I lay in bed, the quiet filling the room. Cam is still fast asleep next to me, curled up against my side. The past eighteen months have flown by. I feel like I blinked, and they were gone. Yet, on the other hand, we have been through so much in that amount of time. We’ve grown so much more in love, and after today, hopefully that will continue, with Cam as my fiancée.

Tonight, I’m taking Cam to a Predators hockey game. I still keep in touch with a lot of the guys I’d played with, and try to get to as many games each season as I can. Hockey was such a big part of my life, and even if the career part of it was ripped from my hands, I will always be a fan of the game.

Since I know the right people, I’ve got some help with my proposal tonight. Cam believes that I’ve been invited to participate in the ceremonial puck drop at the beginning of the game. What she doesn’t know is that she will be accompanying me out to center ice, and I’ll be dropping to one knee before I drop the puck. I’ve also arranged for our parents, and Ben’s parents, to all be at the game, along with Lilly, Cash, and a few other friends. I have a suite reserved, and all of them will be hiding out in it. She won’t know they’re at the game or in town until after I propose, and we get into the suite.

Cam stirs next to me, resting an arm and leg across me as she cuddles in closer.

“Morning,” she says on a yawn, her eyes still sleepy. “What time is it?”

“Good morning, babe. It’s just after eight,” I tell her, as she turns her head and places a kiss on my bare chest.

“It’s still so dark, I figured it would be earlier than that.”

“Just some dark clouds. It was raining earlier,” I reply.

“What’s the plan for today, before the game tonight?”

“Whatever you want to do,” I tell her.

She shimmies her body against mine before answering me. “Staying right here, where it’s warm, sounds like the perfect idea to me.” She drops her hand to my half-hard cock, giving it a quick squeeze.

Her intent very clear to me, I roll us quickly so I’m hovering over her, almost in a plank position. “Did you have something in mind, sweetheart?” I ask, as I drop kisses along her exposed neck, continuing down to the valley between her breasts.

“Mmm. Yes. More of that,” she breathily replies, as her hands roam along my body.

Before I let this get any further, I break the contact between the two of us and quickly jump off the bed. “Hey, where are you going? You know it isn’t nice to leave your girlfriend all hot and bothered,” she whines at me.

“I’ll be right back, I promise.”

I can hear her grumble, and then quickly get out of bed, when she realizes where I’m going. She follows me to the bathroom, and once we’ve both finished, we make our way back to the bed and under the covers.

I take my time exploring her body, making her moan and squirm in pleasure, and withholding what she really wants for as long as I can. It makes that moment when I first slide in that much better. The anticipation that’s been built up to that moment nearly makes me explode as soon as I’m inside her.

I take my time, starting my thrusts at a slow pace I know drives Cam crazy. Lazily kissing her, as I slowly building up the rhythm, I feel her body start to clench and spasm around me. I thrust through her spasms, until I can’t hold back my orgasm any longer, and empty everything within me into her. I collapse, all my energy spent. I roll us so I’m not crushing Cam under me, as we both work on catching our breaths, basking in the orgasmic bliss.

We spend awhile longer in bed, wrapped up in each other and enjoying the lazy morning. I finally pull myself away from her, to make us some coffee and something to eat for breakfast.

I’m busy making omelets when Cam walks into the kitchen, hair wet and piled on top of her head, fresh out of the shower. She’s wearing one of my shirts, which always looks fucking sexy on her. She wraps her arms around me from behind, peeking her head over my shoulder.

“Mmm. You’re the best, you know that?” she says, placing a kiss on my cheek before she steps away and takes a drink of the cup of coffee I have waiting for her on the counter. “Hot cooked breakfast and coffee. A girl could get used to this kind of pampering. Add in the toe-curling orgasm from earlier, and there’s no way I’m ever letting you go.”

“My plan’s working then,” I tease her, as I plate the omelets and pull the baking sheet out of the oven, filled with crispy bacon.

“I think I just fell in love with you all over again.” She hungrily eyes the bacon.

“I know every pathway to your heart, babe,” I say, winking at her, as I pile the bacon on a plate and carry it to the table. Cam follows, carrying her plate and our mugs of coffee.

* * *

We’re at the arena and back in one of the tunnels, talking with one of the office staff who coordinates special events with the team. He’s going over the details of the puck drop with Cam. She just found out a few minutes ago that she’d be accompanying me out to center ice tonight, and is a little nervous about it, but taking it like a champ. I’ve already stopped into the locker room and said my hellos to the guys. A couple of them know what’s happening tonight and gave me their congratulations ahead of time.

