Change of Plans_An Echo Ridge Romance Read online

  She got to work and soon was busy with customers, restocking clothes, and fun discussions with Jessica about orders for winter jackets and if Christian Louboutin or Manolo Blahnik was the better shoe designer.

  On her lunch break, she checked her phone and saw a text from Mason.

  I’m in town. Have a surprise for you tonight.

  Aw, Mason. It would be great to see him. She wondered if he sensed how lackadaisical their relationship was becoming. With all the time they’d spent together this summer, they’d kissed and hugged, but it had been quick and comfortable like they’d already been married for fifty years. Maybe tonight she could talk to him about her concerns and together they could either decide to date other people or figure out how to bring the spark back to their relationship. Maybe if you didn’t daydream about another man all the time, there wouldn’t be a problem. Shush, she told the voice in her head. It was Lolly’s voice, which kind of made her laugh. She typed quickly back to Mason:

  Sounds great. Where should we meet?

  I’ll pick you up at six. My mom’s doing a barbecue, so come hungry.

  Thanks.

  She put her phone back in her pocket. That was it. No love you from either of them. Back in high school, Mason used to tell her how much he loved her all of the time, but it felt like they were more like friends now than boyfriend and girlfriend. It was so hard to wrap her mind around the change. She wondered if he felt it too or if he was so busy with lacrosse and school that he didn’t really get caught up in their relationship or lack of romance or sparks.

  She threw away her lunch wrappings and headed down the short hallway and past the men’s department. Gentry, Jessica’s husband, was standing near a rack of Paul Smith dress slacks with a customer who had broad shoulders, nicely defined triceps, and thick, dark hair that curled slightly. Kaitlyn stuttered to a stop and stared at the man’s backside. He looked so familiar. She could swear … No. It couldn’t be him. What would he be doing in Echo Ridge?

  She shook her head and clenched her fists. This fantasizing about Axel Olson had to stop. Gentry caught her staring and gave her a smile and a friendly wave. The man turned, and all the oxygen seemed to swoop out of the building. Kaitlyn grabbed onto a nearby clothes rack. She didn’t have a low-blood sugar excuse for feeling faint right now.

  Axel’s dark gaze zeroed in on her, and she saw recognition flare in his eyes. A welcoming smile crossed his face as he took a step in her direction. It was all Kaitlyn could do to stay upright and hold onto the clothes rack. Was he really here? How? Why? Her mind had put him in a little box at the stadium at Hofstra University in his Lizard’s uniform. To see him dressed in a fitted Henley and Volcom shorts … Good heavens! Had Kiera forgotten to pay the utility bill, or maybe the air conditioner had stopped working? She fanned herself.

  Axel kept coming. Gentry said something to him. He responded but remained laser-focused on her. Twenty more feet and he’d be in talking and touching distance. A giddy anticipation rose in her as she focused on his handsome face. Axel was here!

  Strong arms wrapped around her, and Kaitlyn was lifted off her feet.

  “There’s my girl!” Mason swung her around then gave her a quick peck on the lips before setting her down.

  “Mason?” Kaitlyn was dazed and confused. Nothing made sense. Axel in Echo Ridge. Mason in the store when he was supposed to be in Syracuse. “I thought you weren’t coming until tonight.”

  “Coach cancelled practice today, so I drove home early for the weekend.” He beamed at her. “Man, you’re exactly what I needed today.” His eyes swept over her appreciatively. “I missed you.”

  “I, um, missed you too.” She tucked some hair behind her ear and glanced around, looking for Axel. She didn’t really want to meet him again with Mason by her side, but she’d already told Axel she was in a relationship, and Mason would be ecstatic to meet one of his lacrosse heroes.

  Axel had stopped walking. He stared at her with an expression that could only be deciphered as pain. Kaitlyn’s gut wrenched. She wanted to reassure him somehow, but she couldn’t tell him that this wasn’t what it looked like, because it was. Mason was her boyfriend, had been for the past four years. He was a fabulous person, and she couldn’t stand the thought of hurting him.

