* * *
“He is one hot man.”
Harper glanced at Penny, dressed in an oversized Blue Ox jersey, custom-made, withKing Conand his number embroidered on the back.She wore a pair of jeans, her long hair back in a messy bun, barely any makeup on her tanned face.
“I know you’re talking about Con, but...you’re right.”Harper turned back to watching Jack and Conrad slap around a puck in a Sunday afternoon Duck Lake community scrimmage at the North Star Arena.Conrad had roped Jack into helping out with a handful of youngsters from the Ice Hawks, a team put together by the Pepper charity foundation, EmPowerPlay.
Conrad had the moves of a professional center, but Jack knew his way around the ice and could still skate circles around these kids, earning both their respect and frustration as he stole passes and inspired footwork.
“You two okay?”Penny looked over at her.
Harper should have worn more than a sweatshirt over her leggings, because she had to pull the sleeves down over her fisted hands, her breath catching in the frigid air of the arena.Outside, the sun hovered over a perfect, nearly cloudless September day, and frankly, she would have rather been home, watching the lake lap the shoreline, editing her book, but...
No, not true.She’d rather have been looking at wedding-dress catalogues or even asking Penny to be her maid of honor.
Apparently, that wasn’t in her future.
She wouldn’t have even agreed to show up today, except...well, she had to tell Penny her big news in person.Never mind Jack.
She had to stop dodging the future.
Step one, level with her best friend about quitting the podcast.
Step two would be breaking up with Jack.
“We’re fine.”But maybe her sigh gave her away, because Penny looked over and raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds like trouble in paradise.I thought...well, Conrad says that the bus is finished.”
“It is.And Jack invited me over to see it—I mean, I knew it was nearly done, but I admit I’ve been head down in my computer for the last couple weeks.”
“You finished the book?”
Harper made a face.“I’m stuck on the ending.I got them to the breakup, but I can’t see to get them all the way to the happy ending.”
“You need that big grand gesture,” Penny said.“Like John Cusack inSay Anything, showing up with his boom box.”
“You’re doing Cusack marathons now, are you?”
“Just the romantic comedies.EspeciallySerendipity.I love that one.”
“You’re just cold.And it has ice skating.”
“He’s an unsung hero.But maybe you need a refresher.”Penny looked back out onto the ice, where Jack and Conrad were facing off for the kids.They laughed, even as Jack checked Conrad, fighting for the puck.“That over there is a happy ending.Jack, the wanderer, back home, Conrad laughing.I think our work here is a grand success.”She lifted her fist.
Harper met it.
“Well, that was wimpy.Seriously.What’s going on?”
Here went nothing.“Penny, I was offered a job withPopMusemagazine.”
Penny turned to her.“That’s fantastic.I figured they’d come crawling back to you after you landed Boo’s exclusive, not to mention your two-book deal.”
“It’s in Nashville.”
“Oh.”
“I could ask them if I could work remotely, but the contract specifically says I need to be in office?—”
