Page 41 of Soulmates and Slapshots
He exhales slowly. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Of course,” I reply.
“Can you wait until I get back from our road trip before you leave?”
Yes!
I can’t help but notice that we’ve inched closer to each other.
“Okay,” I whisper.
Without another word, Weston cradles my face in his hands and brings his lips to mine. A jolt shoots through me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I melt into the kiss as his hands slide from my face to my waist. Somehow, it doesn’t feel like a first kiss, more like something familiar. The connection between us is beyond words.
Is this just a vacation fling? Or is there more going on here? Either way it is confusing.
I will most definitely be staying in Maple Falls another week. After that—I don’t know.
CHAPTER 13
WESTON
Our first road trip of the season turned out better than expected, ending with two wins and one loss. Not perfect, but I’ll take it. Now that we’re back in Maple Falls, my focus should be on recovery and prep for the next game. But honestly, only one thing is on my mind—seeing Fiona.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the kiss we shared before I left. We ended up texting more than I expected while I was gone. It started with sharing memes and talking about our days. But somewhere along the way, it shifted. Her texts became the highlight of my day. I found myself checking my phone every five minutes, hoping for that little notification that would make me smile.
The worst part is I never saw this coming. I moved to Maple Falls for my career, not to fall head over heels for someone. And yet…here I am, completely distracted, practically counting down the seconds until I can see her again. It’s like I’ve been hit with something I can’t explain, and it’s kind of terrifying.
To make things more interesting, I’ve picked up a temporaryroommate. Our goalie, Clément, is now crashing on my couch thanks to the charming old house he bought. Another reminder of why I will never, ever buy anything listed as a fixer-upper.
He’s still asleep, even though it’s late afternoon. I glance over at the pile of blankets and the tall, exhausted Frenchman.
“Time to get up, lover boy,” I call out.
He groans and slowly sits up.
“It’s late,” I say, handing him a cup of coffee. “Here.”
“Merci,” he mutters, his voice scratchy.
He looks rough, but I get it. Clément has a lot going on.
“You should probably pull yourself together. It’s auction night,” I remind him.
He lets out another dramatic groan, and I can’t blame him because I’m not exactly looking forward to tonight either. The only thing that might make it bearable is seeing Fiona.
The phrasetaking one for the teamseems to be my theme since my arrival in Maple Falls. From the TikTok dance to being soaked with water in front of the town’s entire female population. But we aren’t stopping there—we’re upping our game to help raise money.
We’re at the Hawk River Lodge where Fiona’s aunt works, and the crowd is buzzing with energy for this evening’s festivities to begin. It might even be more intense than one of our games.Maybe.
There’s a stage at the front of the room, complete with abanner stretched across the back, announcingMaple Falls First Annual Bachelor Auction. The velvet curtain behind it is dark green, adding a touch of luxury and mystery to the room.
Yes, it’s really happening. There’s a bachelor auction, and somehow I’ve ended up as one of the lucky men on the list. I’m still not entirely sure how I got talked into participating, but here I am. Dressed in a sharp navy-blue suit over a cream-colored shirt, and white sneakers. In just a few minutes, I’ll be strutting across the stage in front of a packed crowd, hoping to convince someone to spend their hard-earned money for a date with me.
There’s only one person I want to go out with, though. And she’s the last person I’d ever expect to pay for it.
Ashlyn, our captain’s friend and tonight’s emcee, steps up to the microphone and gives it a quick tap. “Good evening, Maple Falls and friends!”
The room erupts into applause, cheers, laughter, and anticipation.
