SlapShot Sweetheart (Pucks and Promises #2)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

AIMEE

Aimee drove to her house while Theo sat in the passenger seat of her car, holding a massive bouquet of roses and a few of the little stuffed Beanie Babies to put on her bookshelf. He had gotten a ride with Boucher over to the restaurant, hoping to catch a ride home with her or an Uber. She was actually glad of that foresight because then their evening didn’t have to be over. They were both chatting aimlessly about nothing as she pulled up to her house.

“I’ll make some coffee and… what is that?”

“Roses.”

“Oh my gosh… seriously?” she sputtered in disbelief, feeling very uncomfortable in that moment. The guy she adored and had finally admitted to herself that she was in love with him – was sitting beside her, staring at the front porch and frowning because someone else left her roses, too.

She thought they had finally unraveled who her mystery man was… but maybe not. How could Theo have all those roses at the restaurant – and not know about a sudden bouquet appearing on her front porch… unless there was a second mystery man?! For a woman who didn’t date, how were they coming out of the woodwork now.

Horrified, she looked at Theo in a panic, only to see him frowning and angling his head around before yanking on the door handle.

“Theo, it’s not what you think…”

“What is going on?” he began and got out of the car quickly, his grim expression getting even darker the closer he got to the porch – and then he threw one of the Beanie Babies angrily at the door, creating a thud.

Yup, that obviously wasn’t him, and he was not happy about this in the slightest – and frankly, neither was she. Someone was obviously trying to start up something, and that was never going to happen. She couldn’t risk things with Theo, especially now that they were finally getting along and falling in love.

“Oh my gosh, Theo! Look, this is nothing,” she stammered, feeling so upset and devastated, almost near tears. He was getting madder and madder, muttering under his breath as he looked around. “I’ll tell that mystery guy to just go away and…”

“No, you won’t because I’ll kill ‘im!”

“DO WHAT?!” she yelped as he stomped onto the porch, looking around frantic and yelling in French, pulling her Welcome mat up and tossing it to the side. What was he looking for? Another gift? Another poem? Oh my gosh, what if this other person left a love letter? “Theo! Theo? Calm down and talk to me in English… please! You’re scaring me, and this is nothing – I swear it.”

Only to hear a horn honking as a black Lotus came flying down the street much too fast – and screeching to a stop in front of her house. Both stood up straight and glanced at each other, inciting a fear like she had never experienced before in her life as she saw something click in Theo’s eyes. He was off the porch in a heartbeat, the vase of roses tucked under one arm almost like a weapon, charging angrily toward the stranger in the car.

“Theo! Theo, stop! It’s nothing, he’s nothing to me, I don’t want some mystery guy… I want you!” she yelled, running in front of him and that seemed to pause his tirade for only a moment as he snarled something, looking past her at the car. They would never have a future together if he went to jail for murdering some innocent fool. “I’ll get rid of him!”

Aimee turned, putting her back to him, and immediately yanked off her shoe – slapping at the expensive sports car’s front window. She heard a honk, felt Theo grab her from behind attempting to get her out of the way. Immediately, she began pushing his hands away in a panicked struggle that she was losing, realizing Theo was much stronger than she imagined… just as the door glass rolled down revealing a very pissed-off man’s face.

The team’s goalie.

“WHAT IN THE ACTUAL…” the goalie screamed angrily, glaring at Aimee as she blinked in shock, unable to believe what was happening. Why was he here? Was he the mystery man? How was she going to get rid of him politely for Madeline’s sake and still be able to visit Theo at the arena if his teammate was the one making all these ‘plays’ for her attention.

“WHERE IS IT?” Theo snarled angrily, interrupting the man’s tirade.

“Right here, ya’ big twit – and if she scratched my car then you’re paying for it!”

Aimee stood there, looking at the two men glaring at each other as Theo accepted a brown paper bag from Lafreniére, who promptly gave him the finger and squealed his tires as he drove off.

