Page 14

CHAPTER 14

ANNA

T he line at the Right Angle Hardware Store is unreasonably long for a Wednesday morning. I’ve lived here all my life and I swear on all things that I’ve never seen it like this. It’s Murphy’s Law: when you’re in a hurry, the rest of the world slows down.

Tapping my foot, I check the time. Molly called me first thing this morning, freaking out. Ellie had managed to lose part of her science experiment, which is a model of the volcanic eruption in Pompeii. She’d begged me to please go get what she needed, then meet her at the school so she could help Ellie get everything ready. I’ve got exactly one hour to pick up what Ellie needs for her science fair experiment and get it back to the school in time.

The line creeps forward slowly, and I take a moment to count my place. Fourth. Sighing, I turn around and look at the poor suckers—I mean, customers behind me and my jaw hits the floor in surprise.

“Sutton?”

Sutton’s blue eyes sparkle with joy when she sees me. Okay, maybe joy is stretching it, but she’s happy.

“Anna!” She steps out of line to give me a quick hug. “Of all places to see you today.”

“Don’t you have people who can come to the hardware store for you?” I tease.

“It’s my guilty pleasure,” she says with a laugh. “Not a lot of people know it, but I like to”—she puts her hand up to her mouth as if shielding her words from the others around us— “build things.”

“You do?” The line moves again, and I take a step closer to the counter. “Like what?”

“Birdhouses.” A woman who I’ve never seen before is suddenly beside Sutton, handing her a hammer. “Here. I think this is what you wanted?”

“Gosh, I almost forgot and I need this.” She chuckles, her eyes flicking to her friend, then back to me. “Elle, have you met Anna yet?”

I put my hand out to shake hers and Elle laughs, holding her arms out. “I’m a hugger.”

Cracking up, I let her embrace me, Sutton making a funny face and shrugging behind her back.

“She’s always been like this, Anna,” Sutton explains. “I swear, she comes off so soft sometimes that you’d never know she was the first woman to be an assistant coach in the AHL.”

“Oh,” I exclaim as we break apart. “You’re Elle Barrett. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s really nice to meet you.”

Elle’s green eyes dance with delight. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” She tilts her head to the side and looks me up and down. “Wait a second. I’ve seen you in the press with one of the Renegades recently. With your defenseman, Sutton, I think his name is Ollie?”

I jumped in to respond. “That’s the one. Ollie Decker.”

“Yes, Ollie Decker,” she says, snapping her fingers. “What pure talent that kid has.”

“I’m impressed you know who he is,” I acknowledge.

She taps the side of her head. “I have a ridiculous memory, it’s really good, so it’s safe to say that Ollie made an impression on us in Chicago a long time ago.”

“I didn’t pay her anything to say that to you, either, Elle,” Sutton says under her breath as we all shuffle along another few steps. I look and I’m the next one up to the counter already, after the current customer is done.

“She really didn’t,” I agree because it’s true. Sutton didn’t and wouldn’t have to. When you get to meet someone who has broken the glass ceiling like Elle has, you aren’t gonna mess about. “My dad liked watching you play ice hockey when you played for the Sunbeams, when you were in school in Florida. Said you’d go places, so we weren’t surprised when we heard that after you were in the Olympics—and all the consulting you were doing, of course—the Chicago Turbines would want you.”

Elle blushes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re a plant and all part of the Renegades plan to woo me.”

“Woo you?” My eyebrows shoot up, my eyes rocking to Sutton’s as I’m called up to the register. It only takes me a quick second to get what I need and pay for it, and as soon as I do, I simultaneously grab my keys as I spin around to Sutton and Elle once more. “Who’s wooing who?”

Elle’s eyes widen as she turns to Sutton. “Uh-oh. Did I let something slip?”

“Not at all,” Sutton says, placing a hand on my forearm. “Do me a favor, Anna, keep this between us? Not everyone in the Ivory Tower knows that Elle is here today.”

