“Thank you,” she whispered before going on her toes to kiss his jaw. As she pulled back, she said, “I love—”
But she was interrupted when Autumn came up to them. “Hey, Baylor, can you come with me real quick?”
Looking to her mother-in-law, Baylor’s brows came together. “Yeah, I guess…”
But before she could even finish, Autumn was dragging her away. Grinning back at Baylor, Jayden said, “See you in a few.”
Confused, she walked into their guesthouse, or more accurately, she was pushed into the guesthouse before Autumn shut the door quickly. Turning to Baylor, Autumn said, “Take off the kimono.”
“Huh?” she asked, but Autumn was already removing it before handing her a big bouquet of peonies. “What in the world am I supposed to do with this?”
Before Autumn could answer, though, a knock came to the door, and she opened it.
Baylor’s father, River, popped his head in and asked, “Ready?”
“Ready?”
“Yes,” Autumn said, kissing Baylor’s cheek and then leaving her with River.
“Dad? What in the world is going on?”
Her father had a happy little grin on his face as he held out his arm to her. “Why don’t you come on out here with me?”
“Okay, but why?” she asked, feeling like something was going on.
Reaching for her, he laughed as he tucked her arm in his. “You know I love you and I’m proud of you, right, Little Fifty?” he asked, his eyes misting as he used Baylor’s nickname.
Watching her father, she slowly nodded. “I thought I was supposed to be the emotional one? I’m the one having the baby, Dad.”
“I know, and I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks…? I’m so confused about what’s going on,” she said, her eyes widening. “Wait, are you dying?”
He laughed. “No, come on,” he said, pulling her out the door, and when she looked out into the yard, everyone was looking back at her in an almost circular shape. In the middle was Jayden, standing with an older man she was pretty sure was the pastor of his family’s church. The same person who had married their parents.
What in the world?
Clearing his throat, Jayden held her gaze as his face curved in a grin. “Baylor, I fell in love with you three years ago. I’ll never forget the moment I saw you.” Baylor couldn’t move; she was trapped in his gaze. “I was on the beach with my bonehead brothers—”
“Hey, I’m amazing. Jace is a bonehead,” Jude said, and Jace scoffed.
“Other way around, buddy.”
“Like I said, boneheads,” Jayden reiterated, and everyone laughed, but no one looked away. Though, who could? He was beautiful. “I saw you standing with the girl my brother was hitting on, and I was just captivated by you. Completely and utterly stunned, but then you challenged me in hockey. Only wearing short shorts and a tank top, but you didn’t care. You threw on a pair of skates, and you swept the floor with me. I think that’s the moment I fell for you.”
The tears were there before she could even try to stop them.
“Things didn’t work out at first, and even more so when I found out you were the daughter of my new coach, but I never stopped loving you. When you pushed me away, I pushed back, needing you to love me as much as I loved you. When you finally gave in, I knew I had won it all, that nothing could top the way I felt. But you proved me wrong,” he said, pausing as he looked away, moving his hand over his mouth before sucking in a deep breath. “You married me,” he said, his voice breaking when he looked back at her. “And now you’re carrying my baby. I don’t think you know what that does to me, how I fall for you over and over again, each day. I couldn’t do this thing called life without you, Baylor Irene Moore Sinclair, and I know I didn’t give you the wedding you deserve. That I didn’t give your dad the chance to give you away or to have the pictures of us from that day on the wall. So, I’ve got a question,” he said, but it was hard to listen because she was sobbing like a damn baby.
“Yeah?” she croaked out, and everyone was grinning at her. There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd that had gathered in her backyard. Autumn was crying as she held Angie close to her, while the rest of family smiled back at Baylor, all of them holding on to the ones they loved. Their friends, a group consisting of all the Assassins, were there, all with tears in their eyes as they watched Baylor cry. Usually, she would be embarrassed, but all she saw was Jayden, grinning at her with all the love and admiration in the world in his eyes.
Only for her.
“Will you marry me, again? Right here, with all our friends and family as witnesses and your dad giving you away?”
