Chapter 13

Thirteen

LOU

T he sound of whistles and applause finally burst the bubble that provided Maria and I the space to clear the air. She tucks her face into my chest, and I can't help but chuckle when I spot the smudged frosting in her hair. If anyone had told me it would take throwing cupcakes at each other to resolve our differences I would have vehemently disagreed. But here we are.

"Get a room!" Dan yells across the ice. Echoing the taunt I'd thrown at him and Alexis not long ago.

I tuck Maria under my arm, wanting to make it even more clear to everyone that she's mine. At least I'm pretty sure that's what that kiss meant, because I'm definitely hers. Her wide eyes scan the sugary battle field, taking in the smashed cupcakes and scattered frosting.

"You aren't pinning this on me," she says, but there's a mischievous glint in her eye as she retrieves the box she dropped earlier.

"Oh?" I challenge, grinning as I scoop her up in my arms to skate back across the ice. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd leave with her and take her on a proper date. But from the look Coach is giving, I have a feeling we're going to need to have a chat first.

As I near the scene of the crime, still covered in the spray from the fire extinguisher, the guys on the team are chuckling and taking selfies, their jerseys streaked with frosting.

"You!" a hateful screech yells.

I turn with Maria still in my arms to see my ex stomping toward us, furry all over her face, security right beside her. I set Maria down tucking her protectively behind me, but I don't need to worry. The sound of skates closing in around us signals that the team is closing ranks. They form a barrier, blocking anyone from getting to her.

Coach steps up beside me, calm as can be. "Now, Carrie. What's the problem?"

Carrie, turns to security, voice dripping with venom "Get her out. She's banned, I want her sued. I want her paying for damages."

I glance around at the mess. It's not great, but it's nothing worse than I've seen left behind after a game with rowdy fans. The curtains are a loss, and possibly one of the lights, but the rest of it can easily be taken care of by a clean-up crew.

Maria, unfazed, chirps up from behind me. "Looks to me like your plan was a smashing success."

My ex's face turns red, the kind of red that comes from being caught off guard and not knowing how to respond.

Maria keeps going. "You wanted the team to smash the cupcakes on the ice. They did. And the new machine is cleaning it up."

Glancing over my shoulder to where the driver is indeed working on cleaning the ice. The machine is humming along quite nicely from the sound of it.

"You ruined the plan!" my ex screeches, her voice going up an octave.

"Was it in writing?" Maria asks, and I want to kiss her again. "Because I don't remember a sparkler being part of the plan."

Coach smiles, inserting himself into the conversation. "She's right. Sparklers were never part of the plan I agreed to. They're a serious safety hazard."

Carrie pales. "But."

"Not the cupcake's fault," I add, and out of the corner of my eye I catch one of the news station's cameras is pointed at us, capturing every word. "Plus, you wouldn't want to mess with our good luck charm would you? The team wouldn't do well without our steady supply from La Petite Bakery."

Coach shuts down any further conversation. Saying something to Carrie that has her backing down and in a hurry to leave.

Turning back to us, Coach shakes his head, his no-nonsense attitude returning. "The Playoffs will be here soon enough and this arena needs cleaning. You made this mess, get to work."

Maria kisses my cheek, "I need to get cleaned up and check on Isa at the bakery."

I smile and brush a bit of white frosting off the tip of her nose. "Well I tried to get your name out there."

She smiles. "I appreciate that, but now I don't know what to make you."

"Coach had a box of cupcakes, there was this pink one with a little heart on top..."

Her face lights up with recognition. "I know just the one." She lifts the poor box that has a few more dents from being dropped and picked up more than once, and lifts the lid. Inside is a familiar assortment of cupcakes from the duct tape practice. Except they're much worse for wear, and a lot of the frosting now sticks to the lid. "Tell your coach I'll get him new ones."

Her phone rings from her pocket. "That would be Charlotte here to pick me up."

She leaves with her travel cupcake containers, and a smile on her face as she waves her fingers and blows a kiss at me.

The team and I get to work, brooms in hand, clearing the ice. The task reminds me of when I was a kid, skating around with a broom in the street during the summer. Simpler times, before hockey became everything.

Later, after I've finally managed to shower off all the frosting, I head to my car. That's when I see her—Carrie, standing in the parking lot with tears on her face, clutching a box of her things. I don't want to talk to her, but something makes me pause.

