Page 53 of Cole

“I learned a lot about it when Mom had Benji. That’s where I got interested in stuff like this.”

“And now you’re doing ice skating costumes.”

“Well, just one so far.”

“Amelia is probably going to want more than just one, since you did such a great job on it.”

“She did an ice test with it while I was sick, and it seems like it worked out okay.”

“Has she worn it for a competition yet?”

“No, but she has one coming up this weekend that I think she’s going to wear it for.”

Annie usually kept working as they chatted, but this time, she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off Cole. He was relaxed back against whatever chair he was sitting in, and it appeared that he was wearing his team T-shirt.

“Do you think you and Benji might want to come to LA for a home game?” he asked.

Annie straightened a little at his words. She wanted to immediately say yes, but she knew it was going to be more complicated than that for them.

“When were you thinking?” she asked.

“I can send you the schedule and you can check over which dates might work for you.”

She wanted to ask if it would be okay if Andrew and Dawn came with them, but she bit her tongue. Their presence was going to be a non-negotiable for Jude and her dad, so she’d have to ask about including them eventually, but it could wait since asking first off might appear a bit weird.

“That would be great. I’ll have to ask my parents if Benji can go. They have to give permission before I can take him anywhere.”

“I expected as much, which is why I’m open to whatever date might work for you. If you pick a home game where we have a couple of days before or after without travel or a game, I could spend some time with you.”

“Dad might let Benji take a day or two off school, depending on what sort of mood he’s in and how Benji’s grades are.”

Cole chuckled. “Maybe it would be a good incentive to keep his grades up.”

“Probably.” Although the current incentive seemed to work pretty well, which was that he’d be out of school and back with a tutor if he didn’t keep his grades up. Thankfully, Benji was naturally smart, so it wasn’t a hardship.

“Any big plans for the rest of the week?” Cole asked.

He’d asked the question before, and it always made her feel like she was a super boring person because she usually didn’t have much going on beyond sewing. However, that week, she had something else to do.

“I’m going to Coeur d’Alene on Thursday afternoon to drop off some stuff at the women’s shelter there.”

“Do you do that often?”

“Usually once a month.”

“Do you make stuff specifically for the shelter?”

“Yes, or sometimes if I have stock that hasn’t sold in awhile, I’ll donate that too.”

She hadn’t told him that she also took a check that equaled everything she’d earned during the previous month, plus personal funds she added to match it.

Sliding off her chair, she went to the stacks of folded clothing at the far end of her worktable. Sliding them carefully across the smooth surface, she moved them to the front of her tablet.

“Here’s what I’m taking tomorrow. It’s mainly mittens, scarves and hats. Mostly for kids, but there’s some stuff for the women as well. I also take a bunch of personal hygiene products for the shelter to give to the women.”

Cole stared at her for a moment, then sat forward. “Would you be interested in attending a fundraiser dinner with me for a charity that I’ve partnered with?”

Annie froze. There was nothing she’d like more, but right then, such a thing felt impossible. How would she ever be able to convince her dad that it would be fine? She didn’t think she could.

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