Page 3 of The Sweet Spot

“This food is great. I asked Ethan about the chef: Tangi’s friend. This is the kind of food you want to eat. And I think she specializes in vegan and vegetarian meals. I’m telling you, it’s better than all that animal protein. Clean eating without the meat is all the rage now.”

I’d heard that, too. Some famous basketball players had gone vegan, but I loved meat too much to make that leap. “Tangi’s friend has a restaurant, so she’s not looking for work.”

“Too bad. She’s fucking good at what she does.”

With that, he got up for seconds. I guessed he didn’t care about it being the offseason and a special occasion, not that the food was overly decadent. Was it really cheating?

After stuffing myself with more sweet potatoes than I’d had in the last ten years, it was time to make my escape. I’d tortured myself enough, and besides, I had the last flight back to Regina to see my parents for a few days. The thought of spending more time with them than that made me shudder. I could put up with my mom and dad in small doses if I wanted to see my little brother.

I made my way over to Tangi and Ethan’s table, and when they were both about to get up, I insisted they remain seated.

“Thank you again for the invitation. What a great weekend! Congrats to both of you.”

“Let me at least walk you out,” Tangi said, rising and grasping onto my arm. She smelled of lilacs—shit, was it lavender? And I tried hard not to breathe her in too noticeably. “Didyou have a good time?” Her brow was creased with worry as she asked the question.

“I had a great time. It was a blast.”

“I noticed you came alone,” she said as we slowly walked to the door.

“I’m not dating anyone special right now. And you know how it is with weddings. I’d hate to get anyone’s hopes up.”

She laughed at that. “I suppose you’re right. But I am glad you made it. And that things are working out with the team, Mr. Captain.”

I couldn’t help but smile because she always made me smile. “I have you to thank for that. You helped me see that I had to stop being an asshole. I’m still a work in progress.”

We got outside, and my Uber was waiting. She kissed me on the cheek and said, “I would really like it if you stayed one more day. I know Jeremy invited you to our house tonight for a barbecue. Some real meat for a change. I want you there, and I think the guys wouldn’t mind it either.”

“I think Ethan would.”

She flashed me a mischievous smile. “Ethan won’t mind. Think about it. Okay?”

She could always suck me in. It was best for me to keep Tangi Kildare out of my life, and if I were smart, I’d move on, but I also couldn’t say no to her.

Chapter Three

Wolseley

After the festivities that afternoon, Tangi invited us over to decompress and dissect the wedding and after-party at her new house just outside Minneapolis. She and Ethan had bought it earlier in the year and had renovations done just in time to return after the season was over. So while we sat outside enjoying the warm evening air, Ethan and some of his teammates were in the basement gaming and hanging out, or whatever hockey players did in their spare time. Ethan was planning a huge barbecue, and I’d brought over all the leftovers from the afternoon. Hopefully, that would be enough food.

“My feet are killing me,” Tangi said, putting them up on another patio chair. I’m going to need a few days of recovery.”

“The whole wedding was flawless. Other than Benoit’s girlfriend wearing off-white. What was that?” Jill said, sipping some chilled Riesling.

“Who is Benoit?” I asked.

“Kodiaks goalie,” Tangi said. “And when I saw her, I was ready to turf her. Who does that at a wedding?”

As they rambled on about someone I didn’t remember seeing, my ability to remain upbeat was faltering. What I wanted was to go home and hide in bed, but soon, my world would be turned upside down. Why not at least enjoy the last few hours before the ax fell?

“What about Ryan?” Jill said, dropping her voice. “He’s almost unrecognizable. I mentioned it to Jeremy, he said the whole team was talking about it. In fact, I think the guys might be giving Ryan an intervention in your basement as we speak.”

Tangi frowned. “I noticed it, too. Ethan said that Ryan’s always had an issue with weight, but this is a bit extreme. Especially with training camp coming. He needed to have his suit altered a few times. I’m just glad it fits him.”

I bit my lip, trying to keep the weight of what was going on in my life from spilling over. Pardon the pun. I had to tell my friends soon because hours from now it was going to come out. I’d wanted to be a chef and have my own restaurant from the moment my mom put a spoon in my hand and let me help her make a birthday cake for my brother. From there, I was making family dinners by the time I’d turned twelve. With Mom and Dad’s supervision, of course. I’d gone to culinary school, saved up money, borrowed money from my parents, lived out my dream, and then failed spectacularly.

“Hey, are you okay?” Tangi asked.

I was jarred from my thoughts. Tears had welled in my eyes, and this time, I couldn’t fight them back. I quickly swiped them away, but it was too late to hold off any longer.

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