Page 5 of The Overtime Persuasive

I smooth one hand over the front of my dress, lift my chin, and summon the confidence of a woman who owns every book, record, and pumpkin-shaped object in this building.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

He turns toward me, and instead of answering, he looks around the shop again. His gaze travels over the records, the bookshelves, and the wide archway leading into the café. Then he looks toward the counter.

“That candle.”

I follow his gaze, where a flame flickers cheerfully between the two ceramic pumpkins. A man after my own heart.

“It’s pumpkin spice.” I breathe in appreciatively. “I love this time of year. Doesn’t it smell amazing?”

“Hmm.” Not quite the enthusiastic response I was expecting. He looks back at me. “I don’t believe you’re supposed to have that lit in here.”

“It’s fine.” I laugh. “I’m keeping an eye on it.”

He doesn’t laugh with me. Instead, he reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and removes a business card, at the same time my confidence wobbles. “Are you Eva Barlow?”

“Yes,” I say with slight hesitation. “I could be, unless I’ve done something wrong, then I’d like to be someone else.”

He holds the card out. The seal of the City of Alexandria is stamped across the top. “I need to speak with you about the renovations that were performed on this property.”

Now, his face is serious. Around us, the day continues as if nothing has changed, yet something in my gut tells me that’s about to end.

I try to swallow the extra-large lump forming in my throat. “What do you mean?”

His expression doesn’t move.

“What I mean, is that we have a problem.”

CHAPTER 2

LIAM

The puck hits me hard enough to make me, and my now aching left leg, question every decision that brought us here.

Pain shoots through my thigh, but the puck drops in front of me instead of reaching Owen, which means the block did its job. I clear it out of the zone before Ty can take another shot, and the whistle blows.

“Practice,” Ty reminds me as we skate toward the bench. “You know this is practice, right?”

I fight the urge to head butt him. “Tell that to your slap shot.”

Owen lifts his mask and looks at me. “Next time, stay outta the way.”

“Gotta do my job.” I hold my stick up. “This one, remember? Involves sticks, grunting, and ice.”

Sawyer laughs as he swings over the boards while our captain, Campbell, points his stick at his cousin.

“You’re up.”

Sawyer’s smile disappears. “Why do you always sound like you’re sending me to my execution?”

“Because you keep making me wish I could.”

Sawyer presses a hand to his chest before joining the other guys on the ice.

The Dominion has been back at practice for less than a week, but no one is moving like it’s September. Coach made it clear on day one that last season gave us the gift of experience, not excuses.

Which is why my leg is already throbbing and Owen has spent the past hour being pelted from every angle. I shake the exhaustion from my head and push away from the bench as the next drill begins.