If You Could Love

James pulled into the parking lot of For Goodness Cakes a little after 2:30 on the Saturday afternoon that followed their loss the Sunday before. He sat in his car for several minutes after he parked before he finally cut the engine and got out, heading for the familiar, brightly colored shop.

Alex loved her shop and her interactions with her clients, many of them repeat customers who had gotten a wedding cake, and now came back for baby shower treats, and first birthday cakes and so on.

She also loved Nashville, had built a great life in the city and called it home. James didn't know how she would react to his news. He still wasn't sure how he felt.

With a deep breath, he opened the door to For Goodness Cakes and stepped inside. Kathryn immediately greeted him and he smiled, calling back hello to her, asking how she was doing.

Kathryn was telling him about a comically bad blind date she had been on a few nights before when Alex walked into the room.

“Are you telling him about Justin?”

“Of course; I'm telling everybody,” Kathryn replied.

“This didn't actually happen, did it?” James asked. “No one is that dense, right?”

“Some boys aren't born with your charms, or the ability to turn a girl to mush with a smile,” Kathryn smirked. “What does a girl have to do to get you to introduce me to one of your teammates anyway?”

“Your girl didn’t ask me to. Besides, I thought you had been seeing someone.”

“I was, until May. But I could've dumped him earlier if you had brought around some better prospects.”

“Sorry.”

“I'll let it slide if you bring Roman by here one day while I'm working and let me look at him.”

James looked over at Alex. “Do you have any of those cupcakes Jos likes?”

Alex grinned in return. “I do,” she said as she started for the display.

James pulled out his phone and after a beat began to talk. “Hey, Alex has a couple of those cupcakes you like....yeah, she said she put a couple aside for you and said to get your ass over here before you leave....well, maybe she didn't say it exactly like that but she does have cupcakes for you so get over here and tell her goodbye.....I think Subby got cookies, I don't know, she loves him more than me...yeah, more than you too...alright, see ya soon.”

When he hung up, he smiled victoriously. “He should be here in like twenty minutes.”

Kathryn yelped. “I look a damn mess!”

“I mean, you have some chocolate frosting on your cheek but you still look good to me,” he shrugged casually.

“I have frosting on my face?!”

“Just a smudge. Want me to lick it off?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and Alex started laughing.

“I'll cover out here so you can primp,” Alex told her.

“And don't worry, Kat; Roman is into blondes so you've already got that going for you,” James added.

She blushed as she disappeared into the back and Alex smacked his arm. “Don't tease her.”

“I'm not teasing!” He protested. “Roman really does like blondes.”

“He's a baby.”

“You know he's 27, right?”

“Really?”

“Really. Besides, after that doozy of a blind date, she probably deserves free time to objectify a good looking dude. And what Roman doesn't know won't hurt him.”

“So thoughtful. What brings you by anyway? I thought we were getting dinner later.”

He frowned. “I need to tell you something.”

“Oh-kay?”

“Poile called me; I’m going to be exposed in the expansion draft.”

Alex blinked back at him, her eyes wide. “They...they aren’t protecting you?”

He shook his head. “He said they’re trying to work out a deal but come Wednesday, I might be a Vegas Golden Knight.”

Alex reached out and hugged him. “Oh, James. I’m so sorry. I know how much you’ve come to love Nashville.”

“It's homebase,” he shrugged.

“Don't brush it off; you gave interviews during the finals where you talked about how nice it was being wanted here and yeah, it might have been a little bit about snubbing your old team, but I also know that you love it here. You love this city, and you love your team. And now it could be gone. It's okay to be mad about it, or sad, or whatever you're feeling. Don't brush it off, not with me.”

“We can talk about it later.”

“Or now.”

“Al-lex,” he whined.

“Fine, after Roman leaves. Kathryn can close up.”

“Can there be beer involved?”

“Yes, there can be beer. Probably a lot of it.”



