Sex, Vows & Babies: Cherry Picked (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Shots On Goal Book 3) Read online

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Rochelle Paige Popovic and Elle Christensen. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Sex, Vows & Babies remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Rochelle Paige Popovic and Elle Christensen, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Cherry Picked

  A Yeah, Baby & Shots On Goal Crossover

  Kristen Hope Mazzola

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Did you enjoy what you just read?

  Don’t miss out…

  Want more hockey hunks?

  All books by Kristen Hope Mazzola

  Note From the Author

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Introduction

  Dear Readers,

  Welcome to the Sex, Vows & Babies Kindle World! In this combination of my Sex & Vows and Yeah, Baby series, we’ll bring you new books by some truly amazing authors. From sexy stories of married couples fighting against outside forces to keep their happily ever after, to unexpected pregnancies that lead to forever afters… the Sex, Vows & Babies world is full of over the top alphas, sassy heroines, insta-love, wedding bells, and growing families. Although the wide cast of characters in both series have managed to find love, there’s plenty more out there who could use Sex, Vows & Babies in their lives—like the couple in this story!

  If you’re familiar with the Yeah, Baby and Sex & Vows series, you’ll see a familiar face (or more) in this story. I am so excited this author agreed to bring their storytelling talent to the Sex, Vows & Babies Kindle World! However, please keep in mind that this book is entirely the work of the author, and I didn’t have any part in the process of writing this book.

  For more about the world, stop by the Sex, Vows, & Babies website: http://www.fionadavenport.com/kindle-worlds/.

  Happy reading!

  - Fiona Davenport

  (Elle Christensen & Rochelle Paige)

  Dedication

  To all of the yes people out there - take this life by storm and never hold back.

  Chapter 1

  Chase

  This is it.

  The beginning of my life.

  Lacing up my skates in the locker room was nothing short of incredible—incredible, but intimidating as fuck. I was the smallest fish in a pond full of ravenous beasts that would tear me limb from limb in two seconds flat if given the chance. I was the rookie in a winning franchise—the winning franchise. I had wanted to wear that red, white, and blue jersey from my favorite team since I first started learning to skate, and there I was in my dream locker room. I had to prove my worthiness to men that, not too long ago, were my heroes. Now they were my teammates, rivals, enemies, and biggest supporters. It was all too surreal to glance around and see legends like Gavin Hayes and Will Crosby getting ready for practice only steps away from me.

  Get a damn grip, man.

  Keeping my cool was proving harder than I had ever anticipated. I was star-struck and needed to rein myself in. I had been the best of the best in my old league, and that confidence needed to be displayed, needed to shine from deep within my core and not let intimidation snuff out its light. I had to prove myself, and acting like a gushing fanboy wasn’t going to get me anywhere—in reality, it would probably land me with my ass being handed to me on and off the ice.

  “Ready, rookie?” Brayden Cox slapped me on the back as he walked by—THE fucking Brayden Cox.

  What in the ever-loving fuck?

  Is this real life?

  I barely choked out, “Yeah, sure,” before he was out the door, walking out into the barn.

  My mind tripped back to when I was in high school, only a few years before, picking my number for the varsity team. Sixty-eight was what was stitched onto my back; Cox’s number was my lucky number. I just really couldn’t believe he was my teammate. Now I had to find luck in eighty-six, the good old reverse trick. I couldn’t help but be curious if he knew I had donned his number as a tribute to how much he inspired me while he was a rookie for this same team. I remembered watching the game with my father and brother the night Gavin Hayes got his first hat trick and how well Brayden had assisted him in that victory. It was still one of the best games I had ever watched, hands down.

  The cold air hit me hard as I followed my new teammates into the rink for the first time. As the distinct aroma of my new home wafted into my nostrils, my lungs filled with excitement. This is going to be incredible. I could feel the bitter chill digging deep into my bones as reality started to sink in hard. I had made it. I had actually done it. I was a professional hockey player for the National Hockey League. Who would have thought a little boy’s fantasy could actually turn into reality? This shit is what movies are fucking made of.

  Well, my life wasn’t exactly movie material. I came from middle-class American suburbia in Alabama. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, the complete Suzy Homemaker package, and my dad was a hardworking foreman for a construction company, grit and muscle to the core. I had an older sister who was a resident at Flushing Hospital, and a younger brother still in high school back home.

  It was nice that my sister, Hannah, was in New York too; it made the big city feel a little smaller at times. Even though our schedules conflicted most of the time, it was comforting to have family close by.

  “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t fucking take—don’t forget that, rookie,” Hayes snarled at me right as the blade of my skate crashed into the freshly Zambonied ice.

  Rookie—my new name. I wasn’t Chase. I wasn’t Harding. I was Rookie. It was my new identity, and I had to own it and prove it wasn’t a slanderous nickname but a badge of honor.

