Knox: A Chicago Blaze Hockey Romance

by Brenda Rothert

“When you know, you know,” she said over dinner, patting my hand. “It was the same for Drake and I.”

  She got teary-eyed a few times over dinner when she mentioned her late husband, but she insisted she wants to talk about him. And when Knox awkwardly apologized for getting married so soon after his father’s death, she told him his dad would be pleased.

  “Our hearts could use some happiness right now,” she said, settling it.

  My dad flew in this morning, and he and Knox went out for breakfast alone. I wasn’t sure how that would go, but they hit it off. Even though Eric set the son-in-law bar extremely low, my dad’s always been protective of his only daughter.

  But his approval is written all over his face as he shakes Knox hand.

  “I’ll take good care of her, sir,” Knox promises.

  “And I’ll take good care of you back,” I say, arching my brows.

  “I know you will.” His gaze is full of love as he cups my cheek.

  The officiant calls us in and we’re almost through the doorway when a man calls out, “Hey Knox, can I get a picture?”

  We both freeze. I wasn’t expecting anyone to ask for a selfie as we’re about to get married. I look at Knox, who turns and says, “Sorry, man. Not this time.”

  “Not with me…of you guys,” the fan insists. “You’re getting married, right?”

  I see then that he’s wearing a Chicago Blaze coat. I lock eyes with Knox, letting him know it’s okay. This is part of his life, and now it’s part of our life.

  My dad looks flabbergasted; I can tell he’s on the verge of asking the fan is he was raised by wolves.

  Knox walks over and extends his hand to the fan for a handshake. The fan grins at him and says, “That hit you got on Dearborn the other night was fucking awesome, man.”

  “Thanks,” Knox says. “I appreciate your support a lot. And even though I’m not up for photos today, why don’t I set you up with some great seats to a home game coming up?”

  The fan’s eyes widen with happiness. “Yeah, for sure. Thanks, man.”

  “No problem. And we’ll get pictures then.”

  “Cool. Yeah.”

  Knox gives him a tight smile. “So just call the team’s front office on Monday and tell them you’re the guy from my wedding. They’ll get you set up.”

  “Awesome, thanks! Congratulations on your wedding.”

  He shakes Knox’s hand again, and nods at me. I smile and reach my hand out for Knox’s.

  When he gets back to me, Knox apologizes under his breath.

  “Don’t be sorry,” I say in a low tone. “You did the right thing.”

  “What is wrong with people?” my dad mutters.

  “Let’s go get married,” I say, squeezing Knox’s hand.

  As we repeat the traditional vows to each other, holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes, I feel like we’re the only people in room. The only ones in the world. Knox’s tone is so earnest as he promises to love and honor me forever. And I’ve never felt anything as deeply as I feel my promises back to him.

  He slides a band on to my finger and I slide one on to his. And then, both of us tearful and smiling, we kiss.

  Knox’s expression as he looks down at me after that is pure joy.

  “You’re my wife,” he says tenderly.

  “And you’re my husband.”

  He brings my hand to his lips and kisses the back of it. I have to tear my eyes away from his for hugs of congratulations with our parents.

  It’s the most surreal, magical feeling, knowing Knox and I are bonded together for life. It’s so different than it was with Eric. It’s not just better, it’s real in a way Eric and I never had.

  “Are you sure you kids don’t have time to get lunch?” Diane asks us as we walk out of the courthouse.

  “Reese and her dad probably can, but I have to get to the arena,” Knox says.

  We got married on a game day. Knox’s schedule is busy right now, and it was either today or in a couple weeks. It thrilled me when he said he’d rather do it now than wait even a couple more weeks to make me his wife.

  Our wedding night won’t be traditional. My new husband might have a black eye or an ice pack on his ribs as we consummate our marriage. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Perfect is overrated. I’ll take real any day.

  “We’ll join you for lunch,” I tell Diane, looking at my dad. “And then we can go see that apartment I was telling you about and go to the arena.”

  Knox and I are looking for a new place, one that will be ours. Hunting for it together is every bit as much fun as planning the new shelter and restaurant.

  Knox puts my coat around my shoulders and leans down to kiss me again.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go,” he says.

  “We’ll celebrate later,” I tell him. “And we’ll be together, even if you’re on the ice and I’m in the stands.”

  His grin is boyish. “I’ll have your name on the VIP pass changed to Reese Devereax.”

  “I love the sound of that.”

  “Not half as much as I do.” He kisses me again.

  There are two black SUVs waiting, and Knox walks me, my dad and his mom over to one of them. He opens the door and helps me inside, making sure my dress is all the way in, too. He kisses me one more time.

  “I love you,” he whispers, his soft voice warm on my lips.

  “I love you, too.”

  He closes the door and walks to the other SUV. I smile like a lovesick schoolgirl as I watch him, so tall and broad and handsome in his dark suit. Once he disappears inside, I’m still grinning, because even when I can’t see Knox, he’s still with me. I realize now that he has been ever since that day I met him in Kauai.

