Page 127 of Pucking Forbidden

Julian just lets out a low chuckle under his breath, his hand dropping down to find mine beneath the table. He squeezes my fingers, the heavy weight of his wedding band pressing against my knuckles. We’ve been trying to figure out the details of that night since we found out we were married, and it’s aggravating not to be able to remember anything about our own wedding. Still, it’s so good to be married to Julian that I don’t let myself dwell on my missing memories too much. Especially considering my mom and dad have already started planning a reception for us after I graduate.

Before Zander can launch into another retelling of our Vegas shenanigans, Skyler tilts her head, her gaze latched on Grace and Jensen as they walk toward our tables.

“Guys, has anyone noticed that something’s a bit different with Grace?” she asks.

Carson frowns and blinks. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Skyler gives him a pointed look. “Like, she hasn’t had anything to drink. At all. The whole weekend.”

It takes another moment for realization to click, and then Carson’s eyes go wide. He jumps to his feet and points at Jensen just as he and Grace stop in front of the tables.

“I’m going to be an uncle?” he exclaims. “You’re making me an uncle? I’m too young! Look at this face!”

Skyler groans and drops her head into her hands. Jensen and Grace exchange a look, both grinning. Jensen shrugs.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag,” he replies. “Yep, it’s true. Grace and I are expecting.”

Zander lets out a piercing whistle, practically leaping over a chair to tackle Jensen into a hug. Carson is shouting, the girls are screaming, and the entire group descends into an absolute hurricane of celebratory chaos all over again. I jump up, pulling Grace into a tight hug while the guys bombard Jensen with shoulder bunches and headlocks.

By midnight, the high-voltage energy of the reception is still going strong, but Julian and I slip away early together. We’re both exhausted.

When we get back to the cabin we rented near the venue, the quiet of the mountain night wraps around us like a heavy blanket.

I don't even make it to the bedroom before my feet give out from hours in heels. I collapse onto the plush leather sofa in the living room, kicking my shoes off with a sigh of pure relief. Julian walks over, already unbuttoning his black vest, his tie long gone. Without a word, he slides onto the cushions beside me, reaching out to pull me into his lap.

I curl up against him, my legs hooked over his thighs, still wearing his heavy suit jacket over my shoulders to ward off the high-altitude chill. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close against his chest, his head dropping into the crook of my neck.

“Hey, wife,” he whispers, the rough, gravelly timbre of his voice vibrating into my collarbone.

A soft laugh escapes me, and I tangle my fingers into his hair. “Hey, husband.”

He kisses me, his lips soft and unhurried as his hands rest against my hips. He calls me his wife every single chance he gets these days, his voice always holding a note of awe, like he still can’t believe the universe actually let him keep me.

We sit there in the dim moonlight filtering through the cabin windows, listening to the wind rustle through the pines outside. Over the last months, we’ve both pieced together the missing fragments of that wild first night in Vegas. We still laugh about it and how we’d woken up the next morning together, fully dressed, completely confused, with no clue we were hitched.

“My dad called me before the ceremony today,” I murmur, tracing the outline of Julian’s pecs through his shirt. “He wanted to know if we needed help looking over the new contract the Night Hawks have given you.”

“Like father, like son,” Julian chuckles, a small smile touching his lips. “Your grandfather and I had a long talk on the bench during the skate yesterday, too. He’s already setting up a framework for me with the athletic department.”

I shift, looking up into his dark, steady eyes. “Oh, that’s great! What’s he thinking specifically?”

He nods. “Player development and coaching consultancy. He thinks I can make a go of it in the front office handling the younger guys coming through the system. Teaching them how to handle the pressure. He also thinks I could make a go of it coaching in the AHL or NAHL to start.” He slides his hand up to cup my jaw, his thumb wiping away a stray hair. “Everything is ahead of us, Hadley.”

I gaze up at him. A deep sense of peace settles over me.

For the first time in both of our lives, we’re not waiting for the other shoe to drop. The road ahead of us is wide open, and the choices we make are totally ours. No matter what happens next, no matter what rivalries we face or what challenges the future throws our way, we have each other. That is the one thing I know will never change.