  After I got over the initial shock of actually being on the ice with my new team, practice went like normal, nothing to write home about. It was harder and longer than I was used to, but I was stepping up my game and I knew that the tougher practice was, the better I would be for it come game time. It was amazing skating with guys who were so much better than me, and I could already tell I was going to really learn a lot from the team.

  It wasn’t until we headed to hit the showers that I actually felt like an outcast and then completely welcomed within seconds. It wasn’t for my performance, and it wasn’t because I was a newbie. It all started with a book.

  “Nice slap shot,” Crosby complimented as he walked passed me as I pulled my practice jersey over my head.

  “Thanks man.”

  He nodded. “First time my hand has hurt that bad through a glove from practice in a while.”

  After stripping off all my pads, I grabbed my bag to pull out a new pair of sweatpants and a tattered copy of And Then There Were None fell onto the floor at my feet.

  “Aw, did the little boy drop his book? Fucking nerd,” Edouard Gagnon said in his thick French accent, snickering like a schoolyard b
ully as I snatched the tattered book and threw it back into my duffle for safe keeping.

  Before I could even think about defending myself, Cox flew to my side. “Don’t act like a prick because Harding actually finished high school and can read something other and Clifford The Big Red Dog.”

  Edouard bowed up and was about to get into Brayden’s face when Gavin stepped between them. “Cox, cool it, bro. We all know how much you love protecting the new guys, but Harding has to fight his own battles or he will never learn how to on the ice.” Gavin hooked his arm around his brother-in-law’s shoulder then turned to the instigator. “And as for you, Gagnon, the rookie made seven more goals than you did today during practice. That’s what you should be focusing on, not that he enjoys reading.”

  Gavin winked at me before slapping Brayden on the shoulder. “Don’t forget Myla and I are coming over for dinner tonight. You better shower—I don’t want to have to smell your swamp ass while I’m trying to enjoy my food.”

  The fact that Brayden Cox and Gavin Hayes were family made the team feel a little bit more homey, and it was something I really appreciated. I remembered when they used to go at it on the ice, barely acting like teammates, and now they were like the fucking Bash Brothers from the Mighty Ducks.

  Gagnon shot me a dirty look and I just shrugged, hung my pads up in my locker, and grabbed fresh clothes from my bag. I wanted to defend myself, but I felt like it would be a waste of breath. If all they had to pick on me for was a murder mystery and being the new guy, I was sitting pretty.

  Chapter 2

  Nikki

  New York City—this is it.

  I stood in the middle of Times Square in utter bewilderment.

  The bright lights, the bustling of people, the honking horns, the fluttering pigeons—it was all so mind-blowing. The movies definitely did not do the city justice, to say the least.

  It was my first time really being out of the one-stoplight town I grew up in. I was completely out of my comfort zone, but it was now or never.

  I made it.

  Finally.

  I’m actually here.

  It was all an absolute dream come true, and I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around how undeniably marvelous this new undertaking was going to be for me. Who would have thought a little girl with grand dreams of dancing across the stage in the Big Apple would actually see them come true? I surely doubted myself from time to time—frankly, all the time—but being hard on myself made me try harder, push longer, learn more. All the difficult work, all the blood, sweat, and tears—all of it was finally paying off.

  Inhaling a deep breath of city air, I let myself take it all in. I was on the brink of a whole new life and this was day one, step one, the beginning. It was humbly astounding and I was going to take this city by storm if it was the last thing I did. I was determined to be the best of the best, and no one was going to stand in my way.

  Walking around, I checked my map for the hundredth time. I knew I totally looked like a tourist with a large fanny pack and all, but I couldn’t care less. I had come into the city two weeks early to get my footing and actually have some time to explore—once I started training with the New York City Ballet, I would barely have time to breathe, let alone take in the sights. I had traveled a bit for different dance projects over the years, had danced on countless different stages. Even though this was the big time, I couldn’t let it feel too much different; I needed to channel my inner confidence.

  This was the first time I had ever been so far away from home alone. Being barely nineteen, alone in the greatest city on Earth for the first time was as thrilling as it was unhinging, but I wasn’t going to let my nerves get the better of me. I’d made a promise to myself before I arrived that I was going to be a yes person and just let myself enjoy life to the fullest for once. Ballerinas didn’t usually have adventures outside the dancing world, but this was my time to really experience life.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text.

  Mom: Hey honey, how’s it going? Are you enjoying it so far?

  My mom was having a harder time with me being gone than I was. She was a single parent, and it had been us against the world for my entire life. If she could have, I think she would have packed up and moved with me. The only thing that was probably stopping her was the fact that she knew I needed to spread my wings on my own for once.

