Fated Shot

Six Months Later

Mia

“Turn it up, this one’s a banger!” Penn calls from the backseat, already shamelessly belting out the words to the pop song blaring on the radio.

I laugh, turning the volume dial up on Jack’s car.

“Remind me again just why exactly you had to come along?” Jack grumbles, shaking his head while staring at the road ahead.

“Oh, be nice, we’re super happy you’re here. Isn’t that right, Bean?” I turn around to peek at the cutie sitting on Penn’s lap, gazing happily out the window. He lets out an excited trill when he spots me looking.

“Thank you, Mia . It’s nice to know someone around here appreciates my company. Other than you, Bean. I know you love your Uncle Penn, don’tcha boy?” He starts scratching under Bean’s chin, who tilts it happily in the air, eyes closing in contentment.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just hold him tight, alright? I don’t want him to go flying around these turns.”

It’s cute how protective Jack is. I’ve happily accepted my position as second fiddle. Those two are freaking peas in a pod, the boys, cat and giant. It’s too adorable to leave any room for annoyance over my son’s betrayal.

“How you feeling? Getting tired?” I ask, stroking Jack’s muscular arm that’s stretched out, holding the steering wheel .

“I’m bulletproof.” The corner of his mouth quirks up in a way that makes my heart melt.

He is, in fact, not bulletproof, nursing another rib injury that kept him out of the last few games of the season. He was crushed about missing the chance at second-round playoff hockey and took it pretty hard when the Tundra got eliminated.

It was a tough blow for the team, but the thought of them going all the way while Jack was stuck on injured reserve would have been even more brutal. I know he’s ready for one last run at the Cup next year, this time joining the team’s efforts, hopefully fully healed.

A small part of me thinks he liked all my doting. I haven’t left his side in weeks. I almost forgot what my apartment even looked like. It’s going to be so weird sleeping in separate beds again, but at least we’ll be in Wyndham together.

A shriek fills the car, startling me as Penn tries to hit the final high note of the song. Jack quickly shuts off the radio, saving us all.

Main Street comes into view in the distance, excited tingles erupting in my stomach as we continue driving ahead. It’s like I’m a kid in a candy store. I’m headed back to my favorite place with my favorite people. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

“Can we pop in to see Harold quickly?” I ask hopefully.

“Of course. We can drop off your mixer too,” Jack says as he gently laces his fingers through mine, planting a kiss on the back of my hand before resting our intertwined fingers on my thigh.

“Gross. PDA to the minimum, please.”

“Penn,” Jack grumbles under his breath as we turn right, parking in front of Cordelia’s.

I bound out, slamming the door shut behind me. As soon as the bell above the door rings out, I’m hit with the comforting smell of coffee. I run over to an unsuspecting Harold, busy making a latte behind the espresso machine. When he spots me, his smile turns bright, handing the cup over to the waiting customer and opening his arms to me.

“Missed you,” I sigh, settling into his arms. He’s such a secret softie, even if he tries his best to hide it.

“It’s wonderful to have you back, young lady.” He returns the hug before clearing his throat and turning back to the register.

“Just came to say hi and check out the space! Still okay with me starting this week?” I can’t hold back the excitement in my voice. It’s the perfect fit.

Over the past few months, business has skyrocketed, and I’ve been busier than ever. I was really worried about my lease ending at the Kitchen Collective and the thought of having to find a space in Wyndham. Harold just so happened to hear about my dilemma and offered the perfect solution for the summer! Being able to continue my momentum by baking in the place where I learned everything I know? It feels too good to be true.

“Looking forward to it.”

I smile, pushing open the kitchen door and stepping under my favorite sign. The familiar kitchen that I’d grown so used to is nowhere to be seen. The old oven that hit its prime in the early nineties has been replaced by a stainless steel double electric oven. The wooden island that I’d spent hours working at has miraculously doubled in size, giving ample prep space. New shelving adorns the walls, housing brand-new baking sheets and mixing bowls while also providing an excess of storage space. It’s Cordelia’s Kitchen 2.0, and I can’t wrap my head around what I’m seeing right now.

Sure, with the new demand from my growing customers, it would have been a tight squeeze, but I would have been able to make it work. But this? This is— “Perfect,” I whisper under my breath, still in shock.

I turn when I hear the door swing open behind me .

“Where do you want this, boss?” Jack’s deep voice calls out from behind my teal KitchenAid.

I’m still in disbelief.

“Um, anywhere is fine.” He nods, looking a little suspicious, avoiding my gaze but staying focused on his mission before resting it on the newly expanded island.

“Give me one sec. I’ll meet you outside, okay?” As he exits, Harold enters.

“What did you—” I begin before he cuts me off.

“Hey, don’t look at me, I had nothing to do with this.” My eyes widen at his words. That means? “He’s a good man, you know.”

I pull him tightly into a bear hug. “I know,” I whisper, tears pooling in my eyes.

***

“Can you guys stop looking so in love for like thirty seconds? It’s sickening.” Penn quips while slurping on the Icee he got during our Cordelia’s pit stop.

