Page 3 of Hot Shot
“Damn, man. You should have. Never know if she was the one. She could have been your soulmate. Now you might never see her again and end up alone.”
I roll my eyes. Wes might be an intimidating defenseman on the ice, at six foot four and two-hundred-something pounds, but he’s a romantic at heart. The other day in the locker room after conditioning, I heard him helping Caleb, our captain, plan a surprise anniversary date night for his wife, Jenna.
“If she was my soulmate, don’t you think the universe will find another way for us to meet?”
“Fair enough.” Wes waves his hands around. “But I still think you’ve missed out. Should have told her you were an NHL player. Betcha that would have gotten you her number.”
I groan, choosing to ignore his comment and focus on my sandwich instead. We finish eating in silence.
Long after Wes and I have parted ways, I’m still thinking about what he said.
Is it crazy to think that maybe he’s right? Maybe Madison is my soulmate and now I’ll never know. I scrub a hand down my face and try to concentrate on the TV. But I can’t.
You’re not in the market for a relationship or to date anyone or even for a hookup. You’re here to play hockey. To prove to everyone that you belong here. That you deserve a spot on the team.
Even though sometimes I think this is all some crazy dream that I’ll wake up from. That I’ll be back in St. Paul in my childhood home. I give myself a mental shake. But it doesn’t help. Sighing, I focus on the television, which has now turned to some sort of baking show, and my mind wanders back to Madison and those pastries she offered me.
I should have taken one.
No, what I really should have done is given her my number.
If I ever see her again, I’m going to get her phone number or at least give her mine. As big as Orlando is I’m doubtful that happen, but having a plan makes me feel better.
Chapter two
Madison
Aftergettingmycarstarted, I drove straight to the mechanic that my aunt Judy recommended. When I pulled in, they weren’t busy and were able to take a look at my car right away. It’s been a whirlwind of a day, and it’s barely midafternoon.
My mind drifts back to Hunter, the tall handsome stranger with eyes as blue as the ocean that stopped to help me.
Who, now that I think about it, probably saw my naked ass as I was climbing around in my car. My face heats up at the thought.
But what the hell was I supposed to do?I can’t unlock my trunk from the outside, there’s no keyhole. Whoever made that design decision is an idiot.
The back doors can’t be manually unlocked either. Another stupid decision.
I had to climb over the front seats to get into the trunk.
Worst day ever to be wearing a dress. But it is what it is.
Settling down in one of the chairs in the lobby of the mechanic’s, I pull out my phone to see I have a text message from my friend and boss, Rachel. I called her on the way to the mechanic to fill her in on my morning and tell her about Hunter. She loved the story. Told me it sounded like the start of a romance book. I laughed.
Rachel:I still can’t believe you flashed a guy.
Me:It’s not like I did it on purpose.
Rachel:At least he was hot.
I shake my head and drop my phone back into my purse without responding.
Rachel and I met at pastry school. We sat next to each other the first day of classes and we’ve been friends ever since.
While I moved to Nashville after school to pursue my dreams, she moved back here, her hometown, and opened up her bakery—Sugar and Crumbs.
When I told her I was moving to Orlando, she offered me a job. Which was a lifesaver.
My last job ended disastrously. I’d been working for a start-up and had a pretty solid contract. Or so I thought. The agreement was simple: I work there for three months without pay to help them get the business going. In exchange I would get a franchise location for free and a hefty salary for the months I’d worked with no pay at the end of the following year.
