Neutral Zone: A Railers Christmas Story (Harrisburg Railers Hockey Book 7) Read online

  Dedication and hard work. That was what was needed to get that chunk of me back in place. So I worked. And I dedicated myself. And I sweat and cursed and threw things and laughed and cheered myself on because…

  Because I had one hell of a wonderful life ahead with my soon-to-be husband. I was damn sure going to be one hundred percent healthy for the rest of our time spent as one whole instead of two halves. Like that old 80’s song that Mads liked to hum in the shower, our future was so bright we were breaking out the shades.

  Epilogue

  Jared

  When it came down to it, I had absolutely no say in Ten getting back on the ice. The doctors said they were cautiously sure, which sounded like medical bullshit to me. Management had all kinds of legal documentation in place to keep him safe, but that surely was their way of covering their backs. Sponsors had major advertising in place. Even TenWatch was all in for Ten skating with the team.

  I wanted him to stay at home. In bed preferably.

  I may have come over a little too protective, and it came back to bite me in the ass when I found Ten rummaging in our drawer of medical things. He’d placed two bags of cotton balls on the counter, and he was still looking for whatever he needed. I immediately went to his side because he still had issues with remembering odd things, and some of the bigger words took him a while to form.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked, in my best I’m-not-interfering tone.

  “More cotton balls. Or bubble wrap, I don’t care.”

  Was he hurt? Bleeding? My chest tightened, and I did a visual search of every part of him I could see. Why bubble wrap? He wasn’t making sense.

  “Ten, what’s wrong?” I finally asked when I couldn’t hold back anymore.

  He very deliberately shut the drawer, turned to face me, then crossed his arms over his chest. “You keep wanting to wrap me up somewhere safe where I won’t get hurt.”

  “Ten—“

  “Let me finish. Seriously, there aren’t enough cotton balls or bubble wrap to stop me getting hurt again, Mads. It’s the game.”

  “I can’t help being worried.”

  You can worry, yes. But ask people to watch out for me and not hurt me? That’s a big fat no.”

  Oh shit, how did he find out?

  “I don’t know what you mean.” I was lying. I knew exactly what he meant, but him getting hurt wasn’t just all about him. There was me as well, the scared lover who wanted to protect his man.

  “I know you called Coach Benton last night.”

  Fuck.

  “I know you told him to talk about our Defensemen and ask them to protect me.” He raised an eyebrow, and I stopped because there was no point in lying to Ten. He knew all my tells.

  “I just wanted…”

  He held his hand up to stop me.

  “Also, I know you have individually asked at least seven of the team to look out for me, to which Stan immediately replied directly to me… wait, let me get my phone.” He pulled out his cell and read from a text. “I’m known peoples for putting warnings on NHL website for not hurt Tennant Rowe.”

  I was busted.

  “I’m sorry, Ten. I can’t help that I’m worried.”

  He softened, cradling my face then. “At home we are lovers, going to get married. Here you can worry over me and love me and make me breakfast every morning. But at the rink, I need to do my job. You understand that? Right?”

  His speech was so much better, no stumbling over the words. He sounded so completely determined that I had nothing to say back to him. Rationally, I knew that he needed to get back, that he was always going to be a skater. He was like a kitten desperate to get out of the house, so utterly determined and very nearly like the old Ten again.

  I grasped his hand, the feel of the ring on his finger giving me a jolt of love mixed with worry. “When I sat next to that hospital bed, I thought they were going to say you were dying, Ten. I hate that I can’t separate the two, but I love you, and if you let me worry just a little, then we can do this.”

  “But no telling people to look after me.”

  I sighed noisily. “Does that mean I need to cancel the bribes to the other teams?”

  He laughed, then kissed me, and I wanted to stay right there in the kitchen and do this with him forever. But I couldn’t, which was why I was now on the bench, watching practice and seeing my lover out on the ice in a no-contact jersey, practicing with his team for the first time since the accident. There were flashes of old Ten, a deke and spin, a poke check on Stan, laughter as he put home a goal on Stan at one end, then caught the bouncing puck as it squirted out from the net, then traveled the entire length of the rink, avoiding all of our D-men and scoring against an unsuspecting Bryan. We kept the practice light for him. He needed to work on his strength, but he had no fear.

  Even after what happened, he hadn’t lost his confidence.

  I have to believe in him as he believes in himself.

  I found him after practice, sitting next to Stan, listening intently to the big man about something that had them both smiling.

  “There is news from Russia bad news mix up with good news. Many cousins over dies. Much bad news. Leaves his children with no family. So much more bad news. I go to fetch children, bring to America and makes ours to raise like American children with much clothes and phones and teenage bad angst. So big much happy news!”

  “That sounds great,” Ten replied and punched Stan in the arm.

  “You be godfather for our new children? Spoil them, raise them if Erik and I die in tragic scuba-diving accident?”

  “I’d be honored,” Ten said, emotion making his voice crack.

