Chapter 9
LEAH
My focus skips from Hudson’s email to his visit, then crashes into Heidi’s proposal, all while keeping my eye on the older woman who keeps sneaking bits of her sausage into her purse. I’m pretty sure there’s a small dog in it.
After Hudson leaves, we get a lull. For once, I’d rather we remained busy. The full restaurant rush is a great distraction.
Heidi has a few pieces of paper spread out, along with a clipboard when I bring her a soda refill.
She twirls the straw. “So that was weird.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, feigning ignorance.
“You went and hid behind Sir Goalwain.” She shakes her head. “You freakish hockey fans and your obsession. Really, Goalwain, instead of Gawain?”
“It’s punny.”
“Who are you and what did you do with Leah?”
I slant my gaze at her. “I got something in my eye, so I had to go back there and—”
“No one goes behind a rickety old metal knight dressed as a hockey player if they get something in their eye. It’s probably dusty back there.”
She’s not wrong. For a moment, I was afraid a spider was going to wrap me in its web. “Heidi, I can’t teach Robo how to figure skate.”
“Why not? He seemed happy enough to see you.”
“He hardly remembered me.”
She wags her finger. “I watched the whole interaction. If you recall, Grady literally didn’t recognize me. Robo definitely did and he was checking you out from head to toe. Don’t deny it. Your cheeks are still pink.”
“He’s a hockey player. It’s in the name. Player. He probably ogled every female in here. He was also chummy with the puck bunnies at table six.”
“They were pawing at him. He did the best he could to escape their clutches. Anyway, he’ll learn Badaszek’s rules soon enough.”
“Not likely,” I mutter. In need of a change of subject, I say, “Is this your new office?”
“Believe it or not, it’s quieter than at home.”
I turn in a circle while saying, “There are seven televisions on, all airing various hockey games along with another Guns N’ Roses song on the jukebox.”
“My parents got the kids this toy—” She goes on to impersonate the sounds it makes.
I cover my ears. “Harsh.”
“Grady said the house is going to get robbed and strangely, that’ll be the only thing that went missing,” she says airily.
I can’t help but laugh.
Emerson delivers a plate of nachos. “Oh good, you’re on your break.”
I look around and while everything is under control, I always tell my coworker to go first. She gives me a thumbs up, insisting I go first.
Heidi nudges the nachos toward me. “Sit. Help me eat these.”
I am starving so I take a good chip with melty cheese and plenty of toppings.
Heidi holds me captive while saying, “The skating lessons will only be a few times a week ahead of the season getting into full swing. Grady says he’s a good goalie.”
Yeah, good at blocking a girl with a crush on his brother from having a chance.
She crunches on a chip, then says, “At the welcome party they threw, there was that weird thing with the gnome.”
Even though I know how filthy it is under these tables, I’d hide under it if I didn’t have to get back to work. Instead, I tell her to lower her voice because the enemy could be lurking around the building.
Heidi adds, “Also, he’s so at ease on social media reels and stories. The guy acts like he was born in front of a camera.”
“That’s because he wants all the attention on him and to hide the fact that he’s big, dumb, and awkward.”
“The hoard of female fans urging him to take his gear off after games would beg to differ.”
I scrunch up my nose. “He’s made of worm guts, rotten mashed potatoes, and glue.”
“Hmm. Mature. You really know your players. Let’s hear more of these very official-sounding stats,” Heidi teases.
I lean back in the chair and stare at the ceiling. “We went to high school together … and grew up next door to each other.”
She taps the air. “Oh, that’s right. He’s Hunter’s twin, right? I vaguely remember that he was a little odd.”
“We were best friends and—”
Her cheeks darken. “I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay. You’re not wrong about Hunter. But he also made it clear we were to remain in the friend zone and we lost touch.”
“Oh gosh. I’m sorry. Will he be coming to a game? That could be awkward … or by working with Robo, you could try to rekindle things with his brother.”
My blush competes with Heidi’s, but I’m not sure why, because there’s nothing to rekindle. No sparks. Both Roboveitcheks took a blowtorch to my confidence—not that I’d ever admit that to anyone.
Her lips part slightly. “They’re identical twins, right? You could make a play for Hudson instead.”
The heat from my cheeks floods my body. I cover my face. I cannot believe I just shared any of that. I’m officially on overload. I don’t think the walk-in freezer and a gummy bear will help me now.
“Tell me more about the adventures of high school Leah,” she singsongs.
“There’s nothing to tell. I was a dumb, starry-eyed pushover.”
“You only had a crush on Hunter or was it both brothers, you know, given the twin factor?”
I snarl. “Just Hunter. He was my bucket list boyfriend.”
Heidi slaps the table. “Oh, my goodness. I forgot about that. The trend started my junior year so that would’ve been your—”
“When I was a freshman.” Technically, Heidi’s right, but Hunter was the one who acknowledged my existence while Hudson was a jerk—merely my best friend’s awful brother and the boy next door. Nothing more.
