The morning of the wedding dawned clear and warm over Lake Superior, showcasing that special bright blue Duluth reserved for its finest June days. It felt as if the entire city had come together to create the perfect beginning that Reese had once thought was beyond her reach.
She got ready in her childhood bedroom, the very same space where she had nervously shared the news about Cole with her father eighteen months ago, uncertain of how he would react. Now, Frank stood in the doorway, dressed in his best suit, observing her as she adjusted her dress in the mirror. His expression was one that Reese had seldom witnessed — not the focused, analytical gaze he typically reserved for hockey, nor the warm pride he had shown during her championships, but something much softer and more vulnerable
