Her delighted laughter rang out as he cursed when the puppies ran back over to join in their game and jumped on him. Kali rolled onto her side and she smiled as she watched the two puppies climbing all over Jared, wanting to play.
Her big man was such a wonder to her. He was a fighter and a bad boy, but he could be so sweet and gentle like he was now, playing with their new dogs. He was offering her his heart and his home, and she knew, without a doubt, that she had found her soul mate. He was the perfect mix of everything she had ever wanted in a man.
And he was all hers.
Epilogue
The roar of the crowd filled the Palace Arena as the winner of the CFL Heavyweight Championship match was announced. Kali smiled to herself as she listened to the sound of her fiancé’s voice over the loudspeakers. His deep, gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine every time she heard it, and tonight was no different.
Murmuring her goodbyes to Leanne Durbin, who was seated next to her in the VIP section, Kali made her way through the crowed aisle and left the arena, heading back to the bank of elevators that would take her back up to her and Jared’s luxurious suite in the Las Vegas hotel.
In the last month she had met the Durbins twice when they had come to visit Breakers to personally escort some of their fighters to Fight Hard. She immediately liked the couple, and she and Leanne had become good friends since their first meeting. Kalista knew that Leanne would send Jared up to their room to join her, and she needed time to set the stage she wanted to have ready for when he did.
A few short days after he proposed, she found herself officially moving into his house. Once the decision had been made she didn’t feel any need to wait to start their life together. It had worked out perfectly since Becca’s lease was up, and she had been overjoyed to move into Kali’s apartment over the bakery.
Ranger and Tinkerbell had become the mascots at Fight Hard, and Jared brought them to work with him almost every day. He and Kali liked having both of their dogs close, and she visited them several times a day. If that gave her another reason to stop by the gym to see Jared, it was just a bonus. Fortunately, there was always someone around the gym that was willing to take the dogs out into the yard to play with them while Jared and Kali were otherwise occupied in his office.
When Shane was released from the hospital, he became their official dog walker after school. The poor boy had trouble adjusting to his new life, considering the severe trauma he had endured. He had become extremely introverted, not trusting anyone at first, and it took him weeks to even speak again despite the therapy he was offered. He was able to complete his physical therapy at Fight Hard, and it broke their hearts because no one knew how to help the young boy.
It wasn’t until he started playing with Ranger and Tinkerbell that he became more like the boy he had been before the attack. Taking care of the dogs after school helped him feel more secure with his surroundings, and allowed him to open up again. Pleased with his progress, Anna and her husband started taking him to the Beaumont Rescue Center on the weekends so he could volunteer since it seemed like being around the dogs worked better than any other therapy.
Kali briefly considered calling Anna’s house to check on Ranger and Tinkerbell since Shane, Nate, Anna, and her husband were dog sitting for them while they were out of town, but she fought the urge. Calling to check on her dogs seemed a little extreme, even for her.
Once she was back in their suite, she went to work setting up the room exactly how she wanted it. She pushed the chairs and sofa out of the way and moved the coffee table to make a large, open space in the center of the living room.
Going into the bedroom, she pulled out the bag of candles that she’d hidden after she bought them earlier. She set them up all over the flat surfaces in the living room and lit them so the entire room was bathed in golden light. She pulled out her chosen outfit and changed as she considered her plan again.
Since they had gotten engaged, Jared had become her best friend and closest confidant. They shared everything with one another and there was nothing they couldn’t talk about. She knew that he was anxious to get married, and if it were up to him they would have just gotten it done while they were in Vegas. Despite her own disinterested parents, she still wanted a traditional wedding where they could make their vows in front of all their friends and family.
After a brief negotiation, they planned to get married in three months.
Jared’s own family had pretty much adopted her, and his mother and stepfather had thrown them a wonderful engagement party the weekend after Valentine’s Day. Evie, Hunter, Beckett, and Francesca had become like her own siblings, and she loved spending time with all of them.