Page 98 of Power Play

He skids to a stop, then turns to face me. “Riley. I love you, and I’m excited to expand our family, and I can’t wait for what’s to come,” he drawls.

My heart threatens to beat right out of my chest. This doesn’t sound like he’s changed his mind. We’ve committed to each other, and we have our daughter together. We’ve agreed to try for more kids.

So why does my stomach fill with dread at the serious expression on his face?

“We’re doing this all backward. I know my mother wants us to have the big wedding of her dreams—not yours and mine, hers—and I recognize that might not be what you want. But what I would like is to stand in front of our friends and family and proclaim to everyone that we’re together, that we’re in this, that it isn’t just convenient. Even if it’s something small. I want to celebrate us.”

Tears spring to my eyes, and I rub at them with the back of my hand.

This isn’t the end of us. It’s only the beginning of our next chapter.

I can find the courage to wear the white dress and stand up in a church—for him. I’d do anything for him. For us.

He drops to one knee. “Riley, will you marry me again?”

From his pocket, he pulls out a velvet box, opening it to reveal a gorgeous ring. It’s an emerald-shaped amethyst that matches the necklace he gave me, the huge stone circled by a halo of pavé diamonds.

“It should stack with your wedding band,” he says, running his thumb over the ring on my hand. “They’re supposed to go together.”

A lump forms in my throat. “Al⁠—”

“If you’re not ready, if you don’t want a big wedding, we can⁠—”

“Yes,” I blurt. “Yes. I’ll marry you. Again and again and again.”

I tug him to his feet, he slips the ring onto my finger, and I fling myself at him. He catches me—he always does.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I reach up to kiss him, and the soft press of his lips to mine feels so perfect, so right, I can’t imagine how I ever survived without him. I was stumbling in the dark, and he lit the way to this wonderful, perfectly imperfect life we share.

A familiar cry sounds from downstairs, followed by an echoing wail, and with a laugh, we separate.

“Come on. Let’s go rescue our daughter from my evil, no good brother.” He chuckles. “I think she loves him more than me.”

“Never. You’re her dad. You’re her number one fan.” I run my thumb over the new ring on my finger. “But I’ll always be yours.”

Al stops on the stairs, turning to face me. “Fuck, I love you,” he mutters, before he kisses me again.

Emmy’s cries put a stop to anything further. We hurry down the stairs, surveying the situation. Tony is bouncing the baby, trying to soothe her. Leo is crying, too, inconsolable in Sven’s arms. Cora is chewing on her fist. And Ainsley? She’s trying to drink Tyler’s beer.

Al strides forward, pulling our daughter into his arms. “It’s okay, princess,” he says. “Daddy’s got you.”

I swear at least four women let out an aww. I might be one of them.

Crossing the room, I stand beside them, my hand on Al’s arm. “Does she need a change?”

Cari’s eagle eye narrows on my hand. “What is that?”

“What’s what?”

“The ring.” She grins triumphantly. “He finally asked?”

Al looks at me sheepishly. “I suppose we should tell everyone…”

“We’re getting married. Again,” I announce.

Luz lets out a shriek of delight. Now I see where Emmy gets it from. “A wedding!”

“Dibs on best man,” Chuck yells.

Tony laughs. “You can’t call dibs. Besides, we’re brothers. It should be me.”

“You can fight it out later,” Al says. “We literally just decided this five minutes ago, so maybe let’s put a pin in the wedding talk until after the All Star break.” He eyes his mother warily.

“Deal,” Luz says with a nod.

When he slides his hand into mine, those familiar butterflies erupt in my belly. “You ready for this?” he murmurs.

I laugh. “Not at all. But let’s do it anyway.”

The grin that stretches across Al’s lips could light up the whole city. Maybe even the entire state. “I love this life we share.”

“Me too.”

I don’t know what’s in store for us. Whether we have another baby or four, whether we stay in Boston or he gets traded to another team, or even how long he’ll be playing. If I’ll try to find a job or continue to stay home. If we’ll stay in his childhood home or if we’ll move to a bigger house to fit our expanding family.

The one thing I know? As long as he’s by my side, we can get through anything. Because we’ll get through it together.