I don’t crack a hint of a smile when she uses the unofficial nickname given to her family’s offices. I can only search her eyes for a hint of more, but there’s nothing. Nothing except trust.

“Whatever this is,” I say, flipping my keys in my hand, “your secret is safe with me. I have to go anyway.” I hold up my purchases as my stomach growls. “Duty calls.”

“It was nice meeting you,” Elle calls out after me as I wave at the pair and make my way outside into the morning light.

Glancing at my watch, I’m relieved that I’m making good time even with the holdup in the hardware store. Knowing Molly won’t be at the school for a little longer gives me some relief, so I toss the bag in my car, then add more time to my meter before jogging down the street to grab some breakfast.

Shelly’s Southern Sweets is my favorite spot to hit in the morning, when I have time. Shelly is from North Carolina and makes everything with extra butter and extra sugar, which makes everything she bakes even more delicious. But if I have too much too often, there’s no way I’m gonna fit into my clothes. But these are things I am not going to worry about today.

Opening the door to step into her small bakery, I’m accosted by the smell of cinnamon and apples. I close my eyes and inhale, already decided that an apple fritter is what is needed.

I wait patiently in line, placing my order and getting my treat wrapped in one of Shelly’s signature pink bags before I go. I land outside on the sidewalk and can’t resist, opening the bag to take another whiff of my sugary treat, which I’m gonna shove into my face once I’m alone in my car.

“Still a sucker for one of Shelly’s fritters?”

There are moments when someone enjoys being surprised. Your birthday for one, a fun day to get all kinds of surprises. I think when you’re feeling down, too. That’s a good time for a surprise. I think it’s also a nice surprise when you open your mailbox and it doesn’t have a bill that needs to be paid waiting for you inside.

But when you’re running errands with half-brushed hair in an old white T-shirt that’s yellowing from too much bleach over the years and you maybe have a questionable relationship with deodorant today? Well, you don’t necessarily want, nor need, a surprise of any kind. Like this one: when my eyes fly open to find my ex standing in front of me.

“Jason.” I stop in my tracks, my hand frozen inside my purse where it’s searching for my keys. Not someone I care to run into, if we’re being honest, but here we are. It’s what small towns were made for. Awkward moments.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my temporary paralysis lifting as my fingers touch the cool metal of my keys. Good. I’m closer to leaving. “Thought you moved to New York or Jersey.”

“Philly,” he corrects me. “But I’m not surprised you don’t remember. You never did have a habit of listening to me.”

Here we go. He’s a good-looking guy, super smart. Like, lawyer smart all rolled up into a guy who could, if he let his hair grow out and lifted some weights, look like Jason Momoa if he wanted. But, sadly, it’s his personality that will kill it for him every time.

“Sorry about that,” I say as I incline my head toward my car. “But, I’m in work mode. Gotta meet Molly soon with something for the kids.”

“Still assisting Ben, huh?” His voice oozes with apology, but I’m not sure what for; it’s as if I could do better but I’m not. And it hits me in the heart like a poison arrow.

“Yep,” I say tersely. In my imaginary Anna-land, I’m now pulling the arrow out of my heart and holding it firmly in my hand. And then I let the arrow go. “Are you still working for your daddy?”

Whoops.

Jason’s eyes cloud over as I hit the nail on the head. He works for his family’s business as their in-house counsel, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But don’t come after me for my job, which I got on my own without help, thank you very much, when I know your parents gave you yours because you couldn’t find one. It all circles back to that winning personality of his, but hey. He’s not my problem anymore. Not him, his power drills, nor his Brita filters––none of it is my problem.

“I see you haven’t changed,” he says as he grunts. “You still like to badger, don’t you?”

After hanging out with him for one night, even my father declared we were like oil and water. I had six months with this guy that I’ll never get back. Shaking my head, I hit my key fob to unlock the car and start to walk away.

“Nice seeing you, Jason,” I call out as I go to open my door, surprised when I hear something behind me and turn around to find he’s followed me. “What do you want?”

“I saw you come out of the hardware store…I mean, what are the chances? I’m here for a day and I see you on the street.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “I’ve got things I want to say to you.”

