Page 18 of Offside and Off-Limits (Love in Maple Falls #2)

“Isn't it obvious? I want to enter the Show Quest competition with Hannah. That way, I can help her get over her stage fright, and together we can play one of the songs she likes by Taylor Swift, and win!”

I feel as though I’ve stepped into an alternate universe in which hockey pros play musical instruments with my kids for fun. “You want to enter Show Quest with Hannah?”

“Were you not listening, Triple? That's exactly what I'm telling you.”

“Last time I checked, you’re not a kid at Maple Falls Elementary.”

“Duh.”

“Did you just ‘duh’ me?”

“Look, I've been asking around about the rules for Show Quest and apparently, as long as the kid is front and center as the primary performer, an adult—which in this case will be me—can give an assist. And yes, I did use a hockey term there. You're welcome.”

I lean against the basin. “I'm not sure that's a great idea.”

“Why not? It solves all Hannah’s problems. I can help her practice, and then I can be beside her when she performs. It's a win-win.”

“For Hannah?”

“For Hannah and for me.”

“What exactly do you win?”

“The admiration of her mom.”

I can't help but laugh. This man!

“So? What do you say? I can practice with Hannah in the afternoons after school.”

“She's got figure skating Thursdays.”

“On the afternoons except for Thursdays, then.”

I chew on my lip. “Her dad will be at Show Quest, you know. I'm not sure he'll be exactly thrilled that his daughter is playing a piece with a pro hockey player.”

“Doesn't that make it all the better?” he says, and I picture Cade waggling his eyebrows.

I don't hate the idea of Dwayne seeing his daughter playing piano with Cade. It would make him wonder who Cade is to me. Not that it will make him jealous, of course. He moved on from me a long time ago.

Wait. This is not a smart idea. It would be totally unprofessional of me to say yes for the exact same reason why it would feel good for Dwayne to witness.

“I really appreciate you making the offer, Cade, but I'm sorry, it can’t happen.”

“Why not? I told you it's not against the rules.”

“It's so sweet of you to offer, let alone check the rules on this competition, but?— ”

“But nothing.”

“This is a small town, Cade. People talk. Dwayne will assume you and I are…” I trail off, hoping he’ll catch my drift and not make me say it outright.

“He’ll assume what, Triple?”

It would seem he is going to make me say it outright.

“Involved.”

“Involved? How would that look exactly?” His teasing tone sends a tingle down my spine.

“You know exactly how that would look and it's not appropriate. We work together.”

“That's it. I'll quit.”

A laugh bursts out of me. “You'll quit?”

“Why not? Sure, I'm the best right winger the team’s got and I'm a massive playmaker, racking those points up on the scoreboard for my team every week with goals and assists. But they'll survive without me. Eventually.”

“You’re impossible, did you know that?”

“Impossible or irresistible?”

I shake my head, laughing once more. “I think you're so sweet to want to do this for Hannah, but I think I'm going to have to say no.”

“Come on. It'll be great for her. You know it will.”

I twist my mouth. He has a point. Hannah is determined to perform in this talent show, but she's also inexperienced in piano and is already super nervous about it, and it's not even until the week before Thanksgiving.

What's more, the chemistry she had with Cade when they were playing “Chopsticks” together was undeniable, and it was wonderful to see her playing and smiling, enjoying herself.

After what happened with her skating recital, I know being up on the stage with someone she likes and trusts could really help her overcome this newfound stage fright, and Lord knows I couldn’t fulfill that role for her, what with being a musical talent wasteland .

“Let me think about it,” I concede.

“I'll give you five seconds from now. Five, four, three?—”

“Were you an overindulged child?”

“Two, one. What’s your decision?”

“Cade,” I warn.

“Okay. I’ll back off. But will you at least think about it?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good.”

There’s a silence between us, and I find I don’t want to hang up on this man.

“Cade?”

“What is it, Triple?”

“You’re a good guy.”

“Don’t go telling anyone that. I’ve got a reputation to uphold. Or to smash. One or the other. See you at the arena Monday?”

“Monday?”

“You know, the Ice Breakers? It’s this new NHL team we both work for? They push a small black object around a rink, trying to slot it into a net?”

I chortle. “Yeah. I remember.”

“You’re filming after practice, right? That’s what Coach Hauser told us at practice today.”

He’s right. I’ve got a few guys lined up to do some trick shots at the end of practice tomorrow morning, which I’m filming for a new campaign.

With the success of the TikTok involving Cade, Asher, and Weston which I posted after the livestream, Veronica has requested more dancing, too, so I’ll be looking for more volunteers. Asher told me that he’s a shoo-in.

Plus, there’s the fact Veronica wants videos of just Cade and me, which frankly, I’ve been putting off filming. Being around Cade is challenging enough without it all being caught on camera.

But I do need to capture the content, so I reply, “Let’s film the first Hockey 101 video tomorrow after the trick shots. ”

“You got it, Triple,” he replies, and I can hear the delight in his voice.

“Good night, Cade.”

“Night, Triple. Sweet dreams.”

The call ends and it's obvious to me he wants my sweet dreams to be about him.

Little does he know they may well be.