  Axel turned and strode toward the front of the store. Kaitlyn focused back on Mason. He was staring at her, oblivious to the other man even having been there.

  “Can you go to lunch? Now that I don’t work at Jack’s anymore, I miss their pizza.” He grinned.

  Kaitlyn smiled back at him, though her stomach ached from seeing Axel again but not being able to talk to him and maybe touch him just once before she forced herself to deny that he was the dream and she had to live in reality. “I just finished my lunch break.”

  “I thought I might be too late. I can’t wait for tonight. You’re going to love your surprise.”

  Kaitlyn realized she’d never seen Mason quite this animated. He was usually pretty laidback and quiet. An absolutely terrifying thought hit her. He wasn’t going to propose tonight, was he? Her heart started beating hard and fast. They’d planned on getting through college before they took that next step. At first, it had been hard to think about waiting four years to be with Mason, but it would’ve been even harder for either of them to give up their dream schools. Lately, she wondered if waiting until they were established was just an excuse for both of them. Did she even love him romantically? And if she didn’t, why didn’t she set them both free? Yet was romantic love even a reality? Axel’s face popped into her mind again and the way it had felt when he touched her at the lacrosse game. Dang him.

  “I’ll see you then.” She finally managed to get the words out.

  Mason gave her another quick peck that she didn’t really even feel before saying hello to Gentry and striding out of the store. Kaitlyn stood there in a fog.

  “What was that?” Gentry asked.

  Kaitlyn jumped. She hadn’t even realized he’d approached her. She fumbled with a rack of clearance swimsuits, organizing them into sizes. “What? Mason? He came home to visit.”

  “No. I’m talking about Axel Olson chatting with me about pants until he saw you and then rushing toward you like he was dying of thirst and you were a Gatorade vendor.”

  Kaitlyn couldn’t meet Gentry’s amused gaze. “I don’t know Axel Olson.”

  “Of course you do. He’s a lacrosse superstar.”

  She glanced up, forcing herself to act calm. “I know who he is, but I don’t know him, know him.” No matter how much she wished she did.

  Gentry arched an eyebrow. “Hmm. Do I need to get Jessica involved in this discussion?”

  “No!” Jessica was worse than a priest. She could get a confession out of a mobster, and matchmaking was her favorite pastime. She was also one of the only people who knew Kaitlyn was struggling with her relationship with Mason.

  A customer approached the counter with a load of clothes, and Kaitlyn ran to help her. Thank you for intervention.

  Chapter Three

  Axel hurried from the department store, his neck hot and his heart twisting painfully. For three months, he’d been thinking about the girl he’d given the lacrosse ball to, wishing she would call or text, but knowing she probably wouldn’t. She’d told him right up front she was in a “committed relationship.” How he hated those words. It was the only thing she’d said that day that he hated.

  She’d been perfect, absolutely perfect, to him. She looked like an angel with her blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and delicate facial features, but it wasn’t just her looks that drew him. There was something in her eyes when she met his gaze, something so sweet and pure he just wanted to be close to her, to have a chance to talk to her and get to know her. It was like some chick movie his mom used to make him watch where the guy sees the girl and he just knows she’s the one for him. Did that even happen in real life? The connection to her sure felt real.

  He’d thought a lot about how he could approac
h her without coming on too strong. All the chick flick movies his mom forced on him and his brother as teenagers to try to make them “sensitive” had given him plenty of ideas to approach her. He had finally decided on the plan to give away the ball with his signature and phone number on it. His coach had agreed to it, thinking it was just another PR stunt his sponsor or agent had dreamt up. Nobody but him knew that he’d been stealing glances at the girl all season and his dreams of meeting her were finally coming to fruition.

  It had all backfired on him. His stomach twisted just thinking about it.

