Chapter 32: Chapter 32

KATE

“I suck at this,” I complained to Piper.

I crumpled up and threw away the fourth draft of my speech for the game that night. My uncles had asked me to prepare one, giving me only a few hours of notice.

The Blades were playing against Minnesota, and their head coach had donated 300,000 dollars to a foundation my father had created.

He had donated the money in memory of Dad, as they had been friends back in their college days.

John and Fred had decided we’d have a few people who knew Dad speak about him. Obviously, I would be one of them. However, I sucked at writing speeches. How could I put into words how much I loved and missed my father?

I had overheard my uncles talking about a letter that Dad had left for Julian. He was planning to read that for the filled stands of fans. I was both nervous and excited.

On top of those emotions, I was also heartbroken. I’d have to see Tyler that night, since I’d be standing beside my team in remembrance of a wonderful man.

I uncrumpled the last draft and decided it would have to do. I was running out of time. Right after, I paced the floor of my closet, looking around at everything I owned.

Piper was standing at the other end of the closet, running her fingers through the hanging dresses.

“I don’t want to wear a dress. I want to wear something casual and not fancy.”

“You should dress nice, babe,” she urged. “It’s in remembrance of your dad.”

“But dresses are for Work Kate. He would have laughed seeing me show up at a game in a dress.”

She giggled to herself. “You’re right.”

I plopped on the marble floor of my closet, watching my best friend pick out clothes for me. Heartbroken Kate was useless.

An hour later, after my shower, I stared at myself in the mirror. Piper had me looking acceptable. Well, actually more than acceptable. She had picked out a perfect casual outfit for a hockey game.

I wore skinny jeans with distressed knees and a black t-shirt with~ GOON~ written across the front. Dad had bought the shirt for me two years ago and sent it to Paris.

It was my favorite shirt of all time. Two crossed hockey sticks were printed behind the wording. What made it even better was that Goon was my favorite movie.

My dad had brought the movie with him this one time he was visiting me in France. We had watched it seven or eight times that week he was there, laughing hysterically every single time.

We loved any movie about hockey, but a funny one? Even better.

“You’re stunning, Kate,” Piper told me once she finished with my makeup. “Tonight will be perfect.”

“Perfect?” I asked. “I tend to mess up when I speak in front of people.”

She laughed but didn’t say anything else.

Kenton drove Piper and me to the Garden. I felt nervous on the ride over, even though she tried to keep me calm.

She distracted me with talk of her interest in Bill, which still weirded me out. However, I loved them both, so I was happy for them.

Rubbing my thigh she told me how everything would be okay, and that I wouldn’t mess up and sound like an idiot.

We pulled into the players’ parking lot and my breath hitched. The Hellcats I’d bought the team were lined up perfectly next to each other.

I smiled, not seeing any other kind of vehicle back there. It was such a wonderful tribute to my dad that I wanted to cry already. Piper stopped me, thankfully.

All the Hellcats being there meant Tyler had driven his too. I was a little surprised; I doubted he wanted to be reminded of me after the way he had left things between us.

Kenton ushered us inside as people around yelled my name. I didn’t want to take pictures or answer questions, so I kept my head down and rushed through the building.

“Thank you.”

“Do you need anything else?” he asked.

“No, you can head to the box if you want, and I’ll see you up there in a bit.”

Kenton smiled, winked at Piper, then walked away. I looked at her inquisitively with a raised brow.

“What?” she asked. “He just thinks I’m hot.”

I laughed, and we moved toward the ice. The crowd was as loud as it could be, even though there was still some time before the game began.

It was packed, with bright lights moving around. Red carpets were laid out on the ice for us to walk on.

“I’m going to stay over here by the glass, you’ll be okay?” My best friend asked lovingly.

I told her I’d be fine and walked closer to the ice. The moment I stepped on it, the crowd cheered. I smiled, feeling confident and loved. I could do this. I absolutely could.

The further I walked, the louder became the chanting of my name from the mouths of adoring fans. My opinion may be biased, but I’d say we had the best fan base in the entire league.

I looked at my uncles, who stood on a podium set at center ice, grinning at the fans’ reactions toward me.

Julian stood beside them, gripping a folded piece of paper like his life depended on it. He was laughing with the others around him.

To the left of the podium, the Minnesota players stood in a perfectly neat line, helmets in hand.

To the right, the Blades players matched the neatness of their opponents’ line. However, they kept their helmets on with bowed heads and were in their practice jerseys.

