“What?” There was no way those two could have kept something that big from each other. Not only were Chloe and Erik close, but Reese and Erik were best friends.
“I was new to the team and Chloe didn’t think Erik or the rest of the team would approve.”
I cringed. It made sense now. It was crazy what a few months could do. I never would have guessed that was how they got together knowing them now.
“Anyway, I’m glad you guys are dating. We’ve been waiting for the right girl to come around and get Erik to settle down.”
Erik shook his head. “It takes some of us longer than others to figure things out.”
Reese nodded. “I know. I didn’t want to date while was in the league. Thank heaven I met this woman and she showed me all that I was missing in life.”
He smiled at her, and she leaned into a kiss. They were adorable together. They just fit. I was surprised when I learned they’d been together for about six months.
“You’re going to make me barf. No kissing at the table.” Erik held up a hand, blocking them from his view.
“You guys are cute together. Ignore him.” I wanted what they had. Erik and I were still new, but I hoped we could get to the same degree of intimacy.
“Thanks, Madi.” Chloe smiled and ignored her brother.
After everyone was finished and the kitchen was cleaned up, the group gathered in the living room. A competitive game of charades was set up, but Erik and I watched from against the wall.
Hartman was acting out what was either an ostrich or shoveling. I couldn’t really tell. But watching a large hockey player bend over and almost touch his face to the floor was incredible. His team was laughing too hard to even make guesses.
“Come with me.” Erik’s hand dropped from my shoulder and slipped into mine.
He led me through his bedroom and out on to the balcony. He picked up a blanket on the way and guided me to a bench overlooking downtown. He bundled us with the blanket before wrapping his arms around me. I should have been cold, but being that close to him warmed me to my bones.
“We haven’t done this in a while.”
His chest rumbled against my back as he spoke. He was right. When I first got here, I had the tendency of finding myself outside, alone, with him.
Even back then, I knew. At least my subconscious did.
Those nights were our foundation. Little by little, I let him in and realized all that I was missing out on by being with a man like him.
“Do you want to stay here?”
He sighed and I relaxed against him. “I want to. But I don’t have complete control over that.”
I knew that. I knew his contract was up for review. “But if you had a choice?”
“I want to stay on the Fury for the rest of my career. These guys are my family. This is my home.”
I nodded and leaned my head back on his shoulder.
“I want to get a home here. I want to have a family here. Ideally, Chloe and Reese would stay here. Olli and Emma would stay. Hartman, Brassard, and Coach. I wouldn’t want any of it to change, but that’s not realistic for our jobs. Anything can change with a moment’s notice.”
I knew that too well.
I tried to run from a life like what I had growing up, and look where that got me. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I’d run to Chicago just to end up right back with my parents and I was now dating a player. My future looked a lot like my past.
But maybe Mom was right. Erik’s a better player than my dad was, and the league is different. Erik brought in money. That plus his talent made him indispensable to the Fury organization. I knew Dad wouldn’t trade him, but it wasn’t entirely up to him.
Was I willing to risk that life? The uncertainty? The instability?
I took a deep breath, taking in his teakwood scent.
Yes, for him I would.
“I want this.”
His arms tightened around me. “You want us?”
I nodded. I want this to work.
“I want us, too.”
“I want you to meet my parents.”
His laugh rumbled deep in his chest. “Madi, I’ve known them for five years.”
“I want you to meet them as my parents. Not Coach.”
“Okay.”
Okay. This was good. This was how it was supposed to go. I’d met his family—Chloe. He’d meet mine.
Was I getting ahead of myself? Planning for a future? We’d been on one date. That didn’t mean we’d run down the aisle anytime soon.
I needed to keep a clear head. I just spent four years with the wrong man because I’d been blind. I shouldn’t rush into something else.
Even if it felt more right than anything in my life.
I knew there was more to a functioning relationship than chemistry. More than just how great it felt in his arms. That didn’t mean we would make a good couple. That we would have a successful marriage. It didn’t even mean we’d get married.
“Do you want to get married?”
The words were out before I realized he wasn’t in my head. He didn’t know the context. I basically just proposed to him.
“Um, what?”
I started to laugh at the panic in his voice. I didn’t have to see his expression to know I’d just freaked him out. It was surprising I couldn’t feel his heart pounding.
“I just meant in general. Is marriage something you believe in.”
“Oh. Yeah.” He laughed. “Yes, I do believe in marriage. I want to get married. One day.”
Good. That was good to know. I didn’t need a plan. Things with Clark had been on a schedule he made. Dating for two years, a one-year engagement, and a wedding in the chapel by his parent’s home in Connecticut.
I didn’t want that. I wanted romance. Spontaneity. I wanted to get swept up in love and grow as a couple naturally.
Which was why I was micro-analyzing now.
If only I could turn off my brain. Just enjoy the now.
“Do you want a dog or a cat?”
