“Get dressed,” Kate said, ignoring the distasteful comment. Julia was all bark and no bite, especially when Kate used her “big girl” voice. “Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.” The door closed behind her and Julia and Gabe were alone again.
As much as Julia wanted to stay in bed until the sun burned out, a day of beauty and relaxation sounded even better. Sometimes her sister, the mother hen of all mother hens, knew exactly what Julia needed. Not that she would ever admit that to Kate. The woman didn’t need any more ammo in which to use to meddle in her life with. Meddling was what Kate did best and Julia didn’t know how she’d survive without it.
Gabe sat his laptop aside and pulled her back down onto the bed with him. On a sigh, Julia melted into him and laid her head on his arm.
“She’s really serious about this dog stuff, isn’t she?” Gabe asked.
Personally, he thought it might be too soon, but he wasn’t about to tell Kate that. She knew her own mind and liked to think she knew what was best for her everyone else, too.
“I guess so.”
“Are you going to let her steamroll you like that?”
“Are you kidding? Do you know how wonderful a massage sounds?”
Gabe chuckled and she liked the sound. She could really get used to the feel of his chest when it rumbled with laughter, and the ever-present scent of cinnamon on his breath, and the…
Well, Julia decided, it was suffice to say that she was getting used to having Gabe around altogether. She liked him here. She liked it a lot.
“I’ve learned to choose my battles,” Julia admitted. “Especially with my sister.”
“What about the dog?”
Julia was silent for a minute, finally letting herself think about meeting a new service dog. Her throat tightened when she thought about Shamus. A part of her would always ache for him, but there was certainly room in her heart for another dog. Maybe this was exactly what she needed to jumpstart her life again.
“I guess I could get used to the idea,” she said after a while.
It was time she stopped thinking about everything she’d lost in the fire and started thinking about everything she’d gained in the last few months.
Gabe rubbed his free hand over her back. “Maybe I’d like to try some massage on you sometime.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. And you don’t even have to return the favor.”
Julia snorted and rolled over on top of him, pinning him to the bed. “Are you sure about that? Blind people give the best massages.”
* * *
Breakfast in Kate’s tiny kitchen was a sort of controlled chaos, with toast popping up out of the toaster at carefully timed intervals and eggs being cooked to perfection on the stove. Space was limited and there was more shimmying than a Texas square dance, but Kate enjoyed having everyone together.
Julia was out of bed and Cassidy crunched on cat foot from a dish decorated with colorful paw prints. Things were about as normal as they were going to get with everyone sharing the small space.
Logan and Gabe were discussing sports scores and Julia found herself smiling at the thought of her computer geek boyfriend knowing the difference between the Bears and the Cubs.
“Your little love nest is filling up quickly, Katie,” she remarked while carefully pouring orange juice into glasses.
Kate smiled, glad her sister was out of bed and looking halfway human. “I kind of like having everyone under one roof.”
During breakfast, Gabe marveled at how easily Kate and Logan showed affection toward each other. Gabe had grown up in a household that frowned upon physical affection in public and the concept was unfamiliar to him. But Kate and Logan were so obviously in love that they were actually a refreshing sight to watch.
Julia shoved a piece of toast into her mouth. “They’re kissing again, aren’t they?” she asked with a mock look of disgust wrinkling her face.
Just because her eyes weren’t functional didn’t mean she couldn’t see what was going on around her. Most people—including Kate—severely underestimated her. She could sense changes in the air. When two people were tense around each other. When two people couldn’t wait to get alone so they could rip each other’s clothes off. Kate and Logan were definitely in the latter group.
Gabe squeezed her hand and leaned forward to press a kiss to her temple. He might have grown up with an ingrained aversion to public displays of affection, but he knew how to keep a woman from feeling left out.
“I have a feeling the two lovebirds would like the nest all to themselves,” Julia remarked.
Gabe jumped in with a solution he’d been mulling over for a few days. “I’m going to get us a hotel room until we figure out where we’re going to live.”
Logan caught wind of the conversation and looked to Kate, to Julia and back to Kate again. “Why don’t you guys just move into my place?” he suggested. “It has a piano for Julia and everything.”
“Oh no, Logan,” Julia waved a hand in dismissal, a gesture Kate used often. “We couldn’t impose on you like that.”
“It’s no problem,” Logan said with a shrug. “I was planning on moving in with Kate and selling the place anyway.”
Kate’s head whipped around to him and her mouth dropped open. “You were?”
He put an arm around her and pulled her close. “Well, yeah. We’ve kind of talked about it before and I think it’s a good idea. And now is just as good of a time as any. We’re still getting married, aren’t we?”
“Well, yes, but I thought you’d want to live at your house. It’s so much bigger and…”
“Nah. I like your place better. It’s time I moved on from the bachelor pad.”
Gabe squeezed Julia’s hand. “Well, what do you think?” he asked her.
“I think, Logan, you just got yourself two new tenants.”
