She searched for a way to ease his discouragement. "You essentially play against a clock in a game, right? In the competition, we'll be baking against the clock. So there's one similarity for you."
"The rest is all new. I looked at the competition details. It's three rounds spread out over three days. And each round has a theme ingredient that we have to include."
"Right. But we won't know what it will be until the host tells us at the start of each round."
"So how do we prepare for this?"
"We bake. A lot." She swirled the remainder of her cookie in her cup. "We'll need to practice. At least once. More would be better. And a lot more would be best. I'm voting for the third option if you have the time."
His face grew serious. "You want to win pretty bad."
"The prize money would help a lot." That was the truth. She didn't know him well enough to share how desperately they needed to win.
Xavier's brows drew together, and he tilted his head. "I want it too. My foundation could really put that money to good use."
She'd devoured every bit of information she could find about him, and that included learning a lot about his foundation. "I read that you host 5k runs twice a year and donate the money to a breast cancer charity. I'd be more than happy to donate cupcakes or cookies for the finishers' table for the next race or future ones."
When he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Well, now I really feel a lot of pressure to step up my baking game so you'll still like me when they roll around."
If he were stepping up his game, then he'd take the competition seriously. She really needed him to be this serious version of himself, not the version famous for throwing extravagant parties and enjoying life a little too much. With that in mind, the conversation with the woman seeking the autograph echoed in her thoughts. Ashley took a sip of fortifying caffeine and then set down the cup. "What did that woman outside mean when she said to keep taking care of yourself the way you had been for the past few years?"
His smile vanished, and the light in his eyes dimmed. "She meant that I let myself have too much fun during my first few years in the league. And she's right. But I've settled down." He leaned across the table, gaze intense and hands tight around his cup. "If you're worried, don't be. I'm not that guy anymore. I'm taking this competition as seriously as I take my training. And to that end, how about if I shadow you on a regular basis? It'll give me time to learn more about baking, and it'll give us plenty of time to practice."
"You'd do that?" Surprise brought her up short. Having him at the bakery would help them become more familiar with each other and hopefully, develop close to as good a rhythm as she and Katie shared when baking together.
"This whole thing is new to me. It's like learning a new playbook. If we want to win, we need to be as prepared as possible."
"You're right." She bit her lip as a new worry rolled in. "I'm afraid I can't afford to pay you much." Or, at all. Damn it.
He waved away her concern. "I don't want any money. It's like an internship. And maybe we keep it quiet, so my teammates in the competition don't get the same brilliant idea and try to do this with their bakery partners."
"Good plan. And as thanks for your commitment, you can have as many cupcakes and cookies as you want."
"It's the off-season. I can afford to cheat a little on my diet." His grin came back full-force, almost stealing her breath with the power of his smile. He raised his cup. "To a winning partnership."
She clicked her cup against his and for a moment, let herself imagine what winning the whole competition would feel like, and how it would dissolve the crushing weight of worry. Xavier was a true competitor. Hopefully, he'd make a good teammate for her.
He leaned back in his chair. "While you were changing clothes, your sister said that she's only home for a few more weeks."
"Having her home has been a big help. She's going back early to take a class during a summer session. I'm going to miss her."
"It's nice you can work well together. Working with family or friends can be both a blessing and a curse."
"True, and we've had our moments. But I'd do anything for her." She pushed another biscotti in his direction. "Your family works together, don't they? I remember reading something about them owning a gym?"
"My dad's gym. He's mostly retired now, but my brothers Ryan and Shane run it. And during the off-season, I'll sometimes help out there too. We can drive each other crazy, but I'd do anything for them too."
The more they talked, the more he impressed her. Very much a regular guy, not at all full of himself considering the admiration and adoration of thousands, maybe millions, of fans. He entertained her with stories of his brothers, and she responded with her own of growing up with Katie and some of their first baking disasters.
After their second cup of cappuccino, she glanced at her watch and mildly groaned. "I'd better go. I can't believe we've been here for two hours." Guilt and low-grade trepidation over spending time with Xavier when Katie was stuck at the bakery alone pushed her to her feet.
Xavier waved off her offer to pay and discretely handed several bills to the server.
The walk back to the bakery left her senses just as full. He paused beside the bakery's double doors, and his hands lifted to rest on her shoulders. His gaze held hers for a long moment while her stomach turned like kneaded dough. Then he leaned