“Merci beaucoup!” he bit out, giving the car’s taillights the same gesture – to which Aimee promptly yanked his hand down. She was completely confused. Something was not right about this whole thing, and her head was spinning.

“I don’t know what is going on, but I think I need to sit down.”

“Lafreniére doesn’t listen…”

“What did you tell him?”

“To put it on the front porch.”

“Wait,” she hesitated, shaking her head, dismayed that she was right after all about her musings. “Lafreniére is actually my mystery guy? Why did I have to be right about that thing – and why couldn’t I have the lottery numbers instead?” she whispered distractedly, putting a hand on Theo’s arm as she rubbed her forehead.

“No. I told ‘im to put this on the front porch.”

“Maybe he didn’t because another mystery guy was there leaving the flowers?” she whispered, completely flabbergasted. “Surely not. Maybe it's a pheromone or the soap I started using a month ago. Something is seriously wrong and…”

“C’est moi,” Theo snapped, looking at her in frustration. “ C’est moi! It’s me, Aimee. There’s no mystery man, but me. I was looking for this!”

“There’s no mystery man?” she repeated, confused but intensely relieved. “You were looking for a bag?”

“No.”

“But that’s a bag.”

“Yes, it is.”

“But you just said… okay. My brain hurts, and I’m completely confused.”

“Come with me,” Theo began, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her toward the front door of the house as she tried to unravel everything aloud.

“So you aren’t killing Lafreniére, because he’s not the mystery guy.”

“No.”

“But you were – up to a point.”

“Yes.”

“But you aren’t now.”

“No?”

“No… as in ‘No, I am not’ or ‘No, I’m not sure?’… because there is a difference, Theo. I’m trying to keep up with all of this.”

“Lafreniére is not your mystery man – that was me. It was always me.”

“But who brought the roses?”

“That was me too.”

“You brought the roses at the same time you were in the car with me?”

“Aimee,” he sighed, smiling tenderly at her as she unlocked the door and Theo scooped her up, yet again, carrying her inside. She was starting to get used to this sweetness that was warming her heart, and she was so relieved that he wasn’t upset anymore. “Lafreniére was supposed to leave the roses with the gift bag on the porch – out of sight. I texted him from the restaurant to tell him we were on the way.”

“You did?”

“Yes.”

“And you were mad he put the roses in the wrong place?”

“I was mad because I thought someone had been disturbing the surprise I had planned for you,” he said softly, putting her down near the couch. “Sit, mon ame s?ur … please?”

“This has been a night for the record books,” Aimee began quietly, collapsing onto the couch as Theo crouched beside her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. It’s just sorting all this in my head… and realizing that every time I thought something was happening, even though you had mentioned it wasn’t you – it actually was.”

“It was,” he smiled softly, reaching up to touch her cheek. “Are you mad?”

“Not at all,” she replied, laying a hand atop his and meeting his smile. “A little dizzy from all the mental spinning, but it’s terribly sweet. I love that you wanted to surprise me.”

“I love you ,” he whispered tenderly, holding her gaze. “And that is what je t’aime means.”

“Je t’aime…”

“You pronounced it perfectly,” he replied approvingly, brushing his thumb against her cheek as he swallowed. She saw his throat work as his eyes dropped away, almost like he was scared or concerned.

“I meant it,” she admitted quietly in the silence of the house as his eyes slowly traveled back up to meet hers. Those dark brown eyes she would never get tired of looking at, never tire of telling him how she felt, because she loved this strange man with every fiber of her being. He had taken her by storm, kept her on pins, and managed to worm his way into her heart. “ Je t’aime, Theo.”

“Je t’aime, mon ame s?ur,” he breathed reverently as his eyes searched hers, before pulling his hand away from her cheek. She was about to protest slightly, only to see him quickly reaching in the bag… and her heart stopped in her chest as she realized what he was doing. He gave her a nervous, shaky smile that melted her very soul as he pulled from the bag a black velvet box.

“Is that…” she managed to choke out and didn’t even miss a beat as something crashed noisily in the other room.

