Phillip

  But Mayor Thompkins, she doesn’t know what we do here. How can I trust her?”

  Mayor Thompkins

  Remember that it’s your job to do as I ask.

  Phillip

  I realize that, sir, but …

  Mayor Thompkins

  Then please just do your job.

  I may have gone a little bit far with the last response, but Phillip Bane is the most annoying person I have ever met. Being that I mostly work for entitled movies stars, that’s saying a lot.

  Now that I’ve told Phillip my dad is spending the morning with my mom, I have some time to kill before coming back to the office with his car. I decide to go to the library and do a deep dive into Maple Falls’ history to see if I can come up with something that will help us.

  CHAPTER 16

  JAMIE

  Practice goes well, and I’m happily surprised by the natural chemistry our team seems to have on the ice. So far, no one is hogging the puck, and they’re passing to everyone like they’re trying to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. If we continue like this, we might just be a contender for the Stanley, after all.

  As soon as practice ends, Dale calls us all over. “I’m impressed and I don’t say that lightly. We’ve got a lot of talent here and even though our season hasn’t started, I’m proud of you all. Let’s keep up the good work.”

  The men seemingly puff their chests at the compliment. We might be pro athletes, but getting approval from our coach is always appreciated. Dale continues, “The press are very interested in us right now, and I want all of you to take as many interviews as you can. Don’t talk about the bachelor auction yet, but talk up Maple Falls; talk up your new team; and please don’t be shy about mentioning your personal lives. That’s always a big hit with the fans.”

  As the guys skate off the ice, Dale tells me, “I got a call from Hockey magazine. They say you’ve been avoiding their reporter. Why is that?”

  “All they want to do is talk about Allegra, Dale. I don’t want to talk about her.”

  “It’s done, Jamie. Allegra left you and you’ve both moved on. Just keep your chin up and don’t let them know you're bothered.”

  “But it does bother me. It would be one thing if I were seeing someone else, but I’m not. So, I look like the loser who got left, and that’s not an image I want to perpetuate.”

  Dale puts his arm around my shoulder before saying, “You need a new girlfriend.”

  I shake my head hard enough that he takes a step away to avoid getting head-butted. “No, I don’t.”

  “You don’t need a real girlfriend,” he says while looking at me meaningfully.

  My face scrunches up in confusion. “Do you want me to buy a big stuffed animal and tell everyone she’s my new life partner?”

  “No, son. I want you to find a nice girl and I want you to go out on a few dates. You don’t have to pledge your undying love. You don’t have to ask her to marry you. Just show the world you’ve moved on, too. It’s as easy as that.”

  Nothing he just said is easy. I live in Maple Falls and while I’m sure there are single women here, I don’t know any of them. And even if I did, I’m not about to put myself in the position of having someone else talk to the press about me. No, thank you.

  Before I can make this clear, Dale tells me, “There’s a reporter coming by in a few minutes. I told her you would give an interview.”

  My head starts to tingle like I’m going to have a stroke. “Dale …” I start to say, but he doesn’t give me a chance to finish my thought.

  “You’re the captain of the team, Jamie. You are the leader. As such, you have to show everyone you’re a team player. I just told all the guys they had to talk to the press, and so do you. There’s no way out.”

  I nod my head once to let him know I’ve heard him, but I don’t trust myself to speak. His last sentiment, “there’s no way out,” feels as much a threat as it is a fact. I am the captain. I do have to lead.

  Once I’m back in the locker room, I hurry to change out of my gear and then I head to the press room. As expected, the reporter is waiting for me. A tallish woman wearing jeans and a blazer stands up and walks toward me. Crud, she’s pretty. It’s bad enough that I look like a joke for the world to see, but now I have to explain to an attractive woman that I’m not man enough to keep my girlfriend. Fun times.

  She reaches out her hand toward me. “Emily Hough from Hockey magazine.”

  I shake her hand and respond, “Jamie Hayes.”

  “Thank you for agreeing to talk to me, Jamie. You’re a hard man to get an interview with.”

  I don’t bother explaining why that is. I’m sure she already knows. Leading the way to the press table, I sit down and gesture for her to do the same. “I’m really excited about the Ice Breakers,” I tell her. “I’m happy to answer any questions you have about the team.”

  I don’t care if Dale wants me to talk about my personal life, I want to make it clear to Emily that isn’t why I’m here.

  She pulls out her phone and puts it on the table between us. “Do you mind if I record this?”

  I always hate being recorded, but I nod my head like a good boy. “Great,” she says. Looking down at a pad of paper she’s holding, she announces, “I hear that you and Allegra have broken up. Did that have anything to do with your decision to leave New York and come to Maple Falls?”

  It had everything to do with my decision and I’m sure she knows that, or she wouldn’t have asked the question. Yet, I refuse to take the bait. “I loved playing for New York,” I tell her. “I loved living in New York.” I feel the need to throw in, “It’s my hometown.”

