by Amber Lynn
The bare shelves of the stainless steel French door unit were embarrassingly bare. Jason hadn’t considered whether Hope would be hungry, but if she was, he didn’t have much to provide her with. The cupboards had a few boxes of cereal, but he didn’t have milk to pour on it. The overall state of the apartment made his bachelor status obvious.
Straightening back up, Jason continued the train of thought he’d been on. “I have my laptop if I want to watch a movie or something, but I tend to stay away from tuning into anything on television. When I first moved in, I did get one, but I ended up throwing it out the window about a week later.”
“That was you?” Hope asked with pure surprise in her voice. “I remember the cops coming and the bright lights shining in my windows for almost an hour.”
Jason hummed as he walked back out to join his guest. She seemed interested in talking about one of Jason’s worst nights, but he wanted to warm up to that kind of discussion. Getting into things that made him throw a television out the window didn’t seem like something to ease into a new friendship.
“Why don’t we sit down and talk about you for a little bit. I’m still waiting to hear about the mystery job.”
He thought about adding something about her dress looking nice, which he’d considered doing when he first opened the door. He remembered that was the normal thing to do, but he didn’t want her to think he was hitting on her. Since he hadn’t had anyone he considered a platonic friend before, he wasn’t sure where the lines were.
Hope scoffed and shook her head as she led him over to the couch and sat down on the far side of it. She played with the skirt of her dress and rested her hands in her lap before she answered him.
“There’s nothing mysterious about the job. You make it sound like I’m secret agent or something, but I’ve worked in my parents’ bakery since I was a little girl.”
Jason sat down on the cushion farthest from Hope, but he tucked his leg up on the couch so he could turn sideways and face her. Seeing that he’d done so, she went ahead and carefully did the same. Her dress hit her right at her knees, and even though Jason didn’t think there was a threat of her flashing him, her modesty was endearing.
“Baker by day, bartender by night. That’s an interesting combination.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Like I said earlier, it doesn’t bring in the millions of dollars you see each year, but it pays the bills and I like engaging with the different crowds. I don’t do a lot of interacting one-on-one with people, so it makes me feel less weird if I can point to my work experience and say I have good interaction skills.”
Groaning, Jason prepared for the topic he’d hoped to delay. He didn’t have any hope that they’d skirt around his income, but he thought they could learn a little more about each other before they dove into the subject. It was interesting to hear that she didn’t interact with people individual, yet she was sitting alone with him in his apartment.
“Is my paycheck really that important? I assume you and your other friends don’t have the same exact income.”
Hope scoffed again and Jason saw that her shoulders relaxed a little. He hadn’t noticed she’d been on edge, but it made him feel a little less tight seeing her getting comfortable.
“I have two full-time jobs. When do you expect me to spend time with friends? Even in high school I was busy with homework and helping out my parents whenever I could. If I had friends back then, they sure didn’t hang around when I became a career-oriented adult.”
Jason could relate. He spent hours at the rink instead of hanging out with friends. His teammates were his friends, but between school as a kid, practice and games, the only time they spent together was playing.
“Can I ask why you work so much?”
Jason didn’t know how old Hope was, but he had to believe she’d eventually get burnt out from the work. He was one to talk about working overtime. Whether he mustered the excitement he used to get about the game, he still put in his hours on the ice and in the gym.
“Not everyone leaves me a few hundred dollars in tips. I probably make a quarter as much as you do in a single game at the bakery each year, which is my choice. My parents have offered to pay me more, but they deserve to be building a nice nest egg and if they’re throwing more money my way, their retirement gets pushed back.”
It wasn’t necessary to meet Hope’s parents to know they deserved what she was trying to give them. They’d done a great job raising their daughter as far as he could tell. Jason assumed they had a little while before their retirement, but Hope was dedicated to working her butt off to ensure their hard work over the years wasn’t in vain.
“What about siblings? Do you have any and do they share your commitment?”
Hope smiled and nodded. “I have a younger brother and an older sister. Both of them have moved on from the family business, so they don’t take from the retirement fund.”
“I see. And since you do, you have to work all hours of the day to make up for it. If you didn’t help them out, they’d hire someone else wouldn’t they?”
Jason didn’t have a reason to keep on the subject. He was interested in Hope’s family system, but dragging on about how long she worked was more of a third get-together kind of conversation.
“They would, and I’m pretty sure that person would expect double what I’m making, so we’re back to me trying to save them money. How about we move away from my family dynamic and talk about yours? It’s pretty clear neither of us really want to address our financial differences, so let’s see how different our families are.”
There was a slight smirk on Hope’s face. Jason didn’t know what she expected to hear from him, but the palace he assumed she envisioned didn’t exist.
“You looked me up on the internet, so I assume you know I grew up in Windsor.” Jason waited for her to nod. “My parents still live there in the three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow I grew up in with them and my three brothers.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Hope interrupted before Jason continued. “You grew up in a three-bedroom house with three other boys? How quickly did your mother’s hair turn gray?”
