Page 23 of Offside Rules

I glance at the Blue Devils logo across her chest.

"I’ll give you a minute to change."

She gives me a look, then starts packing her things into her bag, leaving the jar and board where she put them.

She looks tired. She was up baking last night, spent the morning dealing with her ruined kitchen, and had to find somewhere else to work tonight.

"How did tonight go?" I ask.

"At Ellie’s?" She caps the marker and sets it on top of the fridge when I nod. "Good. Busy. I got enough done for tomorrow. After that, I’m counting on your kitchen passing. I’ll have to keep the flavors simple for a few days."

"If they need something changed, tell me. Another shelf, more storage, whatever it is." I lean against the counter on my side of the island. "I’d rather know now."

She looks at the shelves I cleared. "I’ll see what the inspector says."

I nod, then unstrap the ice pack. It’s barely cold anymore. I set it beside the sink to put away before bed. If I leave it there, I’ll be the one asking where it went in the morning.

"Do you have another mixer?"

"No. I got that one for Christmas when I was eight. I haven’t needed another one since." She runs her thumb along the edge of the cupcake box. "I’ll borrow Ellie’s spare. She said I could keep it until I replace mine. I’ll need a commercial-grade one later when I get the shop anyway."

"Since you were eight? Shit, Baylor, I—"

She holds up a hand. "It’s fine. It was time for an upgrade. I need something with a larger capacity anyway."

She says it while she’s still looking down at the box. A mixer she’s had since she was eight, and I thought I only needed to replace a piece of equipment. Maybe I wasn’t the one who filled the bathtub, but that doesn’t make this any less my responsibility.

"Bring up whatever you need."

"It’s a lot."

"You brought a whiteboard and a rules jar in that bag. I believe you."

Her mouth lifts at one corner. I open the box and take out a cupcake before I say something that ruins it. The frosting is piled high enough that I need to decide how to get it into my mouth without wearing half of it.

She watches me peel the wrapper down.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing."

I take a bite. Chocolate cake, and something in the middle too. I look down at it, turning it a little in my hand.

"Is that caramel?"

"Yes."

"Fuck."

"Good fuck or bad fuck?"

"Very good fuck." She presses her lips together, but she’s smiling now. I take another bite and stop talking while I still have the chance.

She adjusts the board so it sits straight, then picks up her bag. "I should go. I have to be up in a few hours."

"Hang on." I set the cupcake on its wrapper and open the drawer by the sink. My spare key is at the back, under a stack of takeout menus I never use. I pull it out and hold it toward her. "You’ll need this. I won’t always be here when you are."

"I can knock tomorrow."