He and the earliest of the early birds all seem to buy that reason for me coming in at six thirteen. No one seems to suspect that it has anything to do with Bruce’s granddaughter, who looks and seems far too sweet to impact a man’s life like a category five hurricane.
I go straight to the back of the cafe to where the washing machine is. I have a basket of laundry waiting there, and I shrug out of my now sweaty shirt and toss it in with the rest. I’ll come down and start that up as soon as I shower…and grab the sheet with the directions from Ruth. I’ve only done one load before this and needed her step-by-step handwritten note. I pull a tank from the basket and shrug into it before heading back out front.
But on my way past the counter toward my staircase, I catch Leo Landry’s eye, and he winks and points at his left shoulder.
I smile, but don’t understand.
Until I’m in my bathroom in front of the mirror.
Nora left a bite mark on my left shoulder.
I shake my head.Real subtle, Wildflower.
But fuck, that’s hot. She claimed me. Marked me.
And I want to go straight back over there and leave a few bite marks of my own onmygirl.
I’m insofucking much trouble.
CHAPTER 24
NORA
I tryto school my features as I approach the Parks and Recreation office. I don’t think I’m going to be able to hide what happened between Alex and me last night from my friends, but I can’t just walk around all day with a goofy, I-have-never-been-this-well-fucked grin on my face. Can I?
But I feel that grin the second I step inside the office and realize Andi is here as well. They’ll be so happy for me…
“Oh my God, Nora!” Sutton says the instant she sees me.
But that’s not a celebratory or a you-go-girl exclamation. She looks panicked.
I stop in front of her desk and look between the two of them. “What’s going on?”
Sutton looks worried, but Andi looks amused.
“My dad is texting and calling, asking if he can get tickets to the first game,” Sutton says.
Of course, I remember Sutton and Beckett’s dad. They grew up here, not moving to Minnesota until Sutton and Beckett were eighteen. Their dad lives in Texas now.
I nod. “I’m sure we can arrange that.”
“Ask her why her dad is so excited about it suddenly,” Andi says, lifting her to-go cup from Perks and Rec.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Astrid was on a podcast this morning. She got into a big argument with the host,” Sutton says.
I frown. “What? What podcast?”
“Sam The Sportsman,” Sutton says.
The way she says it, I can tell she doesn’t know who this is, but my heart skips a beat. “You’re kidding. He’s huge. He covers way more than hockey, and he’s got a nationwide audience. Maybe worldwide. Astrid was on his podcast?”
“Kind of. She called in. They were talking about us. And she called in and got into a fight with him,” Sutton says.
Andi chuckles. “It was professional. But it’s pretty entertaining.” She leans over and turns her phone on Sutton’s desk so that I can see the screen. Then she presses play on the image that’s filling the screen.
“We have a very interesting caller for you all right now from what I understand,” a man’s voice says. “Everyone, welcome Astrid Olsen to the program.”
