Sequel: Him and I ›
If You Could Love
This Man
2019
James entered For Goodness Cakes on a Tuesday morning in late February. His team was in the midst of a ten day road trip that by some miracle of the schedule gods had landed him in Nashville. There had been a video session but no practice that morning and they didn't play the Predators until the following night. Alex traveled to Nashville regularly, especially during his longer road trips, and he knew she had been planning to go in early to help out on this day.
“Hey,” he smiled when Kathryn looked up to greet him. “Is Alex in back?
“She's prepping for a wedding cake we’re delivering this weekend. You remember the way I'm sure.”
“Thanks.”
James made his way back to the kitchen where Alex sat with her back to the doorway. She was bent over the table, carefully painting sugar flowers. He knocked on the doorframe to get her attention.
“Hey; am I late for lunch? I'm so sorry. I wanted to get these flowers done for Kathryn.”
“You're not late; I’m early.” She looked up at the clock as he crossed the room to take a seat on the stool beside her and leaned in to kiss her. “And I was bored and didn't want to kill time at the hotel.”
“Watching me work is less boring?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well I can't make delicate little flowers out of sugar so yes, less boring. It's actually very fascinating.”
“Did you ruin your laundry again? Because it sounds like you're buttering me up for something.”
“I did not ruin the laundry. And I am not buttering you up either. I'm being honest; it is very impressive what you can do with sugar. I hit a rubber puck with a stick for a living. You make memories for people.”
“Hey, you make memories for people too.”
“Not as pretty as yours though.”
“I think you're plenty pretty James Neal.”
“Do you know what today is?”
“February 26th.”
“That's it?”
“I think I saw in the news this morning that it's national pistachio day. I should remember that for next year and do cupcakes or something.”
“And?”
Alex paused and set down her paintbrush and turned to face him. “I have no idea.”
“I met you ten years ago today.”
“Oh my god! I can't believe I forgot.” She put her hands on his thighs and leaned in to kiss him. “Holy shit. It's really been ten years since we met?”
“It doesn't seem that long ago.”
“No it doesn't. Wow...”
“Alex,” James started, rising to his feet. He drew in a breath and let it out before sinking to one knee. He entwined his fingers around hers. “Alex, I had no idea meeting you ten years ago that I was meeting my best friend. I had no idea that two years ago we’d make a mess of everything but come out of it where we are now. You're my partner, and I love you so much. You are everything I was looking for, everything I didn't know I needed, and the best thing that could ever come into my life after a car accident.” Alex giggled as James let go of one of her hands and reached into his pocket. He held the iconic blue Tiffany’s box in front of him and Alex's eyes welled with tears as she clamped her hands over her mouth.
“Alexandra Gates, you are my greatest adventure, and I hope you know that you will always have me, like it or not. I hope you will always have me too. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She cried out. “Yes!”
James slipped the ring onto her finger and stood and Alex squealed, throwing her arms around him, letting James lift her off the ground in a hug.
“You have me, always,” she whispered in his ear.
“Good,” he whispered back. “Wanna call John first and rub it in?”
Alex laughed. “Marking your territory already? How about we call our families first and then we’ll call John and Steven and PK.”
“Okay, fine,” he agreed grudgingly.
“Hey, are you two decent back there?” They heard Kathryn call out.
“Get back here right now, Kathryn!” James yelled back.
“What's going on?” She asked as she appeared in the doorway.
“I said yes!” Alex squealed again, thrusting her left hand out at her friend.
“Oh my god!” Kathryn shrieked, taking her hand. “Oh my god! Congratulations! It's gorgeous. You did good, Neal.”
Alex held her hand up and admired the ring now glittering on her finger. The platinum ring had diamonds beading the band surrounded a large pear shaped diamond. It was truly stunning.
“Did you need me for something?” Alex asked.
“It can wait,” she said dismissively. “You need to celebrate. Go spend the rest of the day with your fiancé and celebrate. We can talk business tomorrow.”
“But the flowers....”
“Can wait until tomorrow. Go!”
“She will see you tomorrow,” James spoke up, taking Alex's hand and leading her to her office to collect her things. She followed James out to the parking lot where she handed over the keys to her rental car. He headed for his house in town, one they had rented to PK the season before but he had moved out in december after finally buying a place of his own. They were thinking about selling it but Alex wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to it just yet. Alex was staying there during her visit and when they arrived, she was surprised to find lunch from their favorite restaurant laid out on the table, a bottle of champagne chilling beside it.
“You did all of this by yourself?”
“I am capable of truly great things occasionally,” James smirked. “And I asked PK if he could help me set it up.” She laughed. “Let's eat and after we’ll call our parents.”
“Let's eat because I don't want a single bite of this to go to waste but let's celebrate after, me and you. Then we can call our parents tonight. I'd like to see how you plan on showing me how I will always have you,” she winked.
“Why don't we start now?”
“And let this amazing food get cold? I don't think so,” she said as she sat down, reaching for a fork.
“But after, you're all mine.”
“All yours,” Alex smiled softly. “Always.”