  The past few months had been busy with the regular season and then playoffs, but he still thought about his blonde angel much too often and wondered why she stopped coming to his games, certain his misguided romantic idea had driven her away. As soon as the playoffs were over, he’d started to travel and put on youth lacrosse camps. They were a lot of fun and made his sponsors and agent happy, especially when the young people and their parents blasted his picture and their products all over the internet.

  Axel was in Echo Ridge in upstate New York for the next week and a half and had camp every morning from eight to noon, except Sunday. The high school lacrosse coach had invited him and taken care of the signups and organization. Axel always gave the proceeds to the local lacrosse program, so it worked out well for everyone.

  He’d showered after camp today at the bed and breakfast then walked the streets of downtown, eating a great lunch at Fay’s Café before wandering into Kenworth’s. Seeing his dream girl there had about bowled him over. He’d been ecstatic. He was finally going to talk to her, make another connection with her, get her to see the real him. Until the guy had picked her up, hugging and kissing her like he owned rights to her. Axel’s hand balled into a fist. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the guy—well-built, longer reddish-blond hair, a big smile—other than existing. The man was obviously the one in a committed relationship with Axel’s dream woman.

  He sighed and walked past a veteran’s memorial. There was a small lake up ahead. He headed in that direction. Unfortunately, he had hours to kill until the barbecue at Coach Chayton Liechty’s tonight. Wandering around town might be the only entertainment he had.

  The coach’s daughters had both been at the camp. The older one hardly wanted to hold a lacrosse stick, turning up her nose at him when he suggested she kneel down and try the faceoff. The younger one was a lacrosse lover through and through. Axel thought they were both great. He was excited to meet Chayton’s wife and his older son, who was playing at Syracuse. Lacrosse families were always fun to be around.

  He saw a sign for Ruby Mountain Resort and headed that direction, hiking up the road for a bit and past a scenic lake with a few cabins dotting the shoreline. He found a hiking trail that eventually led him to a great overlook. He found himself fantasizing about hiking with his angel’s hand in his. It would never happen, but it sure sounded nice. He’d dated plenty of women throughout high school, college, and the last couple of years playing for the Lizards, but he was alone more often than not. His mom claimed he was too driven like his father. She said he couldn’t slow down long enough to develop a real relationship. Life had been busy in high school and college. Being a student athlete at Duke was no walk in the park, especially not with his drive to achieve a four point oh. He had also graduated with a master’s degree in financial economics before committing to play for the Lizards.

  He had his teammates, along with some high school and college friends he still kept in touch with. His parents and little brother lived on Long Island, so he saw them often, but when he had downtime like right now, how alone he was hit him pretty hard.

  He gazed out over the picturesque valley, the mountains filled with pine and aspen trees, and the little town laid out like a postcard. He liked this area. Did his dream girl live here? Maybe she was a student at Hofstra and that was why she’d come to his games for a while.

  Shoving a hand through his hair, he hurried back down the trail and toward town. A couple of hours later he’d showered again and was in his Lexus LX following Siri’s voice to Chayton’s house for the barbecue. The hosting coaches always welcomed him into their homes, and it felt good to be part of a family like that.

  Siri beeped that he had arrived at his location. He glanced around the older neighborhood with its perfectly-mowed lawns and seventies-style boxy houses. The house seemed too small for Chayton and his family, but it looked well-kept and homey. The front porch was wide and adorned with wooden rockers and hanging flower baskets. Axel felt that bit of longing he hid from everyone, especially his mother. Chayton had it all—a beautiful family, a cozy house and neighborhood, and a job coaching a high school team. Someday, maybe this could be Axel’s life, but it wasn’t his time yet.

  He strode up to the porch and rapped on the front door. A few moments later, it swung open, and a petite blonde lady with a chubby baby on her hip smiled brightly at him. “Axel Olson! I don’t think you’ll ever know how excited we are to have you here.”

  He grinned. “Thank you.” He loved his fans.

  “My Maryn has posters of you on every wall of her room.”

  Axel chuckled. “I met Maryn today. She’s great.”