She didn’t even pause or think, she just beamed, nodding like a fool. “You don’t even have to ask.”
“Oh, really? I never know with you. Wasn’t sure if you hated me today.”
“Never,” she said as she started to pull her dad along, but Jayden held his hand up to her.
“No, wait. I have the greatest singer/songwriter ever on hand to sing as you walk down the aisle,” he said. He looked to Avery, but she was crying on Jace.
Looking up at Jayden, Avery groaned, “Dude, I’m crying here.”
“So? I paid you, get out here,” he demanded, and soon the tears turned to laughter as Avery dragged her guitar with her over to the chair that was waiting for her.
“Jeez, he’s mean,” she said to Baylor, wiping her face.
“He’s the best,” Baylor said, and Jayden sent her a grin that could light up an arena.
Running her fingers along the chords, Avery looked up as she started to play “The One” by Kodaline.
Their song.
A song that to that day still gave Baylor chills and butterflies. Her lip started to wobble, and within seconds, more tears were rushing down her face. She was pretty sure she was about to run out of them. “You suck,” she called to Jayden, and he chortled a bit.
“Hey, we can’t do this without our song,” he said as she and her dad started to walk to him. It was a short walk, but they walked slowly because she wanted to hear the whole song. “Plus, I love watching you cry.”
“’Cause you’re sadistic,” she said. Everyone laughed because, really, how silly were they?
“No, it’s ’cause I’m watching you. Everything about you, I love.”
Breathless, she leaned into her father as she swooned completely. For a quiet man, Jayden really knew what to say to make her swoon like a schoolgirl. When Baylor finally reached him, Jayden held his hand out to River, which he quickly took, shaking it hard.
“Thank you for this, Jayden,” her father said, his voice a little rough. Jayden nodded, but her father didn’t let go of his hand. “I should hate you. I mean, you ran off with her, married her before you two’s draft celebration dinner. I had no say, I wasn’t even there, but you know what I felt?”
River’s eyes were locked on his as Jayden said, “No, sir, I don’t.”
River nodded. “I was proud. I was stunned, for obvious reasons, but I wasn’t upset. I was happy. Because not only was my daughter living her dream, she had found the greatest man ever to live it with,” he said sternly, and from behind her, Baylor heard Autumn choke on a sob. “I have considered you a son for a very long time, and I am truly blessed to see the man you have grown into. Lord knows, I thank the big man upstairs for you every day because I don’t worry about her at all. I know my baby is protected and loved. And I know for a fact the baby that is coming is about to have the greatest father in the world. Because of that, I thank you, and I want you to know I love you, son.”
River then let Baylor go, taking Jayden in his arms and hugging him tightly. When he pulled back, they both smacked each other’s biceps before River reached for Baylor’s hand, handing it to Jayden. Choking back her own sob, she turned to her husband and felt nothing but pure wonder for the man who was her forever.
“Ready?” he asked, lacing his fingers with hers.
“I’ll always be ready to marry you,” she said, squeezing his hand.
“Again?”
“Over and over again, I don’t care, as long as it’s you.”
As Jayden grinned back at her, his eyes were misty. But before he could say anything, Jude called out, “Lord, get on with it. Y’all are giving us all a sugar rush!”
“Jude Marshall, shut your mouth!” Autumn yelled, but all Baylor could do was grin back at Jayden.
Her forever.
And just like the day she married him the first time, she remembered her list of goals.
Make it into the NHL. Check.
Make her dad proud. Check. Double check.
Find the love of her life. Check.
Tell him she loved him every day. A billion times checked.
Win the Stanley Cup. No check, but she didn’t need it.
Jayden would always be the biggest trophy of her life.
And even though “Have a baby” was never on that list, it was now, and she couldn’t wait to mark it as checked.
5
Did you just piss on me?
“Well, that was so sugary sweet, I’m pretty sure I got a toothache,” Markus said as he fell back on Baylor’s couch. “Or it was all the cheesecake I ate.”