Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Victoria
Being offered a job in a brand-new city wasn’t something I was planning on.
Neither was meeting him at a random hotel bar that same night.
We shared a drink, flirted, and then one thing led to another.
We exchanged first names, and I escaped the next morning with a quick goodbye.
I never expected to see him again.
I especially never expected him to come face-to-face with him at my brother’s house.
As the new coach of the team.
Zane
I was the youngest coach in the NHL.
I had to focus on one thing and one thing only.
My job.
It’s the only thing I had time for.
Until I came face-to-face with the stranger I thought I would never see again.
She’s off-limits in every sense of the word.
Not just because she’s younger than me.
She’s the sister to my star player
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
one
Victoria
“Who is your favorite auntie?” I look over at my nephew who knows about three words. “Can you say Auntie Tori?” I ask him as he yaps away with nonsense sounds followed by a big glop of drool pouring out of his mouth. “So we have to work on that,” I tell him as he smiles at me. “Do you think we can do that? You can do it.” I clap my hands. “Auntie Tori,” I repeat.
“Dadadadadadada,” Jagger says, clapping his hands and smiling like he just said what I said.
“Don’t tell him this, but your dad is super annoying. He’s not as cool as you think he is. I know he tries to pretend he’s cool, but he’s not,” I tell him, as he stares at me, interested in everything I’m saying. “You look like him.” I tap his little nose with my finger. “It might be a curse.”
“What are you teaching my child?” My brother, Jaxon, walks into the living room, tossing his suit jacket on the back of the couch as he sidesteps some of Jagger’s toys that are all over the place. Jagger is standing wearing a pair of black pants and a white T-shirt. He’s holding a plastic golf club in his hand as he looks over to where my brother is making his way to us.
“Dadadadadada.” He drops the plastic golf club and runs toward Jaxon, who squats down and grabs him, tossing him in the air. His laughing squeal fills the room, and I just smile at the two of them. Jaxon buries his face in Jagger’s neck and his head flies back, soft brown hair moving side to side as his chubby fists wrap around Jaxon’s neck.
“Hello, my boy,” he greets him as he settles Jagger on his hip. “How is my Jagger doing?”
“Dadadad.”
“Yeah, that’s the only thing this kid knows how to say,” I mumble. Jaxon walks to the side of the couch and sits down on the floor in front of me as Jagger gets up and goes back to his plastic golf club. “Jagger,” I call his name and he looks at me. “Who is your favorite Auntie?” I ask him and he walks over to the red plastic golf ball like I’m not talking to him. “Auntie TT,” I tell him.
“That’s not even your name.” Jaxon laughs.
“It’s easier to say TT than it is to say Tori,” I snap at him. “Jagger, Auntie TT.”
“Debada debada,” he chatters, and I shake my head.
“It sounds like he’s a late bloomer, just like you.” I goad, trying not to laugh when Jaxon’s face goes white. “I’m kidding,” I say, getting up from the floor. “He is your son after all, it makes sense,” I tease him like any little sister would. Makes up for all the times he teased me growing up. “You don’t like that, huh? Payback is a bitch.” I point at him.
“Tori,” he hisses, and I laugh.
“I’m kidding,” I repeat, walking to the kitchen that is right off the family room, “it’s a joke.”
“It’s not funny,” he grumbles. “Jagger, what’s this?” He holds up the red golf ball.
“Ball,” he answers and Jaxon smiles at me.
“I’d be a little more impressed if he said red ball.” I lean on the counter as Ariella comes into the room.
“Okay,” she says, “you can go and take your shower now.” She walks toward the living room wearing a pair of jeans and a Warriors T-shirt tucked into the waistband. Her eyes light up when she sees Jaxon. “I thought you were gone.”
“I’m about to head out,” he says and tilts his head so she can bend to kiss his lips. The two of them hooked up one night, almost two years ago, and in a very surprising twist for both of them, out came Jagger. They were not the only ones that were surprised. It was a shock to all of us, especially our fathers who were retired hockey teammates and best friends. Now it feels like they’ve always been together. “My sister is being kicked out of our home.”