“Why does she keep going back there?” I ask. “It’s pretty twisted to patronize your boyfriend’s ex’s workplace just to make her miserable.” I barely know Neesha, but the thought of someone deliberately hurting her makes me wish I could do something to help her. No one should have to put up with that treatment.
“This is Maple Falls.” Emmy looks at me. “There’s no such thing as a clean break here. Plus, you know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
I shake my head. “Sounds like unnecessary drama to me.”
“Brittanyisunnecessary drama. Neesha’s completely over Nate, but Brittany still acts like she’s starring in her own reality show with him, and it’s exhausting for everyone.”
I lean against the counter, not liking the picture Emmy is painting of Neesha’s past. We’ve barely even met, but I’ve seen enough to recognize the kind of silence people wear when they’ve been humiliated. It’s the same one I wore when I walked out of my father’s office the last time. A clean break from him was all I wanted, especially after what he did to my grandfather.
“So Neesha’s probably not a fan of hockey players in general,” I say.
“Not since Nate. And I don’t think she’s looking for a do-over with another athlete.” Emmy gives me a quick glance. “Even if I wish she would.”
“Then maybe don’t mention what I do for a living,” I say.
Emmy looks at me skeptically. “That’s not going to stay secret long. This town notices everything, and I meaneverything.”
“I know. But I want her to get to know me first. Without the jersey.” Just once, I want someone to see who I am, not what I do. I’ll tell her once I earn her trust—ifshe lets me in after what that jerk put her through.
Dawson studies me for a few seconds. “How did your dad take the news about you coming here?”
I let out a breath. “Like I expected. He blew a gasket. Saidthat loyalty to the family meant not wasting my life. He wants me to quit hockey and join the family empire. Says I’m wasting my potential on a ‘hobby.’”
The memory of that moment still hurts. Especially when the last thing he said to me was: “Don’t come back until you’re ready to be serious.”Serious, in my dad’s world, means soul-crushing. Like when he decided Grandpa was expendable.
Emmy pops her head out from the pantry, eyes wide. “What is he, the king of some small country?”
Dawson chuckles grimly. “Close. His dad’s the CEO of Northwest Development & Real Estate. Lucian probably makes less in the NHL than he would working for his father.”
Her jaw drops. “Seriously? How did you turn down that kind of security?”
“Because that empire was built on betraying the man who basically raised me. Dad convinced my grandfather to invest his entire retirement savings to start Northwest Development & Real Estate—told him they’d be partners, that it was their family legacy. Then when the business took off, he used some legal loophole to push Grandpa out and keep everything. Said it was ‘just business.’ Grandpa had to go back to being a handyman at seventy just to get by.”
Emmy looks horrified. “I’m so sorry, Lucian.”
I shake my head. “Don’t be. I’d rather make an honest living playing hockey than profit off what my father did to the best man I ever knew. My grandfather taught me everything about treating people right. He used to say you don’t need a suit to build a legacy—just good hands and a reason to use them. His family was always hiswhyfor everything he did.”
Emmy props her elbows on the kitchen island. “Your grandpa sounds amazing.”
I toss some frozen burgers into the freezer and lean against the counter. “Enough about me. Tell me more about Neesha.”
Emmy exchanges a look with Dawson, then grins at me like she’s intrigued. “Why?”
“Just trying to understand the town dynamics,” I say, which is only half true and Emmy knows it.
“Sure you are,” she teases, tossing me a bag of granola. “Well, if she didn’t tell you much about herself, don’t take it personally. She’s super-focused on her cupcake business and is saving every penny to move to Seattle. Wants to open her own shop somewhere bigger than Maple Falls.”
“So she’s definitely leaving?” I ask, trying not to sound too interested.
“She’s researching locations, making plans—but she’s not even close to having enough money saved. Her mom’s insurance didn’t cover all the medical bills after an emergency gallbladder surgery, and then Neesha had to pay for an unanticipated funeral when her mom had a blood clot and died unexpectedly. It totally drained everything they had left.”
I shake my head. Why is life so unfair to people who don’t deserve it?
“So if things are that tight, why not open her shop here?” I ask, taking out an apple and rolling it around in my hand.
Emmy shrugs. “Says it’s her dream. But I wonder if she’s just trying to get away from Nate. I think if Neesha met someone else, she’d reconsider. I mean, it worked for us.” She glances at her fiancé.
Without a word, he comes over to Emmy and gives her a kiss on the cheek before turning back to me. “But I should warn you, not everyone in town loves hockey players. Most will warm up to you eventually, but expect some cold shoulders at first.”
