Page 59 of SlapShot Sweetheart

EPILOGUE

“You wanna runthat by me one more time?” Aimee blinked in disbelief, her gaze flickering between Becca’s bright smile and the attractive woman standing awkwardly nearby. The woman’s expression screamedI wish I could disappear right now,and Aimee couldn’t help but imagine her doing an Olympic-worthy swan dive into the nearest exit.

“This is… um, was… Theo’s maid,” Becca said, her excitement bubbling over like soda in a shaken can. “I thought it’d be good to introduce you so things wouldn’t get weird.”

“Oh, they’re definitely weird,” Aimee muttered, crossing her arms as she focused on the maid. “Theo never mentioned having a maid - or did he? Are you like a cleaning lady type or one of those French maids in the sexy outfits? Because if there’s a uniform involved, let’s just say the chances of me walking down that aisle today are going to plummet faster than a lead weight in water.”

“Ugh, no!” The woman recoiled, her eyes wide with horror, as if Aimee had suggested something utterly preposterous. “You might like mouthy, smart-aleck guys, but we had an agreement. I only worked at the house when he was gone because, for a slob who doesn’t own much, he’s ridiculously picky.”

Aimee raised an eyebrow. “Wow, not the nicest thing to say about your boss. You really think he’s that high-maintenance?”

“He’s not my boss anymore,” the woman shot back, a hint of defiance in her voice.

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you!” Becca bounced on her toes, flapping her hands in excitement as if she were about to dive into a pile of gifts at Christmas. “She’s not working for Theo anymore because now she’s working for Coeur!”

Aimee chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, what’s your name? I’ll make sure to include you in my prayers.”

“Irene,” the woman replied, her frown deepening into a scowl. “And trust me, I could use them, but for very different reasons.”

“Oh?” Aimee leaned in, curiosity piqued. “What’s going on there?”

“Nothing,” Irene replied, crossing her arms defensively.

“Oh, but this gets even better!” Becca exclaimed, practically dancing with excitement.

“Better? Besides the fact that it’s my wedding day?” Aimee asked, skepticism lacing her tone.

“Boucher got married yesterday afternoon!” Becca practically shouted, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Aimee’s water, which she’d been sipping calmly just seconds before, suddenly erupted from her mouth in a spray, launching like a fountain toward the two women, who ducked just in time.

“Oh my gosh!” Irene squeaked, her eyes wide.

“Hey! Watch the hair!” Becca yelped, trying to brush the stray droplets off her face.

Aimee gasped for air, coughing and sputtering as she pointed at her throat mid-choke. “Did you just say…?”

“Boucher got married!” Becca repeated, her voice high-pitched with excitement. “Travis and Lafreniére came up with the idea, and the right person just happened to drop intoThierry’s lap. I mean, I thought there would be some sort of dramatic confrontation—shouting, tears, maybe even a few colorful words exchanged—but all Travis said was that Boucher just twitched an eye and nodded like it was all perfectly normal.”

“You. Are. Kidding. Me,” Aimee said, her jaw dropping.

“Nope! That little hellion screaming and running around? Those are his stepchildren now.”

Aimee’s eyes went wide. “Have you called CPS? Because this is starting to sound like a bad sitcom!”

“Aimee, he’s not that bad!” Becca laughed, though her smile quickly faded, replaced by a thoughtful frown. “I mean, at least that’s what Travis says. I can’t picture him as a stepfather, but when you’re backed into a corner...”

“That ‘corner’ involves shaping the minds of young children, Becca! You know he’s a wild card, right?”

He’s a good person,” Becca retorted, crossing her arms and looking more confident.

“Firmly against marriage!” Aimee countered, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Aren’t they all at some point?” Becca laughed, her tone playful. “No offense, Irene.”

“None taken,” Irene replied with a smirk, finally relaxing a bit. “But seriously, this could be interesting. Maybe this Boucher-guy will surprise us all.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Aimee said, shaking her head, though a smile tugged at her lips. “But at least it’s shaping up to be one heck of a wedding day.”

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