I reached into the bush and pulled it free just as she looked up.
“Connor!” she startled.
“Ivy.”
We stared at each other for what seemed like forever and yet a blink. God, I’d missed her. Missed her laugh, her smile, her taste on my tongue. Missed everything.
I missed her love most of all.
“That’s my phone,” she said softly.
“Seems like it.” I slipped it into my back pocket, taking a page out of Pepper’s book.
“Um. Why are you putting it in your pocket?”
“It seemed more civil than trapping us naked in a sauna,” I answered.
“What?”
“Maybe that’s a had-to-be-there kind of thing,” I mumbled. “Because everyone who loves us conspired to get us here, so I’m just making sure you don’t jet before I say what needs to be said.”
Her chest trembled as she exhaled. “Okay, and what is that?”
“That I love you.”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t come any closer, so I took a step in her direction. “I love you. And I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I’m sorry I let my past and my fears fuck with our future. I’m sorry that at the first test of your faith, I failed.”
Her entire posture softened. “Oh, Connor. That’s all I’ve been waiting to hear.” Her teeth bit into her lower lip.
“But you don’t look happy.”
“Because what do we do the next time this happens?” She shook her head. “This has almost killed me. I know I screwed up by saving that stupid little venting article, but you wouldn’t even listen to me.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I took another step.
“And I tried to explain and you shut me out.” Her beautiful blue eyes took on a sparkly sheen that warned tears were imminent.
“I know. I’m sorry,” I said as I moved forward again.
“And you took Hannah. And I couldn’t see her. Couldn’t get through to you. You broke up our family without even talking to me!”
“I know.” One more step.
“And I know we’re not a family, family, you know. But we are. Or we were! And you just threw it away!”
“I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” I shot a quick glance at where the puppy had decided to lay down in the cool grass.
“And I still love you! That hurts the most! I have all this love, and you’re standing there all perfect, and gorgeous, and Connor-like, and I have no idea what you want.” She hugged herself, and I died a little inside, seeing what I’d done to her. What we’d done to each other.
“First, I’d really like you to make your phone stop pinging, because my butt keeps vibrating and that’s just super awkward at a moment like this.”
She laughed and wiped away two tears, then hit a button on her watch and the phone stopped, thank God. “And?”
“And I want you,” I told her.
“How?”
“Anyway you’ll have me. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give, because I’m miserable without you.”
“Say that again.”
“I’ll take whatever—”
“Nope,” she said with a small smile. “The other part.”
“I’m miserable?”
“Yeah, more of that.” She grinned.
“God, Ivy. I’m wretched. Sad, and lonely, and just destroyed. Pathetic, even.” With each word I took a small step, until we were only inches apart. “There’s a ghost in my bed and it’s you, because you’re fucking haunting me.”
A corner of her mouth lifted, no doubt remembering that first conversation we’d had about ghosts in our beds.
“You haunt me, too,” she admitted.
“So maybe we should stop missing each other and just be together,” I suggested. “Because I love you, and there’s not changing that. Ever. And the next time something stupid happens, we’ll remember how this feels, and we’ll hold on tighter. Fight harder. Because we’re too stubborn to let go. That’s why we’ll make it.”
I took her face in my hands, and almost closed my eyes at how soft her skin was, how much I had missed it. “I promise I will never walk out of an argument before you tell me that you’ve had your say.”
She smiled up at me. “I promise I’ll keep my vent sessions verbal.”
“That would be good, too,” I laughed. “Come on, Ivy. Don’t you want to see what happens when two of the most stubborn people on the planet decide to hold on to each other instead of their anger?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I do.”
“Me, too.”
“Connor? Kiss me.”
She asked.
So I gave.
Our mouths met in a sweet caress of apology that quickly morphed into a hotter kiss of reunion. Holy shit, I’d missed this. Missed the connection we had with a simple touch of our lips.
Then her arms were around my neck, and I wasn’t thinking about missing anything, because I was focused on taking everything. Our tongues dueled, twisting around each other with the ease of well-known lovers.
“Conn—what the?” Ivy broke away, staring down at the small lump of fur who had planted herself between my feet, obviously not cool with being tossed over for the human.
“Ivy, meet Princess Sparkle Snort,” I nearly choked over the name Ivy had chosen a long time ago.
“You bought a puppy! A bulldog puppy!” She dropped to the ground, hitting her knees right in front of the puppy and scooping her up. “Oh my God, she’s so soft!”
“Yeah, she is,” I said with a grin. “She’s ours, yours, too.”
“Wait. A dog? We don’t even live together. You can’t buy a dog.”
“Just did,” I said with a shrug. “Move in. Problem solved.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack, or a puppy, whichever is more destructive.”
She stood. “You can’t just buy a puppy and say move in.”
“Why not?”
“Because that’s not what people do!”
“That’s what we can do. When’s the last time you gave a shit about what people thought, Ivy?”
She cocked her head to the side. “You really are serious.”
“I am. You’ve already picked out half the furniture in the house. Hell, you helped pick out the house. Come live in it with me. With us,” I reached over to pet the puppy I would refer to as Snort—never Princess Sparkle Snort.