  “Which makes it so surprising you left.” She stares at me like she’s trying to perform a Vulcan mind meld on me. That’s right, I’m an old-school Star Trek fan.

  “Emily,” I say before taking a big breath, hoping to lower my rising blood pressure. “I started my career with Dale Hauser. He taught me everything about this game. When I was offered the opportunity to work with him again, I couldn’t pass it up.”

  She looks disappointed by my answer. “What about Allegra?”

  I try to shrug off her question in the most nonchalant manner possible. “What about her?”

  “Are you upset about the breakup? Are you hoping to win her back?”

  There’s no way I can avoid answering, so I take a beat to try to get my thoughts together before saying, “Allegra and I were a couple for three years. We both have very demanding careers that kept us apart a lot.” She looks at me expectantly, so I add, “The distance just became too much.”

  “That’s why you think she left you?”

  “You’d have to ask her if you want to know her reason.”

  She flips a page in her notebook before telling me, “Oh, I did.” Even though I don’t really want to hear what my ex said, I know Emily isn’t going to spare me. “Allegra says that she loved you very much but when she met Brett Tremaine, it was like a switch turned on—like she’d been waiting for him her whole life.” She looks down at her notes briefly before adding, “Brett told me that when their eyes met it was like they recognized each other from another place and time.”

  That’s such romanticized drivel, I want to vomit. I want to suggest that Brett probably told his three ex-wives the same thing, but I know that would only make me look pathetic. So, I offer, “I think it’s great they found each other. I’m a real proponent of love.”

  Emily’s eyes narrow slightly like she doesn’t believe me. Going right for the jugular, she asks, “Are you heartbroken, Jamie?”

  This, right here, is why I hate the press. They won’t rest until I act out the part of abandoned boyfriend. Am I heartbroken? Maybe I was right after it happened, but it’s been four months. I’ve managed to cruise along the stages of grief pretty quickly, even though I did spend a good amount of time wallowing in self-pity.

  I decide to throw her a bone in hopes she’ll take it and back off. “I wasn’t happy when Allegra broke up with me, but if she hadn’t …” What in the world do I say now? I search my brain, trying to come up with a way to finish that sentence.

  I pause long enough that Emily asks, “If she hadn’t, what?”

  I’m as shocked as she is when I open my mouth and tell her, “If she didn’t, I would have never met my current girlfriend.”

  Emily looks all kinds of excited that she’s the one who gets to break this news to the world. “What’s her name? How long have you been seeing each other? Is she here in Maple Falls with you?”

  All valid questions that I don’t have the answer to because … wait for it … I’m lying. “We’re not ready to make our relationship public yet,” I tell her before asking, “Any chance you’ll keep the information to yourself for now?”

  She laughs loudly in response. “Sorry, Jamie, no. If you’d wanted to keep that on the down-low, you should have told me upfront.”

  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

  “Can you at least tell me something about her?” Emily asks hopefully.

  And right here is where I completely lose it because the only woman who pops into my mind is the mayor’s daughter. That’s probably why I stupidly say, “I don’t think Ashlyn would appreciate that.”

  “Ashlyn?” she asks excitedly. “Ashlyn what?”

  I shift nervously in my seat. “I think I’ve told you enough.”

  “Does she live in Maple Falls?” she prods like a velociraptor on the Jurassic Park fence.

  “No, she doesn’t.” At least that part’s true. Ashlyn Thompkins lives in Los Angeles. She’s only visiting Maple Falls.

  “Is she here now?” Emily looks around wildly like my made-up girlfriend is going to jump out from behind some random piece of furniture.

  I pick up my phone like I’m looking at the time, before announcing, “I’m running late for my next appointment.” Then I stand up and tell her, “I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me.” More lies.

  She stands up as well. “I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.” Her grin is straight up cat after eating the canary. Rather, a whole flock of them. “I’ll be on the lookout for your new girlfriend, Jamie.”

  I just bet she will. “If I promise to tell you who she is before I tell any other reporter, will you not look too hard?”

  Her exaggerated snort says it all. My life is fair game and Emily is not going to cut me any slack.

  CHAPTER 17

  ASHLYN

  The first thing I do when I get to the library is to search out old maps of Maple Falls. I need to find out exactly where Victor MacDonald’s property was located. As I spread the first drawing out on an old walnut table, my knee strikes something sticky. Gross. I wonder how much gum has been stuck to the underside over the years. Maybe as acting mayor I can assign the task of cleaning off old gum to people who get caught littering. Or better yet, to Phillip.

  Forcing myself to refocus, I scan the first map. According to the key on the copy of the original settlement boundaries map, everything marked in blue belonged to Victor MacDonald. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach like a lead weight when I see blue everywhere.

  Consulting a copy of Maple Falls’ most recent map, I learn what property is at risk. An audible gasp escapes me when I see that it encompasses a large amount of Main Street, as well as the arena. Of less importance to the town, but of great importance to everyone on my parents’ street, the preserve behind a lot of our homes is also under threat. This is so, so bad.

