Offside Yuletide

By Victoria Denault

Some guys have all the luck. I'm one of them. 

My entire life is a happy accident. Did I mean to become a professional hockey player? Nope. I took the scholarship so I could go to Harvard and get my neuroscience degree for free. But, yet here I am playing for the Vancouver Comets. My parents aren't big on the fact that I picked hockey over becoming a doctor, like them. So when an injury starts my Christmas break early, the last place I want to spend it is at home hearing 'I told you so'.

 

When our team captain invites me to spend the holidays at a cabin in the mountains with his family,  I quickly accept.What he failed to tell me is that his family consists of just his mom. His single mom, Hannah. Hannah is hot, confident, and witty but it's not like I would make a move on my teammate's mom. That's offside, as the refs would say. But my life is a series of happy accidents, remember? So when we accidentally get snowed in together — alone — all I can say is… Oops.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Victoria Denault
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781777946579

Book preview

Prologue

JEREMIAH

I'm a rare breed. A defensive forward. I'm six feet six inches tall, two-hundred and forty-two pounds with only eight percent body fat. I am not afraid of a body check. In fact, most opponents are afraid of body-checking me. On paper, I should be a defenseman, but I'm also obscenely fast on skates and have a sixty-four percent win rate on face-offs. And did I mention my slapshot's average speed is one hundred and one miles per hour? Average .

So it's not that I don't pay attention to the opposition when I'm playing. I do. But yeah, maybe not as hard as anyone else because no one fucks with me. This is why I'm totally blindsided when I charge into battle for the puck in the corner, and just as I get it, I feel the glass break against my helmet.

And the next thing I know, I'm flat on my back on the ice, and my new Captain, Jayden Diaz's face is looming over me. His eyes furrowed with concern. There's a medic next to me and a ref hovering over him. I hear yelling and swearing. A whole lot of swearing. I start to sit up.

Don’t! Jayden and the medic snap at the same time.

I’m fine, I insist. What happened?

Jayden frowns. Wall, just relax. We’re getting you a stretcher.

No fucking way! I bark and start to sit up again. I’m trying to use my arms to push me up off the ice, but only my right one will work. The left one won’t move. Uh-oh. I’ll figure that out later. I’m fine.

You were checked from behind so hard you shattered the glass and blacked out. You need to go to be evaluated, the doctor tells me firmly. At the very least.

Don’t worry. If you pass concussion protocol, you’ll likely be back before we start playing again, The ref mutters as a bunch of guys with a stretcher show up. Gotta clean up the glass and finish handing out penalties.

Penalties? I echo.

Jayden nods gruffly. Half the team decided to fucking lose their shit. Guess they like you.

He used ‘they’ not ‘we,’ which I definitely catch. I try to sit up again, and this time I succeed even though my left arm is still useless and now throbbing like a mo-fo. Please just let me skate off. No stretcher. It’s not that bad.

Fine. The doc says reluctantly.

But when he and Jayden reach down and help haul me to my skates the pain in the left arm goes supersonic. I curse a blue streak, but they get me up. And I don’t know if the urge to puke is from the pain in my arm or the fact that the ice in front of me is rippling like a waterbed. Oh fuck.

Yeah. It’s serious, Wall, Jayden’s tone is that of a mother saying ‘I told you so.’

I think I broke my left shoulder, I announce. And I definitely have a concussion. Grade two at least.

Let the doctors do the assessing, okay, bud? Jayden suggests.

He's right. But I know I'm right too being that I was one semester away from graduating Harvard with a degree in neuroscience and had already been accepted into the medical program at Yale. And was raised by two doctors. Of course, Jayden doesn't know that. No one on the team does. So I nod and let him and the doctor hold me up as I skate off to an arena of worried fans cheering me on.

The coach gives me a worried glance as do the guys on the bench while they tap their sticks against the boards in support. No one looks like they’ll see me again anytime soon. And I’m worried they’re right.

CHAPTER 1

Hannah

Ileap for my cell as soon as it starts ringing. My Tia Tina chuckles from her position on the chaise by the window. "You didn’t see the hit, Tia . It was gruesome."

It’s hockey, Tina says lightly and sips her margarita.

Hey! I say putting my son on speaker and turning off the television so there’s no background noise. It was the post-game show anyway, and I didn’t need to see them rehash that hit on the Comets player for the hundredth time.

Hi. Rough one. Jayden sounds exhausted, but also down.

You can say that again, I reply. Sorry about the loss.

Hard to win when they don't play fair and the refs don't call them on it, Jayden grumbles. He's right. The refs didn't give that Bradley kid a game misconduct and they should have. I've rewatched the hit about twenty times now, and Mark Bradley's shoulder clearly makes direct contact with the side of Waller's head.

Is Waller going to be okay? I ask.

I mean, doubt he will suffer brain damage. You’d need one for that, Jayden quips.

Hey! I taught you better than that, I warn him. Something I haven’t had to do in a long time. Jayden has always been respectful, even as a child. And he’s had so much media training he knows the right thing to say in any situation. I know he wouldn’t disparage his teammate to the press, but I don’t like that he’s doing it to me either. He’s your teammate and a human being.

I’m sorry. You’re right. That was low. I’m just frustrated, Jayden sighs. It was a dirty hit, but the Wall was playing sloppy. He knows he has to keep his head up, even if it is generally half a foot above everyone else’s. And he was out of position. It wasn’t his corner to be in.

You can let the coach handle that, I remind him. As the captain, your job is to keep your team focused and restrained.

