Page 11 of Fake-Off with Fate (Love in Maple Falls #1)
ASHLYN
I would have to be totally blind not to notice what a total smoke show Jamie Hayes is.
Even so, I’m not interested. My whole life is in LA and as much as I claim I can’t find a decent guy there, I’m not going to move for any man.
If I’m meant to find love, the Universe will have to arrange for him to show up in Southern California and trip over my cart at Whole Foods.
Still, my attraction to Jamie has made me realize there’s a way that he and his team can help Maple Falls.
As the newest club to be let into the NHL, they’re getting a lot of press right now.
That’s something we can use to help the town make the money needed to buy back our land from Alexander MacDonald.
“Jamie.” I take a breath before asking, “How do you feel about bachelor auctions?”
He stares at me with those handsome big blue eyes of his, and my stomach drops like I just got off my fifth straight ride on Space Mountain. “Excuse me?”
I spend the next few minutes telling him about my phone call with Alexander MacDonald’s lawyer, and the repercussions to Maple Falls if that land is claimed.
Then I tell him about Marcy’s idea that the town make a reasonable offer for the land so we can keep it without upsetting our entire way of life.
“You think you can raise that kind of cash by auctioning off dates with hockey players?” He teases, “You have no idea where their mouths have been.”
“The Ice Breakers are all everyone is talking about these days. There must be a way we can leverage that.” I excitedly add, “We could get women from all over the Pacific Northwest, or even farther, to come and bid on you. Of course, the auction will only be part of the plan.” Another thought hits me.
“Maybe we could have a raffle for people to win rink-side tickets. Or, wait for it …”—I pause for dramatic effect before adding—“we could host a wet t-shirt contest for the hockey players!”
“It sounds like you’re going to treat us like meat.”
Shaking my head, I assure him, “It’s not demeaning if you’re doing it for a good cause.
I promise.” Although what I’m really thinking is that turnabout is fair play.
If anyone is going to be objectified, it’s nice it won’t be women.
Unless they want to be, because you know, two and half mil is a lot of money to come up with.
Jamie doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he takes a bite of his burger and seems to give my suggestion some serious thought. After two more bites, he announces, “I don’t hate the idea. It shows we’re community-minded and serious about helping our new town.”
“It really does!” I tell him, eager to have him onboard.
“I’ll have to talk to Dale about it first. I can’t guarantee participation from the team, but I will certainly encourage them.”
“Who knows?” I say. “Maybe some fabulous woman will bid on you and you’ll fall madly in love. Then you can show your ex you’re not sitting around pining for her.”
“I’m not going to be involved,” he says, like he didn’t just agree that it was a good idea.
“How can you ask your teammates to do it and not participate yourself?” I want to know .
“I’m not doing it,” he repeats.
Peggy’s arrival momentarily breaks the tension. “You ready for your pumpkin pie, honey?” she asks me.
“Yes, please. But bring two.” I glance at Jamie and tell him, “I don’t share pie.”
After Peggy walks away, I add, “I suppose it doesn’t matter if you do it or not. I just need enough members of your team on board so that we get a lot of good press.”
“When are you thinking of having it?” he asks.
“Tomorrow, if we could. But we’re going to need time to get the word out. Maybe in a month?” I suggest. “I’ll need to discuss it with my dad first.” But not until he comes home and is on good terms with my mom.
We eat the rest of our meal with minimal conversation.
I suppose we’re both lost in thought. I’m thinking that as much as I hated the kissing booth idea, I’m in love with a bachelor auction.
Not only are we guaranteed to make decent money, but I figure both Maple Falls and the Ice Breakers will benefit from the buzz.
When our pie arrives, Jamie declares, “One piece is big enough to feed a family of four.”
“You haven’t tried it yet,” I tell him. Picking up my fork, I take my first bite. The creaminess of the pumpkin hits right before the powerful spice blend kicks in. Then there’s the mildly salty crunch of the praline. I have never consumed anything that comes close to being as amazing as this pie.
Jamie follows suit and jabs his fork into his piece. He takes four bites before coming up for air. “They could mass produce this and make a fortune!”
“Don’t you dare tell anyone that,” I warn. “It wouldn’t be as good if it was mass produced.”
Changing the subject, he asks, “Do you live near the woods?”
