On the Fly Page 19

  Court hugged her again, afraid to admit she was trying not to cry. The Wolves hadn’t won the championship that year. All things considered, she was happy for Gail because the Warriors had done it again, but Jen Hilton winning the MVP of the playoffs was a bitter pill to swallow. At least she’d gotten the better of Hilton in two separate fights in the final series.

  But Eric winning this, today, gave Court the feeling her life had come full circle. Her career as a player was over, but she’d signed on with the Wolves as an assistant coach. She pressed her lips to Lana’s temple.

  They waited outside the locker room for Eric to emerge. Other players’ reunions with their families were fun to watch, but when Eric finally came out, he had a huge smile on his face as he went directly to Lana and gave her a big hug.

  “I’m so proud of you, Eric,” Lana said. She held on to him tightly as he lifted her off the ground. “Where’s your MVP trophy?”

  “The staff will get it loaded onto the bus later,” he said, pulling Court into a hug once he finally let his mother go. Court was grateful he didn’t try lifting her off the ground as well. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I never would have been Rookie of the Year or the MVP of the Cup tourney without you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said as she stepped back, knowing the smile on her face was huge, and not just because of Eric’s triumph that day. There were a lot of people hanging around their immediate area, so she took a deep breath and grabbed Lana by the hand. “Can I talk to you both over here for a minute?”

  She walked a few feet away and watched the emotions work their way through Lana’s expression. Confusion and worry were the most prominent, but Eric still had an ear-to-ear smile because he knew what was about to happen. He finally urged Lana to come with him to where Court was standing.

  “I have a bad feeling,” Lana said, looking at Court apprehensively.

  “You shouldn’t,” Court assured her. She took Lana’s hands and held them between their bodies. “I just wanted to say something, and there are far too many people over there.”

  “Well, make it quick,” Lana said. “Our dinner reservations are in an hour.”

  “Lana, two years ago, I didn’t even know you,” Court said, maintaining eye contact. “A year ago, I had fallen in love with you, and didn’t have the guts to tell you. Now, I can’t imagine not having you in my life. You’ve made me so much happier than I ever thought I could be.”

  Court smiled when Lana wiped a tear from her cheek. Eric handed her the small box she’d asked him to keep until this moment came. After taking a deep breath to try to steady her nerves, she got down on one knee and looked up at Lana, opening the box for her to see the diamond ring inside.

  “Yes,” Lana said, nodding her head and crying openly now. Court was aware of other people noticing them, but she kept her attention on Lana. “Yes!”

  “I didn’t even get to ask the question,” Court said, her shoulders slumping. “Can you at least let me ask?”

  “I’m sorry. Go ahead.” Lana clasped her hands in front of her and stood still, waiting.

  “Lana Caruso,” Court said as she took the ring out of the box and held her hand out for Lana’s. “Will you marry me?”

  “Can I say yes now?” Lana whispered. Court laughed and got to her feet again as she slid the ring onto Lana’s finger.

  “Yes, you can answer now.”

  “Yes, a thousand times,” Lana said, holding her hand out in front of her to get a better look at the ring. The crowd gathered a few feet away broke out into cheers, and people were snapping pictures with their phones. Lana looked at Eric, who was standing off to the side, still smiling. “You knew about this and didn’t tell me?”

  “She said she’d break my kneecaps if I did.” Eric shrugged, and Lana looked at Court.

  “In my defense, I never actually said I’d do it,” Court told her. “I told him I’d have to seriously think about doing it if he let anything slip.”

  Lana shook her head but stepped closer to Court and put her arms around her neck before kissing her soundly. Court was aware of the crowd cheering again, but it faded away quickly. The woman of her dreams had agreed to be her wife.

  “Okay, break it up now,” Eric said, obviously embarrassed at the attention they were getting. “I’m starving.”

  Court broke their kiss and smiled at Lana, then pressed her lips to Lana’s nose. “We can continue this in private a little later tonight.”

  “Deal,” Lana said. She slid her arm around Court’s waist, and Court’s arm went around her shoulders.

  Court threw her other arm around Eric’s shoulders and they headed for the exit. She’d never allowed herself to dream of having a family of her own, but it was exactly what she had now, and she couldn’t be happier.

  About the Author

  PJ Trebelhorn was born and raised in the greater metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. Her love of sports (mainly baseball and ice hockey) was fueled in part by her father’s interests. She likes to brag about the fact that her uncle managed the Milwaukee Brewers for five years and the Chicago Cubs for one year.

  PJ now resides in western New York with her wife, Cheryl, their three cats, and one very neurotic dog. When not writing or reading, PJ enjoys watching movies, playing on the PlayStation, and spending way too much time with stupid games on Facebook. She still roots for the Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles, even though she’s now in Sabres and Bills territory.

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