by Aven Ellis
“Yes,” I say, nodding. “Big meeting with Tiffany today. And I’m going to go back to Angelique and ask for a more challenging project.”
The microwave beeps, signaling my oatmeal is ready. I retrieve it and sit down next to Cade, who is demolishing his meal. I can’t believe how much food he packs away.
“Angelique needs to be cross-checked,” Cade declares, taking a bite of his toast.
I steal a glance at him. He’s wearing a navy and orange plaid flannel shirt and his Denver Broncos baseball cap, which he always wears backward.
“This toast is the best toast I’ve ever had,” he says, interrupting my thoughts. Cade turns to me. “I still can’t believe you make bread for me.”
I make you bread because baking is a form of love, I think, staring at him.
“I want you to have the best fuel possible,” I say, keeping my other reason to myself.
“And this jam,” Cade says. “I love it.”
“Chia seeds have a great nutritional profile.”
Cade puts his hand on the side of my face. “Do you know how grateful I am that you have a shitty oven?”
I grin at him. “Daily.”
“Yes. By the way, can you do me a solid and pick up the Halloween costumes for Saturday?” Cade asks, wiping his lips with a napkin.
Cade asked me to go with him to a party the captain, Gavin Tremblay, is throwing this Saturday night. Apparently, Halloween—and dressing up—is a big deal in the hockey world. We went last week on one of his off nights to get our costumes.
“Yes, of course,” I say, nodding. “When will they be ready?”
“Thursday. Make sure there are three. I had another one special ordered.”
I furrow my brow. “Okay. A World War II airman costume, a Rosie the Riveter costume, and what’s the third?”
A wicked gleam enters his eyes. “I have a surprise for Jupe. Payback for putting Icy Hot in my gloves a few weeks ago at practice, that wanker.”
I cock an eyebrow at him. “What kind of surprise?”
“You’ll see when you pick it up. And don’t tell Sierra. It will ruin my prank.”
“Why do I have a feeling his Luke Skywalker costume is going to go missing?”
The door opens, and Cade quickly takes the last bite of his eggs.
“Hey, guys!” Sierra says, walking in the door with Jude following her. Leia bolts in behind them.
“Hey,” Cade and I both say at the same time.
“Are you about ready?” Sierra asks, grabbing her lunch out of the fridge.
“Yeah, let me go finish up,” I say.
Cade stands and picks up my bowl and his plate then takes them to the sink. I head back to my room and finish getting ready, quickly adding some light makeup to my face. I hear Sierra talking with the guys, and I’m still curious as to what costume Cade is going to stick poor Jude with for Saturday night.
When I’m ready, I come out and say goodbye to Cade. I hate when he has to leave, which seems to be every few days this month. He said his travel schedule is really bad during November and December, and I’m dreading it because I miss him a lot already and this is a light travel month.
Cade draws me to him, sliding his hands around my waist.
“I already miss you,” I whisper, pressing my hand to his cheek.
Cade wraps his hand over mine. “Me, too. But I’ll be home all next week.” He leans down and gives me a kiss. “Bye, my sweet Josephine.”
“Bye,” I say, letting him go.
Jude gives Sierra a quick kiss, and our guys head to the door.
“Go kick some ass,” Sierra says.
“That’s his division, not mine,” Jude quips.
I can’t help but smile. I swear Cade spends more time in the penalty box than anyone on the Mountain Lions.
“And Josephine?” Cade says as they step out the door. “Go revisit your Purpose and Passion statement. I adjusted it.”
Then he shuts the door behind them.
Curious, I hurry over to my vision board, and I see that Cade has taken a pen and added to my plan for today:
Be purposeful in dealing with Angelique. I find a right hook to the face is effective in driving a point home. And her elitist ass deserves it.
Don’t use all your passion in the kitchen. Save some for your boyfriend when he gets home. You’ve learned my tattoos for Life, Dream, and Passion. You might be able to seduce the fourth symbol out of me this weekend.