I glanced back and forth in confusion but continued walking anyway.

The thundering voices from the crowd lowered when I got up on the stage. I kissed my uncles and Julian on the cheek, then glanced down at my noticeably shaking hand. ~I am pathetic.~

“Robert Hedge recently made a donation in memory of his college friend, Richard Martin.

“Most of you know him as the man behind the New York Blades’ ample success in the past twenty years,” John paused to let applause roar through the crowd.

“We, the New York Blades family, would like to thank you for your kind gesture.”

Whistles filled the air, and Minnesota’s head coach joined us on the stage. He shook hands with the men, then leaned in to kiss me.

“Now if we may, a moment of silence for Richard Martin, in memory of him and for those of us who still mourn his loss.”

I bowed my head as the lights died down. Not a peep came from the crowd. In fact, the only sound I could hear was that of my almost-silent whimpers. I controlled my sniffling until the lights and sounds returned.

There is something extraordinarily emotional about a moment when thousands and thousands of people prevent themselves from making even a single noise in honor of someone. Especially when that someone is your parent.

I dabbed under my eyes, straightened up, and let my nerves calm down about speaking in front of a crowd like that. I still had no idea what I was about to say. Apparently, I was going to wing it.

Fred made a few jokes into the microphone, and I took the opportunity to search for Tyler. Unfortunately, the practice jerseys the players were wearing didn’t show their numbers.

He could have been the guy twelve inches away from me, or he could have been at the other end. Julian walked to the center of the podium and gripped the microphone.

“For the fans in the audience, whether you’re a Minnesota fan or a New York fan, you all respected Richard. We all did.” He turned to me and smiled. “I’m going to read something very personal.

“It’s a letter he wrote to me just before he passed.” The crowd gasped, as did I. Julian’s shaky hands unfolded the paper and stretched it out before him.

Surprising me, he reached a hand back and pulled me to the front of the stage with him. I didn’t let go of his hand, forcing us to stay connected.

“Julian,” he read. “There is only one person in this world who I trust with my Kitty-Kate as much as myself. That’s you, my friend.” I tilted my head in surprise; I wasn’t expecting a letter about me.

I was hoping he’d leave out any awkward details Dad may have written about me. “With that being said, there’s something I’ll need you to do for me.”

Oohs and aahs boomed around me at an alarming volume. I didn’t realize what was going on until one of the Blades players stood in front of me, yellow rose in hand. He nodded his head slightly, gave me the rose, and skated away.

~What the hell?~

“There will be a time when my precious little girl falls in love…,” he continued on. Another player with a rose skated over, this time an orange one.

Julian read more of the letter. “She’ll probably try to deny it because she’s like me. She’ll be stubborn and tough all at the same time.

“In fact, I am leaving her my empire when I’m gone because she will know exactly what to do with it.

“There have been times when I called~ her~ for advice. Can you believe that, Jules?” Everyone laughed, except me.

My crying got worse when I saw tears fall from Coach’s eyes as he read the playful banter his best friend had left him with.

Now a rose-pink flower was handed to me.

At first, the letter had me feeling slightly embarrassed but that had completely faded. I was then feeling proud and loved.

More roses were handed to me, repeating the cycle of yellow, orange, and pink. It was a sweet gesture from my players. I wondered if Tyler had given me a flower yet.

My hands had graced each one of the guys who had skated up to me. I bet I would have been able to feel the electricity if he had been one of them thus far. I tuned back in to Julian.

“One day there will be a man who loves her like no other, who will be worthy of her every breath. I won’t be there to know that man,” My lip quivered listening to the heartbreaking words. “But you will, Jules.”

“And that man, if he truly knows her, will know he will have to walk up to you the day he wants her hand in marriage. He’ll know how much that means to her, and he’ll know that you’re the one he should go to.

“He will just know. Now, when he does that, if he’s the man for her, the one who will give me grandchildren to look upon, you make sure she says yes.

“Don’t let my daughter place work above all else like I did. Promise me this, Jules.”

I swear half of the stadium was crying by then. I’d never seen anything like that. Maybe it was the romance, but the whole place was a mess.

Even the men in the crowd were yelling positive things about true love and such. It was amazing to see. Toward the end of the letter, I received some more roses, but my attention had been claimed by the note.

My body began to tingle as Julian looked into my eyes and said, “Your dad was right. He just knew.”

Julian’s words had sparked something in the crowd. Hooting, hollering, screaming, cheering, clapping, and stomping, every noise possible rained down on me. I was deafened.

