Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
With no bruised ribs. No injuries. Just joy.
He’s been noodling on what to do next. Maybe that smoothie shop. Maybe broadcasting. Or maybe he’ll open a dog hotel, he mused the other night.
For me, I’m busy with the podcast, which has kept growing, but so has Haven Designs. I’ve been decorating so many homes with secondhand, refurbished, and vintage looks that my little green heart is growing bigger every day. For now, the next thing is a trip.
He carries the bags to his car, loads them in the trunk, then helps Simon into his dog seat in the back, right next to Zamboni.
Before I get in, I spot Jessica in her front yard and wave. “I’ll be sure to check the mail,” she calls.
“Have fun with my brother,” I say.
“I will,” she replies with a wink.
Then we head off—to the dog hotel first, where we check in two very spoiled dogs into one special suite.
They’re practically living together now. They will be officially when we get back from our trip, and I move in full-time with the guy next door.
For now, though, we’re headed to Italy.
On the plane, I say, “You never told me—are you the kind of guy who sets out for a day in Tuscany ready to see what he stumbles across, or do you hire a tour guide?”
His dimple flashes. “I guess you’ll find out.”
A few days later, I do—when we’re wandering through a vineyard, the sun shining bright across the grapes, my boyfriend relaxed and happy, and then…
He gets down on one knee.
“Marry me, Skylar,” he says. “Marry me and be mine always.”
My heart soars to the sunlit sky as I say yes.
From strangers to neighbors to forever—you just never know what might happen when you take your dog out for a walk in your bathrobe one fine day.
Ready for more hot hockey heroes and the women who bring them to their knees? Check out single dad Corbin’s romance with his best friend’s little sister Mabel in JUST BREAKING THE RULES coming to KU January 2026! It’s available to preorder now. You can sign also up for my newsletter or follow me on Amazon to be notified! Turn the page for the first ever sneak peek of Just Breaking The Rules!
If you haven’t binged the Love and Hockey series, all six titles are available now to download in KU!
EXCERPT: JUST BREAKING THE RULES
Corbin
Sometimes you just need to pivot. Like when you’re skating backwards, but you need to open up to receive a shot.
Or, say, when you’re at a Webflix event with your buddies before a game, and one minute you’re checking out cookies, and the next, you spot your best friend’s little sister landing in the middle of the cake she’d been making.
Sure, Mabel was ad-libbing like a pro, but a good teammate has your back. That was all I’d wanted to do back there.
Now, I shut the door to the closet-sized trailer and place the towel Ronnie’s assistant gave Mabel on the few square inches of counter. There’s a tiny couch, a dollhouse-sized table, and a bathroom smaller than one on an airplane. The sink there is too small to be useful, but there’s a bigger one between a microwave and a coffee machine. That’ll do to get her ready for the pic.
Tossing my suit jacket on the couch, I turn to Mabel and finally ask, “Smash cake, huh?”
“It’s a thing,” Mabel says with a little jut of her pretty chin.
“That save you attempted was worthy of a top goalie.” Even if that faux-badass judge wasn’t impressed with her song and dance, I sure as hell was.
“Thanks,” she says dryly. “But I’m pretty sure I’ll need a new career after that.” Her shoulders drop, and she shudders out a heavy breath, slumping against the trailer door and groaning like a wounded creature. “What have I done?”
Ah, hell. Can’t let her go all woe-is-me. “Hey now,” I say, reaching for her shoulders, cupping them to reassure her. “You handled that with aplomb.”
She peers at me, the corner of her lips screwing up. “Aplomb? Seriously? More like I bombed.”
“Nope. You fell down and you picked yourself right back up.” I rub her shoulders through her T-shirt. I’m not usually a shoulder man, but hers feel damn good under my palms, strong and toned, probably from lifting heavy bags of flour and mixing batter. But I probably shouldn’t be rubbing Theo’s sister’s shoulders with so much—I look down at my hands—gusto.
I drop my arms to my sides.
“Didn’t do much good. I’ll never get my—” Mabel’s voice catches, and she doesn’t finish the thought.
“Never get what?” It sounds important to her, what she didn’t say.
She blows out a breath, then shakes her head. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. It’s one contest. I’ll move on after the photo opp.”
I want to reassure her that no one will remember what just went down. But I don’t like to make empty promises.