Missing you already.
Cade
Oh, my God.
My eyes re-read the word boyfriend over and over as if my brain is playing a trick on me.
But it’s not. It’s right in front of me, in Cade’s distinct handwriting.
He wrote “boyfriend.”
Cade called himself my boyfriend.
“JoJo, are you okay?”
I turn toward Sierra, and the biggest smile spreads across my face.
“He called himself my boyfriend,” I say.
“I told you it would come soon enough,” she says. “I’m so thrilled for you. You guys are such a great couple, and you need to be together!”
“I know! I’m so happy. But I can’t freak out about it,” I say, trying to reel in my excitement. “Yes, it’s a big step, but it’s only one step. Cade still says he wants to go slowly, so I can’t get ahead of myself and start planning our future.”
“JoJo, I know why you’re being so careful, I do, but at some point, I’d love to see you be secure in what you have with Cade and live it fully. Like you do at work. You’re so fearless in what you say and in asking for what you want. I wish you’d trust your heart enough to follow that with the man you love.”
I consider her words for a moment. I long to do what she suggests. To say what I feel and not have to worry about it destroying what I’m building with Cade. To live with passion and let my words follow. To tell Cade what I feel in my heart instead of hiding it.
But I can’t. I can’t take the chance that my words could overwhelm Cade and ruin what we have.
“We’re still really early in our relationship,” I say. “Cade’s not going all in until he’s one hundred percent sure about us.”
“Calling you his girlfriend isn’t all in?”
“I mean forever all in like Jude is with you. He was forever after the first kiss in the elevator, you told me that. Cade isn’t like that. He’s protective of his heart.”
“Oh, I think he is all in. Maybe he won’t let his brain admit it yet.”
Oh, how I hope Sierra is right.
I clear my throat. “Anyway, I’m glad to be his girlfriend. If the rest is meant to be, it will happen when Cade’s ready.”
As we grab our bags and head out the door, I know I’m full of crap.
We are meant to be.
I knew it when I met him wearing that apron.
I know it now more than ever.
If we don’t have a forever, it will devastate me.
And there will be no recovery from that.
***
“You’re unsatisfied with the assignments I’m giving you,” Angelique says, her green eyes flickering with annoyance behind her glasses.
Well, this conversation is already crap after oh, two minutes.
I’ve come into Angelique’s office to ask if I can do a development project for the April issue, as I’m nearing completion on Skye’s project.
“Doesn’t Tiffany have any more little teeth-cutting projects for you?” Angelique asks pointedly, removing the tea bag from her mug and tossing it into the trash. “After all, you’re her protégée now.”
Cade is right. Giving her a right hook is indeed a better way to get my point across.
“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t speak to me in such a condescending tone.”
Your jealousy isn’t very becoming, I add in my head.
“Don’t be so sensitive,” Angelique says, pausing to take a sip of her tea. “I was merely pointing out that Tiffany already l
ets you do special projects under her guidance. I have a work schedule to complete, and I need you on task.”
“I can complete ingredient testing and brand comparisons while working on another development project. I would love to do something for the April issue.”
Angelique purses her lips. “If you insist. I was thinking of adding a challenge feature where unusual ingredients are used in desserts. People love baking challenges on TV.”
Alarm bells go off in my head. People do love those shows on TV, but that doesn’t mean they want to make a chicken cupcake on the weekend.
“What kind of baking challenge?” I ask warily.
“I’m thinking spring. Time for picnics. And bugs,” she adds, smiling serenely at me.
“Bugs?”
“I want you to come up with a collection of desserts that use insects as an ingredient,” Angelique says, pressing her fingertips together and tapping them gleefully. “You have to be able to taste the insects, of course.”
Oh, hell no.
“With all due respect, while watching a chef use mealworms on TV is fun, I don’t think our readers, for the most part, will want to replicate that at home.”
