“If the Sidewinders make it to the championship, I wouldn’t be available until the end of June and—” Dax began.
“Don’t even think about it. I’m all in with what you’re doing here, but if we’re going to be apart until at least May, when my semester ends, you really think you’re going to join the military the minute you’re done with hockey, without devoting a little time to me?” I held up my left hand. “There’s going to be a wedding ring on this finger before you go anywhere near the military.”
Sandor chuckled. “So, hockey, then a wedding, then a honeymoon, then the military?”
Dax raised his hands in mock surrender. “Apparently, that’s the plan. If it works for you?”
Sandor held out his hand. “Welcome aboard.”
36
Dax
We skipped the rest of the reception and went back to the hotel. We had a lot to discuss and I had to be on a plane in the morning, heading back to the U.S., so there wasn’t a lot of time. I was also desperate to get her naked, though I was doing my damnedest to be a gentleman.
“I have something for you,” I said as we sank onto the bed. We were fully dressed, but it was okay. The fact that she was here at all, and at the meeting we’d just had with Sandor, was pretty damn amazing.
I reached into the suitcase next to the bed and pulled out the small cloth bag containing the necklace her grandfather had given me.
“If I’d known things were going to go this way, I would have bought a ring,” I said slowly, “but when your grandfather gave this to me, I figured we’d use it like a promise ring until I get you the right one.”
“What is it?” She opened the bag slowly and frowned. “That’s the Campbell family crest.”
“The diamond was from your grandmother’s engagement ring. She and your grandfather wanted you to have it since you’re the only girl. He had it made into a necklace because he figured you’d want something else for a ring.”
“Oh, Dax, it’s beautiful. But why didn’t he give it directly to me?” She met my eyes in confusion.
“I think he figured I wouldn’t be prepared with a ring and wanted me to have something to give you if the occasion arose.”
We chuckled together, and she turned so I could fasten the chain around her neck.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to the curve of her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair and wishing I could kiss her the way I wanted to. But not yet. We still had to talk.
“So tell me what you’re thinking,” I said gently, lying on my side so we could look into each other’s faces. “Something changed today but I’m not sure if it was when you spoke to Erik or something else.”
“I was struggling to understand what you were doing,” she said. “After our last talk, it started to make sense, but then when I spoke to the king, it started to click. I’ve never thought about what he does on a daily basis, and how much danger he and his family are always in. And while I still didn’t completely understand why you wanted to be part of this group, because it’s not your country or your fight, I respected your drive to be part of something important.” She paused, reaching out to run her fingers over the side of my face. “And then that man grabbed Luke. You moved so quickly, without hesitation, like you were born to do this kind of thing. And everything just snapped into focus. It’s not because it’s your fight or even your people, it’s because you want to be part of something bigger. Protecting a man like Erik, who’s trying to affect change for an entire country, is something noble. Something beyond sports or politics or even academia. And I’m so bloody proud of you.”
“I may not make it,” I pointed out.
“Nonsense. Just like you aced your SAT, you’ll be the most badass Royal Protector yet. You’re strong and brave and amazing. I have no doubts at all about your capabilities.”
“I’m not trying to be a hero,” I said slowly. “I just wanted to do something with meaning. There’s so much conflict and division in the world right now, and I want to be part of something positive. Something that I can watch happen in real time. Which is what I’m seeing Erik do, even in the short time he’s been in power.”
“Was this always your plan?” she asked softly.
“No. I’d been picking Lennox’s brain and back in October, Sandor and I met for breakfast. He asked me what I was thinking and when I told him all my thoughts about the FBI and stuff, he presented me with this option. He said there would be a long vetting process and that it would take a couple of years before I was qualified. He also said you had to be part of the process if there was any chance at all we might get back together.”
“So you told him yes?” Her eyes softened and she leaned forward until her mouth was a fraction of an inch from mine.
“I love you, Isla. I have for a long time. You broke my heart, but I knew it was asking a lot for you to give up your career… I never gave up hope, though.”
“Change isn’t easy for me,” she whispered,
