by Anne Stone
“Yeah, it is.” She sighed. “By the time we return from our honeymoon, it will be just about time for you to head off to training camp. How will we be able to accomplish everything?” She paused and smiled. “Honey, I’m thrilled, I really am. This has been your dream.”
She tucked a stray hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear. “I’m thinking ahead—all we have to do. It’s going to be hard enough making the transition to married life, but now we have to move. Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m in complete shock.” She inhaled deeply. “Wow, it’s a lot to take in.” She ran her hand across her face.
“Sweetheart, I understand that you are in shock. So am I. But this is a dream come true!” He paused. “I never ever believed this could happen. Never. I realize how much this is going to stress you out with the wedding and all. Remember you’re not in this alone. You have me and my family.”
“I realize that. But where will we live? We have only a few weeks before training camp begins.”
“We’ll work it out, trust me.”
“I do with all of my heart.”
She half-listened as he ran through his list of things to be accomplished before the wedding. She needed to end the call as she had a final dress fitting scheduled for that afternoon and she didn’t want to be late. “Ryne, I hate to cut this short,” she said. “Lauren, Grams, and I have our final dress fitting in less than an hour, and I need to pick up Grams.”
Before ending the call, he clenched his fists and raised them in the air. “I can’t believe this is really happening. My dreams have come true. I’m marrying you and going to the Storm.”
She blew him a kiss, said her goodbyes. She sat for a moment and took another deep breath, realizing that her life had definitely been thrown a curve ball— one that she’d not been expecting. Married life yes but relocating right now, no.
She brushed her hand through her hair, grabbed her car keys, and headed out the door. As she approached her grandparents’ house, she found her grandmother standing in the driveway waiting for her. “You’re late,” her grandmother goaded her as she closed the door and buckled her seatbelt. “I expected you fifteen minutes ago.”
“Sorry about that.” Jen pulled out of the driveway to the blaring of a car horn. Thankfully, the other driver stopped before they collided. Jen pulled back into the driveway and pounded her hand against the steering wheel.
“Honey, what’s got you so upset?”
She started to tremble. “Jennifer dear,” Rose said reaching for her granddaughter. “Come on, out with it. What’s wrong?”
Jen had Rose’s full attention, “I...I…I’m leaving.”
“Oh honey, I know you are. You’re leaving in a few days for Calgary. Your grandfather and I, we’re coming with you.”
“No…”
“No? You’re not leaving, not getting married?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m leaving for good.”
“Jennifer, I’m not following. You need to start this conversation over.”
Rose held tightly onto her hand as she told her about Ryne’s trade. “But honey, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Rose brushed the wisps of hair that have fallen across Jen’s face aside. “Hasn’t Ryne wanted to play for the Storm since he was a child?”
Jen nodded.
“You should be happy. He faced his dreams head on and now they’ve come true.”
Jen listened as Rose spoke. “Honey, I know how overwhelmed you are with the wedding, change in career and all, but this is a chance in a lifetime for Ryne.” Rose squeezed her hand. “You’ll always have your home here whether you live in the city or not. You know your grandfather and I will take care of it.”
Jen sighed.
“Dear, your place is with Ryne. He’s going to be your husband. Your grandfather and I will always be here for you whether we’re right around the corner or two thousand miles way. And don’t forget we can talk to you by Sipe.”
“That’s Skype, Grams,” she rolled her eyes. She could never get that right.
“Yeah, okay, Skype. But dear, you need to move forward. Ryne is your future. He’s going to be your husband. The one you go home to. I realize how sentimental you are, but if it makes you feel better, your grandfather and I can visit as often as you like. Just maybe not during the dire winter when it’s colder than heck up there.”
Rose’s comments got a little chuckle out of Jen. She threw her arms around her grandmother. “Thank you for making me realize how blind I am. You’re right. Ryne is my future.” She paused. “It’s just so hard sometimes, Grams. I miss Mom and Dad so much.”
“I know you do. But look at it this way, you’ve got not only me and your grandfather, Rowena and Miles, but you’re adding Jacques and Jacklynne and Ryne’s siblings into the mix. I know how much you miss Mom and Dad, but from what I see, Jacques and Jacklynne have accepted you into their home without question. I know you’ll never, ever forget your parents, but embrace Ryne’s now as your own too. They love you so.”
Jen nodded. “They do and I need to remember that.”
She ran her hand through her hair once again and put the car in reverse. “Let’s try this again,” she said and headed down the street towards the dressmaker.
Jen exited the Calgary terminal into Ryne’s waiting arms. He brushed a kiss across her lips and swung her around in a circle. “You’re finally here.”
“I am,” she said as she ran her fingers along his lips. “It feels so good to be in your arms.” She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “I can’t believe our wedding is almost here.”
She nuzzled his neck, oblivious to the world around them until they heard a loud noise. “Ahhem,” She lifted her head from Ryne’s shoulder to discover the face of her grandmother. “I guess you’ve already forgotten about your grandfather and me.”
“Rose, I didn’t see you there,” Ryne said as he pulled away from Jennifer and hugged her.
