Page 55 of Leo and His Love Bunny

“I was in hot water after the accident I had on the crotch rocket that I bought back then.”

“I knew you almost died.”

“I don’t know how I didn’t,” I say, and it’s true. “I had just signed a multimillion-dollar contract. My previous contract had been a lot of money, but this was more money than I thought I could ever spend. And normally I’m pretty responsible, but I was feeling a little wild and crazy, and I suppose the motorcycle I bought and the way I was driving showed that.”

“That doesn’t seem like you,” she says softly.

“I think I was a little crazed with wealth and fame and the notoriety that went along with being a superstar.” I take my hands off the wheel long enough to do air quotes around the word “superstar.”

“I don’t know why you’re doing that. Youarea superstar. Everybody knows you. You’re a household name. Even to people who don’t follow hockey.”

“I guess. In my head, I’m just me though.”

“You’re humble. I like that.”

“I wasn’t humble then. I thought I was something. Maybe the accident was the Lord. But despite the fact that I should’ve died,I didn’t. I did get in trouble with the team. They rightfully called me out for my irresponsible behavior, and I was on probation for a while. Didn’t play for the first three games of the new season, and by that time, I was healed up from everything that had happened, and I could have. But Glenda wanted to teach me a lesson.”

“Did you learn it?”

“That’s part of what I talk about in my speech. That was a low point for me. I let all the success that I was having go to my head. The accolades, people telling me I was invincible, I felt invincible. And I forgot that everything that I had was because God had given it to me. I wasn’t supposed to use it for myself, I was supposed to take what He gave me and turn it back to Him. I... I lost my grounding there for a little bit.”

“You found it again pretty fast.”

“Sometimes the Lord uses things like my accident in order to wake us up. You know? We’re going in one direction, and something bad happens, and a lot of times, we have a tendency to make a fist and shake it at the heavens and blame God for everything, instead of looking at ourselves and going maybe this is my fault. Maybe I need to change direction. Maybe what I’m doing isn’t working.”

“That’s great. Wow. Makes me wish I could listen to your whole speech. Those sound like principles that everyone needs to know.”

“I hope so. But it seemed to go over well. I did have people talking to me about that after we got out.”

But none of it was as good as talking to Nora now. She didn’t even hear my speech, and yet I feel like talking to her will help me be better. Plus, talking to her is comfortable. It always has been.

“Thanks for coming.”

“Well, I would’ve come without the cupcakes, but thank you for arranging it so that I could make money at the same time. I appreciate it.”

Once again, I feel guilty for not telling her what’s really happening with the cupcakes.

I open my mouth to let her know, but before I can say anything, she starts talking about a couple of the people that had come up to her and said that they were going to be coming to her shop and ordering cupcakes for different things that were happening. And then we start talking about the breast cupcakes and how that person hadn’t even heard of them when she had thought the entire world knew. And we drift away from the subject that I probably should have spoken about.

But somehow, the dark, the satisfaction of knowing that what we just did had been a success, and more than anything, having the right person in the car with me, makes me feel warm and happy and I don’t want to rock the boat. So I allow the moment to pass and don’t think about it again.

Chapter 25

Nora

It’s been more than two weeks since I’ve seen Leo. I’ve been crazy busy at the shop. He actually did text me a couple of times to let me know that he had some things he had to do and he apologized for not being in to get coffee or cupcakes.

Like I expect him to come in every morning to buy coffee or something.

Still, I miss him. It’s kind of crazy that I can spend time with someone, such a short amount, and when I don’t see them for a while, I miss them.

But it’s July 4th, and I’m with my family. My mom and dad and my brothers and their families are camped out in our little spot where we spend every year to eat supper and watch the Fourth of July fireworks. It’s just down from the playground and up on a little rise.

We get here early to secure our spot, because it’s not like the rest of the townspeople would hold it for us if we didn’t seek it out. But it’s where we always watch the fireworks. It’s where I sat with my parents and my brothers as we were growing up, and we’ve expanded to take the entire top of the hill.

Of course there are other families all around us, each of them with the spot that they’ve had for years. A few newcomers have pushed in, and while I know that there are some people who are resentful, I try to be welcoming, because that’s the way I would want to be treated if I were to move to a town I didn’t grow up in.

Although it seems odd to think about me in a town other than Whisker Hollow.

---