Hockey Holidays Read online

“Don’t tell me you had a one-night stand with him, too?” Avery said, her words full of annoyance.

  “Me? I wish.” Becca laughed, but kept her attention on the man. “No. You’re Kyler Wilson.”

  He nodded slowly, “uh, yeah. At least that’s what it says on my birth certificate.”

  “No, I mean…” Becca stumbled over her words. “THE Kyler Wilson from the Renegades hockey team. Avery, this is KYLER WILSON from the Renegades.”

  “Continuing to repeat it doesn’t make me understand it any better. I don’t watch hockey, so I don’t know who that is – no matter how many times you say it.”

  “I can’t believe you don’t watch hockey.” Becca rolled her eyes. “I thought I taught you better.”

  “I figured that’s why you ran out on me. Bunnies tend to do that.” Kyler casually commented.

  “Bunnies? What does that even mean?” Avery asked, annoyed.

  Kyler smirked a sexy as hell smile. “Bunnies. You know, puck bunnies. Young ladies who sleep with hockey stars simply to say that they did this guy or that guy.”

  “What? You thought I was one of those girls?” Avery couldn’t decide if she was embarrassed or angry at his insinuation.

  “No. I didn’t until you left the way you did. I really kind of figured you were down in the dumps, with the way you were drinking. I was spending New Year’s Eve alone, and that itself makes a man want to drink. Then too many drinks later…I can keep going if you’d like?”

  “I don’t need a recap.” Avery said with snark.

  Becca eagerly listened. “I do. Go on.”

  “So, you really had no idea who I was that night?” Kyler asked.

  He folded his arms over his chest, looking amused at her uncomfortableness. Kyler leaned his weight back against the glass display cases.

  Avery saw him lean back and yelled for him to stop. “Kyler, don’t–”

  “What?”

  Kyler turned, his shoulder brushing against the cardboard display board that held her gingerbread house before she could lunge behind the counter. Avery’s fingers were inches from the board as it crashed to the floor. Gingerbread pieces crumbling everywhere, icing, and candies smashing against the tile floor.

  “Oh my god,” Avery cried softly, staring at the mess on the floor.

  “Did I do that? Shit, I’m really sorry. I didn’t know–” Kyler shrugged.

  Avery shut her eyes, trying to control her emotions. “I just finished decorating that.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kyler looked like he didn’t quite know what to say.

  “You’re sorry? I needed that for the kid’s Christmas party!”

  “Okay? Can you make another one? I’ll pay for it.”

  “The party is in four days!” Avery’s face burned, and her temple throbbed. Anxiety balled up in her chest.

  “Is that not enough time to make a new one?” Kyler asked, his face wrinkled in uncertainty.

  Avery let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fore finger and thumb. It was bad enough that out of all the bakeries in the city, he had to come into theirs, but now he ruined her hard work, and she was going to have to start all over again. “Sure, if that’s all I have to do. We have last minute orders of Christmas cookies piling up, not to mention the pastries we need to make daily.”

  Her heart pounded in her ears. She was so angry, and now she felt like she might be having a panic attack.

  “Avery,” Becca pleaded. “I can get Derrick to come in and help. Everything will get done. It’s fine.”

  “All the cookies?” Avery asked, gasping for air. “And all the cupcakes? In addition to a new gingerbread house? With Christmas Eve only four days away? Becca?”

  “I could help.” Kyler gently spoke up.

  Avery snapped her head to look at him. Her words were sharper than she planned. “Haven’t you done enough?”

  Kyler folded his arms over his chest and shook his head lightly, as if he was shaking off her harsh words. His strong stance told Avery that he was not backing down.

  “What are you going to do, Mr. Hockey player? You going to write the orphanage a big fat check? Isn’t that what you guys do? Throw your money at problems and hope they go away?” Avery didn’t mean for it to sound so awful, but that’s how she felt inside.

  “No.” Kyler said flatly. “I mean, if that’s what the orphanage needs then let me get my checkbook. Because I have the means to provide that, so yeah, I would donate whatever they needed. But I don’t ‘throw money at problems’. I prefer to fix things the old-fashioned way, with hard work. I’m offering my help to you guys with the cookies. I can be quite handy in the kitchen, especially with Christmas cookies. It sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you, and now I’ve unintentionally created more. But it’s up to you.”

  “You’re hired.” Becca said without any further discussion. “Leave your number with Avery.”

  Avery flashed Becca an ‘Are you serious’ look, but Becca didn’t even flinch.

  “Okay.” Kyler took a napkin and scribbled his information on it. He looked up at them and slowly took the coffee cup off the counter. “I uh, I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

  “Right.” Becca said. “That’s fine. Can you come in tomorrow?”

  “Me?” Kyler asked. “Not tomorrow. We have a game in Columbus tomorrow night. But I can come in first thing on Friday.”

  Avery didn’t know why she was so annoyed by Kyler. Maybe it was the fact that he ruined all her hard work so close to the holiday. Or maybe it was coming face to face with the guy she had a one-night stand with. But it was probably that she hated how he made her anxious and excited inside. Spending time with this man might be her biggest problem. His strong arms, devilish smirk, fantastic six-pack… she caught herself day dreaming, and his stupid cocky attitude. She fell to his charm once, why wouldn’t she do it again?

  Becca smiled before she handed him the dozen cupcakes and glazed donut that he originally came in here for. She sweetly added, “Perfect. I guess we’ll see you Friday.”

  Chapter Four

  Kyler (Thursday)

  It was still early, and the team was on the bus to Columbus. Some guys were napping, some were playing cards, and others were watching movies. Kyler had his eyes closed, but his brain was buzzing with thoughts of Avery James.

  All these months, Kyler thought Anna, or Avery as it was, ran out on him because she was a bunny. And bunnies don’t stick around for small talk after. But she honestly had no idea who he was. It was just a drunken one-night stand. Not that that makes it any better. But, knowing now that she fell into bed with him that night because she was attracted to him, not because she was looking to get a notch on her bedpost with a hockey player, was more of a boost to his ego. It made him feel better about not being able to get her out of his mind for the last twelve months.

  Kyler never pined after bunnies, he knew what they were after. And honestly, when you are young, single, and on the road a lot, sometimes they are just what the doctor ordered.

  But he was focused on Avery, and inquisitive to know what made her tick. Behind those big brown eyes sat something he couldn’t define. He wanted to know everything about her including the real reason she ran out. Now finding out that she didn’t know anything about him that night, he was even more intrigued.

  Arriving at the hotel, the guys filed out of the bus and into the lobby. Kyler saw them out of the corner of his eye before they approached him – puck bunnies. Kris and Tyler made it very clear in the past that they were off-limits. A huge bunny-favorite, Patrick, recently made it clear when they wouldn’t leave him alone. Now they stuck to the younger guys, and that meant him too.

  Normally he might take them up on whatever they were offering, especially at an away game, but not now. Now all he could think about was Avery. He brushed them off as he walked by, trying to get up to his room.

  Once the elevator opened on the second floor, he thought he was in the clear, but there stood a bun