The Definition of Icing: A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance (Dallas Demons Series) (24 page)

“I need to spend some time in Minnesota over the summer,” Nate says. “I love it there, and the summer is my time to unwind.”

“Liar. You’re terrified of the heat here in July,” I tease.

“Oh, aren’t you smart?” Nate teases back. “However, I won’t go all summer. We’ll go when you can arrange it with your work schedule.”

“I can work remote from Minnesota,” I say, “and schedule appointments and meetings together for when I’m here in Dallas. I can commute, Nate. Even if it means flying up and back in the same day.”

His face shows nothing but happiness on it. “You would do that for me, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d do anything for the man I love.”

Nate kisses me again, this time a lingering, deeper kiss than before.

“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.

I reach up and run my fingers through his hair. “I love you, too.”

“Okay, so we have WAGS suite settled, Minnesota settled . . . now next on my list. I texted my agent tonight, before I got on the airplane. I want him to rework my contract with the Demons.”

“What? Why?”

“I intended to get the hell out of here when my contract was up,” Nate admits quietly. “But now I don’t ever want to leave. I love this team. I love playing alongside Harrison. We have great chemistry, we’re tight on and off the ice. I love this city. And I love
you.
I want a no-trade clause put in. This is my home now.
Our home.
Our city.
And I want to stay here.”

I didn’t think I could cry anymore, but fresh tears slip from my eyes. Nate gently wipes them away.

“I hope you don’t mind hearing how much I love you tonight because I’m going to keep saying it,” I whisper.

“Tell me every day for the rest of my life, Kenley,” he whispers back. “Because that’s what I intend to tell you.”

I have never felt so loved in my entire life. No man has ever bothered to find the real me underneath my looks. Nate not only found it but treasures who I really am. And that’s who he’s going to spend the rest of his life loving-
the real me.

“This sounds like a pretty thorough list,” I say happily.

“One more thing. I’m going to start sketching it with my tattoo artist now, but I’m getting another sleeve done,” Nate says. “My first sleeve was about being vulnerable and everything I went through last spring. This sleeve,” Nate says, touching the bicep on his other arm, “is about the journey to where I am now. The Koi will be swimming down. To show I’ve overcome the past. The Koi is going to be red, which symbolizes love. It’s going to have lotus blossoms, too. Because they start out in the mud and are vulnerable, but emerge to something beautiful. Like what I have with you, Bae.”

Oh, I love how soulful this man is.

“I,” I say, my voice thick, “can’t think of a better sleeve for you.”

Nate kisses me again. I break the kiss and smile up at him.

“And it’s going to be sexy on you,” I say, flirting with him. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to ever keep my hands off you with two sleeves.”

“Perfect, my work is done,” Nate teases.

“I have one thing I need to know,” I say.

“Anything.”

“What did CiCi say to you that night, Nate?”

Nate smiles at me. “That’s between me and CiCi.”

“
Nate!
”

“Okay, I can’t have you get mad now,” he says, grinning. “She said you were vulnerable but you had fallen hard for me. That I couldn’t play with your heart, or you would break. She put me on notice that she didn’t care if I was a Dallas Demon or Dallas Cowboy or whatever, she would come after me if I hurt you.”

I smile. “That sounds like CiCi.”

“CiCi and I are on the same page about you,” Nate says. “I told her that hurting you would gut me, and she had nothing to worry about. And she had my word on that.”

“That’s what I heard you say, that part,” I say, remembering that. I swallow hard. “And then I ruined everything by saying CiCi didn’t know what she was talking about and I didn’t have feel—”

“Not going there,” Nate interrupts, placing his fingers over my lips to silence me. “I know the truth now, and that’s all I need to know.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“Anything else?” Nate asks, cocking an eyebrow at me.

“Just love me, Nate. That’s my one requirement every day. Just love me.”

“That,” Nate says, pressing his forehead to mine, “is exactly what I intend to do. I love you.”