  “Too bad she wasn’t born a boy.” Chayton’s wife wrinkled her nose. “Did she give you her speech about how they need to change the rules for girl’s lacrosse so she can really hit somebody?”

  “She did.”

  The baby had a full head of dark hair and the biggest brown eyes. He leaned from his mom’s arms toward Axel. Axel opened his hands, and the little guy reached for him.

  “Oh, sorry. Jude loves big men.”

  “It’s great.”

  She let the baby go, and Axel hefted him in his arms. “How does your momma carry you around, big guy?”

  “He’s huge, right? I’m Emma by the way.”

  “Axel.”

  “I knew that.” She gave him a charming smile. Chayton truly was a blessed man with a beautiful wife and children. He wondered if there was a story though. Chayton was obviously of Native American descent and the baby looked a lot like him, but their girls were as blonde as their momma. They each had her distinctive deep brown eyes too.

  “Let’s get you out back so Maryn and Mason can get their fill of you.”

  Axel knew their older son was starting his junior year at Syracuse in the fall. He wondered if they’d gotten married as teenagers as Emma looked really young. He followed her through the main living area. It was small but clean with hardwood floors, tan leather furniture, and bright light coming in from the windows. They went out a backdoor off the kitchen. The backyard was nice with large trees and lots of berry bushes and toys. Chayton was at a smoking barbecue grill. He spotted them immediately, his eyes softening on his wife before focusing on Axel.

  “There he is!” He strode over to shake Axel’s hand. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Thanks for having me.” He squeezed Jude’s chubby leg. “The little man and I are buddies now.”

  Chayton grinned. “Best thing in the world being a dad. You’ve got to meet my son, Mason, and his girlfriend, Kaitlyn. They’re both huge fans. Kaitlyn lives in the city and always went to your games.”

  Axel’s eyes swung around the yard, finding a couple sitting on a patio swing on the opposite side. They each had a little girl on their lap, and the man had his arm around the woman. Axel’s jaw unhinged as he caught his first glimpse of the woman’s face. Petite features, blue eyes, and that beautiful blonde hair. She looked just like the most recent Cinderella that his mom had insisted he watch with her a couple of years ago.

  It was her, his angel, and the man hugging her was the same one he’d seen her with at Kenworth’s today. His stomach twisted. Life was cruel sometimes.

  The man stood, holding Addison in his arms. Addison was probably eight, but petite and the man was big enough she looked tiny in his arms. Maryn scrambled off of Axel’s angel’s lap and rushed across the lawn, throwing h
erself against Axel’s legs. “You came!” She beamed up at him.

  Chayton chuckled and ruffled his daughter’s hair. He held out his arms, and baby Jude was transferred to his dad so Axel could bend down and pick up Maryn. He tossed the little girl in the air, and she squealed in delight.

  “You’re my favorite player ever!” She screamed, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.

  Axel savored it. Children could make everything better. His eyes lifted to the beautiful blonde approaching him, sadly still stuck to her boyfriend’s side. The guy set Addison down and extended his hand. “Mason Turner. It’s so great to meet you, sir.”

  Axel processed it quickly, so Mason wasn’t Chayton’s son, but none of them seemed to care, which he thought was great. He shifted Maryn to his left side and grasped Mason’s hand. He couldn’t find anything to fault about the kid—from his large smile to his well-built body. In fact, he looked like a player Axel would want to have on his team and probably hang out with after practice as well. Why couldn’t her boyfriend be a loser?

  “You too. Chayton says you play defense for Syracuse?”

  “Yes, sir.” He released Axel’s hand and wrapped his arm around the angel’s waist. “Kaitlyn is a huge fan of yours too. She went to all of your games last spring.” He beamed down at her. “This is your surprise.”

  Axel was her surprise? He hoped he was a good one. He extended his hand. She really had no choice but to place hers in it. He marveled at the feel of her small hand. It fit perfectly, and all kinds of possessive and longing feelings rushed over him.