Page 5 of Soulmates and Slapshots (Love in Maple Falls #6)

FIONA

I stroll through the cozy lobby of the Hawk River Lodge, my eyes scanning the space in search of Aunt Dee.

The scent of pine and firewood lingers in the air, and something about this place reminds me of my grandparents’ house.

The lodge is rustic in the most charming way, like something straight out of a postcard from the Rocky Mountains.

It has high-beamed ceilings, worn leather furniture, and flickering lantern-style lights giving off the kind of comfort you can’t fake.

I settle into one of the oversized, wingback armchairs near the hearth, the crackle of the fire soothing my nerves. Pulling my phone out of my bag, I send a quick text to Aunt Dee.

Hey, I’m here in the lobby. No worries if you’re busy. I can come back later.

Shetold me to stop by, but I still feel like I might be intruding.

Today’s been interesting, to say the least. The more I explore Maple Falls, the more I understand how people could fall in love with this place.

It’s like a best kept secret hidden away in the hills, waiting to be discovered.

And everyone I’ve met so far has been so genuine and welcoming.

Plus I ran into Mabel McCluskey. We have some mutual friends in New York, and it turns out she’s from Maple Falls too. It really is a small world after all.

And then there’s Weston, one of the Ice Breakers. I can’t wait to tell Aunt Dee. I mean, who just bumps into a pro hockey player on a sidewalk? Although I had no idea he was a hockey player.

“Yay. You found a little piece of heaven,” Aunt Dee’s voice calls from behind me.

For a second, I freeze. My thoughts immediately flash to Weston. How did she?—?

Oh. She’s talking about the lodge , not…

“Yes,” I say, smiling as I turn to face her. “I love this place. It feels like something out of a Hallmark movie.”

Aunt Dee beams as she takes the seat across from me. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold, her blonde streaked curls tucked behind her ears.

“I knew you’d like it,” she says knowingly. “Anyway, how was your day?”

I give her the rundown, starting with my visit toFalling For Booksand how sweet Neesha was. And my stroll through the farmers market. Then I casually mention running into Weston, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Aunt Dee arches an eyebrow, her expression turning sly. “Ooh, you already met one of the Ice Breakers? Sounds like a meet cute to me.”

A meet cute? I guess my aunt is a hockey superfan and a hopeless romantic.

“I guess so,” I say, playing it cool.

“And he just approached you? On the street?” She leans in, a wicked grin tugging at her lips. “He must’ve liked what he saw.”

“Very funny,” I mutter, rolling my eyes, even though my face has grown hot.

She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “There’s nothing wrong with meeting a delicious hockey player. You’re on vacation and you should be enjoying yourself.”

“I am enjoying myself. And for the record, I’m also on vacation from men,” I say, laughing.

Aunt Dee waves off my protest. “Oh, please. We’re not talking about just any man. He’s a hockey player. That’s an entirely different category.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Did you forget that my last relationship imploded not that long ago?”

She gives me a mischievous look. “Which is exactly why you deserve a distraction. You need something or maybe someone to help you forget all that mess you left behind in New York.”

This is classic Aunt Dee. She’s free-spirited, unapologetically bold, and always ready to meddle.

“Anyway,” she says. “Give me all the details.”

Clearly, she has no intention of letting this go.

“I don’t know much . His name is Weston, and he said he’s new to Maple Falls.” I pause, deliberately leaving out his great smile and dimples that should be illegal. “That’s all I’ve got.”

She frowns, her eyes narrowing. “Hmm. We’ll have to change that, won’t we?”

I sigh. “So, how’s your day been? Has it been busy?” It’s a desperate attempt to redirect her attention. I have no doubt she could talk about hockey players all day.

She groans, her shoulders dropping slightly. “It’s been okay. There’s just a lot happening with the town, it’s been hard to concentrate.”

I tilt my head. “Is this because of the situation you mentioned this morning? The town meeting and stuff?”

She nods, her expression suddenly serious. “Yep. I think we’re all on edge a bit.”

“Oh no. What’s going on?”

She sighs dramatically. “Apparently there’s a billionaire claiming he’s the heir to a bunch of land here in Maple Falls. He thinks he’s going to come in here and take over. A lot of the locals are worried about what this means for the town.”

My eyes grow wide. “Really? Is he legit?”

