Page 102 of Perfectly Grumpy

Her footsteps stop outside our door. “If you’re down here, congratulations! You two are the official winners of hide-and-seek!”

THIRTY-THREE

lauren

After Aunt Karen announces our victory, we emerge from the closet, blinking in the light, neither of us quite able to look the other in the eye. We accept our first-place medals with hesitant smiles, but the real prize—or punishment, depending on how you look at it—was what happened in that small space.

Or rather, whatdidn’thappen.

Tate and I quietly go our separate ways after the game. No discussion about what happened. No resolution. Just one long look of yearning before he turns away—an unspoken agreement to never mention what transpired in that closet. It’s only the second time we’ve almost kissed this week, and the pattern is impossible to ignore. I need to keep my distance. Because that moment—with his breath grazing my ear, his body pressed against mine, his lips a heartbeat away—was the closest I’ve come to admitting what I feel for him. And I can’t afford that risk. Not when I’ve spent my whole career chasing something bigger than the Crushers. And not when his ex is asking to get together with him.

The NHL is the goal for both of us, and this relationship, no matter how real it’s starting to feel, isn’t going to get me there.

Maybe that’s the answer—finish the application forKansas City and let the future sort itself out. When I think about going back to being his PR manager, knowing what I now understand about his past and how he must hate the spotlight I’ve pushed him into, the guilt eats at me.

And that’s exactly why I can’t forget why this was supposed to be pretend.

“I’m heading back to the cabin to work on a few things,” he says later, already heading out the back door of the lodge. No goodbye. No explanation. I’m starting to wonder what exactly he’s doing during these disappearances.

I spend the rest of the afternoon hiding in the sunroom, finishing the application for Kansas City. When I finish, I take a deep breath and hit submit without hesitating. Because if I think too hard about it, I’ll never do it. And I’m a woman who makes things happen, not one who lets feelings derail her plans. I’m choosing the future I’ve always wanted—practical, straightforward, and predictable.

In other words,safe.

I shut my laptop and head to the kitchen where I find Olivia loading the dishwasher.

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you,” Olivia says. “Where’ve you been?”

“I was finishing up some things for work,” I say, taking out a pitcher from the fridge.

“I thought you said they would leave you alone for a week.”

“I wasn’t doing Crushers’ work,” I say, pouring a glass of lemonade. “But you have to promise to keep it a secret.”

She holds up a hand. “I swear.”

I glance around, then whisper loudly. “I submitted my application for the job in Kansas City.”

She blinks several times, her face falling slightly. “You applied already? I thought you were only considering it.”

“Applying doesn’t mean I got the job,” I say, taking a sip. “I haven’t even gotten an interview yet.”

“No, but you will,” she says, turning toward the counter to wipe off crumbs. “They’d be crazy not to hire you.”

I shake my head. “I knew you’d respond like this.”

She glances over her shoulder. “Like what?”

“Like you’re happy for me as long as it doesn’t mess with our family.”

She blinks at me, stunned. “Iamhappy for you, Lauren. This”—she gestures to her strained smile—“ismy happy face.”

I squint. “You sure? Because you’re wearing the look of someone about to burst into tears or flip a table.”

“Okay. So maybe I’m just a little emotional about it.” Olivia gathers a few dirty napkins left on the counter and wads them into a ball. “You’re my sister. It means a lot to me to have you close. And I thought it meant something to you, too.”

“It does. But that doesn’t change my plans. You know that.”

I’ve been telling her for years that I’ll move once I get an NHL job, but apparently she thought that might not happen until much later—possibly never.

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