It was my turn to laugh at the random outburst. “Dogs. At least two.”
“Good.”
I turned my head so I was closer to him. “Are we planning our future?”
His head tilted down until his chin was resting on my forehead. “A little bit.”
“Why?”
“Because I know.”
“You know what?”
“That we’re going to be together. We have a future ahead of us.”
It should scare me that he felt that way. That I felt the same way.
I never believed people when they said that they just knew when they met their spouse that they were the one. I never believed in love at first sight. I thought you were supposed to meet someone, slowly get to know them, go on several dates, decide to be a couple, date for a few years, get engaged, and eventually get married.
With Erik, it went from meeting, to thinking about him constantly, to our first date, to talking about our future. Where were all the middle steps? Where was the time?
It wasn’t even like we were going in fast forward. It was like we rolled a dice and skipped six steps ahead.
And why didn’t that scare me? It should.
It was completely unlike me. I was a planner. I ran from guys like him.
Not him. Erik challenged me. He opened my eyes and made me see the reality of my life. He made me realize I wanted, no, needed to change.
“Erik?”
“Yeah.”
Who cared? Who cared if we did things out of order or too fast? Who cares if we’ve only known each other for two months, barley? I didn’t. Erik didn’t. So what did it matter?
“I really like like you.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I really like like you, Madi.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Erik
Since we had a game on Saturday night, I was officially meeting Madeline’s parents on Sunday. That somehow made it feel more official. I dressed in slacks and a button-
down shirt. It was too late for first impressions, but I wanted Coach and Marie to know I was taking this seriously. My feelings for their daughter were serious.
I wasn’t sure of the exact moment it happened, but over the past few weeks she chiseled away at my stone heart and took root. As much as I’ve always wanted to have a family, eventually, I never thought it would happen this soon. I figured maybe after I retired I’d find someone, but she snuck up on me.
Maybe it was being around all the happy couples popping up on the team. Seeing them made me realize it was a possibility for me.
I got out of my car and walked up the drive to their front door. I’d been here hundreds of times, but this was different. I wasn’t coming over to hang out with the team or watch a film with Coach. It was just me. They would focus on me as a person, not a player. I hoped I met their expectations.
I knocked and held my breath until Madi opened the door. She looked gorgeous in a plain maroon dress.
“Hi.” She stepped back and let me in. I moved forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek, just in case there were eyes on us. I wasn’t ready for PDA in front of the parents.
“You look beautiful.”
She smiled and took my hand before leading me into the kitchen. I realized then I’d made a mistake. I was such an idiot. I should have remembered something so simple.
If I wanted to make a good impression I shouldn’t have arrived empty-handed. I should have stopped on the way and bought some flowers.
I wanted to retreat. I wanted to come up with some excuse to leave and find the nearest store, but Coach already saw me.
He greeted me with a handshake and a smile. “Good to see you, Erik.”
I nodded. “You too, Coach.”
Madeline shook her head. “No hockey tonight. You call him Bo.”
I looked to her dad as he shook his head. “Fine, sweetie.”
Marie walked in and gave me a hug. “So good to see you, honey. You were great last night.”
“Mom.” Madi had her hands on her hips. “No hockey.”
Marie laughed and waved off her daughter. “Okay, I’ll try to remember that. Dinner is ready, so let’s take our seats.”
I followed behind them to the dining room. The table was set for four and food was waiting for us.
Once we were seated and the pot roast dinner was served I was able to relax. I hadn’t had roast since my parents were alive sometime back when I was still in high school. It was such a Mom thing to me. I never asked Chloe to make it and never tried myself because it felt like something that was sacred to Mom’s memory.
Eating it now with the closest thing I had to family felt right.
“Erik, what do you do for a living?”
I looked up to see Coach, I mean Bo, smiling at me.
Madi groaned. “You don’t need to mock me. I just don’t want the night to revolve around hockey. I want you guys to get to know each other outside of that one topic.”
Marie covered a laugh with her hand, but Madi caught it. “What’s so funny, Mom?”
“Oh, honey. I’m not laughing at you, I promise. I get what you’re trying to do, but we’ve known Erik for five years. I know his favorite cookie is double-chocolate chip, but he’ll never eat them in public.”
She winked at me. She was right. She made them for team meetings and always packed me a bag with them. I tried to be healthy, especially in front of the team. I wanted to be an example, but I couldn’t say no to those.
“We know about his childhood in Canada, his hockey career from high school on, his parent’s tragic passing, his love for his sister. Honey, we know him. We love him. I don’t think it’s necessary to pretend like we need to start from scratch.”
I couldn’t stop the smile taking over my face. Each word she said brought me closer to tears. I loved her and I loved Coach. It meant everything to me that they thought of me that way.
Madi was silent for a moment. Her dad reached for her hand and squeeze-it once before pulling away. “Madi, you don’t think I would have let you get involved with someone I didn’t already approve of, did you?”