“Laugh it up, but somehow we all made it out of there alive.”
Jason had wanted to make Hope laugh again, but he hadn’t thought it’d be as easy as telling her about his family. He smiled as she snickered, probably because she was envisioning all the trouble the boys caused. If she only knew half of the things they’d did, she’d be on the floor rolling around with laughter.
“I’m just surprised the house is still standing. My little brother was the only boy in our house and there were times I thought his head could spin around.”
“Well, it is still standing. Us boys live on different sides of the country, so there’s a good chance it will remain standing.”
“Do you go back home for the holidays? I can’t imagine four burly guys and their families leave a lot of room.”
Hope bit her lip after she finished speaking and looked down to the wood floor in front of the couch. It took Jason a second to realize what made her uneasy all of a sudden. It surprised him that he didn’t feel the usual pain when someone mentioned family. It was one thing to talk about his brothers, but she was diving into non-blood bonds.
“I did go up for Christmas, and you’re right that it gets a little crowded with fourteen people in the house when you include aunts and uncles, but we make due. In your research, did you happen to see that my divorce is being finalized?”
There was no way she could’ve missed it. He hadn’t been pestered personally by reporters, but Kate and Erik were never shy about letting them know where their wedding plans stood.
“I might have read something about you signing the papers. It was kind of weird to see the news stories were dated the last day I saw you.”
“You noticed that, huh.”
It wasn’t a shock to learn she’d tied the events together. Jason had hoped she wouldn’t, because it made him seem creepy. At least she wasn�
�t staring at the floor like she’d said something wrong.
“Yeah, which had me a little confused about what’s going on here.” Hope pointed between the two of them.
Jason tried to reassure his guest with a smile. His own confusion on exactly what he was looking for from Hope made it hard for the smile to be genuine.
“As far as I know, we’re two people sitting on a couch having a conversation. You haven’t stormed out, so I assume you aren’t totally miserable.”
“Only partially miserable. Is this real leather?”
Following Hope’s eyes, Jason saw her rubbing her fingers on the smooth leather next to her. He found his fingers moved the same way next to him so he could feel the same thing she was.
“That’s what the tag said when I bought it. There was a time when it smelled a little like a new car, but evidently leaving the windows open most of the time has diminished that scent.”
“Where’d you get it? I happen to be in the market for something new and I’m shopping retailers.”
“Really? When were you planning on doing this shopping? We’re closing in on the All-Star Break, so my work duties are a little lighter than usual.”
The way Jason was inserting himself into her life was more forceful than he wanted to be. There was a good chance he was going to scare her off. If a woman came up to him and suggested they go shopping for furniture, he would’ve run the other direction. The skeptical look on Hope’s face told him she was thinking the same thing.
“Look, I know we’re just starting out our friendship here, but it’s not unheard of for friends to go shopping together.”
The look on Hope’s face didn’t change. She didn’t look at all convinced that shopping together was a good idea.
“I’m not in a huge rush.” Hope paused a second and put her hands back in her lap. “Maybe by the time I’m ready, I’ll understand what’s going on and know for sure you aren’t a psycho killer.”
Jason laughed at the idea. If she really thought that, he hoped she was smart enough not to be in his apartment without another person around to protect her.
“I can honestly say I’ve never been considered the prime suspect in any murders.”
“So you’re good at hiding your tracks.”
The way her lips curved up slightly helped clear the awkwardness in the air from Jason’s attempts to bond. He’d known going into it that he wasn’t good at it, but she seemed to be taking it okay.
“It’s probably best if we steer away from the subject of murder. I’m trying to get you to like me, not turn me over to the cops.”
“Okay.”
Hope shrugged and glanced around the room again. There wasn’t anything to see that she hadn’t already, and sooner or later she was going to have to figure that out. Jason wasn’t fond of her one-word responses, but as long as the smile stayed on her face and she was willing to talk, he was going to try to keep her on the couch with him.
Chapter Six
“So, who’s the guy?”
Hope didn’t hear her mother’s question the first time she asked it, so it came as a surprise when the words were uttered right next to her head. Shaking her head, Hope turned away from the cash register to see her mother with a flour covered red apron on standing next to her.
Her mother was only an inch or two shorter than her. People often asked if they were twins. Hope could see the subtle differences between their faces. Her mother didn’t show her age except for when she smiled, which she did often.
Other than the slightly deeper lines around her lips and eyes when she was happy, their noses were the main difference. The general shapes were the same, but Hope’s tipped up slightly like her father’s. Thankfully, she hadn’t inherited the overall size of his nose, because on her small face, it would’ve looked out of place.
“Sorry, I was thinking about a new drink combination to give to anyone who tells me to pick their poison tonight.”
Marie looked sideways at her daughter and shook her head. Hope thought the excuse was a good one, but her mom wasn’t buying it. Thankfully, the bells tied around the handle of the door in front of the bakery saved Hope from having to come up with another excuse.