She shrugs. “It sounds like it. There was some uptight business manager at the council meeting. The guy didn’t even come himself—he sent someone in his place. I’m expecting we’ll find out more at the next town meeting.”

“When is the meeting? I’ll go with you,” I tell her.

She gives me a confused look. “You want to go to our town council meeting on your vacation? It’s not exactly one of the town’s most popular events. Although it can be entertaining at times.”

“That’s okay. I’m all for supporting a good cause. This town is your home, and I want to support you in any way I can.”

She purses her lips. “Okay, if that’s what you want. And if it inspires you to stay in town longer—then that’s even better.”

I giggle before replying to her comment. I had a feeling she’d say something about that.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” I insist. “I just think this town is so beautiful, it would be tragic for someone to come in and destroy it. ”

She sits up straight. “Exactly. But I can promise you that Maple Falls won’t go down without a fight.”

“That’s the spirit,” I shout. “Now how about a tour of the lodge.”

Aunt Dee is so excited to show me around, and it gives me something to do, especially since I’m still figuring out how to take it easy without any other responsibilities or a packed schedule.

After spending some time with my aunt, I make my way back through the town on my way home.

The temps are dropping quickly, and my cropped sweater is no longer cutting it.

My mind is racing as I stroll, and there is more traffic now.

I’m assuming part of the evening rush. It’s still nothing compared to Manhattan at this hour.

Aunt Dee is working late, so I’m on my own for dinner. I see some good options as I walk, but something about Shirley May’s Diner is calling my name.

When I walk inside the retro diner, I see a few people sitting at the counter, and then I spot a familiar face. It’s Weston sitting in a booth by himself.

He looks up a few seconds after I spot him, and his face instantly lights up.

“Hey, stranger,” he calls, giving a friendly wave.

I guess the chances of seeing the same people in a small town are normal, but twice in one day is a bit strange, right? Hopefully he doesn’t think I’m following him.

“Hi. I guess we had the same idea this evening? ”

He laughs. “Yes, well this is my new favorite place in town.”

“So the food is worth it?” I ask.

“It sure is,” a voice calls from behind the counter. After a few seconds a woman with gray hair comes to greet me.

“Welcome to Shirley May’s,” she announces. “I’m Shirley May, and I’m guessing you’re another Maple Falls newbie? I haven’t seen you around.”

I nod. “Yes, I’m in town for a few weeks visiting my aunt.”

“Who’s your aunt?”

Why do I suddenly feel nervous about answering this question?

“Denise Hale.”

“Hmm…well, I won’t hold that against you,” she says with a laugh. Although I wonder if she’s being serious. My aunt can be a handful at times.

“Thanks,” I say smiling. “I’m Fiona.”

“Can I get you a table—or do you want to join your friend?” she asks, pointing at Weston.

“Oh, um,” I hesitate. What am I supposed to say? I’m not inviting myself to sit with him.

“You’re welcome to join me,” Weston offers.

“That’s one less table for us to clean,” Shirley May adds with a subtle wink.

The jury is still out if she and Aunt Dee are friends, but clearly they are on the same wavelength. I wonder if all the women in this town are hockey superfans.

I grin at Weston. “Okay, sure. And I promise I’m not following you.”

He makes a face. “Well, I was starting to wonder.”

“Very funny,” I say opening the menu. I scan over all the usual diner food options, and it all looks wonderful .

Shirley May brings me a glass of water. “Do you need a few more minutes?”

“Hmm…I think I’ll try the turkey club sandwich and fries.”

“Good choice,” Weston chimes in.

“All the food in this town looks good,” I tell him. “And since I’m on vacation, I should enjoy myself.”

He nods. “One of my old teammates told me to try the pumpkin bread and cinnamon rolls from the bakery.”

“Mmm…sounds delish,” I say. “I already indulged in pastries and the best cupcake I ever had.”

“Oh and Shirley May’s apple pie is pretty exceptional,” he adds.

“I’ll add it to my list. When in Rome and all that stuff.”

“That’s the spirit,” he says, grinning.

“So have you been sitting here all afternoon?” I ask him, folding my hands and resting them on the table.

He nods. “Yep. I figured I earned it after making a fool of myself for the whole world to see.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Oh, I think I want to hear this story.”

He groans. “Why not? I’m sure you’ll be seeing it soon enough.”

