Chapter Five
ISABELLA
Confession: I think I have a crush on a hockey player. And I have an autographed shirt from him that I’m not giving to anyone, despite what I told Austin earlier.
I still wish we could’ve talked longer. But the second a line of fans started forming nearby, I knew I had to move along so Austin could do his job.
Which was the right thing to do because the Bears are a big deal around here.
Still, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed when I had to abandon our conversation.
I follow Abby and Eloise to grab the apple cider donuts everyone has been raving about. I’m so grateful they invited me to tag along with them after seeing me with my family this morning.
As much as I love my family, I was reaching my limit on stopping every ten feet so my mom and Sammy could reposition Jude in his little wagon for another photo op. Add Dane was in full annoying-brother form, so I gladly joined the ladies for a fun day.
The line for the donuts wraps around the corner, and apparently, they are worth the wait of a Disney World line.
“So, Isabella,” Eloise says casually. “I saw Austin chatting you up earlier. What are your thoughts on hockey players?”
Heat rushes my cheeks. “I’m not sure,” I admit. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually met one before coming here.”
“Well,” Abby chimes in, “I can offer some insight.”
Eloise snorts. “No you don’t, you’re too biased.” She turns to me. “As the only officially married woman here, I think I’m the most qualified to give relationship advice.”
Abby rolls her eyes. “You can’t be serious. You would take eight to twelve day breaks from your boyfriend until he agreed with you.”
“Exactly,” Eloise says proudly. “Those breaks changed everything for us, and now we’re happily married. I really should write a book—I could title it From Breaks to the Alter.”
I laugh, and Abby shakes her head before looping her arm through mine.
“Anyway,” she says, lowering her voice slightly, “in case you’re wondering, Austin is genuinely a great guy. He’s funny and down-to-earth. Nick’s known him for years, even before they were teammates on the Bears.”
“So Nick is new to the team?” I ask.
Abby nods. “He got traded last season. At first, he was miserable about coming here.”
“Until he met Abby,” Eloise cuts in. “Then suddenly the big trade became the best thing that ever happened to him.”
Abby’s grins. “That’s…pretty accurate.”
“They have a disgustingly sweet love story,” Eloise tells me.
“Love stories are my favorite,” I admit with a smile. “It’s interesting how things work out. If it wasn’t for his trade, you may have never met.”
Abby nods. “We talk about that all the time. I can’t imagine my life without Nick.”
The way she says it almost brings tears to my eyes.
“So,” Abby says, bumping my shoulder, “what do you think of Austin?”
I hesitate for half a second. “He seems really nice.” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “And he’s definitely attractive.”
Eloise cackles. “Oh definitely.
“Yeah, Austin’s hot,” Abby agrees.
“Yep, so hot,” I mutter, laughing as I hide my face.
“We should all go out together sometime,” Abby says excitedly. “Like a group thing. I could absolutely make it happen, and I’m one hundred percent sure Austin would say yes. He seemed very interested in what happened to your missing crutches.”
I shrug, casually. “Sure. Sounds fun.”
Eloise points at me dramatically. “Look at you, not a bit of hesitation. I appreciate you just going for it.”
I laugh. “Going for what?”
“You’re blushing again,” Abby informs me.
I place my hands on my cheeks. “Guilty.”
They laugh while the employee at the truck hands us a paper bag full of warm donuts dusted in cinnamon sugar.
Abby nudges me again as we step away from the line. “Hey, you never know what could happen. Trust me, I should know.”
I take a bite of the donut, mostly to avoid answering right away. It melts in my mouth instantly—the perfect combination of apples, crisp sugar coating, and cinnamon. Now I understand why the line was so long.
“Well,” I say finally, “I’m not expecting a lot to happen since I’m only here for a short time.”
Abby waves that off immediately. “So what? There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun while you’re in town.”
Maybe she’s right. With the way things have been going lately, I could probably use a little fun in my life. And honestly, I’ve enjoyed talking to Austin.
It’s been almost a year since I’ve dated anyone, and it was by choice.
After my ex-boyfriend Dexter, I needed distance from relationships.
What we had was real and intense, the kind of connection that doesn’t disappear overnight.
We had very strong feelings for one another, but love isn’t always enough when two people are moving in completely different directions.
At the time, I was consumed with chasing my dream of making it onto Ballroom Dance America.
