Page 37 of The Love Penalty

I love our home games during the holidays. We always have something fun for the fans. Every year during our first game after Thanksgiving we ask fans to bring plush toys and throw them on the ice after our team scores the first goal. Then all the players, referees, and ice crew members skate around collecting them in giant bags and they all get donated at the end of the night to the Children’s Hospital. It’s one of my favorite traditions.

We won the game last night, although it wasn’t an easy one. Ashton started a fight with one of the Quebec Loonies and got himself two penalties. We got scored on during that penalty kill. Then we got scored on again when I high sticked another guy and Olivia sent me to the penalty box. I wanted to talk to her,but out there on the ice, she’s all professional. She barely said anything to me or the rest of the guys. I couldn’t tell if whatever was bothering her earlier in the day was making her keep her distance from me.

The drive back to my house was filled with silence, but it didn’t feel awkward. We were both tired, and at some point I turned on the radio so we listened in comfortable silence. Once back at my house, we had some leftovers, made some small talk, and then we both went to bed. She didn’t suggest we watch a movie and I didn’t suggest we have a drink together.

This morning, I woke up early and made pancakes from scratch, as well as a breakfast casserole. I brewed coffee and prepared the table for us to have breakfast at. When I went to wake up Olivia, I found that she had left her door open a crack overnight and both cats slithered in at some point. The three of them looked so cozy sleeping together, I couldn’t help myself—I snapped a picture and set it as her contact picture. And maybe my background too.Okay, definitely my background.

I had a couple bites of pancake but put the rest away to warm up later when Olivia woke up. I then went to the basement to dig up all my Christmas decorations.

I’ve been deep in boxes for the last hour, when I hear footsteps upstairs and muffled noises. As she draws closer, I can hear Olivia calling out my name.

“I’m in the basement,” I yell up the stairs. After a few minutes, I see her rounding the steps, both cats in tow. She’s still in her pajamas and her hair is mussed from sleep, but damn if the sight of her doesn’t make my heart stop. She’s holding a blanket around her for warmth. “Are you cold? I can turn up the heat.”

She looks down at herself and realizes she’s holding the blanket. “Oh, no. I’m comfortable. Sorry, I didn't mean todisturb you, I just heard some noises and wasn’t sure what was going on.” She looks around, taking in the basement.

“You’re not disturbing me,” I say with a smile. “I tried to wake you up for breakfast, but you were trapped by two cats. And you were snoring, so I figured you were tired and wanted to sleep in.”

She narrows her eyes at me and says, “I do not snore. Do I?”

I give her a pat on the shoulder and say, “Like a freight train.”

She laughs but it’s not her normalshut uplaugh, it’s a nervous laugh. Why is she nervous again? It’s just the two of us here. Do I make her nervous? I take a few steps away and put some distance between us. Maybe I’m creeping her out. After all, this basement is not finished. It’s all concrete floor and walls, basically just a glorified storage unit.

“Are you hungry?” I ask at the same time as she says, “What are you doing down here?”

“I’m getting out my Christmas decorations. We’re going to meet my family at the tree farm and pick out some nice blue spruces to bring home. I want to have everything ready afterwards so we can decorate it.” I take a peek at her face and see her brows pulled together. “What’s wrong?” I say.

She immediately smooths her features and responds “It’s nothing. I didn’t realize your whole family was going to the farm.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of our tradition. I’m sure I told you we were going.”

“I thought you meant just us—but this makes more sense.” She shakes her head and then gives me a smile that seems genuine. “I’m going to shower then. Don’t want to make us late.”

“We have plenty of time. We should probably finish breakfast before we leave as well.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you in the kitchen in a bit,” she says and runs upstairs.

“O—kay,” I say, dumbfounded. Yeah, something is definitely off with her.

TWENTY-TWO

Olivia

I’ve been tryingto play it cool around Robbie but I don’t think it’s working. Ever since I admitted to Alice that I have feelings for him it’s like a cloud lifted and made everything clearer. And yet, my nerves have been through the roof.I had a plan, damn it.Which then promptly got derailed when Robbie mentioned his whole family is going to the farm with us to pick a tree.

Not that I am not ecstatic to spend more time with the Elliots, but my plan involved a very romantic confession from me among the Christmas trees. And provided it all went well and he reciprocated said feelings, my plan also involved some immediate make out sessions in his truck. My plan also included me taking him to a nice restaurant for a date right after we were done taking the tree back to his house.

Now I have to pivot. This is why I am not a planner. Things never work out in my favor.

I’ve showered and I’m pacing the kitchen after warming up the delicious food that Robbie no doubt woke up early and made.Why didn’t he want my help with it? I guess I can’t fault him for letting me sleep in when I did the same for him weeks ago.

“Hey,” Robbie’s deep voice startles me and makes me jump. I turn around to face him and see he’s holding a bunch of boxes on top of each other so I step in and help.

“Hey yourself. Let me help with those.”

“Thanks. We can put them on the living room floor.”

“I warmed up the breakfast you made. Thanks, by the way. For making it. And for letting me sleep in.” I give him a shy smile.

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