He launches into a story about how the team’s social media rep recruited him and two other players to do an online performance.

“A TikTok dance? On the ice?” I exclaim. I don’t waste any time reaching for my phone. “I need to see this. Is it already posted?”

“I’m not sure,” he says with a groan. “But I’m already bracing for a flood of messages from my old teammates back in Tennessee. This is the kind of thing that never dies.”

I quickly search for the Maple Falls Ice Breakers, and sure enough, there it is—right at the top of the team’s feed. A glorious, full-out TikTok dance featuring Weston and two other massive hockey players trying to coordinate moves in full gear, on the ice.

“Oh, my gosh,” I gasp, laughing. “This is amazing. Look at you!” My voice comes out louder than intended, turning a few heads in the diner. “Check out those moves.”

Weston sighs and drops his head into his hands. “And I thought I came here to play hockey and contribute to the team. Instead, I’m going viral for attempting moves like a member of a boy band.”

“Boy band on ice. I like it,” I exclaim. “This is great. Honestly, I think this could be your big break.”

He peeks at me from between his fingers, clearly embarrassed. “You really think so?”

“Oh, definitely,” I tease. “I’d think fans would enjoy it. Stuff like this makes you seem relatable and down to earth. Aren’t most professional athletes untouchable?”

He snorts. “Relatable, huh? That’s one word for it. But I wouldn’t say I’m untouchable. I’m not exactly a superstar in the league.”

“Not yet,” I suggest. “I mean, I don’t know much about hockey, but you made it to the pros, so that must mean something.”

“I did,” he agrees.

“There you go,” I say. “Everyone moves at their own pace, right?”

He smiles again, revealing the dimples I remember from our first meeting.

And just like that, a flutter of something unexpected stirs in my stomach.

I sit up a little straighter, trying to shake it off.

This isn’t the right time for me to be noticing dimples.

Or charming hockey players. Or anyone, at all .

“Okay, enough about me,” he says, changing the subject. “You mentioned you’re in Maple Falls visiting family?”

I nod, grateful to have something to think about other than dimples. “Yes. My aunt lives here. I needed a little break from real life, and she suggested I visit. So here I am.”

He gives me a curious look, one eyebrow raised. “That bad, huh?”

I shift in the booth, folding one leg under me as I settle in. “Pretty much. My company’s going through a big reorganization after a merger, which is pure chaos.”

He winces. “That sounds stressful. What kind of work do you do?”

“I’m an editor at a publishing company,” I tell him.

His expression lights up, intrigued. “Whoa. That sounds important. Do you like it?”

It’s a simple question, but I’m not sure how to answer it.

“Yes,” I say unconvincingly. “At least I used to. And some days I still do. But lately it feels like everything’s shifting, and I’m not sure where I fit anymore.”

His gaze softens. “Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.”

And for some reason I think he really does.

“Anyway, I won’t bore you with my drama,” I say. “In other news, I heard about some crazy stuff happening in town.”

“I did too,” he says, leaning closer to me. “The gist I got is that some guy says he’s an heir to a chunk of land in Maple Falls.”

I nod. “Yep. My aunt says people are starting to freak out. I’m going to the town council meeting with her to find out more.”

“Well, that’s nice of you,” he says. “Especially since you’re on vacation.”

I shrug. “I’m always willing to fight for a good cause. Plus my schedule is wide open while I’m here and I’m already starting to get restless.”

“Other than checking out the Ice Breakers?” he asks with a mischievous grin.

“Absolutely.”

“Does that mean you’ll be at some of our games?”

I nod. “Sure. Especially since I’m now friends with one of the players.” I pause after I realize I emphasized the word friends. I’m not sure why I did that, but it felt right in the moment.

Weston forces a smile. “Exactly.”

Suddenly we both grow quiet.

Crap. I’m not sure what just happened, but the air between us feels awkward now.

“Oh, and if you’re ever looking for something to do, you’re welcome to come over to the arena. A lot of people in town come out to watch practices.”

I smile. “I’ll probably take you up on that.”

“Great.”

Thankfully Shirley May shows up with my food, cutting our conversation short.

Despite my aunt’s suggestions, Weston is a new friend, and that’s all I can handle in this moment. Anything else would just complicate my already messy situation. I’m in Maple Falls to take some time to regroup, but there’s nothing wrong with making a few new friends along the way.