Clearly that didn’t happen tonight, Jayden mutters, and the background noise changes. It goes from the sound of wind to the sound rustling through the phone speaker to silence. I’m betting he’s just entered the building. As you saw, that incident had everyone but me throwing punches. We had three five-minute penalties, and Duggan got tossed from the game. If he faces a disciplinary hearing, and he’s suspended for some games, it’s more than a hiccup in our quest to make the playoffs. Duggan is the war horse we need. And we’re already going to be out Waller for a while.

I smile as I take a minute to appreciate he didn’t say fuck. I’m not big on him swearing even though I know hockey players generally have potty mouths. How bad is he injured?

Not as bad as they thought, but bad enough, Jayden says, and then I hear the sound of a key in the front door.

I press end on the cell and turn to look down the long hallway. Jayden appears. He gives me and Tina a weary smile and a tired wave as he toes out of his boots. I pull the blanket from the couch over my outfit. He’s already in a bad enough mood. Tina catches my eye and smirks. She knows exactly what I’m doing.

So what’s the damage on Waller? I ask.

He makes his way down the hall. He’s wearing one of his new suits. Charcoal gray with faint pinstripe and a crisp white dress shirt. He didn’t bother putting his tie back on to come home. I love that hockey tradition, of wearing suits to the arena. And my boy really looks so damn dashing in them. Sometimes it still blows my mind he’s a grown adult, who makes millions.

At first he thought his shoulder was broken, but thankfully it was just dislocated, Jayden tells me and walks directly past me to bend over and give Tina a kiss on the cheek. She pats his back consolingly. A broken shoulder would have had him out the rest of the season. Separated means four weeks. Five tops.

Okay but what about his head? Tina asks as Jayden walks over to me.

I try not to tense up as he leans down to kiss my cheek, and I don’t dare lift my arms up from under the blanket to hug him. He guessed he had a Grade 2 concussion and he was right. That’s significant, but not the worst. They’ll monitor him on that, but he probably will be cleared to play from that injury before his shoulder injury. Like I said before, not much to damage up there.

Jayden! I snap.

Mom, the guy makes stupid his whole personality, I swear, Jayden argues and sits down next to me on the couch. Yesterday in practice he said we should go to the beach on our off-day when we have a road trip in Manitoba. Manitoba!

I crinkle my brow. He’s not Canadian, Jay..

He thought Manitoba was next to Nova Scotia, Jayden shoots me an annoyed glare. Mom, he’s played the Edmonton Rockets a billion times. He’s been in the league for four years, and he thought that we flew to the other side of Canada to do it? In an hour and a half?

Well, the American education system is not exactly big on teaching anything about other countries, Tina remarks. "I remember when I met your Tio Conrad. He was on vacation in California to see the redwoods, of course. He told me he was from West Van and I thought he was talking about what he drove and where it was parked."

I can give you a hundred more examples of his brain farts, and I've only been with the team for three months, Jayden grumbles, and then he narrows those green eyes, one of the only distinct features he got from that sperm donor of an ex-boyfriend of mine. Why are you all bundled up. It's not cold in here.

I shrug. It isn’t? I’m chilly.

His eyes narrow further. You’re wearing your favorite earrings.

Shoot. Busted. I let the blanket drop. Jayden takes in my black dress pants, my clingy red sweater, and the necklace that matches my favorite earrings. Who are you going out with at this hour?

Jeff. Again, I confess and hate that I feel guilty. I'm an adult. He's in town for the night only. And by the way, it's not that late. You played an afternoon game.

Right. But like it’s almost eight. Where are you meeting him? And please do not say his hotel, Jayden waits for my answer with his eyes squeezed shut.

I glance at Tina, who is watching over the rim of her margarita, probably wishing she had popcorn to go with it while watching this. No. Of course not. We’re meeting at a bar. In the lobby of his hotel, which I don’t dare add.

What bar?

Jayden Miguel Diaz I'm not the kid in this relationship, I remind him and stand up. I might as well head out on my date since he knows about it. I'll be home when I'm home. Do not wait up.

I’m waiting up! He calls out as I walk toward the front door to get my coat and shoes.

Did you put the condoms in your purse that I bought for you? Tina calls out and I cringe.

"What? What the hell Tia!" Jayden jumps off the couch in indignation. I almost smile.

Tina shrugs. Your mother is only thirty-six. Still fertile, but we don’t need another baby do we?

Certainly not Jeff’s, I agree and Jayden swivels his head toward me.

What do you mean not Jeff’s? But, like, you would consider someone else’s baby? Jayden wants to know. His eyes get so big I can see the whites from across this giant penthouse. You want more kids?

"I don’t not want them, I admit, and realize this is much too big a conversation for tonight. I hit the jackpot with you. You were an easy baby, an adorable toddler, and now you’re a wonderful adult. So you didn’t exactly deter me from the idea of another. I’m still young. I just… I want a relationship with someone, Jay. And if they have kids or want kids, that isn’t a deal breaker."

But not Jeff’s kids.

No. I mean… I don’t think so.

Then why bother to go out with him? Tina asks and starts waving her hand in the air. Give me the condoms back, put on your pajamas, and let’s order from that Thai place we love.

I’ll see you guys later. Or tomorrow.

Jayden makes a sound that can best be described as a mix between a snarl and a whimper.

"And if you wait up, I am kicking you out of my penthouse. I don’t care if yours is still being renovated. You go stay in Tia’s apartment."

I shut the front door with a solid thump but don't slam it. The fact is, I would never kick him out of my home for any reason, ever, and not even just because he bought this penthouse for me. I’ve been kicked out of a home, shunned by family, and left to