“I love you, Nate. So much.”

And as we kiss, I know what is true. This man is my life. Nate is the one man who has dared to see my inside, the woman I am, and that’s the woman he wants to love. And I see the man he is, and that’s the man I love with all my heart.

We both had to be hurt to be here. We had to suffer, to build up walls, to believe we could never open our hearts again in order to find each other.

And once we did, it all fell away.

Love healed us.

And I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.

Epilogue

June

Burntside Lake, Ely, Minnesota

I lean back in my chair, gazing up at the huge pine trees towering over me. Through them, I see a dark sky filled with so many stars, more than I’ve ever seen. I shift my eyes ahead, to the shores of Burntside Lake, where the moonlight shines on the surface of the water as it gently laps against Nate’s property.

I take a sip of my wine and snuggle up with a blanket over my lap. Even though the fire pit Nate had installed in the spring is roaring with a nice fire, I’m still a little chilly. After all, it’s 53 degrees here. In
June.
It’s hard for my Texas brain to wrap around the idea that you wear sweatshirts here in the summer at night.

And on this quiet Minnesota evening, I take a moment to reflect on the road that led me here, to be with this amazing man in the place he loves most in the whole world.

Once we said we loved each other, we became so much more confident and stronger, both as individuals, and, of course, as a couple. Confection Consultations had a crazy holiday season, with more business than I ever could have dreamed of, thanks to all the parties the hockey WAGS hired me to do. And Nate rolled up his sleeves and dived right in, taking over the financial aspect of the business, as his degree from U of M is in finance. He told me to focus on the creative part, he’d handle the rest.

Business continues to tick upward, which is exactly what I hoped for. I’m going to manage the business from here for the next two weeks, and then I’ll fly back to Dallas as needed for parties and commute back to Minnesota when I’m done. I’ve cut back on the number of classes I’m offering this summer simply because after that first holiday season, I’m ready for a break. And so is Nate after this season.

The Demons fell one game short of making it back to the finals, and the conference division title series ended last week. The Demons were given an impossible task of carrying on without Matt Rhinelander
and
Harrison Flynn, who were out with injuries. Nate put the team on his back and got the finals series pushed to a game five, but the loss of two stars was too much for the team to overcome. While Nate was crushed not to make it, Harrison vowed they would make it back next year.

So it was the perfect time to leave Dallas and head to Minnesota, and now we’re here. I finally get to experience the place that is so close to Nate’s heart.

I hear the back door open and turn my head. Nate said he wanted s’mores tonight, as something we could do around the new fire pit. I watch as he comes down the deck, carrying a tray full of s’mores supplies, looking oh-so-rugged and handsome in his jeans and plaid flannel shirt thrown over a Demons’ T-shirt.

“What are you thinking about?” Nate asks, placing the tray on a wood table next to his chair.

“You,” I say, smiling up at him. “And how much I love you.”

Nate beams in response to my words. He sinks into the chair next to me and reaches for my hand, lacing my fingers through his.

“When I first bought this place last summer,” Nate says, squeezing my hand gently in his, “It was my escape plan. I’d somehow get through a season in Dallas, and the second it was over, I’d be back up here. Alone. Making it a fortress and not letting anyone inside.

“But now,” he says, his eyes holding steady on my face, “I have a different vision for it.”

My heart melts as I see the sincerity shining in his eyes. Nate leans forward and rakes his hand through the waves in my hair, pressing his forehead to mine.

“It’s
our
home now, Bae,” Nate declares. “You and Marabou and me. I haven’t wanted a fortress since I fell in love with you. Now all I want is to build a life with you.”

“That’s all I want, too. I love you, Nate.”

“I love you more,” Nate says, lowering his mouth to mine.

We kiss underneath the pine trees and the stars, the scent of his woodsy cologne wrapping around me like a blanket. I taste the wine on his lips, I feel his stubble graze my skin as his mouth takes from mine. His fingers slide up underneath my hair, caressing it as he deepens this kiss between us.