“She really is cute.”
“She’s part of the package.”
“Are you really bribing me with a puppy?” she feigned a look of shock.
“Is it working?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Then, yes. I’ll fight dirty when it comes to you.” I had no shame when it came to her, period. And now that she was here, I wasn’t letting her go.
She rose up on her toes and kissed me. “As long as you do other things dirty, too, I’m in. You and me forever.”
“Ivy! In front of our practice baby?”
She laughed, worry free and happy. It was right up there with the best sounds I’d ever heard.
“You and me and Hannah?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her.
“You and me and Hannah and Princess Sparkle Snort,” she reminded me as she wiggled her way between us.
“Man, it’s true what they say. Babies really are little cock-blockers!”
“I love you, Connor.”
Scratch the previous, that was still the best sound ever.
Until later when we facetimed Hannah.
And then the four days later when she said it again after we won the Stanley Cup Finals.
And again later that night.
Epilogue
Ivy
August
“How is it that I’m always the one carrying in the ice?” Connor asked, hefting the two bags in question into our kitchen.
The thought of it being ours still had the warm-tingly effect all over my body. Even though it’d been months, sometimes I still couldn’t
believe this was my life. Married—after a rowdy night in Vegas—to the love of my life, who happened to be sexy and funny as hell. Adoptive mother to the coolest little girl on the planet. Living in a dream house that was currently filled with puppies and love and friends and family. And working for one of the most respected news blogs in the world—thanks to my celebrity friend I’d met at the awards show months ago. His hurricane story, and all the stories he’d given me thereafter, had saved my career. I owed him everything, and yet he asked for nothing in return. Expect that I mentioned and linked a different charity of his choice with each piece.
“It’s because you look so damn good carrying it,” I finally answered Connor, smacking his fine ass as he took one bag onto the patio and dumped it in the awaiting cooler.
“Language!”
I jolted, spinning around to find Hannah arching a brow at me from the corner of the kitchen. “You are eerily quiet.” I chuckled, knowing it wasn’t the last time I’d say the words.
“Lettie’s a warrior,” she said, pointing at Lettie who jumped up and down in the backyard, waving at Hannah through the glass patio door, motioning her to hurry up. Princess Sparkle Snort and Rookie wrestled behind her.
Hannah confidently strolled through the kitchen, grabbing two chilled Gatorades. “I’m a ninja,” she continued. “A sparkly one,” she added as if I could miss the glitter on her swimsuit, flip-flops, and some in her hair.
“Makes perfect sense,” I said, grinning as she nearly bowled Connor over racing out to meet her friend.
“I hope Gage doesn’t move,” Connor said, his voice a whisper as he wrapped an arm around me.
“What do you mean?”
“When he retires,” he said, his voice going even lower like the friends scattered about our backyard and house might here.
“What?” I rolled my eyes. “That’s just a rumor.”
“Is it?” He eyed me.
I gaped at him. “Connor Bridgerton!” I scolded. “You are not asking for insider information from the Coach’s daughter, are you?”
“I do it all the time,” Eric’s voice sounded behind us, and I spun to hug my sister.
Pepper swatted Eric, shaking her head at me. “I never tell him anything.”
He smacked her butt. “That’s not entirely true.”
Her cheeks flushed a brighter shade of pink than her current hair color. “Eric!”
“Pepper,” he mimicked her.
“Ivy,” Connor said, and I burst out laughing.
“My lips are sealed.” I planted them in a line for good measure.
Connor cocked a brow at me, snaking his arms around my waist and hefting me to his level. “Is that a challenge, Mrs. Bridgerton?”
I kept my lips firmly closed despite the heat swarming my core. I didn’t think there would ever be a time where I didn’t ache for this man.
But I couldn’t confirm or deny the rumors because honestly, I didn’t know. Which made me believe it was all hearsay at this point. Dad would tell us if we needed to know, or more fairly, Gage would speak up on the matter when he was ready. We already lost a handful of senior players after last season and had a fresh batch of rookies in for the upcoming one. It would be a transition and adaptation to new blood, but that was hockey.
“We’ll be…elsewhere,” Pepper said, quite possibly blushing brighter because of the way Connor held and stared at me.
“Right,” Eric said, following her toward the opened glass door. “Need to make sure Gage isn’t falling asleep at the grill with how old he is.”
Pepper swatted him again, and I laughed. “Don’t let him, Rory, or Warren here you speaking like that!” I called over Connor’s shoulder.
Eric saluted me before disappearing into the backyard where half the Sharks were drinking, chatting, and munching on the delectable spread we’d prepared for this barbeque.
Alone, at last, I locked my ankles around Connor’s hips and properly kissed him.
Fierce and hard and hungry, a completely surprise attack that had his grip on me tightening and a growl rumbling from his chest.
“What was that for?” He asked, his eyes hooded and hazy with lust.
“Just love you,” I said, wiggling until he set me on my feet. “Now, you need to get to the pool,” I said, eyeing his jeans. “Hannah has been dying for you to swim with her all day.”