After Roman left with a box of cupcakes, where he had unknowingly perfectly executed James’s plan and flirted shamelessly with Kathryn the minute he had walked in the door and left her with a happy smile as he waved goodbye, Alex and James took their leave, heading for a bar near their home. They got beers and sat and talked for several hours before walking to a nearby restaurant for dinner and then heading home.

After the lists became public on Sunday, James’s phone blew up with calls, texts, and twitter notifications. He had already let his family know so after an hour of non stop noises coming from his phone, he turned it off and spent the rest of the day cuddling Alex on the couch watching movies.

On Wednesday, James and Alex got together with a couple of the other guys and their girlfriends who were still in town for the awards and expansion draft. They had dinner together and were spread out over the kitchen and living room with the tv on in the background. The guys were discussing the winners of the night and picking apart the expansion picks.

As they got closer to the pick that would determine his future, James lifted his arm so Alex could settle in beside him on the couch. She leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“You okay?” She whispered.

He nodded. “Yep.”

She wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed. “Liar.” She laid her head on his shoulder and everyone fell silent as Vegas prepared to announce their pick from Nashville.

Despite the silence, the only words James heard was his name. After several long quiet moments, Ryan Johansson reached across and clapped his hand on James’s shoulder.

“They got a good one; we won't be able to replace you, man.”

“Thanks,” James said quietly.

“Are you leaving too, Alex?” Ryan’s girlfriend asked. “I mean, you have your own business here.”

“I haven't thought about any of that to be honest,” she answered. She could feel James’s eyes on her and she avoided his gaze. They hadn't talked about what she was going to do if James got picked. She was sure he expected her to go with him but she loved For Goodness Cakes, and she loved Nashville. For the first time, the enormity of the situation hit her and she stood abruptly.

“Excuse me,” she said, hurrying from the room. James got up and quickly followed.

“Hey,” he said, grabbing hold of Alex’s hand before she could reach the back door. “Talk to me, Alex.”

She turned slowly to face him and looked up, blinking back tears. “I....I don't know what to feel. I'm sad and I'm mad and I love you, but I love this city too and my shop.....what am I supposed to do my shop?”

“Babe....” James breathed out, pulling her into a hug. “You know how you made me talk about it?” She nodded. “Now it's your turn. Let's go home.” She nodded again and James pulled back, drying her tears with the pad of his thumb. With her hand in his, they walked back into the living room.

“We’re gonna head out,” he told the others. “Thanks for having us.”

There was a line of hugs before James and Alex finally made it to his car and climbed inside. James flipped on the radio and the ride was otherwise quiet back home. After parking in the garage, James followed Alex inside to the kitchen. He took a seat and watched her as she moved around the room, pulling ingredients out to make cookies.

“So we’re baking then, at nine at night?” James asked as she turned on the oven.

“There is never a wrong time for cookies,” she replied.

James nodded and let her work in silence. When the first tray of cookies went into the oven, he stood and crossed to her, lifting her up and setting her on the counter, stepping between her thighs and put his hands on the countertop in either side of her.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“You're the one who just got drafted to Vegas.”

“Yeah, and I know how I feel. Pissed off to leave, excited about a new opportunity, but most of all, wondering what's going on in your head.”

Alex sighed. “It just hit me tonight. You're going to Vegas. You're going to play for a team that is clear across the country from here.”

“You don't want to go with me?”

“I do but the shop; it's my life.”

“You don't have to move if you don't want to. You can live here, I'll rent something out there.”

“I don't want to live that far away from you for an entire hockey season.”

“Then don't. Leave Kathryn in charge. Make her your partner and let her run Nashville and you can find a spot and start new in Vegas.”

“Do you think I can properly help run a business from the west coast though?”

“You could, especially if Kathryn is your partner. Despite the time difference, you two will still manage to talk three times a day regardless of whether you are partners in the shop or not.”

Alex smiled at that. “That is true. I'll talk to her tomorrow, see what she thinks.”

“Now that that's settled, how much longer until these cookies are ready?”