Logan dug keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Gabe. “Why don’t the two of you go over and check the place out today?”
Gabe held the keys in his hand and leaned over to kiss the back of Julia’s hand. “Sounds like a plan.”
When just a week ago everything seemed to be falling apart at the seams, now it was all falling into place.
* * *
Logan’s house in Pacific Hills was much more than Gabe could have hoped for, especially for his and Julia’s first home together. It would definitely work until they could find a place more scaled down for the two of them. Or more appropriately, the four of them, including Cassidy and Hawley. Having a new dog around was going to take some getting used to. But Julia seemed to be warming up to the idea and Gabe just wanted her to be happy again.
“This place is incredible,” Gabe said. “I have a surprise for you.”
Julia’s nose crinkled. “What?”
“Now, close your eyes tight.”
She sensed the smirk in his voice. “Very funny.”
Julia tuned in her senses, getting a feel from the room. The smell of leather was strong from the recliner. “I already know where we are,” she reminded him. “I’ve been here before.”
“But you haven’t seen this.” Gabe led her to the piano in the center of the room and sat her down on the bench.
“The piano,” she whispered in awe.
“You can play as loud as you want.”
She reached her hands out in front of her and found the keys, cold and welcoming. She played the middle movement of her sonata, instantly loving the acoustics in the room. “It’s wonderful.”
“Julia.” Gabe took her hand and spun her around on the bench.
“What?”
“I love you. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“And I don’t want you to go anywhere,” she said smiling. He nuzzled her neck and she threw her arms around him. “And I love you too,” she laughed.
It dawned on him that he hadn’t heard her laugh in a long time. It was a sound he missed.
There would be laughter in this house, Gabe mused. There would be
dogs and cats and laughter bouncing off its big beautiful walls.
* * *
The next morning, Julia woke up and felt Gabe’s arm draped across her waist. They had explored the big house in Pacific Hills the day before and Julia discovered there were a lot more than four steps from the bedroom to the bathroom.
Exciting events were in the works. VINCE was finally complete and glitch-free and Gabe was preparing for the upcoming launch day. MacDaddy was having a big party and everyone was going to dress up. With Kate’s full support, Julia was returning to work at the Blue Key next week. Logan had met the UNHL’s minimum vision requirement and had resumed skating as soon as he’d heard the news. If all went well, he could be cleared to play in his first game since the accident as early as next week.
Gabe had even talked Julia into playing her sonata for Kate and Logan. They liked it so much that Julia decided to have a recital to raise awareness for Gabe’s software and raise donations for people who might not be able to afford it. It would be the first time she ever played her own music in public before and she was more excited than nervous.
Gabe murmured something in his sleep and Julia listened to the soothing sound of his breathing.
There was so much love in him, this man who had chosen her to love and to move twenty-two hundred miles to be with. She wasn’t alone in this crazy life. She had Kate, Logan and Cassidy. And now Gabe. And soon there would be a new addition to their family. A Lab named Hawley who had been trained especially for her needs.
Through the darkness and the uncertainty and the grief, Julia smiled.
* * *
“Are you just about ready to go?” Kate asked as she came down the hall. She found Julia in the guestroom putting her shoes on.
“I’m ready.” Julia felt for the purse beside her on the bed and pulled it onto her lap. “Thanks for the new purse. You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“I try.” Kate smiled, thinking of the lip gloss and gum she’d stashed inside.
“You and Logan are getting married.” Julia hadn’t properly congratulated her sister. She’d been selfish and content to hide from the world and everything that was going on in it.
“Yes. He’s being so cute about it,” Kate said happily. “He wants two weddings. One here and one in Sweden.”
“He has a nice voice. I could tell he was smiling when you told me the news. You give him something to smile about, Katie.”
“Oh, don’t get all mushy on me now.”
“I mean it. He really loves you.”
“Good. Because I really love him.” Kate paused and then added, “Logan’s family is super nice.”
“They flew all the way here from Sweden for Logan’s surgery.” There was wonder in her voice.
“You’ll get to meet them at the wedding.”
Julia nodded and fidgeted nervously with the purse strap. “I’m still not too sure about this whole new dog thing. Maybe I should just use my cane for a while and knock people out of the way with it if I have to.”
Kate sat down next to her. “Do you remember when I first taught you how to shave your legs?”
A little glimmer of laughter rumbled from Julia. “It was hell.”
“Yeah, we were in the shower together for hours.”
“I was so frustrated that I wanted to just scrap the whole idea and live as a hairy Sasquatch for the rest of my life.”
“But you didn’t give up. You figured out a way and you did it.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Everything in our lives has been a hurdle, Julia. And we keep moving and jumping because that’s what we do. I know it probably feels too soon, but this is something you need,” Kate said about the service dog.
“So you don’t have to worry about me.”
“I worry. I always will because I love you. This will just help me to not worry quite so much.”
“Like that’s even possible,” Julia joked.
“This is how you can keep your independence. You need to be able to visit Gabe at his new job. And I need to know that you’re safe when you go to The Key.”