“I swear to god, Penn, if you don’t shut up, you’re walking the rest of the way,” Jack warns, jaw tensing as he flashes a look in the rearview mirror before returning to meet me with a soft gaze, still holding my hand.

“Hope you’re prepared, Mia. You should have seen the shack he was in last year. I’m surprised it even had running water. Can’t wait to see which Thoreau Cabin he’s picked for this summer…”

His words trail off as we pull down the gravel driveway leading to the cutest two story craftsman style house. It's painted blue and adorned with thick white trims.

“Uh, wrong address,” he finishes.

“Shut it,” Jack grumbles, putting the car in park in front of a cute, two-car detached garage that perfectly matches the style of the house. He makes his way around to my side before opening the door for me and grabbing my hand.

“Penn, get the bags.”

He guides me up the white porch steps, punches in a code on the door that flashes green, and opens it for me to enter ahead of him. I’m immediately basking in natural light and greeted by an unobstructed view of the lake. The interiors are light and airy—exactly what you’d want from a lake house retreat.

“This is—” I spin around on the gray herringbone flooring, taking in the incredible space, “absolutely beautiful,” I finish.

Jack’s ears flush pink as he watches me.

“I’m glad you like it. I was hoping you would.” His uncertainty is so endearing. After all of this time, it’s still the cutest thing about him. Always wanting to do or say the right thing, always wanting to surprise me. I am so in love with him.

“HOLY SHIT!” Penn’s voice echoes through the room, snapping us out of whatever cute moment we were having. He walks in, two massive duffels slumped over one shoulder and supporting Bean’s entire body in his other arm.

“You have a room down the hall and to the right, bathroom should be attached.” Jack calls to him, pointing down a corridor off the kitchen.

“Sweet. Bean and I are going to unpack.”

“I wanted you to be able to have a space to come up here anytime this summer, but I swear to God if you break anything, you’re banned.”

Penn stands at attention, giving Jack a little salute with his free hand before hurrying excitedly toward his room.

“If I break something, will I be banned too?” I ask, giving my most innocent eyes.

“No.” He closes the distance between us, standing behind me, “But you may have to be punished,” he whispers, breath on my ear, lighting up every nerve in my body like fireworks. I lean back into him with a whimper. When he spots the goosebumps that have formed down my neck, he chuckles.

“Come on, Wyndham. Let me show you the rest of the house.” He plants a soft kiss below my ear before grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the stairs.

The second story has a similar vibe to the first floor, modern and bright. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office lined with books, and a game room later, I’m finally ushered to a set of white double doors. Jack pauses for a second, before pushing them both open in unison allowing me to step in ahead of him.

The first thing I notice is the sliding glass doors leading to a massive balcony overlooking the lake. The light is streaming in, basking the space in the happiest yellow hues. The white oak bedroom set is a dream, I can’t wait to jump in it, get cozy, and watch the sunset.

“Wow.” I’m surprised the words manage to escape me, I’m otherwise rendered speechless. This house couldn’t be more perfect. It’s my pinterest dreams come to life.

A throat clears in the corner of the room and I realize I’ve just been standing here in a living daydream for minutes.

“There’s His and Hers closets through here if, um, you ever want to leave a little stuff,” Jack says, pointing out the little corridor with two closet doors leading to the en-suite.

“You going to be okay by yourself in this great big house, BFG?”

He nods resoundingly.

“I was hoping to have a particular visitor stop by regularly. It’s exactly a ten-minute drive from a boathouse I know. Four minutes if I take the boat.”

“Hmm… seems a little far.” I take a step toward him.

“I’m certain we can make it work,” he mocks, mimicking me and taking a huge step in my direction .

“I don’t know. What if being so far away from you, I forget what you look like? Or the distance becomes too much? Or I’m too exhausted to make the commute?”

“Then I’ll spend every waking minute with you and Bean in the boathouse.”

“Mmm. Makes sense. Seems a shame to waste this beautiful home, though, no?”

He finally clues in, a spark in his eye as he stares me down.

“Say what you’re trying to say, Wyndham.”

“I could keep you company here? You know, save on the travel time. It just makes sense, saving on gas, good for the environment… efficiency and all that.”

His jaw drops, looking at me face-on with a serious expression that causes me to pause.

“Are you saying you want to move in with me, Mia?”

I’m suddenly feeling embarrassed for asking, my cheeks growing hot by the second. Too far gone now, though, I make out the slightest nod before finding a spot on the floor ahead of me to study.

“Fucking finally. ” He closes the rest of the distance, picking me up in his arms and twirling me around the room. I giggle, holding on for dear life.

“Finally, what?”

He sets me on the ground again, gently resting his hands on either side of my face.

“Finally, I get to keep you.” The relief in his voice is impossible to miss. Like he’s been dying to ask me but has been waiting for me to make the call. It makes me love him all the more.

“Anything you want to change, say the word. I know I booked it, but it’s not you moving into my space. This is your place, too. I want you to love it. I want you to feel like it’s just as much yours as it is mine because it is. I—”

I stop his nervous ranting with a kiss. “I love you, Jack.”