FIN
James entered For Goodness Cakes on a Tuesday morning in late February. His team was in the midst of a ten day road trip that by some miracle of the schedule gods had landed him in Nashville. There had been a video session but no practice that morning and they didn't play the Predators until the following night. Alex traveled to Nashville regularly, especially during his longer road trips, and he knew she had been planning to go in early to help out on this day.
“Hey,” he smiled when Kathryn looked up to greet him. “Is Alex in back?
“She's prepping for a wedding cake we’re delivering this weekend. You remember the way I'm sure.”
“Thanks.”
James made his way back to the kitchen where Alex sat with her back to the doorway. She was bent over the table, carefully painting sugar flowers. He knocked on the doorframe to get her attention.
“Hey; am I late for lunch? I'm so sorry. I wanted to get these flowers done for Kathryn.”
“You're not late; I’m early.” She looked up at the clock as he crossed the room to take a seat on the stool beside her and leaned in to kiss her. “And I was bored and didn't want to kill time at the hotel.”
“Watching me work is less boring?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well I can't make delicate little flowers out of sugar so yes, less boring. It's actually very fascinating.”
“Did you ruin your laundry again? Because it sounds like you're buttering me up for something.”
“I did not ruin the laundry. And I am not buttering you up either. I'm being honest; it is very impressive what you can do with sugar. I hit a rubber puck with a stick for a living. You make memories for people.”
“Hey, you make memories for people too.”
“Not as pretty as yours though.”
“I think you're plenty pretty James Neal.”
“Do you know what today is?”
“February 26th.”
“That's it?”
“I think I saw in the news this morning that it's national pistachio day. I should remember that for next year and do cupcakes or something.”
“And?”
Alex paused and set down her paintbrush and turned to face him. “I have no idea.”
“I met you ten years ago today.”
“Oh my god! I can't believe I forgot.” She put her hands on his thighs and leaned in to kiss him. “Holy shit. It's really been ten years since we met?”
“It doesn't seem that long ago.”
“No it doesn't. Wow...”
“Alex,” James started, rising to his feet. He drew in a breath and let it out before sinking to one knee. He entwined his fingers around hers. “Alex, I had no idea meeting you ten years ago that I was meeting my best friend. I had no idea that two years ago we’d make a mess of everything but come out of it where we are now. You're my partner, and I love you so much. You are everything I was looking for, everything I didn't know I needed, and the best thing that could ever come into my life after a car accident.” Alex giggled as James let go of one of her hands and reached into his pocket. He held the iconic blue Tiffany’s box in front of him and Alex's eyes welled with tears as she clamped her hands over her mouth.
“Alexandra Gates, you are my greatest adventure, and I hope you know that you will always have me, like it or not. I hope you will always have me too. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She cried out. “Yes!”
James slipped the ring onto her finger and stood and Alex squealed, throwing her arms around him, letting James lift her off the ground in a hug.
“You have me, always,” she whispered in his ear.
“Good,” he whispered back. “Wanna call John first and rub it in?”
Alex laughed. “Marking your territory already? How about we call our families first and then we’ll call John and Steven and PK.”
“Okay, fine,” he agreed grudgingly.
“Hey, are you two decent back there?” They heard Kathryn call out.
“Get back here right now, Kathryn!” James yelled back.
“What's going on?” She asked as she appeared in the doorway.
“I said yes!” Alex squealed again, thrusting her left hand out at her friend.
“Oh my god!” Kathryn shrieked, taking her hand. “Oh my god! Congratulations! It's gorgeous. You did good, Neal.”
Alex held her hand up and admired the ring now glittering on her finger. The platinum ring had diamonds beading the band surrounded a large pear shaped diamond. It was truly stunning.
“Did you need me for something?” Alex asked.
“It can wait,” she said dismissively. “You need to celebrate. Go spend the rest of the day with your fiancé and celebrate. We can talk business tomorrow.”
“But the flowers....”
“Can wait until tomorrow. Go!”
“She will see you tomorrow,” James spoke up, taking Alex's hand and leading her to her office to collect her things. She followed James out to the parking lot where she handed over the keys to her rental car. He headed for his house in town, one they had rented to PK the season before but he had moved out in december after finally buying a place of his own. They were thinking about selling it but Alex wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to it just yet. Alex was staying there during her visit and when they arrived, she was surprised to find lunch from their favorite restaurant laid out on the table, a bottle of champagne chilling beside it.
“You did all of this by yourself?”
“I am capable of truly great things occasionally,” James smirked. “And I asked PK if he could help me set it up.” She laughed. “Let's eat and after we’ll call our parents.”
“Let's eat because I don't want a single bite of this to go to waste but let's celebrate after, me and you. Then we can call our parents tonight. I'd like to see how you plan on showing me how I will always have you,” she winked.
“Why don't we start now?”
“And let this amazing food get cold? I don't think so,” she said as she sat down, reaching for a fork.
“But after, you're all mine.”
“All yours,” Alex smiled softly. “Always.”
FIN
♠ ♠ ♠
And that's a wrap! Thank you all for reading. I'm really sad it's over. I hope to be back soon with something....a happy ending for Pekka hopefully, maybe more of James and Alex as they tackle Vegas. Or one of the endless works in progress waiting for me to finish. :)