Every practice, every competition, every spare second of my day revolved around proving myself.
And Dexter was just as focused on building his insurance business from the ground up.
We were both ambitious, stubborn, and unwilling to sacrifice our goals.
Somewhere along the way, our relationship stopped being something we could nurture and started feeling like it was being forced.
The breakup was painful, even though deep down we both knew it was the right decision. We were just two people who loved each other but couldn’t make our lives fit together the way they wanted them to.
And maybe this is why talking to Austin feels so refreshing.
There wasn’t any pressure when we spoke.
Just eye contact and a lot of chemistry, which is something I haven’t allowed myself to enjoy in a long time.
Being around him reminds me that there is hope and I don’t need to have everything planned out perfectly.
My name is Isabella, and I’m officially addicted to apple cider donuts. I have a feeling this is going to be a problem while I’m living in this city—or at least until the season ends.
After spending most of the morning wandering the festival with Abby and Eloise, we eventually reunite with my family for lunch at one of the crowded picnic areas near the food trucks.
Eloise and Abby are sitting with Sammy, already debating over who gets to hold Jude first. And Jude is soaking up all the attention like a true Martin. Everyone in our family likes attention.
I sit on the bench beside Dane, setting my shirt on the table next to a small white bag full of donuts.
His eyes immediately land on the Bears merchandise. “What’s that?”
“It’s an autographed T-shirt,” I say, holding it up to show him.
His eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, nice.” He reaches for it automatically. “Thanks for grabbing me one.”
I yank it away. “Um, no sir.”
He blinks. “Why can’t I have it?”
“Because it’s mine.”
Dane stares at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. “You don’t even like hockey.”
“So what?” I say defensively, carefully folding the shirt so the autograph doesn’t crease. “It’s autographed.”
His eyes narrow instantly, suspicion written all over his face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
“That shirt wouldn’t happen to be from the player you were talking to after the game, would it?”
“No.”
“You’re such a bad liar.”
“I’m serious,” I insist. “This shirt is going to be worth a lot of money someday.”
“Exactly,” he says smugly. “Which is why you should give it to me.”
I roll my eyes. “You are unbelievably annoying.”
Dane points toward the shirt still clutched in my hands. “I’ll stop being annoying if you give me the shirt. I’m your favorite brother.”
“You’re my only brother,” I remind him. “And you can go get your own autograph.”
“That’s rude,” he says, offended. “I have a son to take care of.”
I snort. “I’m pretty sure your son will survive without you for a few minutes. Especially considering he currently has four women fighting over holding him.”
At the other end of the table, my mother, Sammy, Abby, and Eloise are all focused entirely on Jude, who is happily banging a spoon against the table like he’s performing a concert.
“He’s very popular,” Dane agrees proudly. “Just like his dad.”
“Dane, come help me grab the food,” my dad interrupts before our argument can continue.
“Can you tell Isabella to give me the shirt?” Dane complains as he stands.
My dad barely glances over. “No, I can’t.”
“Figures,” Dane mutters dramatically before following our father to the food trucks.
The second they leave, the table becomes significantly quieter. I let out a relieved breath and pull out my phone. Without overthinking it too much, I send Natalia a quick text.
When you have a chance, look up Austin Reed on the Carolina Bears hockey team.
My phone buzzes almost immediately.
I’m on it. Also…why am I doing this?
A smile pulls at my mouth before I can stop it.
I’ll explain later.
She’ll know as soon as she sees Austin.
Whoa. Hello, Austin. I’m hoping this is your way of telling me you’re connecting with this gorgeous man.
I put my phone in my pocket. We don’t need to have this conversation now.
I slide farther down the bench next to my mom, joining the conversation about Jude’s first Halloween costume.
Admittedly, my foot is starting to ache. I’ve been walking around all day, and I’m probably overdue to sit still and elevate it for a while. I shift carefully on the bench and stretch my leg out a little.
My mom notices immediately. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “Yeah. Just a little sore.”
“You’ve been pushing it,” she points out. “This is the first day you’ve been on your feet in months.”
“I’m fine,” I promise, even though there’s a dull throb building in my ankle.
Beside me, Abby’s phone buzzes. She glances at the screen and quickly types something back before looking up with a grin.
“Nick finally has a little break,” she announces. “He’s going to come hang out with us for a bit.”