me to kiss her again.

Our love was never a game but I have undoubtedly won. Jo Hamilton is the love of my life and it feels like living has only just begun.