Page 14 of Offside Rules

"Doesn’t matter. I’m your best friend, so I get to tell you anyway. I think you should agree to let Wolf help you. He owes you for the kitchen." I open my mouth, but she holds up a finger. "And I think you should use every piece of equipment in that apartment that he’s offering. I mean every piece of equipment." She winks. "It’s not every day a girl gets her hands on a hot, experienced professional hockey player. Have you seen that man stretch out on the ice? God help me."

I take a sip of my drink again as if I couldn't be bothered with the idea. "I’m immune to hockey players. I grew up around them. I’ve seen them eat their own boogers and try to fart in each other's faces to make the other one throw up. It’s not as glamorous as it looks."

Ellie shakes her head like she just tasted something rotten. "That’s a startling image. Okay, fine. Just use his kitchen."

"There’s no way my family is going to like this."

"You’re not dating the guy. You’re using his kitchen." She grins, then sets her cup down. "I know why this is hard, but your family is going to have to understand. You’re still allowed to keep your business open."

"My family’s going to hate it."

"Probably," she says. "But I’m not sure there’s a kitchen in this city your dad won’t find something wrong with."

"That’s true." I glance down at my cappuccino. "If the kitchen gets approved, I’ll call Beau. I’m not letting him find out from somebody else."

"Tell him what it is. Somewhere to bake until yours is fixed."

"I still have to find out if I can get temporary approval."

"Then ask Dan today. Come here tonight so you can fill tomorrow’s orders while you wait. We can squeeze you in for one night."

"You’re going to have to shuffle things around," I warn.

"I can move one cinnamon roll batch earlier." She takes a sip of coffee. "One night, Baylor. You’re not making me shut the place down. My team can handle it, and they love you."

I consider whether I should tell her this last bit. I tell her everything, so I don’t even know why I’m stalling. "Wolf left me money."

Ellie sits forward. "Left you money for what?"

"For the sales and the prep I lost. He looked up my prices. Put in a tip too."

"A tip?"

"That’s what he said. I haven’t had a chance to add it all up yet."

She smiles.

"I knew I shouldn’t have told you."

"What? I can’t be happy that the day wasn’t a total loss? He comes in here for breakfast sandwiches from time to time. He’s nice to my staff, and the players’ wives who come in here all like him."

"He also offered us tickets to a game," I say.

Ellie’s smile gets bigger. "Us?"

"Me. He said I could take you."

"Good seats?"

"His seats."

Her jaw drops. "Wolf Ziegler offered you his seats?"

"Don’t say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like somehow it means anything more than him trying to repay me for ruining my kitchen."