“Everyone in Maple Falls lives near woods,” I tell him. “But yes, my parents’ house backs up against a preserve.” A preserve the town apparently no longer owns. “Are you staying in the woods?” I ask.
Is it me or does the color drain from his face. “There’s a bear family on the property.”
“Bears roam a lot,” I assure him. “Just because you see them doesn’t mean they live there. Unless of course you rent from John Brady. His cabin is notorious for bear activity.”
Jamie looks like he’s about to cry. “My landlord is John Brady.”
I can’t help the bark of laughter that escapes my mouth. “Bears won’t hurt you,” I tell him.
“How do you know?”
I shrug. “I don’t really, but it’s been years since I’ve heard about a mauling in Maple Falls.”
He gulps loudly. “Which means we must be due for another.”
For a big, strong hockey player, he sure is skittish over the local wildlife. “Jamie, you’ll be fine,” I assure him.
He shakes his head. “I ran into an entire family of them on my way here. The male stood on his hind legs and roared at me. He almost knocked my car over.”
Suppressing another giggle, I tell him, “Bears don’t roar.”
“He made a loud and menacing noise that sounded like a roar to me.”
“He was just protecting his family,” I tell him. “It’s a natural reaction.”
“I wasn’t threatening any of them. I was just trying to get to my car without meeting an untimely end.”
What a drama queen. “Black bears don’t eat humans.”
“According to Google, they sometimes eat meat,” he says.
“Rarely, and then usually only in the spring after they’ve been hibernating. When they wake up starving they sometimes go a little nuts.”
His eyes open widely. “Note to self: Find a permanent home away from the woods before spring. ”
“You’d have to rent an apartment on Main Street if you wanted to avoid the woods altogether.”
“I’m not fussy.”
I laugh again, which I seem to do a lot around this man. “The only people who have ever had trouble with the bears are ones who antagonize them. Just don’t throw any rocks at them or approach their babies, and you’ll be fine.”
Jamie doesn’t respond right away; he just keeps eating his pie. When he’s done, he puts his fork down and asks, “What if I help them get ready for winter and leave food out for them? They’d like me then, right?”
“They’d like you so much they’d tell their friends. And then if they wanted more food and it wasn’t there, they’d break into your house to get it.” The poor guy looks like he’s about to faint.
“Okay, I won’t feed them. But you’re sure they’ll hibernate soon.”
“Every October,” I tell him. “Like clockwork.”
His head bobs up and down slowly before asking, “What do you do in Maple Falls for fun?”
“You move to LA,” I joke before saying, “Life is slower paced here but you can go to the movies or go out to eat. You could even join a bowling league.” He doesn’t look impressed, so I ask, “What do you do in New York?”
“Go to clubs, concerts, museums. The more accurate question is what can’t you do in New York?”
“Do you have a Maple Festival?” I ask.
“No, but we have farmers’ markets and flea markets. There are street vendors all over the city. You can even ride horses in Central Park.”
I take a final sip of water before teasing, “Why in the world did you leave that kind of nirvana for Washington state?”
“I was being followed around by reporters asking me about Allegra. When Dale called and asked if I wanted to captain the Ice Breakers, I jumped at the chance to have some solitude.”
“Then enjoy the solitude and quit complaining,” I tell him .
“Yeah, but you know, the bears …”
“Do you need me to drive to your house with you after supper and make sure you get inside okay?” I ask.
He looks like I just offered him a winning lottery ticket. “Would you?”
Peggy drops the check before I can answer. Jamie makes a move to grab it at the same time I do. “What are you doing?” I ask him.
“Paying the check.”
“Why?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, because I always pay when I go out to dinner with a lady.”
I take my credit card out of my wallet and drop it on the table. “This wasn’t a date, Jamie.”
“I know.”
“Good, so let the town pay.” I’m going to keep all my receipts and let my dad reimburse me. Then I ask, “Are you serious about wanting me to follow you home?”
“Serious as a heart attack,” he confirms.
After paying the bill, we walk out of the diner together. I point across the street and tell him, “I’m parked over there.”
He points to a black SUV right in front of me. “I’m right here. I’ll wait for you.”
As I cross Main Street, I can’t help but think that if I lived in Maple Falls, I might just be interested in Jamie Hayes. But since I don’t, I vow to keep him in the friend zone. After all, a girl can’t have too many friends.