Good for her. Eli had nothing but good things to say about his former player Austin and Kenzie deserved the world.
When she didn’t turn to leave, Clare narrowed her eyes. “Was there something else?”
Kenzie twisted her hands in front of her and chewed on the inside of her lip. “It’s not my place.”
“And yet here you are.” She winked, though not feeling light hearted and heaved in a breath. Elliott. It had to be. That was the only other potential connection she could think of, considering her next-door neighbor was a physiotherapist for the Snow Pirates. That or she was there to complain about Lizzo singing too loudly in Clare’s kitchen all morning.
It could probably have gone either way.
She stepped back and waved an arm. “Do you wanna come in?”
With a small shake of her head, she took a step back. “Lincoln mentioned yesterday that Coach Swift is…uh…out of sorts. And I know you’re…um…” She rolled her eyes to the heavens and whispered something to herself which sounded a lot like “this is so awkward,” and the apples of her cheeks darkened further.
“I know you’re friends with him, and I know he’s more than entitled to a private life but if it’s his father’s health, or something he needs support from the team on. Well…” She dropped her hands to her sides with a clap. “We’re here, I guess is what I’m trying to say. Linc wants him to know the guys are there for him.”
As sweet as it was that the team had Eli’s back, he would be horrified to know that they’d even noticed he was struggling, never mind that Kenzie had knocked on Clare’s door to talk about it.
It wasn’t her story to tell, and the guilt at not calling Elliott back was more stifling than the overbearing heat wafting from her kitchen.
“Thank you, Kenzie. He’s lucky to have you.” She squeezed the woman’s elbow. “All of you. I’m sure it was just a bad day.”
Kenzie cringed.
“Week. A bad week. And he’ll be back to his not-quite-as-bad self in no time.”
Kenzie’s nostrils flared as she sucked in a deep breath and gave an uncertain nod. “I hope so.”
She offered a smile. “I’ll talk to him.”
That seemed to ease Kenzie’s worries a little more. “Okay, thank you.”
“No problem. You want a cookie?”
“Please. The smells coming from your kitchen have been permeating my house all freakin’ morning and driving me crazy. It all smells so darn delicious.”
Once Kenzie had a stack of cookies and a serving of pasta bake bundled in her arms, she waggled her fingers goodbye and walked across the yard to her house leaving Clare with literally no other methods of procrastination.
It was time to call Elliott.
Chapter 16
Elliott
“I was just about to call you.” Under flushed cheeks, wild hair, a brown smudge on her left cheekbone that he hoped was chocolate, and an apron that probably needed to be burned rather than washed, Clare answered the door with an uncertain smile.
“I figured you couldn’t really avoid me any longer if I just up and landed on your doorstep.”
She had the decency to wince at his words. “I’ve had stuff going on.”
Didn’t everyone?
Stepping back, she waved him into the house. Smiling pictures of Mason and Catriona hung in the hallway, but few pictures of Clare adorned the walls.
He was only a few feet through the door before his mouth watered and a myriad of smells accosted his nose. “Smells delicious in here.”
Clare shrugged and led the way into the kitchen. “I had some time so I thought I’d make some things.”
Holy baked goods, Batman. “Some things? Don’t you mean all the things?”
