I smile back, and when I glance at Claire, her face matches her hair.

“Thank you,” Mom says with a polite grin. “And I do understand, but I also think that if Jude loves her, she has to be special. Maybe you can consider that?”

Reese chuckles beside Phillip, and he sends her a glare before nodding his head. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll try.”

“Good, I have a feeling it’s serious between these two.”

“Please, it’s only been what, a month?” my dad asks.

“Almost,” I say. “But when you know, you know.”

My mom nods. “I agree and I believe in them,” she says, reaching out and cupping my face.

“Thanks, Mom,” I say as she drops her hand. I grin over at Claire and she grins back, lacing her fingers with mine.

“Let’s hope for the best. But anyway, it was wonderful meeting you two. I hope to have you over for dinner one day. Congratulations on your wedding tomorrow,” Mom says, holding her hand out to shake Reese’s and Phillip’s again.

“Of course, we would love that,” Reese says.

“Thank you, it was great meeting you,” Phillip says, but his face says he wishes he’d never come over here.

“It was. We will see y’all later. Jude, honey, great game. Call me tomorrow.”

I agree and then kiss her and Lucy, thanking them all for coming. After saying bye to everyone, minus my dad, I meet back up with Claire, who is still standing with Phillip and Reese.

“That wasn’t awkward,” Claire says once I rejoin the group, a grin on her face.

“My mom is a little outspoken,” I admit, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“You think?” Phillip says, shaking his head.

“She was right,” Reese sings, and he gives her a dark look.

“You hush,” he says forcefully, but when she gives him an even darker look, he kisses her quickly.

As he pulls back, she grins and Claire says, “Ugh, get a room.”

“You hush,” he says, pointing a finger at her, but then he points the finger at me. “And you, you need to roll your wrist on that backhand. It was a great goal, but it was a lucky one. Roll your wrist more and you’ll have more control.”

I nod. “Thank you. I will.”

“Maybe you can show him some moves,” Claire suggests.

He gives her a deadpan look before glancing over at me. “Maybe.”

“I’d love that,” I say, eager to get in the rink with him. I’d love to pick his brain, and maybe he’ll like me a bit more.

“Yeah, so, we need to get out of here. Big day tomorrow,” he says, wrapping his arms around Reese and holding her close to him.

“I know. I’m so excited,” she says, grinning up at him.

“Me too, been waiting three years for this,” he says then kisses her hard against the lips. It’s a little awkward watching them kiss, and when I turn to look at Claire, she’s looking down at the ground, shaking her head.

“Okay, you two lovebirds, we’re leaving! See you bright and early!” she says and then takes my hand in hers, pulling me away as I laugh.

Once outside, the cold air hits me and I smile. I love the cold. It means that Christmas is coming, and that’s my favorite holiday. Wrapping my arm around Claire’s shoulder, we walk toward her car in silence, holding each other close. Leaning into me, she wraps her arms around my waist and I feel perfect like this. After I kiss the top of her head, she moves away from me to unlock her door.

Throwing her bag in, she turns and asks, “Have you heard that song ‘Latch’?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Nope.”

“It’s our song,” she declares, pulling her phone out. She has a different song for us every other day. I don’t mean that it’s a bother, but isn’t a couple supposed to have only one?

“Is that right?” I ask, and she nods as she bends over, going into the car, giving me a spectacular view of her gorgeous ass. Before I can get me a handful of it though, music starts blaring from her car and she stands upright, coming toward me. It’s a slow song, soft and sultry, and as she wraps her arms around my neck, resting her head on my chest, I hold her close to me as I listen to the words. The song is about finding that one person who you want to latch on to and never let go.

“Dance with me,” she whispers and I oblige, slowly swaying to the meaningful music. I’ve never heard the song before, but it is amazing, and each word of it is how I feel about Claire. It is our song. She is completely right. Lacing her fingers behind my neck, she rests her chin on my chest, looking up at me, and my heart beats out of my chest as I get lost in her sweet blue eyes.

“I’m latched to you,” I whisper and she nods.

“I know, and I won’t let go,” she says, bringing her hands to cup my face. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Not possible,” she says and then she brings her lips to mine.

And as my lips move with hers, I’m in what I consider to be utopia.

“She really loves him.”

I glance up to meet my soon-to-be wife’s eyes, and I know that she’s right, but I don’t want to accept it. We stand beside our car, watching as Claire and that bonehead hold each other, swaying to the music playing from her car. I want to go over there and scoop her up and steal her away, but I know she’d fight me away. She loves the guy. I want to imagine her single and a virgin till she’s thirty, but I know that isn’t true. She hasn’t had it easy, and I wish I could undo those years of hell, but I can’t. All I can do is pray and hope to God that nothing ever hurts her again.

And by the way she looks at that kid, I know he could be her biggest heartache.

“Something about that guy rubs me wrong. I don’t know what it is. I mean, he seems like an all right kid, driven and ready for life, but I don’t know,” I say once we’re in the car. I feel like a creeper watching Claire as she canoodles with that guy, but I can’t bring myself to drive away.

“You’re jealous,” Reese says, and I whip my head to her.

“The hell I am!”

She laughs as she turns in her seat to face me. “Yes, you are, babe. She’s your number one, your right-hand man, and you know that he’s taking over.”