Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 125257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Before I go, I need to help this woman move along on her journey. I take out my phone, click to the camera roll and say, “My sister wore the wedding dress from Katrina. She looked beautiful. It saved her wedding day. Do you want to see the pictures?”
The woman chokes up, nodding through tears. I show her the images of Caroline and tell her the story. “It fit like a glass slipper.”
She manages a smile through her grief. “Like I said, it wasn’t happenstance. It was meant for you.”
And I’m pretty sure Lake is meant for me too.
On the way to work, I call my friends—one big group call. “How do I do it? How do I tell him?”
Clementine laughs dryly. “This from the woman who just gave up planning romantic moments.”
“Yes, exactly. Ironic, isn’t it?” My hands tremble. This is putting myself out there for real. This is the big risk. “But seriously. What do I do? Or say?”
Mabel jumps in. “You just have to wing it. Embrace your new inner impulsive side. Let the anti-planner in you take over.”
“What she said,” Trevyn adds.
“Do I even have an anti-planner in me?” I ask, meaning it.
“I vote for doing it after work. Keep it simple. Go to his house and tell him there,” Skylar says, laying it out like it’s a set of IKEA furniture assembly instructions—this anti-planned moment.
But really, that’s the key. “It’s time to stop overthinking,” I say.
“Ding, ding, ding,” Clementine says, like she’s proud of me.
“I can do this,” I say.
“Of course you can,” Mabel adds in that supportive tone of hers.
“Girl, we’ll be cheering you on,” Trevyn says.
I picture them doing just that. And it’s a great image.
The fear of being fooled rears its head, but I’m stronger than my fears. Tougher than my anxiety. And finally ready to take a chance.
His house. Tonight. No more planning.
55
A NEW ROMANCE DESIGNER IN TOWN
LAKE
A man can’t win a woman’s heart all by himself. Sometimes, he needs help. Like a whole team.
And someone else too. The second I arrive at the arena after a very busy morning taking care of some important stuff, I head straight to see Daniel, making sure to avoid the entrance to Remy’s work area. Don’t want her to see me yet, especially since I have no reason to be at the arena, with no game or practice scheduled.
Well, no reason she knows about, anyway.
I stop for a second outside his office, smoothing a hand over my shirt. It’s a dress shirt—the color of the suit I wore to the wedding. The color she loves. But this is so weird. I don’t ask for help. I need it though, so even if I feel like I’m wearing shoes too tight, I knock on his door.
He looks up, brow furrowed. I’ve never come to his office before.
He quickly smiles, always the professional. “What can I do for you?”
I sit down, blow out a breath, scrub a hand across my beard, then say, “Think you can help me with Remy?”
His eyes twinkle. “How?” His tone is dripping with intrigue.
Remy might have moved on from being a romance designer, but she still loves romance. More so, she deserves it. “Is she doing a tour today?”
“Yes, a few.”
“I had a feeling. I saw the schedule for tours by the locker room. And I need this to be big. I need her to know she’s the one. I need you to keep her in the arena after her last tour. Can you do that?”
His lips twitch. “So I’m like the romance designer now?”
If he wants a title, he’ll earn it with what I need him to do. “Yes. Daniel the romance designer.”
He leans forward, wiggling his fingers. “Give me the brief.”
After I tell him the details, he nods like a soldier, and says, “I’m on it.”
That’s just the start though. After I thank him, I head downstairs, my phone buzzing with a text.
I grab it so fast. It’s Remy, and my heart jackrabbits.
Remy: Are you around tonight? I was hoping to come over after work.
I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but the answer is always yes. I send a reply letting her know I’ll be at the apartment, then find the guys in the locker room and give them their assignments.
“Can I watch?” Miller asks. “Since I came in on my day off.”
“Me too,” Riggs says.
“Same here,” Corbin adds.
“I’m totally watching,” Ivan adds.
I roll my eyes. “Obviously.”
But that’s okay. I asked them for help, and they’re giving it. And hell, do I ever need it.
56
A LITTLE HUMMINGBIRD TOLD ME
REMY
“And that’s how you ride a Zamboni,” I say, as cheerful as ever, even as I try to subtly shoo the VIP guests from the literacy organization out of the rink. “So glad you enjoyed the tour.”
I motion for them to head to the tunnel when I catch the silhouette of a man entering it. Is it Lake? But he’s not even here today.