I relish the kiss, my hands seeking the nape of his neck. I never tire of kissing Nate. And as I kiss him back, I feel love and desire swirl within me with equal force.

Nate breaks the kiss and drops a gentle kiss on my nose that makes my heart swell with love.

“Do you know what I want?” Nate whispers.

My pulse flickers. “What’s that?”

“To make s’mores.”

I furrow my brow. Okay, after that kiss I’m really more inclined to go inside and make love, but for some reason he wants s’mores. I smile.

So s’mores it is.
For now.

“I’ll help you,” I say.

“No,” Nate says quickly, holding out his hand to stop me from moving out of my chair as he stands up.

“What?” I ask, confused. “Why not?”

“Because I’m waiting on you tonight,” Nate says. He flashes me a smile. “It’s all part of the services provided here at Johansson Cabin.”

I burst out laughing. “Um, this lovely little
cabin,
as you say, is
huge.
”

That’s the truth. Nate’s home is a beautiful wood and stone cabin overlooking the lake, and every high-tech, modern convenience one could want. Along with five bedrooms and a media room.

Nate rubs his hand over his jaw, his eyes sparkling at me. “Huh. Should we call it Johansson
Lodge?
”

I giggle at that. “It might as well be. We have your family coming next week, my family the week after that, then Harrison and Kylie.”

I pause for a moment. We really will be running a lodge, but I can’t wait. I’ve grown close to Nate’s family through lots of messages and Connectivity video connects, and the person I’ve come to adore is Holly. Once she trusted me, once she realized that I was in this with Nate forever, everything changed between us.

“While you and your dad are fishing, I’m teaching your mom and Holly the art of pastry,” I say. Then I smile at him. “And we’ll make some Paleo treats for you, of course.”

“I’m going to take CiCi fishing when she comes,” Nate says. “She’s going to learn to bait a hook, don’t cha know.”

I crack up, and so does Nate.

“Oh, Nate, can you even
imagine
that?”

“I can’t even imagine CiCi in a life vest,” Nate says. “Let alone touching bait. But then again, she loves me now, so maybe I can get her to do it.”

We both laugh, but Nate’s words are true. Once CiCi got it through her head that Nate loved me and was committed to me, she came around. And now she adores Nate as much as she does Ryan.

“Claire and Bella will love it here,” I say, staring up at the majestic trees, once again amazed at how huge they are. “Claire will want to be in the water the whole time.”

“I got her a pink fishing pole,” Nate says. “Ryan and I are going to teach her how to fish.”

Happiness fills me. Nate is going to be such a great father someday.

“Then after we go back to Dallas, Harrison and Kylie are coming back here with us,” I say, thinking of how busy we’re going to be this summer. But good busy.

“Do you think her morning sickness will be better by then?” Nate asks.

“I hope so,” I say. Kylie is nine weeks along, and so far it’s been a rough pregnancy with bouts of nausea. “But Minnesota will feel much better than stupid hot Dallas, as you like to say.”

“I stand by that theory, as you like to say,” Nate gives right back.

I’m about to respond when Marabou romps up to me, his ears flapping, his favorite ball in his mouth. He drops it in front of my feet, tail swishing, desperate for me to throw it.

I bend down and rub his head. “You’re such a good boy,” I say to him, showering him with affection. “Are you happy to be at the
lodge
for the summer?”

I glance up at Nate, but he’s turned away from me, fiddling with the campfire fork.

Marabou barks, so I pick up his ball and throw it across the yard. He happily springs across the lush grass, eager to have someone to play with.

“We might need to get him a friend,” I say. “What do you think, Nate?”

Nate doesn’t respond. I notice he’s got his back to me, and I can hear him take a deep breath.

“Nate?” I ask, puzzled. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Nate says quickly. “Just getting your roasting fork ready.”

Then he clears his throat and turns around. And I’m surprised to see a very serious expression on his handsome face.