“I can see you didn’t,” she said as she slapped at his shoulder. “You only have eyes for my granddaughter.”
“That I do.” He extended his hand to Wilford. “It’s good to see you, sir.”
Wilford gave him the look that he’d been accustomed to when he referred to him as sir. “Sorry about that, sir…I mean, Wilford. Maybe I’ll get it right someday.”
They all laughed. “Come on, let’s go fetch your bags, and then we can grab something to eat before heading out to the ranch.”
Ryne discreetly texted his mother when they left the restaurant to expect them within the hour. When they drove through the clearing of trees, he wasn’t disappointed. Standing on the driveway, was his entire family. Emma was bouncing from foot to foot. Ryne threw his head back in laughter as he stopped the car.
“What’s so funny, Ryne?” Wilford asked.
“Take a look at Emma. She’s so excited she can’t contain herself.”
And with that, she sprang from the sidelines, throwing open Jen’s car door. “Jen, I can’t believe you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting forever.”
“Emma,” Jacklynne chastised her.
“It’s okay, Jacklynne. I’m just as excited to see Em as she is to see me.”
Ryne couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she exited the car. In a few short days she would be his wife. Words could not express his thoughts. His dreams of having a family of his own were coming true along with his ultimate dream of becoming a member of the Calgary Storm. Life was good and would only get better in a few days when he heard the words, ‘I do’ coming from Jen’s lips.
Chapter Thirty
It was late when everyone called it a night on the wedding rehearsal festivities. Ryne didn’t want the evening to end so he grabbed Jen’s hand and led her to one of the ATV’s kept in the garage.
From the moment he’d picked her and her grandparents up at the airport, he had a sense that all wasn’t completely right. He wasn’t exactly sure what was troubling her, but he wanted to hash it out before they said the
ir I do’s. He knew she loved him and he loved her so much that his heart ached when they weren’t together. He needed to put his qualms to bed and fully enjoy his wedding without any reservations on her part to speak of.
“Where are you taking me?”
“I’m sure you can guess.” He pulled her beside him, revved up the ATV, and backed out of the garage. He took the long way around the ranch to their special place. The place where he’d asked her to marry him and where they were scheduled to be married in a few short hours.
He slowed the vehicle and eased himself from the seat. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along to the exact location he’d proposed. He knew where it was because there was a little dip in the hillside beside the pond.
Ryne raised his hand to her hair, smoothing it behind her ear. He ran his fingertip alongside her face and rested it against her lips. She started to speak but he pressed his finger against her, shushing her voice.
“I love you,” he said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He looked longingly into her eyes. “You are my life, Jen.” He removed his finger from her lips and laid his hand against her heart. “You’ve brought so much love and joy into my heart. When I am away from you, I physically ache.”
He dropped his hand and pulled away. “I need to make sure you’re doing what you want to do, and if you say no, then I’ll have to deal with it in my own way.” He cleared his throat unsure how she would take his next words. “I think I’ve loved you since the moment you ran into me.”
“Ryne.”
“Shh, listen to what I have to say first, and then you can speak.” She nodded.
“I know this is a huge adjustment for you. Marrying me and relocating to Canada.” He paused before asking her the question that had been on his mind for days now. “Are you sure you want to do that? Do you really want to marry me?”
She gasped. “Of course, I want to marry you. Why do you think I don’t?”
“I just want to be one hundred percent sure before tomorrow. I plan to only get married once in my lifetime and that’s to you. So if you have any doubts…”
“Why would you think I have doubts? I love you with all of my heart.”
“I know you say you do, but then I see the sadness in your eyes. When I told you about my trade, I saw the uncertainty fall across your face. The Storm is my dream, and I just want to make sure that it’s yours too. I get the feeling it’s not.”
She wrung her hands together, and he could feel her nervousness. She stood slightly turned away from him, gazing across the horizon. “If you want to call it off, let’s do it right here and right now,” he said.
“I don’t,” she whispered.
He reached for her hand and cupped the side of her face. “Then please, tell me what’s troubling you.”
She raised her eyes to his. Holding back tears, she shared with him her conversation with her grandmother shortly after discovering his trade. “Grandmother helped me see the light. I’ll be honest; at first, I was unsure about the trade. In fact, I am still a little overwhelmed with everything. But then I see your loving face and know that I made the right decision when you asked me to be your wife.
“I love you so much that I’m oftentimes consumed with my love for you. I think of you from the moment I wake until I go to sleep. Will this move be difficult for me? Of course it will. But then, I recall Emma when we arrived the other day, and I realize that I’m not losing my family. I’m gaining so much more: You, your parents, your brothers, Olivia, Emma and of course, your Storm family. My life is going to be so full of family.” She smiled.
He chuckled as she described her newfound family. “My life is so much fuller with all of the Fergusons. As Grams reminded me…She can always visit us as often as I wish…”
Ryne groaned.
“Hey, come on.”
“Just kidding. I love Rose and Wilford. They’re welcome anytime.”
