Page 23 of Leo and His Love Bunny

“I don’t know. A person is responsible for their pets. I mean, every pet has a different personality, but if you don’t tap into the true potential of your pet, it’s kind of on you. It’s not like your pet is motivated to be more than it can be.”

He’s right. Again. But I don’t mind. I don’t see what’s between us as a competition. I see him as someone I can learn from and who will inspire me to grow because he makes me want to be better.

“Three more pieces,” he says, jerking his head at my notebook.

I grin. He’s competitive. Which is not a surprise. After all, he’s a professional athlete. There has to be some kind of competitive fire in his soul.

I knit my fingers together, invert them, and push out, cracking them, before shaking my fingers out. And rolling my shoulders.

He laughs at my exaggerated competitive posturing.

So of course, he imitates me, threading his fingers together, cracking them just as I had, and then rolling his shoulders, but he does one better. Then he flexes.

It is all I can do not to fan myself.

I’m sorry, I like to think that I am a mature woman who appreciates the important things in life, things like character and integrity and honesty, and good cupcakes, but I admit to youtoday that my eyes hooked on his biceps, big and beautiful and very, very delicious, and it’s quite possible I drooled.

I’m not sure. Actually, I admit I was staring.

He gives me about seven seconds, and then he prompts, “Paper?”

“You cheat,” I say, and while there is a lot of humor in my voice, there’s also a little bit of disgust, although it’s aimed at myself. What is wrong with me? I called them delicious on the radio, and I can’t seem to stop looking at them.

“You know, I always wanted to be known as someone who is more than a pair of delicious biceps,” he says, oh so casually, as he takes the five sheets of paper from my fingers.

I press my lips together, mostly to try to keep from smiling, as I fake glare at him. “I don’t believe that for a second. It’s your goal in life to have women drooling all over your biceps. And I’m just trying to help you feel like a success. You know, motivation.”

“You better not make cupcakes in the shape of biceps and bring them to my inspirational speeches. I’ll fire you.”

“That’s a great idea!” I say with fake enthusiasm. “Next to my breast cupcakes, the biceps cupcakes. I’ll really have my reputation in the gutter. My mom will kill me. Seriously. I could go pick out my casket right now.”

Plus, I will probably be excommunicated from my town, thrown out of my church, lose my pianist job, and be kicked out of my apartment building, not necessarily in that order. I definitely will have Trixie taken away.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help you sell cupcakes.” He lifts one of his shoulders, and I look away, focusing on folding my airplane, now that I know that the aerodynamics and engineering are going to be tested.

I feel like he won our last competition, but I am determined that I will win this one.

Chapter 11

Leo

I almost told her about the cancer.

Of course, if she attends any of my speeches and pays the slightest bit of attention, she’s going to know. But it’s not exactly what I like to lead with in my relationships with the opposite sex.

It’s not exactly what I like to lead with in any relationship. I’ve kept it pretty well under wraps. I’ve tried to make the story of my hockey career, hockey. Not me. Although, I suppose it’s good PR for someone like me, who “overcame” cancer and became one of the best wings in the league, to talk about it.

Still, Nora doesn’t know much about me other than she loves my biceps.

I stifle a snort. I shouldn’t have flexed, but I couldn’t resist, and her reaction was priceless.

I don’t think it was fake, either. She isn’t the kind of person who does fake. And I really like that. She doesn’t giggle and bat her eyes at me, and she doesn’t try to say things that she knows are going to impress me, especially if they’re not true. She doesn’t try to pretend to be someone she’s not.

And the fact that she asked me if I thought she did the right thing, well, it humbled me for sure, but it also made me feel like she truly valued my opinion. That’s why I gave her the best response I could. I never claim to be a Bible scholar, and I couldn’t quote any verses, but I kind of feel like the church that ostracized her is possibly just as bad as anyone who would deliberately sell those kinds of things. And since I know that Nora didn’t do it on purpose, I have less compassion for the church than I do for her.

Still, if she were to make them deliberately again, I might not feel the same way, but I don’t see Nora doing that.

We both carefully fold five airplanes. I line mine up in front of me like they are parked along the runway at an airport.

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