Angelique frowns. “It’s too challenging for you, isn’t it?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“I understand it may be a little tricky for someone at your level.”
“Oh, I can do it,” I say confidently, hanging on to my calm by a thread. “And I’ll present you an array of insect-infused desserts if that is what you would like to see.”
She bites her lip. I think she expected more of a fight from me on this.
“Once they are completed, I’ll schedule a tasting for you,” I add.
Angelique’s face falls. “Tasting?”
“Tiffany has tasted all the items in my development project for Skye, and I expect you to do the same, of course. What do you prefer, Angelique? Crickets, mealworms, or ants? Or should I surprise you?”
Angelique begins to turn green. It’s all I can do not to laugh.
“I’ll go with a surprise,” I decide for her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to order cricket flour because I’m pretty sure we don’t have that in the pantry.”
I turn and walk out of her office, a huge smile spreading across my face. I find myself rather inspired to work with bugs for my dessert collection.
And I can’t wait to tell my boyfriend all about it.
With that thought in my head, I head off to my desk to research what wonderful creepy, crawly, crunchy things I can find to stuff into cookies for my dear boss Angelique.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Cade finds a spot a block over from Gavin’s house and parallel parks his SUV. It’s Saturday night, and we’re going to the captain’s house for his annual Halloween bash.
“Will you grab Jupe’s costume from the back seat?” Cade asks as he unfastens his seatbelt.
“Jupe is going to kill you,” I say.
I reach behind me and retrieve Jude's Luke Skywalker costume, which Cade stole and locked in his car earlier.
Cade grins wickedly. “Did you hear all the British cuss words flying out of his mouth when he found the Pot Noodle costume I left for him?”
I can’t help but giggle. Jude was pissed. And Cade told him he couldn’t have the Luke Skywalker costume until he showed up at Gavin’s in his green Pot Noodle cup outfit, complete with a noodle hat.
“Don’t worry, he’ll get me back,” Cade says, opening his door.
I do the same, and shiver as the brisk October air hits my bare legs. My Rosie the Riveter costume is a denim chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a red bandana tied around my dark locks, and the costume was “Halloweenified” by pairing it with high-waisted chambray shorts. In other words, made sexier.
I move around to the front of the car, and Cade is tugging on his vintage leather bomber jacket. He’s so incredibly delicious dressed as a World War II airman, complete with hat and aviator sunglasses.
He comes around to me, putting his hand on the curve of my waist.
“You look so hot,” he says, his hand skimming over my backside and to the bottom of my shorts in a teasing way. “You’re the sexiest Rosie ever.”
My cheeks grow warm from the compliment. “And I think you’re dashing as an airman,” I say, reaching up and adjusting his tie. “All kinds of sexy.”
“Save that thought for later,” Cade says.
I grin as he takes my hand in his. Gavin’s house is a block over as all the parking on his street was taken already. As we are walking, Cade’s phone goes off again, and I know it’s Jude without him telling me.
Cade laughs. “I’m still a knob.”
I shake my head. “And you two are best friends?”
“Of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t go to all the trouble to have that Pot Noodle costume made for him.”
I see people in costumes going in and out of a brand new, three-story, contemporary home. I can see a rooftop deck filled with more Halloween revelers.
“Nice house,” I say, imagining how fun it would be to have a rooftop deck like Gavin’s.
“You think so?”
I glance over at Cade, but can’t read his expression due to the sunglasses he’s wearing.
“Well, the rooftop deck is cool, but I’m not really a modern house type person. I like a more traditional home.”
“I want an old house,” Cade says. “It has to have history.”
“I know you don’t want to buy one now, but have you looked at older properties here?”
“Yeah, I’ve looked,” he admits. “But nothing has spoken to me yet.”
He hasn’t found his Springwood, I muse.
I watch as a man dressed as a bar of soap and a woman in a big loofah sponge costume head up the sidewalk. I can’t help but laugh at their costumes.
“Who is that, can you see?” I ask. After all, it’s dark out, and Cade has sunglasses on.