The man causing the noise drew the eyes of the handful of people who had decided to sit down and eat their pastries instead of taking them to go. Hope didn’t think he’d be any less of a distraction if he had ditched the suit for jeans and a t-shirt, but she did raise an eyebrow in question of the getup.
It had been a week since their first heart-to-heart kind of talk in his apartment, and since then they’d stuck to their usual meetings at the bar. Hope was still trying to figure out what were turning into complicated feelings when it came to the hockey player. It was clear he needed a friend, but what kind of friend would she be if her heart started fluttering every time he showed up somewhere in a suit.
“I think you just stopped breathing, honey. Maybe you should go put your head in the freezer for a few minutes. I’ll take care of the new customer,” Marie suggested in a whisper.
Hope’s eyes were glued to the man in front of her and she had no intention of hiding. She hadn’t seen Jason in the light of day, but either the time or the lights in the bakery made his dark eyes look a little lighter. He looked happy to see her, which she tried to reflect back. She was happy to see him, but the dang butterflies in her stomach were making her a little nauseous.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said as he made his way to the counter and leaned up against it.
The endearment was something he’d started calling her at the bar. The first time he’d said it, it was pretty clear that it had slipped out, but he tried to cover it by using it a couple times a night. For someone who claimed he was looking for just a friend, he ended up sending a lot of mixed signals.
Hope’s mom nudged her in the side with her elbow when she heard the word. Hope ignored the jab and nervously tapped her fingers on the white counter.
“What’s up with the suit? You don’t have a game until Tuesday.”
Jason didn’t mind dressing up, but Hope had learned the times she’d seen him in his various suits had all been game days. The team was required to arrive and leave games looking respectable, which Jason could’ve probably pulled off naked. The suits he wore hugged his body so perfectly that Hope didn’t think there was a lot left to the imagination. There were no questions about how thick his thighs and biceps were, at least not in her mind.
Ignoring the shocked intake of breath from her mother, Hope waited for Jason’s reply. She figured her mother’s reaction was just because Hope indicated she actually knew who the hunk gracing the bakery was. It wasn’t like they didn’t get good-looking guys coming in for pastries, but Jason was the first one Hope knew outside of her job there.
“I had a meeting this morning for an endorsement deal and my agent doesn’t like when I show up in shorts.”
Hope tried to look skeptical. She was still recovering from him making an appearance, so it wasn’t easy to school her face into anything but shock.
“You had a business meeting on Sunday? I thought you’d spend the day prepping to watch the game tonight.”
Two of his teammates were in the All-Star Game, and even though the fun had really been in the competitions the night before, Hope expected Jason was going to be watching. He’d been at the bar for the skills competition, which he made sure was on at least two of the TVs. Since she didn’t work that night, Hope figured he’d be sitting in front of his laptop in his apartment.
He claimed he didn’t go to the bar on Sundays, but Hope wasn’t there to verify the claim and she hadn’t asked around to see if it held true. It wasn’t a big deal if he showed up for a beer without her around. She figured if she told herself that enough, eventually she’d believe it.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. As you know, my apartment is missing a television big enough to enjoy the game on, but I have it on good authority your apartment has one. What I’m told your a
partment doesn’t have is a comfortable couch to sit and watch the game on.”
Marie’s elbow dug into Hope’s side, causing her to cringe. She’d never known how pointy her mother’s elbow was, but she was pretty sure if the other woman didn’t stop with her poking, she’d have a hole in her side.
“Before you go any further, it’s probably a good idea if I introduce you to my mother, since I’m pretty sure you’re going to send her into a seizure if we don’t explain what’s going on here.”
Hope darted her eyes over to her mother, hoping she got the message to behave. The path Jason was heading down was bound to have a million questions swirling around in the elder Nacin’s head.
“Of course. I saw the family resemblance, but wasn’t sure if it was your mother or Grace. I’m Jason, Mrs. Nacin. It’s nice to meet you.”
Jason reached his right arm out across the counter that separated them. Marie took a second, but she eventually extended her hand to be engulfed by Jason’s much larger one. Jason’s attention remained on her for a second, before he took his hand back and focused on Hope.
The moments his eyes weren’t burrowing into hers gave her a second to catch her breath. It was hard to remember to breathe when he was around. She hadn’t had that problem before he decided they should be friends. Since the night in his apartment, she needed friendly reminders from her brain that breathing was essential to life.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Jason. Can I ask how you know my daughter?”
Hope sighed. She expected the questions, but she was more interested in what Jason was getting at about televisions and couches. The bakery was close to closing for the day, so the threat of another customer coming in to divide their attention was slim. It seemed like Jason’s presence had made it so the rest of the patrons weren’t in any hurry to get on with their day. Hope hadn’t been paying close attention, but it didn’t seem like anyone had taken a bite of food since he’d walked in the door.
“Well, I’ve been visiting The Blue Corral for about a year now and just recently got up the courage to ask if she’d be willing to take me on as a friend.”