Page 86 of Hot Shot
Hunter studies me for a few beats before nodding his head. “Do you want to come home with me over the All-Star break? In February? My family is dying to meet you.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, okay. I’ll talk to Rachel, but it shouldn’t be a big deal.”
Hunter grins at me, his eyes lighting up. I hope he’s still happy when I tell him the truth about my father.
I send up a silent prayer that I can figure out how to break the news to the both of them without too much fallout.
Chapter thirty-two
Madison
“Youokay?”Rachel’svoicestartles me.
“Fine. Fine,” I mumble, getting off my stool and walking over to the oven to check on the cake.
This is the first cake I’m making under the Madison Mae Cakes brand—original I know, but it was the best I could come up with—and I want it to be perfect.
Last week I told Rachel that I was ready to take the leap and start my own business, but it would take me some time to get everything squared away.
She shocked me by telling me I could use the bakery’s kitchen for as long as needed. She also gave me the information of her web designer, who built me a website in a day so I could start taking orders.
Hunter got his teammates to post about the business on their socials, and it didn’t take long for my first order to come in.
The cake I’m working on is for a wedding shower, for a client of Savannah’s who happened to see the social media posts by the team.
“You don’t look fine. Want to talk about it?”
“Maybe I’m making the wrong decisions.”
“About having dinner with EJ? Something else?” Rachel leans against the counter, watching me.
I told her all about EJ and our relationship the other day. I needed an unbiased opinion about what to do, and I didn’t know who else to talk to.
My aunt told me I shouldn’t give him another second of my energy, not that I was surprised by that reaction because she saw me when I first got here and what a mess I was. She was the one who helped me pick up the pieces. I didn’t expect her to be anything but anti-EJ.
Hunter offered to go with me again, and I turned him down. I don’t need the two of them meeting before they meet on the ice.
He also suggested that I cancel dinner. But I need closure and this dinner with EJ feels like the way to get that. That’s why I talked to Rachel.
“Both,” I finally say.
“Okay. What else are you worried about?”
“I feel like this is a dream”—I wave my hands around—“that I’m going to wake up from any minute.”
“Why?” She asks.
“I don’t know.” I rub a hand down my face. “Everything’s gone so smoothly. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something to go wrong.”
Rachel laughs. I stare at her, my mouth gaping.
She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. “Do you hear yourself, Mads? Why are you expecting something bad to happen? Just enjoy the good that’s happening. You deserve it.”
“Yeah, but . . .”
“But what? Stop finding reasons to doubt yourself. I know how scary it is. Trust me.” She motions to the front of the shop. “It’ll all work out in the end. And if it doesn’t, you always have a job here. But it’ll work out. I know it. Now tell me why you’re second-guessing having dinner with EJ. I thought you wanted closure.”
“What happens if I’m not over him?”