  Me: I am on cloud nine. This place is magical.

  Mom: I am so proud of you, baby! Can’t wait for pictures and to hear all the details!

  Me: I will send the pics right when I get home and upload all of them to my computer.

  Mom: Awesome! Looking forward to it. Love you, Nik.

  Me: Love you too.

  It was simple and quick, but those small moments when we knew we were thinking about each other made all the difference. It made me feel less homesick and so much more so, all at once. It was strange going to my apartment, so empty and lonely. It felt weird to not have my mom by my side for all of this.

  After taking hundreds of pictures of pigeons, street signs, random buildings, and everything in between, it was time to get some caffeine in me. Thankfully, right as my feet were screaming for a break from all the walking I had done, I stumbled upon a hole-in-the-wall used book store. It looked absolutely charming and was attached to a coffee shop with a wooden sign that hung overhead and read The Bookstop.

  “How adorable,” I mumbled to myself as the bell chimed overhead, announcing my entrance to the tattooed clerk. She was covered in gorgeous ink on most of her visible milky skin, and I was jealous of her artwork. Tattoos were something prima ballerinas typically didn’t get, but that didn’t stop me from being in awe of their beauty and rebellion.

  “How’s it going?” she called over from behind an old wooden counter as she glanced up from a book.

  I waved shyly. “Hi, this is a really cute place.” I twirled slowly, looking at all the old books on floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, taking it all in.

  “Let me know if I can find anything for you. My name is Staci. The coffee shop is just through there.” She pointed at a small hallway through the bookcases near the back of the store.

  “Thanks, I’m Nikki,” I stated, smiling as sweetly as possible at her.

  She pursed her lips quickly into a half smile like I wasn’t really trying to be friends here, just doing my freaking job. I just let it roll off my back—nothing was going to take away from how thrilled I was to find this little slice of heaven tucked away in the heart Manhattan.

  The smell of java and old pages consumed me, caressing my soul. Since I was a slave to my craft, there wasn’t a lot of time for a social life or dating. Books were my friends, my lovers, my heartbreak, and my adventure. I had been a resident of Huxley’s Brave New World, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, hid from the Nazis in an attic with Anne Frank, explored Wonderland with the white rabbit, and sailed a raft with Huck and Jim. I had grown up page after page. After dancing, reading was my passion, something that made my life complete.

  After ordering a chai latte and finding a comfortable couch in the back of the coffee shop, I let myself get lost in a murderous tale, simple and perfectly woven together by the brilliant mystery queen, Agatha Christie. It was like revisiting old friends, and I was present on the remote island with no hope of escape as characters dwindled down in numbers.

  Chapter 3

  Chase

  I saw her and my world stopped dead in an instant. Everything around me faded to black as I got lost in her from afar.

  She was sitting alone in the corner of the coffee shop, biting her lower lip as she read from the yellowing pages of a book with a broken spine and a tattered cover. Her face was soft and full of anticipation as the pages flipped by, and I craved to know what part she was on as she read from my favorite book.

  I was hooked.

  I was mesmerized.

  She was mine. Already. She just doesn’t know it yet.

  And I didn’t even know her name
.

  A minor detail.

  “Chase?” Hannah nudged my elbow from the opposite side of the table we occupied like we had every weekend for the last few weeks.

  “Huh?” My eyes snapped to my sister as she stole me away from daydreaming about the gorgeous brunette I craved to know.

  “Are you going to be able to go home for Thanksgiving?” she asked, frustration lacing her tone.

  I shook my head. “Not with the schedule we have.” Our family was incredibly close and I knew it was going to break my mom’s and sister’s hearts that I wasn’t going to be able to make it home for the holidays this year, but that was part of the sacrifice I was going to have to make for my career.

  My eyes continued to wander to the petite brunette. Her hair was long and it swept over her right shoulder. She was in black yoga pants and an oversized tank top cinched at her waste by a ridiculously adorable bright green fanny pack. I wondered if she had just gotten done at the gym or if she was just being comfortable on this lazy Sunday morning in the city.

  My sister continued to steal my attention. “How has practice been?” Hannah was trying to keep the conversation moving and I was being a complete jerk, but I couldn’t pull away from the sheer beauty only paces away, which felt like a million miles.

  I propped my head up with my hand so I could see my cute girl out of the corner of my eye while still kind of looking at Hannah. “We’ve only had a few practices but I am enjoying it and learning a lot.”

  “That’s really exciting. I can’t believe my baby brother is a famous hockey star now.” She giggled a little as excitement perked the corners of her lips.

  “I’m far from famous yet, sis. We’ll see what happens once the season actually starts.” I took the last sip of my black coffee, using the opportunity to catch my girl as she laughed to herself while she read. Her enjoyment was radiating sunshine as she devoured the novel.