I turned my head slowly to see one last player skating up to me. Helmet off, messy hair, and a single red rose in hand.

I couldn’t have missed those dark eyes even from miles away. His movements were slow and graceful. His lopsided grin and single dimple came to life as our eyes locked.

In a state of trance, I walked down the two steps. The red carpet lay under my feet. I stayed planted there, waiting for Tyler to skate up to me. I breathed in and out.

Finally, once I was an inch from the face of the man I loved, he handed me the last rose. My brain could register the noise from the stands, yet I couldn’t hear a thing.

I heard my breathing along with Tyler’s, both erratic and nervous. Lightning hit me when his fingers graced mine.

My breath hitched as Tyler lowered to kneel on one knee before me.

“Kate…” he began, “I’m sorry for making a huge mistake, but I need you to know something. I’m done hiding, I don’t care who knows.

“In fact, I want the world to know.” He grabbed the microphone from Julian, who was already holding it outstretched. “I’m in love with this girl, guys. I have been from the moment I laid eyes on her.

“I will~ always~ be in love with this girl.” The crowd cheered for him again, making me laugh. “There isn’t a second of any day that I want to spend without you.

“I’d follow you to the depths of the earth, and I know you’d do the same. I want to wake up looking into those blue eyes every morning, and I can and will try every single day to make you happy. ~Always.~

“We were always meant to meet, Kate. I met your dad a few days before he passed away. That wasn’t a coincidence; he brought me here to you.

“None of us knew that then, but that doesn’t matter.” Tyler reached up, squeezing my hand in the warmth of his. “I need you, Katherine Martin, just as I know you need me.

“We’re the last two pieces of the puzzle; we need to be together to finish it, to keep it whole.

“Do me the honor of blessing me with nothing but your love every day for the rest of my life.” He began pulling out a ring box. “Kate, will you marry me?”

“Yes. Oh my God, yes.” I squealed.

And for the first time in my life, I did something without thinking. I didn’t need to think, for I was following my heart. I did what I wanted, what I needed to do. Tyler was the love of my life; I was sure of it.

I jumped into his arms, and we clung to each other like magnets. I pressed my lips against his, without a care in the world about who was watching.

We were being heavily cheered on by those around us. But if anyone did have anything to say, I didn’t care anymore, not even a little.

Seconds later, we were surrounded. My sister, both Tyler’s friends and mine, and Tyler’s family walked to huddle up around our still-stuck bodies.

“Everyone keeps trying to hug us,” Tyler whispered in my ear.

I giggled, kissing him again. “One more minute, and then it’ll be just us.”

“Anything you want, gorgeous.”

He pulled me tighter into him, the smell of his shampoo washing over me.

“I love you, Tyler Carlson.”

“I love you, Kate Martin.”

Our lips met, tying us in a bond. We were in this thing called life together. It didn’t matter how hard it would get, we were stronger together and could get through anything.

It was us against the world, and I was ready to take on that challenge, any challenge for that matter. As long as I had Tyler by my side, we’d conquer it all.

We received too many hugs to count. Finally, he was able to slip that beautiful solitaire rock on my finger.

A perfectly clear diamond was surrounded by a platinum band studded with black diamonds and red rubies. It was exactly what I didn’t even know I wanted. Sometimes I thought he knew me better than I knew myself.

The stadium crew cleaned up the mess on the ice, getting ready for the game. I stood by the glass, kissing the man I was lucky enough to marry one day.

“Now go play your game. I’ll be waiting for you. I’ll always be waiting for you.”

“I’ll never be foolish enough to keep you waiting,” he said with a laugh. “I know exactly what I have right in front of me.”

He winked and kissed me one last time before he skated away to his team.

The first time I had seen Tyler in the Blades’ locker room, I thought I was entering a panther’s cage, a forbidden place that would most definitely cause pain.

But at that moment, I knew I was wrong. Sure, we had been playing with fire and had our fair share of ups and downs with people ripping us apart, but Tyler and I had remained intact.

What I once saw as a panther’s cage, I was then seeing as a panther’s den—a home, a haven. Tyler and I would always be watched and judged, just as if we were in a cage.

But that didn’t bother us anymore. They could watch from afar, never being able to touch us.

Our home would be our kingdom where we would finally live safely, happily, and healthily. We had power, strength, and, most importantly, love on our side.

Don’t forget. Big cats rule the jungle.