I feel like I’m being pressed against my car, but I’m not. At least not physically, but his presence and energy feels all-encompassing. He’s loud, his tone is aggressive

“I’m not sure I have time to talk,” I say, holding a hand out to keep some distance between us. He was always a close talker, but this is ridiculous.

He ignores my arm and steps closer, his voice beginning to escalate. “I’ve left you alone on purpose for the past year, you know.”

“Well,” I say, hesitant to point out the obvious. “We did break up, so there is that roadblock.”

“Anna, stop talking so much and listen!” Jason practically shouts. A sting of cold, like a river of ice, flows through me, a stinging reminder of why I broke up with this man, and all I want to do is disappear into a hole in the ground.

“Think twice.” The deep voice behind me stops Jason in his tracks. I watch as Jason drags his gaze over my shoulder to see who it is, but me? I don’t need to. I know who’s there. “I really don’t think you should talk to her that way.”

“Ollie.” Jason’s lips form a tight, thin line. “Should’ve guessed you’d be close by.”

There’s a strong hand on my arm and I’m being moved away from my car, gently, as Ollie steps his way in between us.

“Jason.” He half-laughs. “Thought you moved to Jersey?”

“It’s Philly,” he mutters. “I moved to Philadelphia.”

I swear, if Jason were a firework, he’d have exploded by now. This guy. What an ego.

“Whatever,” Ollie says as he threads his arms tightly across his chest, narrowing his eyes and putting Jason square in his sights. “You’re here visiting?”

Jason nods, his eyes rocking from mine to Ollie’s, then over my shoulder yet again. I watch as his expression changes, making me turn around. As I do, I question my life. Today is for sure the day that if I was being punked, it’s happening. Because when I look, I spot not just one other familiar face, but at least five. All in their Renegades gear and standing together. Like the imposing force they can be.

“Yeah, just in town for the day,” he says, backing away as Dixon, Sawyer, Campbell, and the others all form a semi-circle behind me. “Jeez, Anna. Did you ask all of the giants to climb down from the top of their beanstalks to help you today?”

I’m not one to feel helpless, but right now, being at the center of this much safety feels good.

“She sure did,” Ollie says, taking a step toward him as Jason takes one back. Ollie sees him do it, and then I fight my laughter as Ollie takes another step and Jason backs up two. In no time, Jason is well on his way down the sidewalk, retreating from us. Far, far away.

The guys behind me chuckle, because for a few of them, it’s all in a day’s work. Ollie pulls me into a close embrace.

“Sorry, but when I saw him over here?—”

“No,” I interrupt. “Don’t apologize. Thank you. He…that wasn’t expected.”

“Glad we happened to be here.” He looks at his teammates, who are already scurrying away, leaving us alone beside my car.

“It was divine intervention.”

“I’ll say.” He leans down, reminding me of how enormous he is as he towers over me. “I’ve been meaning to call you the last few days.”

I lift a shoulder into a shrug, because I am casual. At least, I’m gonna play like I am. “I know you’re busy.”

“But we have a relationship to maintain, right?”

“We do.”

Ollie opens my car door and I hop inside. “Well, the next step is that date we talked about.”

A flood of excitement swells inside. “The date?”

“The one you asked me to go on, remember?”

“I thought it was a joint decision.”

“Either way, it’s a date.” He steps away as someone calls his name from across the street. “I should go, but tomorrow night—are you free?”

“I don’t know, I am very busy,” I joke as I pull out my phone and pretend to check my calendar. “I think I can make it work.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I watch as he jogs away. I lower my phone, staring at the screen without seeing it, my heart doing a ridiculous little tap dance in my chest. A date. Tomorrow night. With him.

I should feel nervous—maybe I am nervous—but mostly, I feel…excited. It’s like something electric is buzzing under my skin, and for the first time in a long time, I’m letting myself enjoy it.

As he disappears into the crowd, I realize my face is sore. It takes me a second to figure out why.

I’m smiling.