Into my hair, he says, “I’ve been worried today. About the pressure, the prying from the public. But also, seeing you here, this is your element. I was afraid that maybe I don’t fit.”
“You do.” I squeeze him tight.
Still holding me, so my feet don’t even touch the ground, he says, “We do?”
“We fit together,” I repeat, planting a warm kiss on his lips.
And that’s all the assurance we seem to need.
While Lane takes Kai to the face painting station as promised, I take over for Jess so she can cruise around the festival with her family. Mayor Nishimura orders a pumpkin Bundt for Thanksgiving morning. After we say goodbye, I tally the remaining slices of cake to keep track for Jess.
Frowning, I count again because I think a piece is missing. How could that have happened?
Before I triple-check the amount, Bree bustles over, bubbling with excitement. “Leah has done an amazing job! Did you see the ice sculptures and the parade of hockey mascots? They’re performing later with the Ice Maidens! This is phenomenal.” Then her expression drops. “I know you’ve been awake since an obscene hour, but you don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
Plastering on a smile, I say, “I am. This is great. I’m just processing everything, I guess.” This is partly true. “And trying to account for a missing slice.”
Bree whispers, “Is that code for you ate it and now you feel guilty?”
A laugh surfaces through the weight of my concern about the cake and my preoccupation with Lane. “No, but—” A figure darting behind the Milk Mustache truck again makes me drop what I was about to say. If it’s that paparazzo, I’m calling security.
“No, but—?” Bree fishes.
“I thought I saw—” I blink a few times, focusing on the brief image in my mind, trying to recall the details. “Actually, it really looked like Kai. Or him wearing a purple winter coat with braids poking out from under a white hat with pom poms. A familiar hat.” Eyes bulging, I continue, “One of the hats Bibi knit for me.”
“You mentioned Kai pulls pranks, could that be it, or are you tired? Overwhelmed? Need a bestie to gab with?”
Shaking my head slowly, I say, “He’s with Lane, but?—”
Bree links her arm through mine. “I know you and?—”
“I’m fine,” I fib.
She shakes her head, seeing right through me and we sit down on the chairs Liam brought for Jess and me. Wearing aconcerned expression, she says, “Come on. Let’s have a grat chat.”
I recall our gratitude chats and wonder why we haven’t had one in a while. They’re like pep talks, but with more appreciation and less pressure.
Bree says, “Talk to me. What’s really going on?”
I glance around to make sure we’re not being overheard, then launch into everything—the strange prank-like incidents at the bakery, the mysterious girl I keep glimpsing, Kai’s increasingly secretive behavior—though, today, he’s been normal. Then there are my worries about the lease, seeing women following Lane around, Badaszek’s grimace, the reporters, and the growing feeling that I’m in way over my head.
Bree taps her finger on her chin. “Where to start? The grimace. That’s just the coach’s face. Unless he’s cooing at his grandchildren, he looks like he’s going to strike someone with a hockey stick.”
I chuckle because she’s not entirely wrong. “And then there’s Lane’s father. He thinks I’m a gold-digging opportunist. Like, I’m just seeking Lane for his money and fame. What if he’s right? What if I don’t belong in this world?”
Bree listens patiently, then shakes her head. “Nina Elizabeth Bruun, you are being ridiculous.”
“Gee, thanks for the support.”
“I’m serious. You know what I see when I look at you and Lane together? I see two people who make each other better. I see a man who’s learned what family means because of you, and a woman who’s learned to take risks because of him.”
“But what if?—?”
Bree interrupts. “What if you trust that you deserve good things? What if you believe that you’re not your mother?”
The last one hits hard, but again, she’s right in a lot of ways.Everything has happened so fast, it’s like I’m a knotted ball of yarn—seems like the start of a Kai prank.
Before I can answer, a commotion near the game area catches our attention. A small figure in a dark coat weaves through the crowd, moving fast and purposefully.