He laughed, quickly kissing my forehead before bounding upstairs to change.
I checked on the drink stock and food tables set up outside, chatting sporadically with Paige, Chloe, Jeannine, and Bailey. Faith and Pepper were in the pool house, along with Lettie, Gage, Hannah, and a handful of other players.
Lukas and Hudson—both shirtless, tatted, and downright drool-worthy—spoke with a few girls near the waterfall. I almost felt sorry for the girls who couldn’t keep their eyes off the chiseled abs and swirls of ink, but that pity quickly died when Crosby sauntered up behind them with another girl tailing him.
Some things never changed, but we’d made our peace with Crosby—Connor and I both agreeing that we wouldn’t change a thing about our lives because the events led us here.
Which was pretty much perfection.
I settled into a wrought iron chair next to my sister, Faith never missing a beat to immediately draw me into the conversation.
“And he had to give me a ride home,” she said.
Pepper nearly spit out her drink. “You’re kidding!”
Faith took a swig of her own drink, her lips popping after she swallowed. “Nope.”
“I would’ve paid money to hear that conversation,” Pepper said.
“Who are we talking about?” I asked.
Pepper motioned to Faith. “This one here got into some car trouble an hour outside of town.”
“What were you doing out there?”
“Research for a school project,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“And who did you call for a ride?” I asked, desperate to catch up.
Pepper giggled. “She didn’t have to call anyone.”
I raised my brows, noting the slight tension to Faith’s jawline.
“She ran into Lukas.”
My eyes darted to the Nordic god who was still by the waterfall.
“Our Lukas?”
“Yup.”
I now got the joke. “Ohmygod, did he have like three other women in his car, too?”
Faith chuckled, shaking her head. “Surprisingly, no.”
“What did you two talk about for an hour?”
Faith shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I could barely understand him half the time.”
That set us all laughing.
Pepper and I shared a look like we knew better, but we wouldn’t push it. Lukas may be foreign, but you could carry on a conversation with him just fine. Whatever it was, Faith either didn’t find important, or there was more to the story she wasn’t ready to share. Either way, we weren’t about to push her on it.
“Did he play any music?” Pepper asked, fascinated with an innocent encounter from Lukas the lothario.
“Yes,” Faith said, perking up. “And in that, the man has taste—”
“Taste?” Lukas’ voice cut over Faith’s, and we all turned to see him standing behind my chair, eyes on Faith. “When terms of flavor are concerned, I’m the best judge. What are we discussing?”
“Nothing.” All three of us said at the same time.
“Oh, that’s fucked,” Hudson said, stopping to stand next to Lukas. “Nothing good comes from a trio of sisters trying to hide something.”
“Whose trying?” I countered, eyes darting between the two men towering over us, shirtless and hair still wet from a quick dip in the pool.
God help whoever ended up with Hudson—a bruiser to the teeth, the newest addition to the Sharks was almost as tight-lipped as Warren, but something darker lurked behind his eyes, a pain that no one had yet been brave enough to ask about. But, he turned into a complete teddy bear whenever Hannah or Lett
ie were around. Shocking, too, that Hannah had taken to the newcomer so quickly. The girl was a good judge of character though, and if she accepted him into our family, then we did too.
Lukas, on the other hand, I didn’t have to worry about when it came to women. He loved widely and often enough to ensure we’d never be holding up a crying girl with a broken heart, talking her through her tears. He wasn’t the relationship type, and fair enough, because dating Sharks was like a damn battlefield.
Worth it, but a small relief when players like Lukas openly shared who exactly they were upfront with women. Saved the rest of the family grief and guilt by association. And since I’d caused a fair amount of grief for the team on my own...I was ready for a peaceful break from Shark drama.
“Crosby wanted to know if he’s allowed inside,” Hudson said, drawing me back to the present.
I arched a brow at Hudson. “Never pegged you for a messenger.”
He grunted at that. “I also wanted an excuse to get away from…”
“You’re crazy,” Lukas said even when Hudson hadn’t finished. “They’re beautiful.”
“Anyway,” Hudson said, ignoring Lukas. “I don’t care what your answer is,” he said. “I’m not saying he can go in.”
I chuckled. “It’s really okay,” I said, despite the small sting that still radiated in my blood whenever Crosby was mentioned. “I doubt he’s out to break anything.” Not when he knew Connor, Eric, Lukas, and now Hudson would break him in return.
“Let him stew,” Hudson said, folding his arms over his massive chest. “Prick needs to learn humility.”
Faith, Pepper, and myself all shared a surprised look. So many layers to this normally silent giant.
Lukas rolled his eyes. “I came to ask for more of this boo bubbly stuff.” He held up an empty colorful can.
I laughed. “It’s Bai,” I said. “Not boo.”
Lukas shrugged. “Boo. Bai. It’s good.”
“The red cooler,” I said, pointing toward the opened pool house door and beyond, where an extra pair of coolers sat. “Help yourself, as always, Lukas.”
He leaned down to kiss my cheek, something I’d almost gotten used to. “Thank you, lovely,” he said, but his eyes were on Faith as he righted himself and headed toward the coolers.
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