Holiday Crush: MM Small TownHockey Romance by Lane Hayes

Author:Lane Hayes [Hayes, Lane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

The following morning, I woke up at the ass crack of dawn and speed walked the four blocks from my house to Rise and Grind on Main Street in the dark. It took less time to hoof it than to wait for my car to defrost and since it was basically my only form of exercise, I didn’t mind the chill. I wrapped my scarf around my neck, buttoned my long wool coat, and hustled into town, my boots echoing on eerily quiet streets.

The thirty minutes between five thirty and six a.m. that I’d allotted to make coffee and rev up the heavy-duty machinery were my calm before the storm. Fine by me. I needed less time with my thoughts at the moment. I didn’t want to think about Stacy or her sudden desire to sell the shop, and I was afraid to think about Court. One represented change and possible failure and the other…

Geez, Court was a mystery.

I felt like I was two steps behind, still mentally grappling with his bi-ness and completely bewildered to have his attention. I mean…we’d exchanged blowjobs, for fuck’s sake. And I wanted to do it again. Soon.

We weren’t kids anymore and Lord knew, I’d worked my ass off to get out of this town and make something of myself. I’d grown up and clued in. I didn’t need his approval, his time, his opinions, or his dick, but…damn it, I liked him. And I wasn’t supposed to like Court Henderson this much.

Frankly, all this thinking hurt my head.

Thank God I loved my job.

When we’d first opened Rise and Grind, I’d had my doubts about seeing the same folks I’d grown up with every damn day. What the hell could I possibly say to the librarian who’d told on me when I tried to check out an “adult themed” book at age ten? Or my old babysitter who was now a mother of three? Or the teenagers who grunted their orders and never made eye contact?

Their stories seemed so…ordinary. Too relatable. I’d been a disenchanted teen in a small town too, and I’d witnessed full circle moments of my peers becoming mothers and fathers as our parents aged. However, it felt like a privilege now rather than the stagnant march of time.

Honestly, it was kind of funny to serve coffee to people who’d seen you at your best, worst, and potentially most embarrassing. It was special in its own way. Sure, the gossip was a tad provincial and the cultural touchpoints centered around hockey and more hockey, but it was home.

This morning, the buzz was all about Stacy. I had no idea how word got out so soon, but that was Elmwood for you. I assured everyone that she was taking the doctor’s orders seriously and that with Mazie’s help, I had everything under control, which was mostly true.

I poured coffee, tea, whipped up espressos and lattes like a boss, and made small talk about everything from turkey prep to composting the dead leaves in front of the elementary school, as if I knew anything about either topic.

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