Mind Pucked (Chicago Blue Jays #1)

BONUS EPILOGUE

AMELIA

Six months have passed since Preston came back to town, and things have been going well. He’s even been getting along with Jackson better than I thought he would.

I’m standing in front of the mirror, getting ready for a party Jackson put together for us. He says he wants to celebrate Preston’s return to hockey, but he seems more nervous about it than he should be. I decided to wear the dress and shoes I bought on the shopping trip in Cincinnati, and I smile when I remember the hot sex we had after I modeled this dress for him.

“Are you almost ready, baby? We’re going to be late for our own party,” Jackson yells from the room down the hall.

“I’m almost ready, I just have to put some finishing touches on my hair,” I say as I look myself over in the mirror, making sure everything is just the way I want it.

“I’m going to get Hayden buckled in her seat, hurry if you can,” he calls out.

I shake my head and giggle as I pin some of my hair back and leave some of it down. I check my makeup and make sure everything is perfect. Once I’m sure there are no smudges, I grab my purse and head out the door.

Jackson’s eyes pop when he sees me. “You look stunning in that dress. It’s a shame I won’t be able to peel it off of you like last time,” he says, his voice low.

I smile and let out a soft giggle as he drives the car onto the highway. I have no idea where we’re headed, and I look at him in confusion when he heads for the marina.

“Jackson, where are we going?” I ask him as he steals a glance in my direction.

“It’s a surprise—but don’t worry, everyone that got invited knows where to be,” he says with a giant grin on his face.

Sure enough, he pulls into the parking lot of the marina and parks the car, shutting off the engine. He turns to look at me with a wide smile on his face and I look at him in shock. He opens his door and climbs out, coming to my side of the car and opening the door for me. He then turns his attention to Hayden and gets her out of her booster seat in the back. With Hayden in one arm, Jackson takes my hand and leads me down a long dock until we come to a stop in front of a very large yacht.

“You planned this party on a yacht?” I ask, completely in shock.

“I did. I only want the best for my lady, and I figured it would be fun,” he says as he leads me up the ramp.

Hayden is giggling with excitement, and once we reach the top of the ramp and step onto the boat, I see all our friends and family seated around the top deck of the yacht.

“Surprise!” everyone yells at the exact same time.

Everyone cheers and claps their hands as I start walking around hugging everyone. My heart is so full to see all our friends and family in the same place after everything that’s happened. The only person I don’t see is my father, and that doesn’t bother me at all. I’m glad Jackson didn’t invite him to the party after everything I’ve been through with him and everything I’ve found out about him and his involvement with Preston’s accident.

“Jackson, this is amazing! I can’t believe you’ve done this,” I say as I look around.

The yacht is decorated with strand after strand of tiny fairy lights, glistening against the dark sky like stars. There are tables set up with elaborate table dressings, covered in candles and food. Various dishes and desserts litter the tables across the top deck of the yacht. I walk down the stairs to the deck below, and I’m met with a large dance floor, music playing softly in the background. I can’t believe how elaborate everything is.

“This is beautiful. I can’t believe you pulled this off without me finding out about it. How did you do this?” I ask him in amazement.

“I had help from some reinforcements. Come on, let’s go back upstairs and get some food. I’m sure you’re pretty hungry. I know I am,” he says with a smile as he grabs my hand and leads me back up the stairs to the top deck where all our friends and family are waiting.

Once we get back up the stairs and fill our plates with food, we sit and eat with everyone. Laughter and the sound of glasses clinking echoes through the air, and I sit back in my seat watching everyone. I never thought it would be this way again—I never thought I would see Preston laughing and smiling with old friends and new ones. It warms my heart that the guys on Jackson’s team decided to show up. I’ve never been completely sure how they felt about me, after everything that happened. But I know that even if they’re not there for me, they’re there for Jackson, and maybe even Preston. As everyone finishes eating, Jackson stands with his glass in his hand. He taps his fork against the glass to get everyone’s attention.

The conversation quiets down and everyone turns to look in Jackson’s direction. I look up at him, not sure what he’s doing. Once everyone stops talking and looks in our direction, he sets the fork and the glass down on the table in front of him and then turns to look at me.

“I’m so happy all of you could come and be with us this evening. I’ve wanted to do something special for a while now, and tonight’s the perfect night for it. I wanted to celebrate Preston’s return, as well as celebrate something new.” Jackson’s eyes look out over the crowd for a moment before returning to meet mine.

“Amelia, when we first met, I was a mess. I was deep in grief and trying to navigate being a single father of a little girl all on my own. I had people willing to help me, I was just too stubborn to let them. You walked into my life and met my stubbornness head-on. It took me by surprise, and even though I tried to fight it, I fell hard for you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and I don’t want to imagine it. You and Hayden are bright spots in the darkness that seems to surround me. I don’t ever want to lose you.” Jackson pauses as he fishes something out of his pocket and suddenly drops to one knee.

I gasp as I realize what he’s about to do and tears fill my eyes. He opens the little box he pulled out of his pocket and looks up at me, tears filling his own eyes.

“Amelia, my love, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asks me, his voice shaking with emotion.

I can’t stop the tears as they fall from my eyes and run down my cheeks. There’s nothing I want more than to be with him forever. I lean down, grab his face in my hands, and press a kiss to his lips. I pull back with a smile on my face.

“Yes! I’ll marry you, Jackson! There’s nothing I want more in this world than to be your wife,” I tell him as everyone around us claps and cheers.

He stands to his feet and takes the ring from the box, sliding it onto my finger. He shoves the box back into his pocket and wraps his arms around me, twirling me around. He presses his lips to mine and the world stands still for a minute. I can’t wait to be his wife and see what the future has in store for us. My heart is full, and I smile at everyone around us. The past has been full of heartache and pain, but as I look at Jackson now, the future looks bright. I know with him by my side, we can make it through anything.