30. Dakota

Hannah and Cal's wedding had been spectacular. Not only were they two of the most gorgeous people I'd ever seen in real life, but their looks of love only served to make them look even more stunning. With Hannah wearing a custom-made gown of Lucy's creation, they said their vows on the bow of the yacht as the sun set on a perfect day, with their family and friends flown in as witnesses.

That had been a week ago now, and even though I had a tan as a souvenir, the harsh New England winter made it seem like a distant memory.

With the Comets on a road trip, I found myself distracted, spending far too much time staring at the new screensaver on my phone. It was a picture taken on the night of the wedding. Braxton wore a tan-colored suit, and I was tucked against his side in a tropical print dress. Hannah had wanted a casual look for her big day and wouldn't take no for an answer in her demand that each member of our small group stand by their side as they said, "I do."

Thankfully, with my writing complete and files uploaded to my self-publishing platform, I didn't feel guilty for spending hours on my phone, either scrolling through the pictures from our trip, texting Braxton, or even engaging in phone sex. We couldn't get enough of each other, even from two-thousand miles away.

I decided after the book launched that I would take a well-deserved break. I'd been pushing hard for years, releasing at least five books a year. If I wasn't careful, I feared I would burn out. Putting my head down and working hard hadn't bothered me in the past. Probably because I hadn't had much of a life outside of the fictional ones I created.

But now? I wanted to enjoy life with Braxton.

Pulling out my planner, I marked out the dates the Comets would be on the road until the end of the season. Their record was good enough for the playoffs for now, but they had seven weeks to go. Braxton had warned me that anything could happen during that time, and they couldn't afford to take their foot off the gas. Regardless of what the future held for the team past April, I was determined to only work when they were gone. When they were at home, I would ease my way into the hockey girlfriend role, supporting him at games and helping him relax in the times in between. It sounded like a good plan, in theory. I guess we would see how it worked in practice.

It was hard to believe my world had been completely flipped upside down by stepping into that dark basement on a muggy September night. But as time went on, it only confirmed the belief that my personal guardian angel had been guiding my hand, putting me in the exact right place at the right time to meet the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

A tear rolled down my cheek even though I was happier than I'd ever been. I knew she was up there watching, but I wished I could share this overwhelming joy, my excitement, with my mom. I wanted to share those secrets with her, get her advice, and have her be the first call I made after milestone moments for the rest of our lives.

I would have to settle for knowing she had the best seat in the house up in Heaven.

Pressing my fingers to my lips, I blew her a kiss and thanked her for the millionth time for sending Braxton to me.

Holding the proof copy of my book, Sticks and Shadows, I turned it over in my hands. The cover was beautifully done, picturing an empty arena with a spotlight shining on the shadow of a player. Clutching the book to my chest, I smiled, thinking of how Noah and Kenzie's story had changed since I first began writing it. What had started as a hot and heavy romance turned into a beautiful love story.

I didn't care if I sold a single copy. This book came from the heart—my heart. It would forever be my greatest work of art, regardless of how the readers viewed it. And a copy would be placed alongside the card I'd saved from the roses Braxton sent, promising our future together. I would cherish this story for the rest of my life.

Now, it was time to share it with the world.

"Dakota!" Bristol's loud voice was accompanied by what could only be her fists pounding on my bedroom door.

Rolling over, I checked the time on my phone, groaning when I discovered it wasn't even 6 AM. What the hell was Bristol even doing up at this hour? She went out of her way to avoid early classes.

"Go away," I grumbled into my pillow.

"Wake up, Dakota!" The banging on my door increased.

Heaving a sigh, I rubbed my eyes.

This had better be good.

Throwing my Comets hoodie over my sleep tank to ward off the chill, I stumbled to the door, unlocking it.

Bristol burst into the room, eyes wild. Gripping my shoulders, she shook me violently. "You did it!"

Smacking her hands away, my voice was still scratchy from sleep. "I can barely see straight this early in the morning. You're going to need to be more specific than that."

Brushing past me, she grabbed my phone from the nightstand and shoved it into my hand. "Check your socials. You're blowing up!"

I tried to process what she was telling me. "What?"

"The book! It's gone viral!"

Her words finally broke through my groggy brain, and I jolted, now wide awake. "No," I breathed out, not daring to believe it.

Bristol smirked, tapping at her own phone as I was too afraid to look at mine. Shoving it in my face, she showed my follower count had grown by ten thousand overnight, and the number of mentions I had was triple that.

"Guess people dig a damaged hero. Who knew?" She threw her arms around me where I stood, still in shock.

"But—" My chest grew tight, and breathing became difficult as reality set in. "How? It's only been three days since it released."

Bristol's smile grew so wide that there were no doubts my best friend was my biggest cheerleader. It gave her joy to see me succeed. "You caught your spark."

Tears sprang to my eyes, and she pulled me in for a hug. I'd worked so hard for so long that this almost didn't seem real. I always hoped it might happen someday, but it had seemed like a dream just out of reach.

That this story was the one? It made this even more special.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered into my hair.

Tightening my grasp on my best friend, all I could think about was how excited Braxton would be when I surprised him with this news when he got home.

The sound of the cork popping on a bottle of champagne filled our kitchen as Bristol cheered. We weren't fancy enough to own the stemware required for such a drink, so she poured a healthy serving of the bubbly liquid into plastic cups.

Tapping her cup to mine, she toasted, "To my best friend, the best seller!"

We both gave a giddy squeal and then downed the champagne.

After she'd woken me up this morning, I went into the back office of my publishing platform and about fell out of my chair. The royalty amount was staggering, and I found myself addicted to hitting the refresh button, watching as orders and digital page reads continued to skyrocket. By mid-afternoon, my book had climbed the online book charts and was currently sitting at number one.

This was a dream I never wanted to wake up from. My hard work had finally paid off, and it only took falling in love myself to find the right story to resonate with readers.

It was our story, forever immortalized in print.