“Do we need to get that?”

“It’s the cats and the whole place could burn for all I care right now.”

“You think that…”

“Theo, don’t you dare move,” she gritted out, halfway between tears and sobbing like a crazy person. “You were about to say something?”

“Oh?” he chuckled and hesitated, holding up the box. “This is my medication.”

“If there isn’t a ring in there, you might need medication.”

His face fell… and she nearly passed out from the stress of it all – only to catch his glittery eyes and that soft little smirk that drove her nuts.

“Were you ‘oping for a ring from me?” Theo managed to whisper, his voice emotional and hoarse. He slowly opened the box, and a tear escaped the corner of his eye, melting every bone in her body. She realized he was handling this in the only way he knew how just to keep from falling apart, too. There on the velvet was not what she expected… and blinked.

“Do you like it?”

“Um, unicorns are a thing, I suppose.”

“Eh?” Theo balked and looked down at the box, before closing his eyes and muttering wildly under his breath. A panicked laugh escaped him. There, in the expensive jewelry box, was a plastic pink unicorn ring for a child. “That’s not what I bought you.”

“I figured,” she giggled, realizing that someone had played a joke on him. “I’m glad you aren’t angry.”

“I’m really ‘appy that you aren’t,” he blurted out nervously. “I feel bad asking you to marry me with this… but do you think, maybe, that you can put up with me being your partner, knowing that life will be like this? A bunch of jokes with my friends?”

“So long as we can laugh together and share moments like this – yes.”

“I love our moments,” he smiled tearfully as she wiped her eyes. “I just love being around you. You make me ‘appier than I’ve ever been – and I need that in my world.”

“I need you,” she wept and then laughed. “I’m sorry I’m emotional.”

“I am too,” he confessed, chuckling and pulling the pink unicorn ring from the box, moving to slide it onto her finger. The circle barely made it to her first knuckle, making them both laugh once more as they shared tearful smiles. “I love you.”

“Say it again, but in French.”

“Je t’aime, mon ame s?ur…”

Aimee leaned toward Theo, desperately needing to kiss the man who owned her heart, and saw he was doing the same. Just before their lips met, he whispered ‘I love you’ once more to her and paused as they both heard a loud knock.

“That better be your ring,” he whispered.

“If it’s not, it will turn up,” she replied softly.

“How are you so calm?”

“Because I’m going to marry my mystery man.”

“Yes, you are,” he smiled, quickly kissing her before getting to his feet. Aimee rose to see who was at the door just as Theo was opening it – and smiled. She put her hand over her mouth, laughing, as several faces peered inside quickly.

“Did she say ‘yes’?”

“I wore my hockey mask for a reason…”

“You should,” Theo grumbled, chuckling.

“Aimee is our newbie?”

“Are you sure you wanna marry this big lug?”

“I want to hug my new little hockey sister since we’re like a big family…”

“I want cake…”

“Thierry! You’re gonna get your cake, dude – and you aren’t starving to death. Goodness, ya big ol’ baby.”

“Fat Clairol, I tell ya…”

“I’m gonna kill you, bro.”

“Thierry,” Aimee laughed, moving to Theo’s side so the team could enter her small house since they had shown up to celebrate with them. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any cake here. I could make some coffee or…”

“Boucher?”

“I got it…” the man grumbled, walking in with a tall box that had to be from a bakery, complete with a bow on top. Thierry walked in, right behind him, holding aloft two bottles of Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice, winking at her. Giroux entered holding Becca’s hand, who had a hand on her belly and smiling apologetically.

“No champagne for the baby…”

“It’s fine,” Aimee chuckled, hugging her new friend happily – only to see Coeur behind her, wagging his eyebrows and holding aloft another bottle. Actual champagne – and not the cheap stuff either.

Dom Perignon.

“This ‘baby’ is having a glass of bubbly with his new Hockey sister,” Coeur chuckled and winked at her. “Unless you are about to announce that you are pregnant, too?”