If this is going to be the last time I see her—and I truly hope it is—there are a few things I need to say. Regret and guilt swirl in my gut, mixing with the worry that I might mess things up with Maria if I don't get clarity.

Her sobs stop when she sees me approaching. "Lou?—"

"That game was the worst of my career," I start, my voice rougher than I intended. "A torn ACL and a concussion so bad I don't remember most of that day. Waking up in the hospital, being told over and over what happened... But the worst part? Having my sister tell me that my girlfriend dumped me because I didn't remember it happening."

She reaches out a hand, almost like she wants to comfort me, but I recoil, the gesture too little, too late.

"Was I that bad of a boyfriend? I know I don't work a nine-to-five, and I missed a lot of weekends with your family, but I could've?—"

"No," she cuts me off, shaking her head. "It wasn't any of that. I couldn't handle seeing you hurt."

"What?"

"You're constantly bruised, cut up from fights on the ice. That game… you went down, and you didn't get back up. They wheeled you off, and I couldn't go with you. The doctors wouldn't tell me anything, and by the time I saw you, you had tubes, bandages… I had to get out of there. I couldn't handle seeing you like that."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. All this time, I thought I'd done something wrong. But it was fear—her fear of seeing me hurt—that drove her away. I let out a slow breath, the weight of her confession settling in.

"Have a nice life, Carrie," I say, my voice firm but not unkind. "I hope it's the life you deserve."

With that, I turn and walk away. There's a beautiful woman I need to see before tonight's game. A woman who makes me feel like I'm more than just a hockey player, like I'm more than enough just as I am.

T he next day, I wake up much later than usual. The celebration after winning our game stretched late into the night. My head is still buzzing with excitement as I reach over to pet Cinnamon, but she's not on the bed next to me. I listen for her, but it's quiet, suspiciously so. Panic sets in as I jump out of bed and rush to find her. Because she is my dog and I will be very upset if anything happens to her.

When I burst into my living room, I find Hannah and a few of my friends lounging around like they own the place. My sister is happily eating her favorite double chocolate muffin, even as she ignores the puppy dog eyes from Cinnamon. A good thing too, because we'd be having words if she fed any of it to Cinnamon.

Dan, grabs my shoulder and steers me to the couch beside my sister.

Hannah smiles, "I was taking my good friend and her reluctant bodyguard to try my favorite chocolate muffins this morning, and do you know what I found?"

"Muffins?" I ask dumbly, just to annoy her, since she's keeping me from Maria. If I can't annoy her, what's the point of being her older brother?

She glares, "Dan."

A hand slaps me in the back of the head.

"Ow." I rub the spot where he hit me, and shoot him a glare.

"Lots of long lines first off." Hannah continues, "Because some dumb hockey player decided to broadcast the name of it all over the morning news."

I can't help but grin, proud of myself for giving Maria the recognition she deserves for the incredible work she does.

"It took me over an hour to get inside," she grumbles. "Then I found that not only Lia, but Charlotte too, took the day off from the salon to help at the bakery. But they were still running around like crazy. Then I pulled up the social media pages," She shakes her head like it's a Shakespearean tragedy, and points at her laptop sitting on my coffee table, logged into the bakery's social media.

"Oh no, you have to do what you love doing," I tease.

Hannah only has to look at Dan, and I feel a slap to the back of my head once more. "I had to take over, so instead of being able to show Susannah around the city, I'm working."

"Stop that," I tell him. "Do you want me concussed for the next game?"

He looks at Alexis, and she says, "Give him a break."

"You played great last night." Dan holds up a hand for a fist bump. "Scored the winning goal."

"Yeah, well, luck had nothing to do with it." I say, still rubbing my head.

Hannah clears her throat, her expression serious. "What did you do to Maria?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," I say, a pit forms in my stomach.

Hannah groans. "Somebody show him."

Alexis pulls out her phone, and flips to a picture she took earlier. The display case is filled top to bottom with Left Wing's Cupcakes. They each have a little pink heart on top, and a sign on it says RESERVED.

I'm on my feet in an instant, not caring about Hannah's questions or leaving them all in my home. They could TP my apartment, swap my shampoo for hair be gone, doesn't matter. I'm about to leave them all here.

