My Hockey Alpha

Chapter 304

Bonus 4: Missing Ingredients

Nina

Anxiety was bubbling its way up in my chest as I stared down at the phone in my hand.

Once again, the attempt to call my mother proved to be futile.

I couldn’t even count how many times I had tried calling her over the past three weeks, all of which had gone unanswered. This time, however, it even went straight to voicemail; either she had hung up when she saw my name pop up on the screen, or her phone was officially shut off.

“Don’t worry, Nina,” Enzo said, wrapping his strong arms around me from behind as he planted a kiss on the top of my head. We were standing in the kitchen; our beautiful sage green kitchen. “She probably just hasn’t switched to an international number yet. She’ll call you soon; I can feel it.” I nodded and turned around in Enzo’s arms, inhaling his scent and letting his warmth emanate through me as I buried my face in his chest.

“You’re probably right,” I said quietly. “I just wish that she could be here in time for the wedding. Maybe we should .” I bit my lip, stopping myself from saying what I had said a million times over the past few weeks; that we should put the wedding off until I could get in touch with her.

“Don’t even say it,” Enzo replied. ” Trust me, Nina. She’ll be there.”

“You really think so?” I asked, looking up to meet his soft brown gaze. “You 4 think she’ll show up at the wedding?”

Enzo nodded and shot me a gentle smile. I felt my cheeks tinge pink as he planted a gentle kiss on my lips before he walked off to the dining room.

With the wedding imminent, her silence was deafening. I was desperate silence was deafening. I was desperate to hear her voice, to share the details of our preparations, our excitement.

Enzo and I had been working tirelessly to transform our once drab, gray house into a warm,

brighter, more comfortable, and it was filled with anticipation for

midst of finishing up the final touches on our house. All that was left was to finish putting together some furniture that we had purchased, and then this house would

a dining chair. The entire first floor was open now after we had knocked down a few walls, and it felt much

everything from where

now had been purchased secondhand, giving the house an eclectic,

liked how the plant pots and pictures in the living room were all mismatched and colorful, and I had found a few stunning armchairs at a local estate sale that each had a history

we had made a last-minute trip to Ikea for a set of chairs and benches to go around our enormous farm-style table that practically stretched the entire length of the

had an array of food prepared for our engagement dinner, but nothing for

I should bake a cake

the bottom of one chair and then set it down on

a rush

sweets and I just realized

chuckled, slipping the parts for another chair out of their cardboard prison. “What do you need? I can run to the

to find baking essentials. My heart sank when I saw the empty shelves. “Oh no,” I

making me smile despite my disappointment.” Well, looks like we’re going shopping after all. Let me just put

I protested, grabbing my keys from the counter. “I can go. You finish up here. Besides, I want to pick out everything

teased, offering a mock salute. “Good luck, soldier. And get a good cake mix. None of that cheap stuff. I like chocolate cake, for the

replied with a grin, saluting him back. “Chocolate cake it is. I’m feeling