“No,” Aimee and Theo said in unison, making the others laugh as they poured into the house, making themselves right at home. Her tiny kitchen was full of big hockey guys before she knew it. They were talking, laughing, and cutting up with each other as Becca spotted éclair and Donut looking up at them warily from the hallway.

“Awww, what sweeties!”

“I know I am,” Giroux volunteered.

“Me too,” Thierry added. “Where’s the cake knife, Aimee?”

“In the drawer,” she hollered distractedly over her shoulder, scooping up one of the kittens while Becca picked up the other one… and hesitated at Becca’s surprised look, combined with silence from the kitchen. Turning, Aimee expected some monster to be standing there behind her or for the entire room to be on fire. Theo was standing there, holding a very prettily decorated cake that had donut holes stacked weirdly all over it, with a message that made her smile.

Life is sweet,

Never boring.

Will you marry me?

And there, in the center of the ‘O’ in the ‘Will you marry me’ message, was a large solitaire sticking up from the frosting.

“Is this a little better?” Theo grinned.

“I love doughnuts,” Aimee chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced over at Theo, realizing he was the mastermind behind this sugary distraction meant to throw her off her game. “But if that diamond turns out to be plastic or crumbles in my hand…”

“I’m going to be seriously pissed,” Theo laughed, a playful glint in his eyes. “It’s real, I promise.”

“Can I keep both rings?” Aimee teased, her heart fluttering at the thought of the promise behind the sparkling gem.

“My niece will be mad,” Lafreniére interjected with a chuckle. “But Uncle Dustin can always get her another one.”

“Uncle Dustin,” Boucher scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Ya big dork.”

“I swear you’ve got an ax to grind…” Aimee shot back, playfully nudging Boucher.

“Not everyone gets their happy ending,” he said, his voice turning serious for a moment, making Aimee's heart ache slightly for him.

“You’re on the roster, bro,” Theo replied, shaking his head in mock disbelief.

“What the heck’s that mean?” Boucher retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“You too, Coeur,” Aimee added with a playful smirk.

“SAY WHAT?!” Couer exclaimed, feigning shock.

“Aimee, ignore them,” Theo grinned, plucking the glistening ring out of the frosting and carelessly shoving the cake toward Thierry. “Start cutting, mon frère .”

“You got it,” Thierry replied, a grin spreading across his face as he prepped the cake for cutting.

“We need to talk about that little bombshell that isn’t funny in the slightest,” Boucher interjected, his brow furrowing in mock seriousness.

“Just open the champagne, ya big baby,” Aimee retorted, crossing her arms with a playful pout.

“And the grape juice,” Becca chimed in, already positioned with her camera, ready to capture every moment. “Go ahead, Theo. I’m taking photos.”

“ Merci ,” Theo chuckled, turning his full attention back to Aimee. He took her hand in his, his touch igniting a warmth that spread through her body. Slowly, he slid the frosting-covered solitaire ring onto her finger, making her laugh as the sugary mess coated her skin. His eyes were bright with joy, and at that moment, Aimee felt like the luckiest woman in the world. It was as if time stood still, and nothing else mattered. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes—but you already knew that,” she replied, her smile radiant, her heart swelling with love for the man before her.

“I just wanted to hear it again… and again,” he said, his voice low and filled with adoration.

“Yes, I will marry you,” she affirmed, her heart racing as she watched him hold up her hand like it was the most precious treasure in the world. He glanced at Becca, who was snapping pictures, then winked at Aimee in a way that made her heart flutter.

In a playful twist, he leaned down and licked the underside of her finger, scooping up a generous dollop of frosting. The wildly intimate move, combined with the unexpected tickle, sent waves of laughter bursting from her lips. Before she knew it, he drew her into his arms, the warmth of his body enveloping her, and he kissed her passionately, their laughter mingling in the air around them. In that sweet moment, surrounded by friends and the joyful chaos of frosting and doughnuts, Aimee felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. It was a memory she would cherish forever, a snapshot of pure love and laughter.