Epilogue

Two Years Later

The floor of Ye Olde King’s Head was still sticky, but Tuck was used to it by now. He moved easily through the crowded pub,

dodging elbows and jovial back slaps, carrying a tray with two porters, a lager, and a glass of barley wine.

“No, no, no!” Nora was barely containing her excitement for the impending punchline. “What do you call an English major at

a restaurant?”

Lizzy grinned at Tuck as she plucked her glass off his tray, taking a quick sip of the barley wine before the foam spilled

down the side of the glass. “I can’t begin to guess,” she said.

“Garcon!” Siobhan, Nora’s newest partner, chimed in with the answer.

Tuck groaned, handing them both their dark beers before sliding into the seat next to Lizzy.

“That hurts, right?” Nora grinned, in high spirits after recently receiving a lecturer position, which they had been celebrating.

Reaching under the small table, Tuck took Lizzy’s hand, his thumb toying with her wedding ring, one of his favorite habits.

“Do you really have to leave tonight?” Siobhan turned to Lizzy, disappointment in their voice. “It’s been so much fun hanging out the last few weeks.”

While it was disappointing that the Regals hadn’t secured a spot in the playoffs this year, there was a silver lining. The

early end to the season meant that he and Lizzy had gotten to spend a little time with Nora in England.

“This guy has to get back to Texas.” Lizzy nodded toward Tuck. “And I have my own plane to catch.”

Crossing through time was on a strictly need-to-know basis. Only three people at the table knew the truth: Tuck, Nora, and

Lizzy. If Siobhan stuck around, eventually they could be brought into the circle. Tuck knew Lizzy liked Siobhan, especially

as they had recently discovered a new Regency-era author—E.H. Wooddash.

“You have to try Wooddash,” Siobhan had said earlier that day. “I found the book in London last spring and I’m fan-geeking

so hard. I swear, once you read her, you’ll find yourself more acquainted with the intricacies of Regency life than by reading

some scholarly research specializing in the era’s culture and customs. She’s still lesser known, but I’m on a mission to make

her just as famous as Austen, the Bront?s, Hardy, or Gaskell.”

He loved the way Lizzy had beamed. He was so damn proud that she’d finished writing her book at last. It was about an unconventional

heroine who disrupts her relatives’ conservative household and draws the begrudging attention of a visiting soldier. Soon

the pair are forced to confront their feelings amidst a whirlwind of failed matchmaking attempts and different social classes.

“I just finished my last Jane Austen. Persuasion . It was enjoyable, but I’ll tell you a secret”—Tuck leaned in, dropping his voice to an exaggerated hush—“ I prefer Wooddash.”

Siobhan shook their head in evident disbelief. “Who knew? Hockey players can read.”

“It’s a newer passion,” Nora said smugly. “How long have you been into this reading-as-a-hobby thing, brother? Two years?”

He mock-glared at her feigned ignorance. “That’s right.”

It was Beltane—or May Day—and that meant it was a time when Lizzy could cross. The official story was that she worked in New

Zealand, and no one seemed to question that beyond expressing sympathy for her flights and the couple’s long-distance relationship.

The media’s attention was focused on the contract negotiations with Regals’ center Gale Knight, leaving little interest in

the personal life of a dedicated goalie who rarely saw his wife.

As night descended outside the window, Lizzy glanced over at Tuck. “I’ll have to head out to catch my flight,” she said gently.

After a quick exchange of goodbyes with Siobhan and Nora, they stepped out onto the quiet street of Hallow’s Gate, in stark

contrast to the lively atmosphere inside the pub. Hand in hand, they walked in contented silence toward the bridge that led

them over the field.

“Send my love to Georgie and Jane?” he asked.

“I always do,” she assured him.

“And tell Jane not to overdo it. She was looking far too pale last time I saw her.”

Lizzy’s smile faded. “I will.”

Suddenly, Tuck pulled up short. “Hold up,” he said. Ahead, beneath the last streetlight, a pair of teens approached. He recognized

the shock of blond hair—it was the kid from the farmhouse down the road, grown up a bit, leaning in to give the girl a hug.

Tuck’s mind wandered to that fateful night when his quick decision-making had allowed the boy to remain here, alive, and able to experience his first love. And now Tuck stood beside the most remarkable woman to ever exist, also deeply in love.

“What’s rattling around inside that pretty head?” Lizzy teased, her voice pulling him back.

He drew her close, silencing her with a kiss, then glanced up at the stars. “Just thinking about fate.”

“Now you must tell me more,” she urged.

“Fate may bring people into our lives, but we’re the ones who choose who we refuse to part with.”

“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, then,” Lizzy said, a playful smile on her lips.

“All in,” he murmured, his commitment unwavering. The intensity of his love sent a wave of vertigo through him, and he found

grounding in the connection with her lips. “Forever.” And another kiss. With them, there would always be another kiss. “I

have all the time in the world for you.”