She grabbed ahold of his hand. “Once I came to grips with the fact that I wasn’t losing my family, only gaining one, I was okay. I just ask you one thing.”
“And that is…”
“Please have patience with me. I know this is going to be a difficult adjustment for me. I’m going to have to get used to the fact that I can’t visit my grandparents on a whim. I’ll have to set aside quality time for them. I don’t want to lose them.”
“Honey, you won’t. I won’t let you. They’ll always be there for you although just a little further away. They won’t be there to put that physical bandage on your wound, but they’ll always be there by your side, albeit just not around the corner.”
“If you call eighteen hundred miles around the corner.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.” She inched closer to him and then brushed her fingertips against his lips. “I have to be completely honest with you, though.” She raised her fingers along his brow and chuckled at his expression. “Stop worrying, will you.”
He focused on her every word. “I have to admit I am a tad nervous,” she said.
“Just a tad?”
“Maybe more than a tad. I’m joining your family in just a few short hours, and I have to say it’s a little daunting. I’ll be going from living basically alone to sharing my entire life with you; being able to call Jacques and Jacklynne Mom and Dad. Add in your brothers, Olivia and Emma, and I’m just a little overwrought. Please forgive me if I made you believe that I didn’t want to marry you.
“Marrying you is what’s keeping me sane these days. You’ve guided me to the realization that I needed to refocus my career and live my life doing what I’d originally planned.” She ran her finger along his brow. “Just have patience with me. Be there on those days that I can’t seem to see straight. Hold me when I’m overcome with homesickness.”
He laughed at that.
“No. I’m serious. I know I’m going to have good and bad days as I work through the adjustment to being married and moving away from the only home I’ve ever known. Promise me one thing.”
He nodded as he waited on her.
“Promise that you’ll never give up on me or us. I need you more than anything. You’re my lifeline, and I don’t know what I’d do if you ever gave up on us.”
“Never. I’ve waited a long time to find you. In the one moment when my life flashed before me and I looked into your eyes, I knew you were the one. We were meant to find one another that night on the parking lot. Fate brought us together, and love will keep us together.
“I have to be honest that being a hockey wife isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. I’m on the road at least three months of the year. I get banged up a lot.”
“Like I haven’t noticed.”
“Seriously, it’s a rough sport. So what comes around goes around. I’ll be there for you when you’re experiencing one of your lows, but I expect you to be there on the nights I can barely get off the couch.”
He placed his hands on either side of her face. “We’re in this together. The good and the bad. The ups and downs. That’s what married life is all about, and I can’t wait to experience what life’s got to throw at me. With you by my side…”
She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Together we’ll survive…one day at a time.”
He held her close. “This time tomorrow you’ll be my wife. I can’t wait to call you my wife— Mrs. Ryne Ferguson.”
“And I can’t wait to call you my husband.”
The wedding was everything she imagined. She’d considered both of her grandfathers to escort her down the aisle but instead chose Ed. He was the closest thing to a father she had—being her dad’s best friend. He’d been there since she was a little girl, and after her parents’ deaths, she often sought him out for advice.
When she came down the stairs and met him in the foyer, she noticed the tears in his eyes. “My dear, your father would be so proud of you. You are marrying a wonderful man. He loves you very much.”
“I know and I love him
with all of my heart. I’m sorry my parents aren’t here to witness me marrying Ryne, but I am ever thankful that I have you in my life. Getting married has made me realize that even though I haven’t said it, I consider you a second father. You’ve been with me every step of the way since Mom and Dad died. I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me, and I’m ever thankful for the trade you orchestrated bringing Ryne to the Generals. I owe this day to you. I would have never found Ryne if it weren’t for you. Thank you, Ed. You’ve given me so much.”
“Oh sweetheart. I didn’t do a thing. What I see is that fate sealed this day for you. You were meant to run down Ryne on the parking lot, and fall hopelessly in love with him.”
“Neither of you are ever going to let me live that little faux pas down, are you?”
“I don’t see how we can. I can hear it now. I met Mommy when she almost ran me over in the parking lot. What a fantastic story you’ll be able to share with your children. Now, let’s get this show on the road.” Ed pulled her into his arms and kissed her brow. “I can feel your parents here today. They are watching you and smiling, knowing that Ryne is the perfect man for you. This day is going to fly by in the blink of an eye. Take in everything you can.”
On that note, the carriage appeared that would take them out to the pond where she and Ryne would exchange their vows. As promised, the hillsides surrounding the ranch were filled with a multitude of colors as the flowers were at their peak.
As they neared the fabric runner that would lead her to Ryne, she took a deep breath. Her life was about to change. She closed her eyes committing to memory the beauty that surrounded her. The cumulus clouds that blanketed the sky reminded her of her favorite Florida sky. The perfect day all around. When she reopened them, she saw Ryne, dressed in a formal black tux, standing at the end of the white runner. He shifted from foot to foot as he waited for her.
Ed assisted her from the carriage and Lauren straightened her mother’s eight-foot train adorned with hand sewn Swarovski crystals.