Page 11 of Love in Overtime

“Very funny,” Sophie exclaims in her Texas drawl. “Now give me all the details. Did you meet a dashing man who lives in Maple Falls? Is he the town’s favorite fireman or does he own the general store?”

I laugh. “Someone has been binging Hallmark movies.”

“Maybe a few,” she says.

“Shocker. And to answer your question, I haven’t met any local single men.”

“Yet,” she retorts. “I’m sure there are a few roaming around up there. Otherwise, I’d be very disappointed in Maple Falls.”

Suddenly the thought crosses my mind that one of the things I don’t know about Cooper is if he’s single. Not that it matters—or does it? As his publicist I should be able to answer any questions I might be asked. Although I hadn’t thought about how I’d answer a question about Cooper’s romantic life. Estelle told me Cooper’s main focus is his career and no mention of anything or anyone else. I guess that’s the response I’ll give should the subject come up. Everyone knows that personal lives are a hot gossip topic. I’m sure the press will want all the information they can get.

“I promise you’ll be the first to know if I run into any single firefighters,” I assure her.

“Good. That should be one of your top priorities.”

“Of course,” I say. “My job is only a close second.”

We both laugh, and I go on to tell her about the lodge and ask about life back in Dallas. After we’re off the phone, I take my time before returning to my room. I slow down as I pass Cooper’s room. I wonder if he’s back from the arena yet. We do need to have a meeting to go over our itinerary. Aside from practices, extra workouts, and games, we have the first media event tomorrow. And the big Maple Fest where Cooper is expected to be at the signing table with some of the other players. He's going to be a busy guy in the coming weeks. I want to make sure he’s very present in the community, and this might be my biggest challenge. I know Cooper just wants to play hockey, but the charity aspect takes it to a whole other level. The people will want to interact with the players—that’s part of the experience.

I start typing a text to Cooper. I read through it several times before sending, which is silly.

Morning. I hope you slept well. I’m having coffee with my friend Keira this morning. Can we meet up for a late lunch to go over a few things?

I look over the limited list of restaurants in town before I send him a follow-up text. I want to try all of them, but a casual place would be good for today.

The menu at the Bistro looks fantastic. Does that work for you?

I hop in the shower, and when I’m finished I’m met with a text from Cooper.

Yep.

I let out a sigh. A man of many words, as usual.

Great. Let’s meet there around one.

I put on a pair of wide leg jeans with a ribbed, cream-colored long-sleeved shirt. I couldn’t be more excited for the sweater weather of the Pacific Northwest. I blow dry my hair and then gather my laptop and notes for my afternoon meeting with Cooper. There’s a nervous surge of excitement in my stomach. All the weeks of preparation are finally coming together. Like my grandma used to say, “It’s showtime.”

Maple Falls is so picturesque it almost doesn’t seem real. The downtown area is quaint and fully decorated for fall. Sophie would be in Hallmark movie heaven here. I can only imagine how it looks at Christmas time. I wander down Maple Road which runs through the middle of town. Every shop window is decorated for the season and it’s as magical as I dreamed it would be. I pass by several local places I want to visit—a massage and wellness center calledSparadise and a cute shop called Maple Falls Made. I immediately notice a sign in the window that saysWelcome Ice Breakers, and very large display of Dan Roberts #29 merchandise. It makes sense since he’s from Maple Falls and the town superstar.

The local bookstore, Falling for Books, is exactly how I expected it to be—cozy, dimly lit, the wonderful scents of books and coffee filling the air. The tall shelves are stuffed with all different genres of stories. I’ve always loved to read and can’t wait to find the time to hold a book in my hands again. Thank goodness for audiobooks.

“Welcome to Falling for Books. Can I help you find something?” a gentle voice says. I see a pretty woman with brown, shoulder-length hair organizing some shelves. She has a warm presence, the perfect energy to work in a small-town bookstore.

“Hi, I’m actually meeting a friend at the café.” I pause. “But I’m early so I’ll probably browse for a few minutes.”

“Of course. My name is Emmy if you need any recommendations.” She gives me a friendly smile.

“Thanks. I’m Blair. I just arrived in town yesterday.”

“Welcome to Maple Falls,” she says. “You picked the best time of year to visit.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. Do people really travel here for the Maple Fest?”

She nods. “Oh yes. Maple Fest is our claim to fame.”

I wander around the shop for a few minutes before finding an empty table in the back of the café. There are people reading and a few typing away on laptops. There’s also a table with three older women who have their heads together. If I had to guess, I’d say they know everything there is to know about Maple Falls and everyone in it. Doesn’t every small town have people who love to gossip?

They all turn to look at me, so I smile and give a friendly wave. “Good morning.”

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