Absolutely Not in Love (Sweater Weather, #7; Appies, #2)

by Jenny Proctor

It isn’t a big deal. I have her mail. She needs her mail. That’s all this is. The excitement rushing through me almost feels foreign for how long it’s been since I’ve felt something similar. I’ve dated a little since moving to Harvest Hollow. But I’ve never had a relationship last longer than a few dates. My semi-awkwardness makes it tough. Hockey makes it tougher. With the way we travel during the season, it’s hard to see anyone seriously, and I’m not really into the casual hookups a lot of the other guys look for when we’re on the road. It’s not lost on me that I’m only days away from our first pre-season home game. We’ll have a week of training after that, then a weekend tournament in Atlanta before we’re back in Harvest Hollow for our official season opener. After that, I’ll be on the road as much as I’m home. But if I use that as a reason not to try with a woman, I’ll never try. Not until I stop playing hockey, and that feels too lonely and depressing to consider. A few guys on the team maintain relationships, and some of them are even married. If I want this, I have to just go for it. I drop my bag onto the floor outside my door and take two more steps to Gracie’s. I lift my fist, knocking quickly before wiping my palm on the leg of my joggers. It’s only then that I realize I’m still holding all my mail along with hers, so I turn and toss mine toward my bag. Instead of landing in one place, the mail scatters like confetti in the wind, landing all over the narrow hall...