Page 14

September

W hat in the fuck am I doing right now?

Instead of finishing my two hours of ice time with Connelly, I’m sitting in a jewelry store beside the rookie looking at engagement rings while my leg bounces incessantly.

“You alright, Cap? You’re looking like you might be sick,” Connelly supplies.

“I’m fine. I just didn’t realize there were so many options to pick from. Why can’t it just be as simple as ‘I want a diamond ring, she’s got skinny fingers,’ they tell me what they think will look best, I purchase the damn thing and walk outta here?”

He nervously chuckles beside me. “Yeah, that’s definitely not how this works. Didn’t you do any research first? Also, why didn’t I realize you had a girlfriend? Was she at the family skate?”

“She was,” I say curtly without elaborating.

Connelly’s brows wrinkle in confusion. “Oh, I don’t remember you bringing anyone.”

“Didn’t realize you watched my every move, rookie,” I retort, quirking a brow. God, I’m an ass, but I don’t have it in me to care right now. I’m too busy freaking the fuck out because I’m sitting in a jewelry store prepared to buy a ring to propose to a woman I’ve known for a month.

“For a guy about to propose, you’re especially grumpy today. ”

“Why did I bring you again?” I ask gruffly.

“Good question. I think you just forgot to drop me off at my place before you came,” he replies before shaking his head. “That’s got to be it, otherwise shouldn’t, like, Jax be doing this with you or something?”

“Shit. Should I have brought her with me? Are women supposed to have a say in the ring?” I ask, pulling the collar of my dress shirt from the sudden bout of claustrophobia.

“Nah, I think if you wanna go about this the traditional way, you’re supposed to pick out the ring so it’s a surprise—she’s not supposed to see it coming.

Haven’t the two of you discussed getting married?

What kinda ring did she say she wanted? Oh, does she have Pinterest?

My mom and sister are constantly on Pinterest. What’s her name?

Let’s look her up,” he suggests as he pulls out his phone, but I rip it from his hand.

“Not happening. I doubt she’s a Pinter girl.”

“It’s Pinterest,” he corrects before grabbing back his phone. “Come on, just look her up,” he says as he opens the app and hands the phone over to me.

The salesperson helping us excuses himself, so I grab the phone and type her name in the search bar.

“How many siblings do you have anyway?” I ask him as I wait for the results to load.

My eyebrows do a shit job of containing my shock at seeing her profile appear in the search results.

“Two, a younger brother and sister. Did you find her?” he asks, trying to look over my shoulder but I turn the phone away from him and nod in response.

“Cool, cool. Scroll through her boards and see if she has any wedding ones or ring ones. Sometimes my mom calls them weird names, but as long as she doesn’t mark them as private, you should be able to see if she has any rings pinned. ”

Sure as shit, Scarlett has dozens upon dozens of boards that I scroll through.

She’s got a board for just about everything except wedding stuff.

She’s got one for pretty much every room in her house.

A whole board dedicated to crafting ideas for Gunner.

One titled ‘healthy but fun snack ideas,’ and another called ‘date night ideas for someday.’ I make a note to come back to that one later when I can download the app on my phone.

“I’m also the oldest with a younger brother and sister,” I tell him as I continue to scroll.

“Really? I always thought you and Jax had a younger brother.”

“We’re not too keen on the team knowing we’ve got a younger sister. She doesn’t need to be around all you assholes.”

He scoffs, seemingly insulted. “How am I an asshole? You barely know me.”

I’d hate to break it to him, but my baby sister would chew him up and spit him out.

“You’re a hockey player. Enough said. We’re all assholes. No one is good enough for my baby sister, but especially not a hockey player.” I look over and narrow my eyes at him to be sure he gets my message.

Connelly lifts his hands in surrender. “Easy there, Cap. I’m not interested in anyone’s sister. My sole focus is hockey. Swear to god.”

I fight back a smile at his scared shitless expression and focus back on his phone. Just as I’m about to give up on finding anything ring related I stumble upon a board titled ‘Forever & Always’ that’s filled with all sorts of wedding ideas.