My keys are in my hand, when Hannah stops me. "Don't worry about Cinnamon, Lou, Mom and I will watch her."

"Mom?" I repeat, as I pick up the gift I'd wrapped specially for Maria.

Hannah grins evilly. "She wanted to meet her grand-dog, her flight lands in an hour."

I shake my head and bolt out the door. In no time at all I'm at La Petite. The woman at the register gives me a knowing grin when she sees me.

"I'm Isa, Maria's cousin. About time we met properly. Even if I know you aren't here for me."

"I'd like to buy a cupcake," I say pulling out my wallet. "Actually, I'd like to buy a lot of them."

She frowns apologetically, "I'm sorry Lou, I can't sell them to you."

My heart sinks as I start to put my wallet back in my pocket.

"Maria, you have a visitor." She calls into the back, then says to me. "I can't sell them to you, but she can."

Maria appears like an angel dusted in powdered sugar, which she promptly tries to brush away as she steps around the counter. The sight of her makes my heart race.

"Please tell me those are for me." I say, pointing to the reserved sign.

"Well, maybe one or two..." she smiles, "dozen."

I hand her the gift, wrapped in the cupcake-theme paper. "Here, this is for you."

Maria tears into the paper, revealing a frame with a big blue ribbon and a scorecard inside. I'd filled the scorecard out myself.

Appearance: Gorgeous

Originality: One of a kind

Overall: No one compares

" L ou." Her voice is soft as she touches the glass, and her eyes sparkle as she looks at me.

"Come with me?" I ask.

"Where?"

"To adopt Cinnamon. Officially."

"Really?" she asks, her smile widening.

I nod, my heart pounding.

"Help me with this line first, and then we can go."

We spend the next hour working together, handing out cupcakes and taking selfies with the hockey fans that flood the shop. There's laughter, warmth, and a sense of togetherness that makes my chest swell with something more than just pride. I can see how much this place, these people, mean to Maria. When the line finally dies down, and the shelves are nearly empty, she takes my hand.

"Let's go," she says, her voice soft and full of promise.

After picking up a very happy Cinnamon from a very confused Hannah, and my very happy mom, we drive out to Gavin and Gabby's rescue. When we arrive Gabby meets us at the door, her eyes widening when she sees us.

"Lou, what brings you out?" She asks, her gaze lands on Cinnamon, and her face falls. "Are you bringing her back?"

"No!" I say swiftly, covering both of Cinnamon's ears with my hands to stop her from hearing the ugly words Gabby just uttered. "I'm here to officially adopt her, Gabby."

Gabby grins. "Gavin and I were hoping. Come on in, and let's get the paperwork finished."

"Don't you mean started?" Maria asks.

Gabby smiles, "Let's just say I had Cinnamon's paperwork half filled out."

As Gabby leads us inside, Maria gives my hand a squeeze, and I pull her close. brushing a kiss against her temple. The paperwork is quick, almost too quick, and soon enough, Gabby is handing over the adoption certificate with a smile.

"Congratulations," she says. "She's officially yours."

When we step outside, I put Cinnamon in a gated side yard for a moment to stretch her legs before the drive back. She runs around in circles, and as I think of Maria's vision board I know that a yard will be the next goal on my list.

I look at Maria, her eyes shining in the evening light. "Thank you," she says.

"For what?" I ask, gently brushing a stray bit of sugar from off her shoulder.

"For seeing me. For making me a blue ribbon winner."

I tilt her chin up, our eyes locking. "You're important to me, Maria. To me, you're everything."

And then finally, I pull her in and close the distance between us. I kiss her in a promise of what's between us, a promise of all the dreams I'm going to help her with. Her arms wrap around my neck, and we stay like that as the world fades away. It's just us, standing there, as Cinnamon barks happily.

When we pull back, Maria smiles, and I want to make her smile like that every day. "So, what's next?" she asks, a hint of teasing in her voice.

I grin. "How about I take you on a proper date?"

She laughs, nodding. "I'd like that."

I kiss her again.

But the truth is, dating her won't change a thing. It'd been happening slowly, in all the little moments we'd shared after last season's Playoffs. Her laughter, her anger, her determination and mine. By the time I realized it, there was no going back, because somewhere between lemon bars and cupcakes I fell in love with my next door neighbor.