Heidi eyes Hudson across the dining room. “Have you been keeping that flame alive all these years?”
Collecting my cool, I say, “Quite the opposite. I hardly know him. Couldn’t care less.”
Heidi pleads, “Think of it as a service to your team.”
“As far as I’m concerned, that consists of everyone except Hudson.”
“Are you saying that you pretend he doesn’t exist?” She arches an eyebrow as my own words boomerang back.
She gets a non-committal shrug in response. He didn’t until recently. Much. I’ll admit that it was hard to ignore the towel-clad body and muscles on display the other morning.
Excited now, Heidi leans in. “Are you a woman scorned? Is there fury?”
I roll my eyes. “You’ve been reading too many of Gracie’s books.”
“I’m so behind on Kisses in the Rain.”
“Me too,” I admit.
“We should call it Chat Club with a Side of Snacks and Books.”
“You’re the Knights’ social media manager, surely you can come up with something more catchy than that.”
We both laugh and Emerson joins us, digging into the nachos because the only customers in the restaurant are a few regulars who’d rather be left to their heated hockey debates and a few people at the bar.
Billy has them covered. This is our chance to prep for the trickle that’ll start at four and not let up until closing time.
But given Emerson’s gamification of our tasks, from what I can see, everything is well in hand at the precise moment I’d rather be busy restocking paper cups and lids.
“Ooh. Are we talking about love? Romance? I’m convinced Jett has been looking at engagement rings.” Emerson wiggles her fingers as she helps herself to another nacho.
Heidi replies, “We’re talking about Robo.”
Around a mouthful, she says, “He’s love candy on legs.”
At this rate, we’ll need to keep a physician in-house. I nearly choke again. “What does that mean?”
“That’s what the puck bunnies at table six were calling him.”
“If that were true, I’d know.” I glance toward his table, but he’s gone. Not even a goodbye. Such a classic Roboveitchek move.
“I was table six’s server and they only left me a five-dollar tip on a sixty-dollar tab, but spared no expense giggling over Robo.”
“Ouch. But this is why I should be working right now and for the last hour.”
“No. They would’ve left you less.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Gelousy with a capital G.”
“That’s not how you spell jealousy.”
“Girl jealousy.”
“I cannot fathom why they’d be jealous of a woman with frizzy hair and ketchup on her shirt.”
“Those legs, Leah. Those legs.” Emerson stuffs another nacho in her mouth.
My legs make up roughly seventy-five percent of my body. I’m literally the tallest person in my family—I even eclipse my dad at five feet ten. I tower over my grandmother, though that’s not hard to do. It practically takes me an entire day to shave.
“Speaking of Love Candy on Legs … are you going to finish telling me what happened with Hunter and Hudson?” Heidi asks.
“I was best friends with Hunter. We kind of grew up together. Played street hockey until the porch lights came on and Mami would call us home for dinner. I was one of the boys.”
Emerson squawks a laugh. “The girl with a pink pen with pink ink for her customer checks was a tomboy?”
But I like girly things too. Not so much back then. Then one day I realized that I was a girl.
Hudson did not. However, Hunter did. Or so I thought. Hoped?
“Love Candy on Legs is available and you are looking for your great hockey romance,” Emerson points out.
“Just not with him.”
“But one of the other guys?”
“They’re mostly married.”
“Badaszek has some new players this season.”
“And they’re all younger than me.”
“You checked the roster?”
I shrug nonchalantly. “Of course I did.”
“Please, pretty please give Robo figure skating lessons?” Heidi begs.
Emerson says, “You have to. For my sake and the good of women everywhere.”
“What about Jett?”
“We’ve been together for eleven years. If the guy doesn’t propose soon, I’m going to be your official wingwoman.”
I adore Emerson, but she has no verbal filter so the next time I see Jett, I’m going to urge him to lock it down. No sense in having her on the street, trying to help me find love.
Heidi gets a text from her mother and has to get going. “Bunny bumped her head.”
“Is she okay?”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s fine. She just wants a kiss from me and a jelly bean. I’ve created a monster,” Heidi says with a warm laugh.
“Thanks for the—” I start, ready to conclude with job offer, when Heidi cuts across me.
“I’ll text you the open ice time schedule. Be sure to sharpen your blades for tomorrow.”
I want to protest, but she breezes out the door.
Unlike back in high school, when Heidi was a mean, cheerleading terror, she’s become a kind, thoughtful person.
Not only is she my boss’s favorite niece, but she works for the Knights and thought of me as a good enough skater to sub for her. That’s high praise.
Also, the extra money could go toward my big goal of hosting an unforgettable Happy Hockey Days event here in Cobbiton.
I swish my lips from side to side. But this is Hudson we’re talking about.
While we prepare for the dinner rush, Emerson winks at me. “Thinking about Love Candy on Legs, aren’t you?”
Unfortunately, he’s been ruling my mind since he replied to my email.