  Taking both maps up to the librarian I ask him to please make copies for me. Once I have them, I go to my car and call Phillip. He doesn’t answer his phone, which I can only take to mean that he doesn’t want to talk to me. That makes two of us, buddy.

  I call Marcy next. Before she can say anything, I blurt out, “It’s worse than we thought, Marcy.”

  “How bad is it?” she sounds nervous.

  “Victor MacDonald owned the land the arena is on, as well as a big part of Main Street.”

  “No!”

  “I’m guessing his heir knows this and he’s going to play hardball. I mean, why wouldn’t he?”

  “Do you have an emergency meeting called yet?”

  “I asked my dad’s assistant to do it, but the guy hates me. I’m not overly optimistic he’s going to make it happen.” I slump back against the driver’s seat and start to seriously consider calling my dad.

  “I’ll do it,” Marcy says. “I have all the names and numbers of the council members. I’ll set the meeting for tomorrow afternoon.”

  I exhale loudly. “I’m sure everyone will love being called in on a Sunday.”

  “At least most of them should be able to make it,” Marcy says. “Are you sure you don’t want to call your dad?”

  “I’d like to see if I can’t handle this before I do.”

  “I’ll make the meeting for two o’clock. That way stomachs will be full, and hopefully brains will be ready to come up with some great ideas.”

  “Where does the town council meet?”

  “There’s a room on the first floor of Town Hall,” she tells me. That makes sense even though I envisioned it in a quaint building in the middle of town like they used in that old television series, Gilmore Girls.

  After hanging up with Marcy, I look at the clock. It’s nearly eleven, so instead of driving my dad’s car to the office, I text Phillip from his phone.

  Mayor Thompkins

  I’m taking the day off to spend with Mrs. Thompkins. Don’t worry about setting up the emergency meeting, Marcy Fontaine is taking care of that.

  The ellipses appear immediately. So the little sneak was avoiding me.

  Phillip

  Sir, I was going to set up the meeting as soon as I spoke to you. Your daughter wouldn’t tell me what it’s about.

  Mayor Thompkins

  Don’t worry about it, Phillip. Ashlyn is on it.

  Phillip

  But, sir …

  I don’t bother responding. I figure the less I pretend to be my dad, the better. It’s bad enough I’ll have to host the meeting tomorrow without the actual mayor being present, but I’ll come up with some excuse.

  Before I leave the library parking lot, I get another text. This time it’s from Jamie Hayes.

  Jamie

  I’m done at the rink. Is the offer to show me around town still open?

  Shoot, I forgot about that. I suppose the good news is that Jamie knows what’s going on with Victor MacDonald’s land so he can help me brainstorm.

  Me

  How about if we meet at the farmers’ market? It’s at the park at the edge of town.

  Jamie

  That’s not very specific. Isn’t there an address or something?

  Me

  Just follow the crowd.

  Jamie

  Are you serious?

  Me

  Jamie, this is Maple Falls, not New York. Trust me, you really can’t miss it.

  On the way to the market, the gravity of what’s happening hits me. My hometown is in serious jeopardy. I’m just grateful my dad will be home next week, and he’ll be able to take over. All I have to do is get the ball rolling and then I can go back to LA and my own life.

  The parking lot around the farmers’ market is packed, so I have to park a good distance from the entrance. I see several people I know on the way in. Some of them I simply wave to, but others, like Bailey, I stop to chat with. I’m also eyeing her delicious-looking maple butter products she’s carrying in for her booth.

  When I finally arrive at the entrance, I spot Jamie waiting for me. He’s talking to two young boys that I don’t know. Hurrying to his side, I tell him, “Sorry it took me so long. I bumped into half the town in the parking lot.”

  “No worries,” he says before turning his attention back to the boys. “I’ll be looking for you two at the arena, okay?” They nod enthusiastically before running away. “Two of Troy Hart’s boys,” he tells me.

  Before we can walk in, a woman about my age runs over to us. I’m half-convinced she’s going to hit us bowling-ball style, but she slows down at the last minute. “Jamie!” she calls out.

  The look on my new friend’s face suggests she’s someone he’s not happy to see. “A fan?” I guess. The interloper arrives before he can answer.

  “Emily,” he says to her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I followed you from the arena.” Hmm, maybe she’s a stalker.

  “I wish you wouldn’t have.” He steps in front of me like he’s trying to shield me.

  The woman looks around him right at me and asks, “Ashlyn?”

  “Do I know you?” Just because I don’t recognize her doesn’t mean we didn’t go to school together or something. People do change.

  She looks so happy, I’m convinced we must have been best friends at some point. “You’re Ashlyn, right?” she repeats.

  I step around Jamie and tell her, “Ashlyn Thompkins. Did you go to Maple Falls High?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m a reporter for Hockey magazine. I have a couple of questions for you, if you don’t mind.”