Page 23 of The Cupcake Cottage

“Sweetheart Creek.” Although for the number of football games she’d gone to with her matchmaking friend Jackie, it was a miracle she wasn’t married eight times over.

“That makes no sense. The town is all about marriage. They still have that weird New Year’s Eve tradition where you can elope if you go to that chapel on the hill like Brant and April did.”

She gave him a dry look. The way their eyes locked sent a funny feeling down to her gut. “Eloping is ridiculous.”

He chuckled at her frown. “I don’t understand the blame you’re laying on Sweetheart Creek for your single status. Doesn’t the town have the state’s youngest average marrying age or something like that?”

“The first seven-hundred generations stole all of my luck in that department.”

But now she was in a relationship with Maverick Blades, which meant things were picking up. She could feel it coming her way with as much promise as their first kiss.

** *

Maverick stopped his car in Daisy-Mae’s driveway. She’d left the porch light on, and her fluffy white dog watched them from the front window of her living room. He wanted to keep driving, to let their first date spin into days rather than hours.

“What do you do with your dog when you’re working in the city?” he asked, turning off his car.

“April takes her. Their puppy and Ella love to play. How are the renovations coming at your place?”

He sensed she didn’t want their date to end, either. It had been a fun evening. He wasn’t sure if it was the lack of pressure because this was part business or because she was a friend, but this had been his best date ever. It felt natural. Full of potential and like the dates he saw his friends having. Dates where easy companionship led to weddings.

“The renovations are too slow for my mom’s tastes,” he said, answering her question.

“I thought she had her own place?”

“She does. I was planning to do the work on the house over a few years. You know, have the place ready by the time I retire from the league.”

“You’re retiring soon?”

He shrugged. In professional sports your retirement could happen at any time.

“You’ll retire to Sweetheart Creek?”

He nodded, and he could have sworn her shoulders dropped a notch as she relaxed.

“Why is your mom in a hurry?”

“I’m not sure. My best guess is that she thinks I’ll get impatient and hire someone. I’ve done it before.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“She said my places were impersonal and pretentious.”

Daisy-Mae laughed, reclining against the headrest. She was comfortable with him, and that brought a surge of pleasure. He’d worried she might feel it was weird to date him after him being the “friend” for so many years.

“So your mom is doing it all?”

“She’s taken over. She likes bossing me and a few contractors around.”

“Do you mind?” Daisy-Mae shifted in the seat, facing him more fully. One long leg peeked out from the slit in her dress.

“No, but she’s quite the taskmaster. I get this weird feeling in my stomach every time I pass a hardware store now. Like she’s going to jump out and drag me inside and make me buy shower curtains and silicone, then watch YouTube videos on home repairs.”

“Why’s that? Experience?”

“I think most people call it trauma.”

She laughed loud enough her dog started barking from inside the house.

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