Page 17 of Penalties and Proposals

WILLA: Great. I’d like to take some pictures of you without your uniform on, so please come prepared.

Now that leaves a lot to the imagination. I can’t resist.

NOAH: So, nude shots?

The pause goes on for at least a minute before the text bubbles are back, showing me she’s typing away.

WILLA: Noah. Get a grip. Bring a selection of clothes I can look at, be good to have three options to use that day.

NOAH: Are you going to have a dressing room for me to use?

WILLA: No. Plan accordingly.

NOAH: So no pants?

This is way too much fun.

WILLA: Bring pants. Bring tops. Be DRESSED. If we need to find somewhere for you to change, we will.

Part of me wants to continue the torture, but the other part knows better. Toning it down, I send her a final text.

NOAH: Sounds good. I have to do a meet and greet at the Ice Breakers stall that day but I’ll request my time to be as early as possible. After it’s over, I’m all yours.

Willa responds to my text with a thumbs-up emoji. As muchas I’d rather her have responded with a heart, I know that’s not reasonable … yet.

I’ve got some work to do here if I want the woman I have a crush on to pay attention to me. Considering I have the pastnotin my favor, I’ve got some time to make up for.

But, first, I need to plan out some outfits for the day and do some of my own due diligence on Willa. Luckily, I’ve got the perfect sweater to wear. It matches my eyes. I only know this because the salesman told me so.

If I have my way, Maple Fest is the day where I begin to make things up to her. I know I didn’t do them, per se, but the people I chose to have around me did and I will never be able to take it back.

All going well, Maple Fest is going to be a day that she’ll never want to forget.

CHAPTER 8

WILLA

As I steponto the festival grounds, a wave of autumnal scents envelops me, instantly putting a smile on my face. The air is crisp, carrying the sweet aroma of maple syrup mingled with the earthy scent of fallen leaves. The sight before me is a feast for the eyes—vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow paint the trees, and the ground is adorned with pumpkins and hay bales, creating a picture-perfect festival scene. It’s as if Maple Falls has been plucked out of a storybook and presented just for me to enjoy.

I take a deep breath, inhaling the tantalizing smells of cinnamon and spices wafting from a nearby food stall. My stomach rumbles in anticipation, and I make a mental note to indulge in some maple-glazed funnel cakes later. I can already see myself lounging in bed with some sticky sweetness tonight.

The sound of laughter and cheerful chatter fills the air, along with the melodic strains of live folk music. Children run past, their faces painted with fall leaves, pumpkins, and in some cases as kitty cats, but all are filled with excitement, while couples stroll hand-in-hand, soaking in the festive atmosphere.

I make my way through the crowd, scanning the booths looking for the team table for the Ice Breakers. It doesn’t take melong to find it: I simply needed to look for the busiest spot with the longest line.

I recognize a few of the guys as I approach the booth. One of them, Cooper Montgomery, I met a few months back when we shot his photos. He wasn’t warm and fuzzy, he was pretty much what I’d call a grumpy grandpa. He’d smiled through the pictures, but we had to take many breaks so he could relax. He reminded me of Roy Kent in that show,Ted Lasso. He’s a fluid and talented man on the ice, but in front of the camera, he had frozen.

When we make eye contact, I’m pretty sure he’ll recognize me. I wave in his direction as I walk up to the table, only to be surprised as his upper lip curls and he stands at attention in front of me.

“Hi there,” he says in a robotic voice. He sticks his hand out in front of him as if he’s been practicing; it’s not a natural move at all. “I’m Cooper and I’m having the best time in Pine Falls.”

Doing a double take, I cock my head to the side. “Did you just call it … Pine Falls?”

In a flash, another familiar face is in front of me. This one is doing her thing and being a fixer.

“Cooper, we’re in Maple Falls. Please say it with me. Maple. Falls.” Blair Radcliffe has a reputation for being one of the best in her field of sports publicity, and as usual, here she is proving her right to have earned that title. As she looks my way, she beams as she realizes it’s me in front of her.

“Willa Blackwell!” Blair runs around the table and wraps her arms around me. “It’s been ages. Oh, my gosh, I thought I saw you at the media event at The Regent’s the other day and didn’t have a chance to say hi. How are you?”

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