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I could spend the afternoon calling every kitchen in Seattle and hoping somebody has enough room for me and an amount of rent I can afford. Maybe I’d find one. Maybe I’d spend hours making calls and still have to ask Ellie to push her orders around tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Wolf has a kitchen one floor above mine that he’s apparently willing to let me take over. He said he’s barely home. He even promised to keep the parties out of it.

I don’t have to like him to use an oven. I just have to manage not to tell him what I think of him every time I see him. That part might take some work.

"I’m going to have to take Wolf up on it," I say.

Ellie nods and reaches for her coffee.

"You can set some rules with Wolf. It’s his kitchen, but it’s your business. Like no walking around shirtless in gray sweatpants. Far too distracting."

"I can come up with my own rules, thank you very much."

"I bet you do," she says with a grin.

I pull out my phone and start making a checklist of everything I’ll need to bring in tonight to Serendipity’s for tomorrow’s orders. I can make chocolate and vanilla cupcakes tonight, keep the flavors simple, and get a smaller batch of cake pops ready while the cupcakes cool. Enough to get back out tomorrow. I’ll deal with the bigger orders once I know where I’m baking after that.

For the first time all morning, I know what I need to do next.

Ellie checks her phone when it buzzes. "Come back around six. I’ll make sure there’s a place for you to start. We’ll work the oven time out before then."

"Thank you."

She reaches across the desk and squeezes my hand. I let her.

Then I tuck my phone back in my bag and stand. I need to check my ingredients before I buy anything else and ask Dan what he can find out about getting an emergency approval. First, though, I have to do the thing I’ve been avoiding. Ask Wolf if his kitchen offer still stands.

"You don’t have to forgive him if you don’t want to, but just remember, resentment gives you frown lines," Ellie says.

I look back at her from the doorway. "I’m using his kitchen, Ellie. Forgiveness is not on the table."

"Whatever you say." She picks up her coffee. "And when are we going to this game?"

"Don’t hold your breath," I tell her as I walk out of her office.

Ellie’s cackle follows me down the hall.

Chapter Four

Wolf

My phone buzzes as I walk out of the locker room, still fixing the cuff of my suit jacket. I’m headed for interviews, but I stop beside the wall when I see Dan’s name. He said he’d let me know if he heard anything about the kitchen inspection, and I’ve been checking my phone between everything else today.

Dan: Your lucky day. Kitchen inspector had a cancellation tomorrow morning. He can fit your place in at eight. Have the paperwork and equipment ready. I’ll send you his email. Don’t miss this.

I smile down at the screen and send him a thank-you before pushing my phone into my suit pants pocket. Eight tomorrow. Now I just have to tell Baylor, assuming she lets me get that far. As far as I know, she’s still finding another kitchen, but at least I have an appointment if she needs it.

"Ziggy. You coming?" Aleksi asks as he passes me in the hall, sporting his own suit.

"Yeah." I push off the wall and follow him toward the press room, rolling my shoulder. A twinge of pain shoots down my arm, and I wince.

Our trainer taped it again before warmups, and I spent a few minutes with ice on it after the game. He wants me back in the training room tomorrow. Tonight, I’m supposed to ice it again when I get home.

Aleksi goes in first. I wait outside until he finishes, then take my turn at the table and pull the microphone closer. A woman near the front raises her hand, glancing down at her notes before she asks her question.

"You put their winger into the boards twice in the second period. Was there something going on between you two tonight?"

"He kept coming down my side," I tell her, settling back in my chair.