She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean? We’ve only been on one date.”
Coach smiled. “Oh, but you’ve spent plenty of time together.”
“You…” She started shaking her head. “You could have found a dozen other physical therapists to work with him.”
He nodded with a smirk.
“You had me do it because…” She looked around the table before facing him again. “You were trying to set us up.”
Coach shrugged, and I almost stood to give the man a hug. That beautiful genius. He knew her ex wasn’t good for her. He put us together hoping we’d end up right where we are.
“Are you mad about that, Madi?”
She looked to me and finally smiled. “It was a bit underhanded, but no. I’m grateful.”
“Then it’s settled. We all know and love each other. Now let’s eat.” I smiled at Marie, but her words hit me. Did I love Madi? Did she love me?
It was too soon for that. Wasn’t it?
I thought about that as we ate and cleaned up.
If someone asked me a year ago, even a month ago, I would have said no. It was impossible. Love took months, years even.
Now, I wasn’t so sure.
“Let’s go to the porch.” I smiled at her suggestion and followed her out. There were space heaters set up, but we still huddled together on a bench.
“Why do we always end up outside?”
She laughed. “I don’t know. It was an accident at first, now it’s just kind of our spot.”
“I’m sorry dinner didn’t go as planned.”
She sighed and leaned into me. “Mom was right. They already know and love you. Maybe I was a little jealous that they know you better than I do. I wanted us to all be on equal ground.”
“That makes sense, but it’s not really the case. They might have known me longer, but you already know me in a way that no one else does.”
“Really?”
I tightened my arm around her and breathed her in. “I feel like I’m playing a role that people expect from me. Even with the guys. They all think of me one way. The one that doesn’t take things too seriously. The one that lives life in the fast lane. I’m the flashy one. The one that ends up on TV. Only a few people really know me, but only you know what I really want.”
“The house and the family?”
I nodded against her head. “I’ve never told anyone that. I didn’t think I’d ever have it.”
“But now?”
“I can see it.”
“Really?”
“Really. I can picture it with you.”
Her sharp breath confirmed that I’d surprised her.
“I know this might be too much too soon, but I can’t talk myself out of it. I can’t convince myself that this is all too fast. That it’s too soon for me to feel this way.”
“What way?”
“I want you to be my future. I want us to have the life both of us dream of. The home, the roots, the family. I want to build all of that with you.”
She turned and looked at me. “Erik.”
It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to let me know she felt the same way.
I dipped my head, pressing my lips against hers. I gave no warning, but she immediately responded. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I tugged her by the waist. It was right. We were right.
I kissed away any doubts in either of our minds. I opened my mouth, inviting her to do the same. She let me in and I kissed her with all the emotions I couldn’t explain. The feeling of her in my arms was better than any goal I’ve ever scored.
I wanted this forever.
I broke away and waited as her eyes lazily opened, meeting mine.
“I love you, Madeline.”
A tiny gasp escaped her before she smiled. “I love you, Erik.”
I never knew I could need words so desperately.
/> My lips were back on hers. Searing. Promising. Sealing.
This was it. This was what I wanted my life to be. I could leave my career tomorrow and be just fine as long as I had her with me.
The best part was that I didn’t have to. We’d be together, fulfilling our dreams.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Madeline
This was true happiness. Every other time in life that I’d thought was happiness was wrong. At least with past relationships.
This was how it was supposed to feel. No doubts. No games. No competition.
Peace.
It was like my heart and soul sighed and relaxed into a state of pure contentment.
The sun was a little brighter. The weather a little warmer. Work went by faster. Life was good.
My coworkers noticed the change. I was complimented on my hair, my smile, my new shoes. I had a feeling it had to do with my energy more than my appearance. I was so happy, and I didn’t try to contain it. I was surprised I was able to refrain from singing around the office.
I was in such a good mood, traffic didn’t bother me. I got home and changed into comfy sweats before heading to the kitchen to start a batch of double-chocolate cookies. Erik had practice tonight and a game tomorrow night, but I wanted to at least drop these off so he could have them when he got home.
I hummed as I worked, floating around the kitchen.
“It’s a good thing the windows are closed or small forest animals would be surrounding you right now.”
I turned and giggled at Mom’s expression. I could tell she didn’t know what to make of this change in me.
“Aww, you think I’m a princess.”
She stepped forward and stole a taste of the cookie dough. “You’ve always been my princess.” She tasted the dough and nodded. “These are good.”
“Thanks. I’m going to drop them off later.”
“I’m sure Erik will love that.” She smiled and winked before walking out.
I hadn’t told either of my parents about what we said on the patio, but apparently they had a sixth sense. Not that I cared. I was ready to shout it from the rooftops. I couldn’t wait to see Chole. To tell her. See if Erik had talked to her about us.
Match Penalty (Utah Fury Hockey Book 2) Page 15