All the money benefitted a charity organization headed up by the owner’s daughter that provided money to foster children so that they could participate in school athletics.
According to the owner, they paid for equipment, registration fees, and even provided transportation to practices and games, if necessary.
“You must be Charley. Alex said you’d be watching from the box.”
Charley glanced up to see an attractive man in an expensive suit smiling down at her.
He extended his hand. “I’m Colm Collins, Alex’s lawyer.”
Her chest tightened as he claimed the seat next to her.
While she’d come to Baltimore to sign the annulment papers, now that the lawyer was here, she realized exactly how much she hated giving up her secret, temporary status as Alex’s wife.
Charley fiddled with her wedding ring.
While she’d taken it off whenever she went out in public, she put it back on the second she was home and alone. She had intended to pack it in her luggage this morning, but at the last minute, she’d slipped it from her left hand to her right, not wanting anyone here to spot it and get the wrong idea, but not wanting to take it off completely either.
It felt funny on the wrong hand, yet something told her it would feel even worse when it was gone.
“Nice to meet you. I didn’t realize we were signing the paperwork here. I guess I thought we’d do that tomorrow.”
“I’d intended to be here for the entire game, but I got held up at the office.” He looked up at the time clock.
There were three more minutes left in the game.
“Damn. We’re cutting it close. Would you mind coming with me?” he asked. “Alex asked if I’d escort you down to the rink for the end of the game.”
Wow.
Apparently, Alex wasn’t wasting any time with this annulment.
And just like that, her amazing day bottomed out.
She stood slowly and followed Colm down to the rink. They stood at the entrance to the tunnel that led directly to the ice. Charley could hear that the game had ended, and there were a lot of workers at the other end, rolling out a long red carpet.
“Are you sure he wanted us to meet him here?” she asked.
Colm smiled. “No.” He pointed toward the ice. “He wants us to meet him up there.”
And without another word, he headed up the tunnel. She hesitated for a moment, but in the end, curiosity won out. She’d never expected to have the opportunity to stand this close to an actual professional hockey rink.
They’d just reached the end of the tunnel, the rink stretched out before her, when the announcer started speaking.
The view from this spot was absolutely amazing. She looked up and around at all the seats, spotting the people she’d just been sitting with still in the owner’s box.
The Jumbotron flipped from the final score of the game to live video. The camera was focused on Alex, who was slipping over the wall and back onto the ice. There was a puppy in his arms.
What the hell?
Charley looked away from the screen and watched as he and the squirming pup skated toward the end of the red carpet.
He smiled when he saw her, and she figured he was amused by their matching outfits. She lifted her arms and struck a silly pose in his jersey, which made him laugh.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we have a special presentation. If you will please turn your attention to the end of the red carpet, you will see Baltimore captain, Alex Stone.”
The puppy had calmed down now that they were standing still, resting peacefully in the crook of Alex’s arm. Alex had a microphone, and he lifted it as he looked around at the stands and began to speak.
“A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling about as low as a person could feel. I know I don’t have to explain to any of you why.”
Charley recalled the game, the devastating loss. The murmur in the crowd proved Alex hadn’t been alone in his disappointment.
“Then I had the chance to reconnect with an old friend, a former hockey teammate from my childhood. And I’d like for you to meet her.”
Alex was looking at her.
“Come on, sweetheart,” he said, just to her, not into the mic.
She couldn’t move.
Surely he didn’t mean for her to walk out on the red carpet in front of everyone.
He shook his head and chuckled, the sound reverberating through the arena, thanks to the mic he’d raised. “She’s a little shy, everyone. Maybe you could give her some encouragement.”
Loud cheers filled the arena as Colm gave her a gentle push toward the ice.
“Go on, Charley. He’s waiting for you.”
She took a couple of steps, then froze again. The rink looked enormous from this vantage point, and she really wasn’t used to so many people looking at her.
“She’s not used to being on the ice without skates. Little bit like a fish out of water,” Alex joked, still speaking in the mic, and there was a lot of laughter now mingled with the applause.
Of course, his words had the desired effect on her. She narrowed her eyes at him and started walking toward him.
A dare was a dare was a dare, and it was clear he didn’t think she’d make it all the way.
“What are you doing?” she murmured, once she stood next to him.
He ignored her question. “I’d like you to meet Charley Matthews, author of the Tomboy Tess series.”
She looked around, sort of amazed by the noise of the cheering. She caught sight of several young girls standing near the glass, looking at each other in amazement and jumping up and down like they were seeing a movie star or something.
“Alex,” she whispered.
“As I said, I was about as low as a man could get after that last game. Then Charley came back into my life and a light went on. Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve spent most of my adult life promising to remain a bachelor until the day I die. You could probably find at least two dozen interviews where I’ve said the same.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m hoping Charley will continue to make a liar of me. Without going into too many details, we eloped in Vegas a couple of weeks ago. Charley wants to annul it. I’m hoping to convince her to change her mind.”
There was a collective “ah” from the crowd.
“I love you, Charley Matthews, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you so last week, sorry I left without saying those words to you. Because God knows, I do.”
Charley’s mouth fell open when Alex dropped to one knee on the ice in front of her. He twisted the puppy’s collar and there, dangling from it, was the biggest diamond ring she’d ever seen in her life.
The arena erupted, filled with deafening applause, cheers, stomping.
Alex pointed toward the Jumbotron.
She looked up and saw the words, “Will you stay married to me, Charley?”
“I…I…” She nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Yes. God, yes.”
Alex grinned as he slipped the engagement ring from the collar.
Then he narrowed his eyes when he realized she wasn’t wearing her wedding band. She held up her right hand and gave him a rueful grin.
He laughed and handed her the puppy so that he could slip the wedding ring back on the correct hand before adding her engagement ring.
“The puppy’s name is Billy. His sister, Bonnie, is over there.” Alex pointed toward the home bench, where one of his teammates held an identical puppy. “They’re ours.”