Page 4 of Offside and Off-Limits (Love in Maple Falls #2)

The fact of the matter is I’m not ready to meet Warrior, even if he might turn out to be my dream guy.

Chatting online, enjoying our easy companionship, sharing parts of my life with him, feels easy.

Safe. I’ve only ever loved one man in my life, and when he left me and the kids, I felt like my world had ended.

The idea of opening myself up fully and completely again after all this time is terrifying.

“You can't hide behind a computer screen all your life, chatting with some guy you’ve never met, you know.”

I lift my coffee and take a sip. “Sure, I can.”

Bailey shakes her head at me and opens her mouth to reply when Ashlyn Thompkins appears beside our table, looking gorgeous in a pair of jeans and a pink shirt, her jacket draped across her arm.

“Hey, girls. How are my favorite childhood neighbors?” she says with a smile, her light brown hair in a messy bun, her gorgeous green eyes shining.

“You’re back in town, Ashlyn?” Bailey asks, bouncing out of her seat and giving her a quick hug.

“Just for a while,” she replies.

“Ashlyn’s staying with her parents next door,” I tell Bailey.

“Just like old times, then,” Bailey replies. “Have you two been playing in the treehouse much?”

“Of course we have. We’ve had at least three tea parties there this week, right, Clara?” Ashlyn says, and I laugh.

“We sure knew how to live back then,” I say.

“That might be true, but I tell you something: this town does not change one little bit,” Ashlyn says, looking around the store.

“Sure, it does. We got a new teacher at the elementary school a few years back, and we got a new stop sign at the top of Main Street. And don’t forget these key lime cupcakes Neesha’s making,” I say, holding it up. “They’re delicious, by the way.”

Ashlyn laughs. “Maple Falls is rivaling LA for dynamism and excitement, I see.”

“Would you like to join us?” I offer.

“Another time. I’m on a mission right now. Just popped in for coffee,” she replies. “See you both soon.” She flashes us her smile and saunters away.

“I haven’t seen her in years,” Bailey says. “You two were close back in the day.”

“We were. It’s nice to have her back.” I take a bite of my cupcake and let out a sigh at the sweet lime-iness of it. “Oh, this is so good. We’ll have to tell Neesha.”

“Hey, who’s that guy talking to Benny?” Bailey asks.

“What guy?” I ask around my mouthful, and I snap my attention across the store to see Benny talking with a big guy who’s leaning down, listening to whatever it is Benny is telling him.

Immediately, with my mom-spidey senses on high alert, I leap out of my seat and scramble over to the comic section.

“…but why doesn’t he fight back?” Benny is asking the man, who I notice is young enough to be about my age, give or take, and is looking intently at my son as though he’s actually deeply involved in the conversation, not just humoring him.

“Because his powers get captured by Xerces, who’s keeping them in an iron box held deep within the mountain,” the man replies, as though that’s a perfectly normal sentence to come out of a fully grown man’s mouth.

I clear my throat as I slide my hands protectively over Benny’s shoulders.

“Oh, hi, Mommy,” Benny says, glancing at me momentarily before he returns his attention to his comic book—and the man.

“What are you guys talking about?” I ask lightly, narrowing my eyes at the man, my subtext being who are you and why the heck are you talking with my son ?

The man shifts his attention from Benny to me, and as he does, he rises to his full height, all six feet whatever.

He’s tall, way taller than me, and, I admit begrudgingly, he’s handsome.

With his sandy blond hair kinda scruffy and a touch too long in that effortless, I-woke-up-handsome kind of way, his strong jawline is covered in a cropped beard with a few specks of salt and pepper that somehow works on him.

My guess is he’s mid-thirties, maybe older, and he’s got the kind of face that makes your stomach do a slow flip.

In fact, he looks a little like a blond Jacob Elordi, as well as…familiar.

Yeah, definitely familiar.

“You must be Benny’s mom,” he says, his voice deep and sonorous, his gray eyes pinning me in place.