  My smile gets even broader as I realize what a big thank you I owe to Eric, Mandy and Kelsey. Without their treachery, I never would’ve met Knox. It’s nice when the good guys finish first. Even better when the bad guys inadvertently help them do it.

  I wave at Knox, who has his backseat window down, as my SUV passes his. He blows me a kiss and I watch him until he’s out of sight. But only for a few hours. Soon, he’ll be all mine again, and black eye and ice pack or not, I plan to have my way with my husband tonight.

  Epilogue

  Seven months later

  Reese

  “Walls!” I cry, waving my arms with excitement. “We have walls!”

  “And they’re fantastic looking walls, babe,” Knox says, giving me a warm look.

  I’m taking him on a tour of The Madeleine Durand Home, the shelter side of the new project. After this, we’re going over to the restaurant side, which is called Madeleine.

  Olivier Durand walks into the room behind us, giving a nod of satisfaction.

  “Now that they’ve started drywalling, I can really see it coming together,” he says. “My mom would be tickled about having her name on this place.”

  “She was so lovely,” I say. “I saw the picture of her the builders are planning to use for the lobby.”

  “Thank you. She was an actress back in the day.”

  “How neat.”

  “I can’t stay,” Olivier says, “I have a flight to catch. But thanks for the tour.”

  “I’m so glad you came,” I say. “And obviously, you’re welcome on the job site anytime. Just make sure you wear a hard hat, they’re strict about that.”

  “I’ll be back, I’m sure. And I’ll see you at the grand opening if not before, Reese.” He shakes Knox’s hand. “See you soon, Knox.”

  I take Knox’s arm as we wander from the shelter’s rec room into the kitchen, located in the middle of the two sides of the project.

  “You guys have really become friends,” I say.

  “Yeah, Durand’s an easy guy to like. He keeps crazy busy, though. Rarely takes a day off.”

  Wrinkling my nose, I say, “Don’t ever be like that. I need our lazy mornings in bed at least once a week.”

  “Me too.”

 
; We walk into the huge open room that will be the kitchen and I gesture at the far wall.

  “We’ll keep a cooler there, and then we’ll have a separate walk-in freezer and cooler. And we’re going to have stainless countertops. And look at those windows!” I point up to the rows of windows above where the cabinets will be located. “This place will be a dream to cook in.”

  “I’ve never seen you so excited about anything,” Knox says. “I’m gonna have to move into this place to see you once it opens.”

  “No, I’m planning to keep set hours. And since Angelia is coming to work here, she and I can divide up kitchen management duties.”

  “Good. I like having my wife at my games.”

  “And I like being there.”

  So far, married life is more blissful than I ever imagined it could be. Knox tries so hard to make me happy with small things like bringing me coffee in bed and buying me bouquets of calla lilies to remind me of our wedding day.

  It’s his offseason now, so we’re finally taking a honeymoon. We talked about going back to Kauai, but instead, we decided on Italy. We’ll be spending a week at a villa in Sicily—our first trip out of the country together.

  After that, we’re spending a week with Knox’s mom Diane in Hilton Head and a week with my dad at a ranch in Montana. Once the shelter is done, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get away for such a long trip again anytime soon.

  “Are you ready to get some lunch?” I ask Knox. “I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, let’s do it. I’m hungry, too.”

  He takes my hand and we make our way past all the workers busily building the shelter. We leave our hard hats with the site superintendent and walk to our car, enjoying the feel of the early summer sunshine.

  “So, do you know yet about…?” Knox looks down at me hopefully.

  “Not yet. I mean, I still haven’t gotten my period, so it’s still very possible.”

  He smiles. “You think you should take a test and see?”

  “I’ve heard you can get the wrong result if it’s early.”

  He wrinkles his brow. “Let’s go to the doctor, then, I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

  My period is a week late. And since I’ve always been regular, we’re hopeful that maybe I’m pregnant. I went off my birth control lot long after we got married, because we decided to continue our leap first, look later approach to life together.

  I used to be a major planner. And in some areas, I still am. I bring handwritten grocery lists to the store and have multiple planners for keeping my appointments in.

  But when it comes to life, I’m not like that anymore. Marrying Knox was the best decision I ever made. We didn’t plan or stress or ask ourselves what if?

  Together, we jumped into the great unknown together. And we’ve never looked back.

  “I’ll make a doctor’s appointment, then.” I give him a hopeful smile. “Maybe there’s a little Knox inside me right now.”

  “Or a little Reese. With your pretty green eyes.”

  “I’d be happy with either,” he says.

  “So would I.”

  He puts a hand on my tummy and I say a silent prayer that I really am pregnant. I can’t think of a better adventure than parenthood would be. And to do it with Knox, my publicly brooding but secretly sweet husband?

  I’d be living my dream, in every possible way.

  Author’s Note

  Thanks for reading Knox! The next book in the Chicago Blaze series is Alexei, releasing Jan. 14, 2020. Preorder it HERE.