Heart of Thorns (Shadow Valley U Book 2)
Heart of Thorns: BRIAR (THREE YEARS LATER)

The plane lands with a whoosh. I stretch my stiff leg and roll my ankle a few times. My phone comes to life, and I smile with the text messages that come through.

I laugh quietly when I read the last text. My dad says the same thing every single time he watches a game. Thorne is the son he never had, and my dad is the father who Thorne never had.

My parents have loved Thorne from the moment they met him. They weren’t happy three years ago when they found out that he was training me to play hockey again, but they quickly got over it once we graduated and moved on to other things.

Like Thorne being successful as a quarterback in the NFL, and me, a commissioned painter for businesses all over the world.

I’ve been in countless magazines, and my travels are becoming more frequent.

I hate missing Thorne’s games—something I never thought I’d hear myself say—but it’s good for the soul to have something that’s my own.

After rushing off the plane and through the airport, I spot Marley’s car.

Lydia climbs out of the passenger seat and wraps me in a hug.

“Lydia!” I fold my arms around her waist. “What are you doing here?”

She lives three states away and has a baby on the way.

“I came to surprise you! Plus, Jack got front-row tickets thanks to Thorne, so he was very much willing to accompany me.”

I laugh and throw my things in the trunk. I make her sit in the front and slip into the back.

“Hey, babe.” Marley smiles at me in the rearview.

She navigates traffic as I tell my two best friends all about my time in New York to complete my most recent mural.

We get to the stadium with six minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter.

I change into one of Thorne’s jerseys, something that makes him entirely too happy, and we find Larry—the security guard who knows me well enough to let us through without question.

Lydia waddles over to Jack and gives him a kiss. He leans forward and raises his eyebrows at me. “Thorne was good in college, but this is next level.”

He redirects his attention to the field.

Lydia rolls her eyes playfully. “You’ve had too much to drink.”

“Baby, I’m drinking for both of us.”

Marley and I both laugh, but I’m quickly swept up in the excitement of the game.

When Thorne heads off the field to let special teams take over, hopefully getting the field goal to secure their win, I shout his name.

“Cassius!”

Rhys, who scored a hefty contract to play alongside his best friend, hears me and pivots with a ready smile. He waves and then nudges Thorne.

It doesn’t take long for him to find me in my rightful spot. He quickly scans the sideline, gaze landing on his coach, and then takes off toward me.

The crowd is roaring from the field goal when Thorne jumps toward the front row. His hands grip the metal barrier, and he hoists himself closer to me.

“You made it.”

I wink and plop a kiss to his lips. “Go before you get in trouble.”

This is exactly the position we were in when I accepted his proposition. When I showed up to his practice all those years ago… My cheeks heat. If not for that moment, this moment wouldn’t exist.

He scoffs. “I’ve played a good game, I’m not getting in trouble.”

I flatten my lips. “Remember last time?”

He grins. “That was totally worth it. But fine, meet me on the field after the game.”

“Always.”

Jack slaps Thorne’s shoulder pad. “You’re so fucking good, man.”

Thorne smirks and glances at me before hopping down and running back to the field.

The game ends without any other excitement.

I head down to the field and realize that Marley, Lydia, and Jeff are all following me.

“You coming for the craziness?” I ask, joking.

They typically head off and try to miss the traffic.

They share a look that I can’t quite decipher.

I don’t get a chance to either, because Thorne’s arms slip around my waist and I’m hauled backward into his chest.

“Kitten,” he murmurs.

He spins around so fast, it dizzies me. The cameras are on us, I can feel it, but I don’t care.

“Cassius,” I say. “Good game.”

“Better because you’re here.” He kisses me. “I missed you.”

I smile against his mouth. “I missed you, too. Now hurry up and go do your interview so we can go home.”

“Is your leg okay?” he asks.

Always so concerned.

I smile. “I’m fine.”

Something flashes across his face, and then I’m slowly sliding down the front of his body and being placed on the ground.

“What’s going on⁠—?”

My words die on the end of my lips.

Thorne slips down to one knee. He holds his palm out. One of his teammates appears with a little black box and hands it to him.

The camera is mere feet from us, but everything disappears when Thorne opens the box and a diamond ring is gleaming under the stadium lights.

“Briar Hart,” he whispers. “Marry me.”

My heart stops.

I stare at the golden flakes in Thorne’s eyes, and peace floods through me. This is it.

My lips slowly curl into a smile, and I nod.

He slips the ring onto my finger, and like in a movie, everything else comes rushing back in.

There are cheers and claps from his teammates, our friends, everyone. A reporter comments on Thorne’s proposal.

None of that steals the moment, though.

I throw myself into my fiancé’s arms. He rises, lifting me with him, and I wrap my legs around his waist. Despite him being a sweaty mess, I press my lips to his. “I love you, Cassius.”

He pulls back slightly, stares up at me, and has never looked more serious. “I love you, too, kitten.” His mouth comes close to my ear. “Now let me go home and strip that jersey from your body and fuck you with nothing but that ring on your finger.”