Julia smirked. “You’re grinding your teeth, Kate.”
“Well,” Kate said on a sigh, “you know how I feel about that place.”
“But you’ll keep your opinions to yourself because you value my independence.”
“Something like that.”
Julia stood up and swung the new purse over her shoulder. “I hope you put the top down on your car because I want to feel the sun on my face.”
“Of course. What road trip is complete without a convertible and two hot guys?”
* * *
Ready to begin their road trip, the four of them headed out to Kate’s car.
Just as they reached the driveway, Gabe stopped. “Wait. Everyone just wait a minute. I need to do this now.”
Kate and Logan wheeled around. “Do what?” Kate asked.
Logan frowned. Gabe looked a little green around the gills.
Sensing his tension, Julia reached up and cupped Gabe’s face with her hands. “Is everything okay?”
“I love you, Julia.”
“I love you, too, Gabe,” Julia said. A nervous laugh bubbled up inside her chest. Hadn’t they already established that?
Gabe sucked in a deep breath and took her hands in his. “I have something I need to ask you.” He knelt down on the pavement. “I’m down on one knee, Julia. I don’t ever want to live thousands of miles away from you. I want a life with you. I don’t want to be apart from you now or ever again. I want to go to sleep with you at night and wake up with you in the morning. And not just over the phone,” he added with a laugh. “I want to share the rest of our lives together.”
Delighted, Julia giggled as he rambled on about their future life together.
Logan put his arm around Kate and they watched as Gabe knelt in front of Julia with love in his eyes.
It didn’t take long before Gabe was out of breath. “So?” he panted. “Will you say yes? Will you marry me, Julia?”
“Yes!” She clapped her hands together.
He picked her up and twirled her around the same way he did when they first “met.”
After sharing a noisy kiss, he set her down and placed the ring in her hand. “I’ve been carrying this ring around for weeks,” he confessed. “I picked it out by touch. Feel how smooth it is. There aren’t any sharp edges, so it won’t snag on anything. It’s called a floating diamond.”
Julia took the ring from him and ran her fingers around the band. The gold was smooth and…wait, it said something. The raised dots spelled out letters. L…O…
Love.
“I had it engraved in braille.”
She reached for him, framed his face with her hands and pulled him close for a kiss. “Yes,” she said as she peppered kisses over his face. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Julia turned to Kate. “Kate, did you hear that? Gabe and I are getting married!”
“Yes,” Kate laughed and pulled her sister in for a hug.
Julia thrust her hand out. “Is it shiny?” she asked.
“It’s gorgeous. And very shiny.”
“Good,” Julia smirked. “Because I’m gonna flash this puppy everywhere I go.”
* * *
Kate, Logan, Julia and Gabe piled into Kate’s BMW, ready and eager for the road trip to Sacramento. A Labrador named Hawley was waiting to meet them and they couldn’t wait to meet all seventy pounds of her.
With the top down, the warm California sun beat down on their shoulders.
Kate sat in the driver’s seat, with Logan next to her in the passenger seat. And in the backseat next to Julia, with his hand clasping hers, sat Gabe. Julia gave his hand a squeeze and he squeezed back, the shiny new ring pinching against her fingers.
Although Hawley already had a name, the guys argued over suitable dog names and Kate couldn’t help but smile.
“I think we should call her Gretzky,” Logan suggested.
“Gr
etzky? Huh.” To humor him, Julia pretended to think about it and agreed that it sounded like a perfectly good name. For any dog besides hers.
“I guess we’ll have to get our own dog then,” Logan decided. “And a kitten for Kate, too.”
Kate laughed and merged onto the freeway.
Gabe leaned over and kissed Julia, the taste of spicy cinnamon transferring and lingering on her lips. She might only be able to see darkness, but there was light all around her in the form of the people she loved.
Meanwhile, in the front seat, Kate glanced over at Logan. He was sprawled out in the passenger seat, arm resting comfortably on the windowsill, wind blowing in his hair, a grin on his handsome face.
He looked over at her and mouthed “I love you.”
She winked at him and looked back at Julia and Gabe in the rearview mirror. They were holding hands, as always, and Kate thought they were the most adorable thing she’d ever seen.
The Kapowski sisters definitely had room in their hearts for another addition to the family.
* * * * *
Read more about the Blue Key in the steamy short story, Tease Me, featuring sexy hockey player Lucas Leighton.
~
Looking for more hockey adventures? Check out Hockey Gods
Inspired by Game of Thrones.
Written for hockey fans.
About the Author
Rachelle Vaughn is the international bestselling author of the Razors Ice books, a series of hockey-themed romance novels. She lives in California with her husband and their sassy calico cat. When she isn’t writing, Rachelle enjoys watching action movies, cruising Pinterest for inspiration and cheering for her favorite hockey players.
Visit her website at rachellevaughn.com.
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Blind Ice (Razors Ice Book 5) Page 24