Page 94 of A Taste of Trouble

rian a sideways glance. There were three other people he needed to apologize to as well. His friends had put up with a scatterbrained Jake for the last few weeks, more so the last couple of days since things had gone down the shitter with Liv. Without a job, Jake had no choice but to sit and mope. The only relief was the few outings he'd taken with his camera. But after seeing Liv through his lens, nothing was as beautiful.

Maybe if Liv knew he still played hockey every week it would be another item on his “pro” list. She said she loved hockey players. He wasn't a superstar, never had been. Unlike Brian, who had been a god on the ice in high school but had never played a full season. His asthma was too much for him to cope with. Despite Brian's skill and membership on the team, his nerdiness always won out. The glasses, Star Wars T-shirts, and science fiction novels never held the interest of the ladies.

The buzzer sounded and Jake's head shot up. He hadn't left center ice. The play had gone on without him even moving. He glanced over to the bench. Tony and Brian were huddled along the backboard where Miles hung over the edge. They all looked at him like he was a patient in the psych ward—with careful scrutiny and sympathy.

When the game was over, Jake removed his gloves and skates, throwing them in the trunk of his car. He slid his hockey stick in the back seat. Brian, Tony, and Miles were huddled around the open trunk of Brian's car over…something. He couldn't tell what.

The air had warmed a little now that there were fewer clouds in the sky. But it didn't mean he could be lax with his outerwear. His fingers and ears would fall to frostbite in minutes if left uncovered. He secured his post-hockey game toque and gloves and walked to where his friends huddled together. A quick glance at his watch told him he still had a few hours before he could show up to see Liv. He didn't want to disturb her so early in the day. Or maybe, he was just scared. But he knew only one thing was going to take his mind off his troubles.

“Are we going to grab a few beers?” Jake asked.

They all went rigid at the sound of his voice then turned to greet him. But they didn't look at him. No, they stared at each other. Not one of them answered his question. Miles wore a smug expression, his orange hat pulled down way too close to his eyes. Brian stared at Tony, blowing into his hands to keep them from freezing. Tony shuffled in his spot, holding one skate in each hand. They had been acting weird all morning, but this was a whole new level of quirkiness. But if he were honest, he was the one who was acting weird. He's the one who had completely spaced on the ice.

“I'll take that as a no, we're not going for beers.”

“We're going to help you win Liv back,” Tony said.

That comment came out of nowhere. “What?”

“You need to break out the big guns,” Tony continued. “And we're going to help you.”

“Guys, I appreciate the effort, but she's not taking my calls. I might have the chance to see her later, but…”

“Look…Jake.” Brian shoved his hands in the pockets of his black jacket. “We've always looked up to you in the woman department. You're always so smooth and confident. Nothing like me.”

Jake smiled. Brian was the best guy he knew. And the woman who took the time to get to know him would be the luckiest woman in the world. He was also the most sentimental of the group. And just because they had just finished a hockey game and were covered in sweat, ready to spend the afternoon drinking beer, didn't stop him from speaking from the heart.

“No matter how much you deny it, all those women you dated were only stand-ins. You were looking for someone, the someone. After all these years, you finally found her.”

“And you're just going to let her go,” Miles blurted. A white cloud of breath lingered in front of his face.

“I'm not. I'm going to go there to ask for her forgiveness. It's going to be tough. I fucked up. Big time fucked up.” He had told his friends the whole story. They already knew about the deal he had made with Shelton. The father that took off and deserted her when she was a child. Most importantly, they knew that Jake had fallen in love with her.

He eyed his friends. They had the most curious expressions. Tony nudged Brian with his elbow and he smiled then turned, reaching into the trunk.

He pulled out a reusable shopping bag. “You need our help.” Brian glanced at Tony on his right and Miles on his left. “And we know exactly what you need in order to get Liv back.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Liv stood in the middle of her destroyed bakery, the pungent stench of smoke and ash filling her lungs. The sight of her dream, charred and ashen, grabbed hold of her, and it took everything she had not to fall to her knees.

The insurance company had finally gotten clearance from the fire inspector to go inside the building and assess the damage. With proof of loss forms and deductibles discussed, the renovations would start by the end of the week. And first thing tomorrow morning, the insurer was sending a company to remove all of the fire-damaged furniture and equipment. But Liv wanted to sift through her own things. As she looked around, she knew that salvaging…anything…wasn't a possibility.

She stumbled over burned pieces of wood and metal, making her way over to the counter. Walls that were once pink were now gray and black. The flames had eaten the curtain separating the kitchen from the storefront. Its only indication of existence was the rings that hung lifelessly from the track along the doorframe.

She was assured coverage for the damages. Since the fire was a result of the building's faulty wiring, it would be the landlord's insurance policy that paid. But looking around, her optimism at re-opening the bakery was swallowed up by the horrific scene. Liv second-guessed whether she wanted to take on this venture again. The fire had not only burned away the tangible parts of her dream; it had also burned away her drive and determination.

Her friends had tried to weasel their way into coming with her, but she'd refused. This was something she needed to do on her own. If she had any hope of starting over, she needed to purge. Get rid of everything that was burned and tainted by the fire. Unfortunately, throwing out herself was not an option.

She took one look at the formerly brown couch and decided that it was the first item that needed to make its way to the back alley. She struggled to get it behind the counter and into the kitchen. From there, it was a breeze…until she reached the back door and had to turn it on an angle in order to push it through.

Tears ran down her face without shame. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be cleaning up after a fire. Renovating? Yes. Renovating and sweeping away the black layer of soot that covered everything she owned? No.

The couch caught on the doorframe as she tried to pull it out into the evening air. The sun was just about to set. Until then, the small piece that sat above the horizon shone brightly in the distance.

Liv maneuvered the couch on its side and it fell through the doorway. She stumbled but righted herself quickly and pulled it to the side of the building. The tiny glimmer of daylight setting to the left blinded her and she had to turn her head toward the wall.

She pushed the couch flush against the brick. Bending over, she grabbed on to one of the arms with both hands and began to cry. She cried for her business, for her broken dreams. Most of all, she cried for her broken heart—a heart that was never supposed to be given away in the first place.

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