Page 31 of The Hockey Contract

"My schedule isn't conducive to relationships." He poured his protein shake into a glass. "Road trips, practice, games—it's easier to keep things casual."

I nodded, understanding more than I wanted to admit. "The bakery's my relationship. Four AM to closing, six days a week doesn't leave much time for dating."

For a moment, we shared a look of mutual understanding. Then I remembered I needed to get to the bakery.

"I should go," I said, pouring coffee into a travel mug I'd found. "Chloe's opening, but I need to finish today's special orders."

"The team skate starts at two," Jax reminded me. "Leo will pick you up at the bakery at one-thirty."

The mention of the skating event brought back my anxiety. "I really can't skate, Jax. At all."

"I'll help you." He rinsed his glass in the sink. "Just wear jeans and bring gloves. Leo will have a jersey for you to wear."

"A jersey?"

"With my name and number. Standard for player's wives." He said it matter-of-factly, but the word "wives" hung between us, a reminder of our new legal status.

"Right." I nodded, suddenly eager to escape the intimacy of the early morning kitchen. "See you at two, then."

The drive to the bakery was a relief—twenty minutes of solitude to gather my thoughts. I'd left Sprinkles at the house, deciding she'd be happier there than cooped up in my small office all day. The thought of my dog and Jax alone together brought an unexpected smile to my face.

At the bakery, the familiar scents and sounds enveloped me like a warm hug. Chloe was already there, placing fresh pastries in the display case.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Harrison," she teased as I entered. "How was the wedding night?"

"Separate bedrooms, separate lives, just as agreed," I replied, tying on my apron. "Though Sprinkles betrayed me to sleep with the enemy."

"Smart dog. The enemy is hot."

I threw a dish towel at her. "Can we please focus on baking?"

We fell into our usual rhythm, preparing the day's special orders. As we worked, I filled Chloe in on the wedding ceremony, the house, and the upcoming skate event.

"So he really kissed you?" Chloe asked, piping buttercream onto cupcakes. "Like, actually kissed you?"

"It was for show," I insisted, though the memory of Jax's lips on mine sent an unwelcome warmth through me. "We had an audience."

"Uh-huh." Chloe's tone was skeptical. "And how did this for-show kiss feel?"

I concentrated unnecessarily hard on the raspberry filling I was preparing. "It was fine. Brief. Professional."

"Professional." Chloe snorted. "Honey, I saw the photos Olivia leaked. That did not look professional."

"Photos can be misleading." I changed the subject quickly. "Did you see the bakery's social media numbers? They've tripled since yesterday."

"Leo texted me about it." Chloe's expression soured at the mention of his name.

I set down my piping bag and faced her directly. "What's really going on with you two? You're uncomfortable around each other!"

Chloe's shoulders slumped. "It's just ancient history."

"Not that ancient, judging by how you both react to each other."

She sighed heavily. "We dated in college. Briefly."

"How briefly?"

"Three months." She focused intently on arranging cupcakes. "It was intense. Then he got the internship with the sports agency and just... disappeared. No explanation, no goodbye, nothing. Classic ghosting before ghosting was even a term."

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