I tighten my hold on Benny’s shoulders, lifting my chin in a vain attempt to appear taller than my five feet three inches against this…this…handsome giant . A handsome giant who thinks it’s okay to talk with young boys they don’t know in bookstores.

“I am Benny’s mom. And you are?” I ask pointedly.

His ludicrously handsome face morphs into a smile as he extends one of his huge hands toward me. “Cade Lennox. Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

Ma’am ? Oh, no, he did not just ma’am me!

How old does this guy think I am ?

I’m too busy gaping at him to respond, and after a beat, he pulls his hand away, giving me a sheepish smile.

“I was talking with Benny here about the latest comic in the The Timekeeper Chronicles . We’re both fans,” he explains. “It’s great that this bookstore gets the comics. I’m new in town and this is a big find for me. I thought I’d have to order them online, which just isn’t the same.”

“Well, that’s very nice of you, Mr.—” I’m about to say “Elordi” when it snaps into place who this guy is.

He’s the right winger for the newly minted Ice Breakers.

In fact, I’ve got a picture of him in his New York City Blades uniform in my spreadsheet at home.

His most recent season stats float before my eyes.

Thirty-seven goals, twenty-four assists, average slapshot over 100 mph, and forty-two penalty minutes, mostly for chirping at refs, which he has a reputation for doing.

“Lennox,” he finishes for me, shooting me a look that seems to ask whether my brain is functioning properly.

“I just worked out who you are.”

“Because I told you who I am already?” he asks, his eyes dancing, and there’s something in his tone that has me narrowing my gaze.

Wait. Is this guy flirting with me?

“You know, just before, when I said my name is Cade Lennox.” He waggles his brows playfully.

Oh, yes, he’s definitely flirting with me. And in front of Benny, too! Does this guy have no boundaries? No shame?

And then it all falls into place.

My research went beyond player stats and into their personal lives, and my research on this guy told me that Cade Lennox is not only a talented winger who’s helped his team make it to the playoffs three years running, but he is the biggest hockey-playing womanizer to walk the earth.

And with the reputation a lot of these hockey players seem to have, that’s saying something.

I extend my hand to shake his, channeling my inner businesswoman. As he takes my hand in his, his large hand completely dwarfs my own, making me feel even smaller.

“I’m Clara Johnson, social media manager for the Ice Breakers. Or at least I will be on Monday.”

My eyes drop momentarily to his T-shirt, which has an image of one of the characters from Benny’s favorite comic book series.

Huh . He’s a womanizing hockey player who looks like a blond Jacob Elordi and wears comic book T-shirts like he’s a character on The Big Bang Theory ? Talk about a dichotomy .

“I guess that means we’ll be working together,” he says.

I press my lips together, doing my best to ignore the way the combination of his gaze and the warmth of his hand is making my pulse quicken. “That’s right.”

“Cool,” he replies, his lips pulling into an easy smile.

“Cool,” I repeat, wishing I could come up with something more, well, more like what an actual adult would say.

But it’s hard to think straight when someone as attractive as Cade Lennox is holding your hand in his and looking at you with those gray eyes, looming over you, all big and…there.

It’s a lot .

But he’s a womanizing professional hockey player. And I’m a ma’am .

The thought is enough to snap me out of whatever this thing is between us.

Benny twists his head to look up at me. “Mommy, you’ve gone pink. Are you hot?”

I don’t look at Cade Lennox.

“I’m fine, Benny. Say goodbye to Mr. Lennox and come have a cupcake with Bailey.”

“But I want to get this comic book,” he whines.

“I’ll get it for you after,” I grind out.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Hey, great to meet you, Benny. And remember, Zara Kazan is the true hero of the series. Or rather, the true heroine,” Cade Lennox says to my son.

“Nah-uh. It’s Max Griffin. Everyone knows that,” Benny insists.

“Let’s go,” I say, and as I lead Benny to the table, I take a quick look back at the guy, only to see him smiling at me, his eyes lit up with playfulness like a string of fairy lights.

And my dang belly gives a little flip.