“That’s Brayden, one of our rookies. I have no idea who the girl is, though. He’s always with a different girl. I can’t keep track.”
“Ah,” I say.
“He doesn’t have a Josephine yet,” Cade adds, his voice soft.
Swoon.
I smile up at him. “I like being your Josephine.”
The dimple pops out of his cheek, and my heart melts in response.
“Right now you’re my Rosie,” he says, squeezing my hand.
We make our way up the sidewalk, and music is blaring from the house. I assume his neighbors know this event happens every year and let their beloved Mountain Lions party their hearts out on this night.
Cade leads me into the party, and I spot all kinds of incredible costumes. Man, Cade wasn’t kidding when he said Halloween was a big deal in the hockey community. I see Maxime dressed as Robin Hood, complete with a sling of arrows across his back and swashbuckling boots. No Maid Marion with him, though, unless she is somewhere else at the moment. If he doesn’t have a Maid Marion, he could easily have one by the end of the night dressed like that.
I spot Eric from The Little Mermaid with an Ariel in a gorgeous sequined costume. I see three guys together dressed as two ducks and a goose. Two ducks and a goose? Then it hits me. Duck, duck, goose, just like the children’s game. Very clever.
Gavin walks toward us dressed as the King of the North from Game of Thrones, complete with a black curly wig covering his blond locks.
“Hey, Callahan, what’s up?” Gavin says easily. Then the handsome captain with the bright blue eyes turns to me. “I see you brought your better half tonight instead of Jupe, eh?”
He’s Canadian, I think. And he knows the Jupe story.
“Jupe will be here,” Cade says. “Gavin, I’d like for you to meet my girlfriend, Josephine Rossi. Josephine, this is Gavin Tremblay.”
I shift the Luke costume to my other arm and extend my hand to Gavin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. And you can call me JoJo.”
“JoJo it is,”
Gavin says, shaking my hand.
“Is Veronica here?” Cade asks, glancing around.
Veronica. I remember Sierra telling me about her. Veronica is Gavin’s girlfriend and a total bitch, at least according to Cade and Jude. I haven’t seen her at the private lounge for wives and girlfriends, which is odd now that I think about it.
“Yeah, somewhere,” Gavin says. “You can’t miss her. She’s dressed as Khaleesi.”
Hmmm. From the way Cade and Jude talk about her, it sounds like Cersei—the villainess—would be a more appropriate costume choice.
Gavin’s eyes shift to the costume I’m holding. “Are you changing later?”
“Oh, no, this is Jude’s,” I explain.
“We’re holding Jupe’s costume hostage,” Cade says. “In fact, why don’t you hold it up in a threatening pose and we’ll send a picture to Jupe?”
Oh, my God, Cade is killing me right now with the mischievous smile on his face.
He’s absolutely wicked.
And I love it.
“Excellent! Let me get a glass of red wine, and we can act like we’re going to spill it on the costume while JoJo takes a picture.”
I hand the costume to Cade and retrieve my phone from my mini Kate Spade crossbody bag.
Cade removes his sunglasses, and as sexy as he looks in them, I prefer to see his beautiful jade-colored eyes.
“Can you hold on to these?”
I nod and take them from him, stashing them carefully inside my purse.
A few more hockey players walk up and talk to us, and I recognize some of the girlfriends from the games. I’m officially Cade’s girlfriend and now I’m one of “them.” We’re definitely moving in the right direction as a couple, and I hope Cade feels it, too.
“I have something even better,” Gavin declares, coming back up to us. “Scissors!”
“Brilliant,” Cade says, his eyes shining brightly.
Gavin furrows his brow. “Now you sound like Jupe.”
I laugh because it’s true.
Cade gives me a side-eye glance. “Don’t agree with him.”
“I’m only here to take the picture,” I tease.
I hand the costume to Gavin, who holds it up while Cade puts the pair of scissors next to it.
