Page 258 of Waiting Game

“Your father’s tainted your memories of the town because you didn’t enjoy your childhood growing up here. But that’s not Pigeon Creek’s fault.” Whipped cream gets caught around his mouth so I press kisses where it landed and scoop it up with my tongue. “I like it here,” I inform him. “Not because it made you into the man I love, but because it’s sweet and I haven’t had a lot of that in my life. I always traveled to the bigger cities in New York State for competitions. We never went to small towns, socities are all I’ve ever known and the people are different. The atmosphere is too.”

Though most of him softened—except for one part—when I started licking the cream from his mouth, he stares out of the bakery’s picture window and onto Main Street like he’s never seen it before.

“I guess it’s…” He clears his throat. “What did you call it?Quaint.”

I smile. “It really is.”

His gaze drifts to me. “You wouldn’t mind visiting again?”

Tugging on his hand, I tell him, “I’d love to.”

His grin makes a reappearance, but it’s softer this time. Gentler. Then, he looks back onto the town with a frown—as if it’s a puzzle he can’t solve.

Maybe, given time, I can help him out with that.

New York’s always been my home, but I’m not blind to its flaws or faults. As I know Pigeon Creek will have many, I’m also aware that Clyde’s wrecked Cole’s memories of home and that’s not fair.

As we leave the bakery, Cole lets me tug us around Pigeon Creek as I explore the small stores and doesn’t even complain when I drag him into the museum. Part of it’s for me, but it’s also for him.

We can learn about his hometown together while he unravels the knots that childhood trauma left behind.

And even though I’ve known we’re serious about one another, it’s this visit to the tiny town that birthed him that makes me realizehowserious.

Love is one thing, but it’s flighty. A butterfly you can’t catch. An ethereal emotion that exists without a foundation and is expected to weather any storm.

Thisis different.

It feels like we’re building that aforementioned foundation.

One brick at a time.

And maybe, someday in the future, that’ll bring us back here, to Pigeon Creek.

A little birdtold me that Jude Gagné’s recent injuries might not be hockey-relatedandthat there is a divorce in the cards…

Yes, dear reader, you heard it here first.

It appears Jude might be a member of some illicit fight club. How illicit, I’m not sure.Yet.

Watch this space…

CHAPTER 49

COLE

If I Ain’t Got You - Kaliz Ash

“Wow,”she breathes as she stands on the veranda in a part of the house I haven’t shown her yet—my folks’ wing—peering onto the prairies. “I didn’t realize… How is it so big? I saw it from up in the air, but this is?—”

Because she’s speechless, I chuckle. “We make everything big in Pigeon Creek. Haven’t you realized that yet?”

I check my phone for a message from Jude but the asswipe hasn’t gotten back to me about this divorce bullshit that’s hit the press.

“Lies. Aside from you and your brothers,” she teases with a laugh.

Shuffling behind her, taking a second to admire my jersey on her, I press my hands to her hips. “I love this on you.”

Her grin lights up my heart. “Why do you think I wear it?”

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