We wait by the boards while the normal announcements of starting line-ups are given, and the national anthem is sung. Once the house lights are turned back on, they announce both Cam and me as the special guests dropping the puck tonight. I escort her out along the carpet they have rolled out, to help prevent us from falling down on the ice.

“Please welcome former Predators Forward Ethan O’Neill and his girlfriend, Cameron Burgress, to the ice for our ceremonial puck drop,” the arena announcer booms over the PA system. As soon as my name is announced, the crowd is on their feet, cheering as if I just scored the game-winning goal of a critical game.

We make it to center ice, and I pull out the microphone from my pocket I was handed before we made our entrance. I turn so I’m facing Cam, grabbing her hand with my open one, and look directly into her eyes. She must see something in my expression because she gasps, and her eyes start to fill with unshed tears.

Before I put the mic to my lips, I drop a quick kiss to hers, and whisper against them, “Don’t cry, baby.”

The crowd has quieted down, waiting for me to speak. I can see the two of us on all the monitors, and know the cameras are all pointed at us.

After clearing my throat, I lift the mic up to my lips. The words just flow freely, as I’ve rehearsed this exact moment for weeks now.

“Cam, until you came into my life, I never thought I’d be the guy to settle into a relationship. Until you, I never thought that I would find someone to love, who would love me back with just as much passion and fierceness. Until you, I never realized just how much I was missing out of life.” I stop long enough to pull the ring box out of my pocket and open it in front of her as I drop to one knee. “I love you so much, baby. Will you marry me?”

With tears streaming down her cheeks now, she nods her head yes, dropping her lips to mine as I stand and wrap her in my arms. The noise level is back up to game-winning goal level, and all the guys on the ice have joined in by banging their sticks on the ice and boards. I set her back on her feet and slide the ring onto her finger.

We still have to drop the puck, and quickly get that over with, so we can leave the ice and celebrate privately—or, not so privately, since the suite is filled with our family and friends. After dropping the puck, the captains always shake the hands of whoever dropped the ceremonial puck. My fucking friend couldn’t stop himself from busting my balls and told Cam that if she ever got tired of me, she could call him anytime. She just laughed it off as we left the ice, happily in love and ready to start the next chapter in our lives.

As soon as we’re off the ice and far enough in the tunnel that we can’t be seen by the crowd, I stop walking and pin Cam against the wall, kissing the hell out of her.

“You’re such a shit, you know that?” she says, laughing.

“Why is that?”

“Proposing at center ice, at a freaking NHL game. I’m sure all of that was on national TV, for everyone to see.”

“Yep, and your point? I wanted everyone to know that I’m taken and so are you,” I tell her, leaning in to kiss her again.

“I love you,” she says, after we break apart.

“I know, and I love you, too.”

We make our way up to the suite and as soon as we walk in, she’s swarmed by our family and friends. The look of shock, when she realizes everyone who is here tonight, has tears falling from her eyes again. But it’s quickly replaced by a look of love, which lets me know the tears are all happy tears. She flutters from person to person, accepting their congratulations and showing off her ring. I get a lot of back thumps from the guys in the room as we focus more on the game than the women.

It’s not until close to the end of the second period that she finally makes her way to sit beside me. I immediately reach out and grab her hand, linking our fingers together. I pull our clasped hands to my lips, so I can kiss her finger over her ring.

“How do you like it?” I ask, gesturing to her ring.

“It’s perfect. I couldn’t have picked a better one out myself,” she tells me, laying her cheek against my shoulder. “Thank you for including Candace and Dan today. That really meant a lot to me, and them.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know how important they are to you, and I wouldn’t dream of excluding them now.”

“You really are the best,” she tells me, sitting back up so she can lean in to kiss me. “Until you came along, I didn’t think I’d find love again. So, thank you for loving me for me and embracing all my crazy moments.”

* * *

Six months later, we were married, center ice of Bridgestone arena. This time, however, we were only surrounded by our family and friends, and not all the Predators’ fans. A month before our wedding, we moved into our first house, located on the outskirts of town, where we hoped to start a family, and continue to fall deeper and deeper in love with each other.

Cam still misses Ben and has hard days occasionally, but I’m always right by her side, ready to help her through the hard times. The moments we’ve created together start to fill all the shadowy corners of her memories, and those sad days are fewer and farther between.

About eighteen months after we married, we welcomed our first child into the world. When we found out we were having a boy, I was the first to suggest we name him Benjamin. Cam cried over that suggestion, but embraced it fully, as did our family.

As much as I hate that Cam had to feel the pain she did when she lost Ben, I also have to remember that if it weren’t for her losing him, I wouldn’t have her. She’s told me many times she felt like Ben sent me to her, and if I can repay the man in any way, naming my first-born son after him felt like the best way to do it.