Page 13 of Love at Teamsgiving
I flash him a dirty look. “Yes, and I’m opening a salon. Thanks for asking. No free haircuts on your birthday.”
Miguel blinks a few times as if processing the new information. “Shane, you didn’t mention this.”
Biting his teeth together, Shane says, “Oh, I didn’t? Could’ve sworn I said something ...”
“Could’ve been because you had your mouth full of cinnamon?—”
Shane’s foot juts out and kicks Miguel’s leather boot.
He turns to me.
I hold up my hands. “I didn’t do it.”
Miguel lets out a hearty laugh as if piecing together what my brain refuses to compute. “Junie, you’re moving to Nebraska. I got traded to the Knights, so that means ...”
The comment takes a moment to catch up with me as it skates past his first team—the Kings—when we were still together. Then to the Cascades, pauses at the St. Louis Liberators ... and stops at the Nebraska Knights.
“This is news to me,” I say, having missed some sports news while preparing for my departure.
His voice is robotic when he says, “Yeah. Me too. Well, that we’ll both be in Nebraska.”
“Guys, Shane is finishing his residency. I’m wrapping up nursing school. We’re excited to have you share in our special day. Please set aside your differences and do this for us,” the bride-to-be says.
“We know you can make it work,” the groom-to-be adds.
The latte has me boiling over. I imagine steam coming out of my ears like on the espresso machine. My lips bunch up and a throaty laugh escapes because this must be an early Halloween trick.
Erica’s eyebrows pinch together. “Please play nice.”
“Miguel has never played nice a day in his life.”
He chuckles. “That’s but one of the things you loved about me.”
I scoff. “You wish.”
As if we’re two players at either end of an air hockey table, we pivot to face each other. His gaze swings to mine. I toss my hair, doing anything I can to avoid locking eyes. Sure, I can stare down strangers and creepers in this city, but I’ve never been able to resist this man, at least not since we ‘Broke the seal’ on that winter walk.
The corner of his lip hooks into a smile as if he’s reading me like a book. I glimpse his stupid, dimpled chin and my gaze travels up his defined jaw dotted with stubble to his full lips, and ... I lose when I meet his dark eyes, lined with thick lashes.
This is so unfair.
His jaw ticks as we have a staring contest. I shoot invisible fire darts his way. In return, I get his smolder that’s somehow icy. Or at least I want it to be because your girl Juniper could really stand to cool off right now.
However, the sweat isn’t from the latte. But I’d never admit he still makes me weak in the knees. Nor would I tell him that he’s right.Loved. Past tense. Ew. Gag. But it’s true that he never played nice and that was something I loved about him. A lot, actually.
But I am no longer in love with Miguel Cruz.
Much.
This is the guy who ruined love for me, who ruined our wedding. Now, I have to plan one for another couple with him.
Start digging the grave now because one of us isn’t going to survive this.
CHAPTER FOUR
When I first walked intothis café and saw Juniper Magdalena Popovik, time stopped and then accelerated as it tried to catch up with my pulse.
No matter how hard I try to resist it, this woman does something to me. She always has. Regretfully, I’m afraid she always will.