My stomach tightens as I scroll through the different pins she’s saved. “This feels wrong,” I tell Connelly. And it does, it feels like I’m getting a peek into all of her hopes and dreams she’s envisioned for a special day in her life that I’m not supposed to be a part of .

“How else are you supposed to know the type of ring she wants? If she didn’t want you to see, she’d have made the board private,” he assures me.

“Fine,” I grit out. The kid must be on to something because as I continue to scroll, the same type of ring is pictured in pin after pin. When the salesperson sits back down, I turn the phone to him and say, “I think she wants something like this.”

“Ah, she’s got lovely taste. Let me grab a selection and you can determine the carat and setting. Do you think she’d like white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum?”

My brows knit in confusion. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t realize there were so many choices. What happened to just silver or gold?”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll just grab a few of each and you choose what you like best,” the salesperson suggests.

When he’s out of earshot, Connelly leans closer and murmurs, “You’ve got that sick look about you again, Cap.” He claps my shoulder and chuckles. “Lighten up, you’re making me nervous for you. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like she’s gonna say no. You’re Bennett freaking Wilson.”

Why do those feel like famous last words?

Scarlett

I open the front door to find Bennett pacing the length of my front porch.

When he looks up and notices me, he pauses his steps.

His dark hair has a mussed-up look, different from his normal slicked-to-perfection style, but if anything it’s only amplified his sex appeal.

He’s wearing slim dark khaki pants that cling to his muscular thighs, crisp white tennis shoes, and a navy button-down with the sleeves rolled up, showcasing his delicious forearms.

Damn, he looks good.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear the doorbell. Have you been out here long?”

“What? No. I didn’t—I didn’t ring the doorbell.”

Ugh. He’s acting weird and it has everything to do with me opening my big mouth today. Why did I think he’d maybe get a small bout of amnesia and forget all about our conversation? So much for wishful thinking.

“Do you think we could talk for a moment before Gemma and Gunner notice I’m here?”

Confused by his request but knowing Gemma and Gunner are occupied doing a craft, I nod and shut the door behind me before stepping off the front porch and following Bennett to the back of the house.

“Where are you going?” I ask as I try to keep up with his quick pace. My bare feet feel cool against the grass as he disappears around the other side of the large willow tree in my backyard.

I stop short when I round the tree and find Bennett standing in the middle of a bed of white rose petals surrounded by a dozen or more vases lit up with flameless candles.

I’m unsure if it’s nerves, butterflies, or trepidation swimming in my stomach right now.

“Bennett, what—” I start but he cuts me off.

“I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t go about things the right way in your office,” he pauses and holds his hand out for me in invitation to join him just beneath the willow tree.

I walk over to him, and when he takes my hands in his, I feel a slight tremor to his.

This breathtaking man is shaking with nerves and I can’t for the life of me understand what the actual hell is going on right now.

Bennett takes a deep breath. “I know we’re only just getting to know each other, and I know this is probably the last thing you anticipated happening this year, but my gut is telling me we could make this work.” He pauses when I hold up my hand.

My brain finally catches up to what I’m seeing and hearing.

“Let me stop you right there. I know what I have to do. But I can’t do this to you.

I won’t trap you. A marriage between the two of us would not be mutually beneficial to both parties.

I’d be the only one gaining anything from the arrangement.

Besides, it’s not just me you’d be signing your life away for.

I have to think of Gemma and Gunner. What would they think?

They already know you. I mean, you’re giving Gemma guitar lessons for crying out loud—”

Before I can continue, Bennett shocks me silent once again when he drops to one knee and reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls a small burgundy velvet box. He doesn’t open it, he just holds it in one hand, taking my left hand in his other.

“If you agree to this, I’m all in. Yes, we will have a contract marriage, but the only two people who would be aware of that would be the two of us.

As far as you, Gemma, and Gunner are concerned, the three of you would be mine.

And I would be yours in return. They will never know anything except that I chose them when I chose you.

I’ll be there for them in every capacity that they need me and however makes you most comfortable.

I haven’t gotten where I am today without giving my all when I set my mind on something.

If you’ll have me, I’ll do everything I can to be the partner you deserve.

We’ll be teammates in this arrangement. So what do you say, Little Red—will you take a gamble on me? ”