“This is for you, Bae,” he says softly.

Nate hands me my long fork for roasting marshmallows, but the second he holds it out, I see something sparkling at the end of the fork prong.

A diamond engagement ring.

“Oh my God,” I gasp, staring at the ring Nate is holding out to me.

My heart is pounding as the magnitude of what is about to happen hits me.

Then, before I can say anything, Nate removes the ring from the end of the fork and drops down on one knee before me, taking one of my hands in his.

“Bae,” Nate says, his voice thick as he gazes up at me, “you know how much this place means to me. Minnesota is where I grew up. Where my family lives. Minnesota has my heart and my soul, and it will always be special to me. Just as you are.

“Kenley, you are the woman who has my heart and soul,” Nate says, continuing. “I love you. I want to build a life with you, have a family with you, and share the ups and downs of this journey with you at my side. Forever.”

Nate becomes blurry in my eyes. Tears of joy fall down my face as Nate holds up the ring to me.

“So I’m asking the woman who has my heart, in the place that means the most to me, this: Will you marry me?”

I’m so overwhelmed with love that I’m fighting to speak over the lump in my throat. It’s the perfect proposal, with words straight from Nate’s heart under a starry north woods’ sky.

And as I gaze into his eyes, I find the word I’m longing to say.

“Yes,” I say happily. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Nate stands up, and I see his eyes are filled with tears. Then I jump up into his arms, and we both begin laughing.

“I love you, Nate,” I say joyfully. “And a thousand times over, I’ll marry you.”

Nate laughs and swings me around. Then he sets me down on the deck. He takes my left hand, and I stare down at the gorgeous platinum and round diamond cut ring he’s holding. I notice the round diamond is surrounded by platinum petals, resembling a flower, set in a pave diamond band.

“It’s a lotus design,” Nate explains. “To represent a new beginning.”

I swallow hard. Nate put tremendous thought into this ring, to symbolize what we have together. How we emerged from the dirt of our pasts to bloom once we found each other, like the new tattoo sleeve he has on his other arm.

“It’s so beautiful,” I say, “and I love what it represents: Us.
Our story.
”

Nate holds the ring to the edge of my finger, and I hold my breath, dying for him to slip it on. But then he stops.

“No.”

“No?”

“I believe a certain pistol of a woman told me I had to eat a piece of milk chocolate with curry sometime in my life for her.”

I watch as he goes to the tray filled with s’mores supplies and sets the ring down. He retrieves a gourmet chocolate bar, and I grin in delight as I see it is indeed a milk chocolate
curry
bar.

“If you ever had any doubt about how much I love you, or how committed I am to you, Kenley, this should erase any fear you might have forever,” Nate says as he unwraps the candy. “I will eat this before I put that ring on your finger.”

I know I’m beaming as I watch him. Nate snaps off a piece and studies me, his espresso-colored eyes dancing.

“Don’t make me go through the whole tasting process,” Nate says. “I need to do this quick and dirty, okay?”

I burst out laughing. “I’ll give you that.”

Nate takes a breath of air, as if he’s about to do something awful.

“Hurry up, I want to wear your ring, Nate Johansson,” I tease.

“All right. One, two, three,” he says, popping it into his mouth.

I watch as Nate tastes it. And then I lose it when I see the look of disgust pass over his face. He swallows and shakes his head as if trying to shake the taste from his mouth.

“Shit, that was the most disgusting thing
ever,
” Nate declares, heading back over to the tray and picking up the ring.

Now I’m dying with laughter.

“So was it worth it?” I manage to ask, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Nate slides the ring on my finger.

“Yes,” he says softly. “It was.”

And as his lips find mine, my heart is so full of love for this man and what we have it feels as though it will burst.

I’m going to marry my warrior,
I think happily, cupping his face in my hands as I kiss him. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with a man who truly loves me, the woman I am on the inside.

And that is just the icing on one very beautiful cake.