  I opened my mouth to ask if Stan and Erik had ever been scuba diving, but Ten noticed me standing there and grinned widely, high on excitement, about what I’d just heard him being asked, and probably the rush of being back on the ice.

  “I’m going to be a godfather,” he announced, “and you know what else? Trainers are pleased with my progress, Doc is ecstatic, I feel great, and I’ll be back on the team in March, I’m sure of it.”

  And knowing my stubborn fiancé? He probably will be.

  THE END

  Next for the Railers

  Hat Trick - February 14, 2019

  When a family expands from three to five, the journey will never be easy, but love can always find a way.

  Stan Lyamin has seen many of his dreams come true. He’s found his one and only soulmate, hoisted the Cup, and has his mama living with him in his new country. The only dream he’s had that hasn’t been fulfilled yet is to have his big house filled with children. While he adores the son he shares with Erik, his fantasies of a loud, loving, madcap home overflowing with childish laughter lingers. When a distant family member passes, Stan and Erik immediately agree to take in the two orphaned children, but that means a trip back to Russia for Stan, an idea that both exhilarates him and terrifies him.

  Erik’s world tilts on its axis when a phone call wakes him and Stan in the middle of the night. Abruptly, Stan is returning to Russia, making deals, working with people who know people, and fully intending to bring two orphaned children home to Erik. The red tape is overwhelming, and Erik is alone in Harrisburg with the near impossible task of finding a nanny who can speak fluent Russian. Being on his own is bad enough, but fearing for Stan’s safety plus team issues makes it hard for Erik to find a balance.

  Next in the Owatonna U Hockey series

  Scott - March 27, 2019

  What happens when you try to fix the past and end up threatening your future?

  Scott is struggling. Grieving the loss of his brother, carrying the weight of his father’s expectations, and getting his ass kicked in the rink. He’s in a downward spiral. He needs a solution and fast, but when his steroid use is exposed, he’s close to losing his place at Owatonna and more importantly, on the Eagles Hockey team. Thrown out of his house, with nowhere to go and no future in sight, he only has one choice; agree to mandatory cou
nseling, random drug tests, and get his act together. Only then will he have a chance at normal. Meeting Hayne, a senior connected to the world through his art, is a shock to the system. Moving in with him is his only option, but falling for the shy artist leaves Scott in an impossible situation, and one he can’t escape.

  Hayne has always been that quiet, creative kid who sat in the back of the class drawing instead of listening to the teacher. A talented artist, the shy and sensitive young man is struggling with the loss of his childhood friend. Seeing his sadness reflected in his usually colorful paintings, he decides to attend grief counseling and meets Scott, a lost soul in desperate need of light and color in his life. Taking in a homeless hockey player certainly was never part of his carefully orchestrated ten-year plan. But now that Scott is in his life, he’s discovering the joy of this man’s loving smile and tender touch is one of the most beautiful palettes on earth.

  Harrisburg Railers

  RJ Scott & V.L. Locey

  Read where it all began

  Harrisburg Railers

  Changing Lines (Book #1)

  First Season (Book #2)

  Deep Edge (Book #3)

  Poke Check (Book #4)

  Last Defense (Book #5)

  Goal Line (Book #6)

  Neutral Zone - A Christmas Novella (Book #7)

  Coming soon for the Railers

  Hat Trick - A Stan/Erik Valentines Story

  14 February 2019

  Authors Note

  If you enjoyed Neutral Zone…

  …we would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a review somewhere on a retailers site, or Goodreads, or on your personal social media platforms.

  Reviews are the reason someone else might pick up this book – or start at the beginning of the series.

  Thank you.

  Hugs and kisses,

  RJ & V.L. xx

  MM Hockey Romance

  For up to date news and information on the Railers series, the Ten/Jared Christmas book, a future Stan and Erik book, a new series based on the Arizona Raptors, free short reads from your favorite characters, and lots of other hockey stuff, go here:

  www.mmhockeyromance.com

  Also by V.L. Locey

  Lost In Indigo

  Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.

  The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had led his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series, he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. From his hospital bed, Mathieu watched his team go on to win it all.

  Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The genderflux twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion––one tender smile and touch at a time.

  The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.

  The Colors of Love Series

  The Point Shot series – MM Hockey Romance

  Mario McGarrity has been around the block – and rink – more than a few times.

  He’s creeping up on retirement age, has some dings and dents, and says what’s on his mind. Not exactly what most would consider a luxury ride, but his beautiful Lila - the transgender woman who stole his heart - loves him like no other woman ever has despite a little rust here and there.

  Everything is good - no, great - aside from the distance issue, until a surprise from Lila’s past crops up and moves in with her. Can Mario be the family man that Lila needs, or is this one game the old vet is unable to skate in

  The Point Shot Series

  Also by RJ Scott

  Christmas Books

  New York Christmas

  The Christmas Throwaway

  Love Happens Anyway

  Angel in a Book Shop

  The Road to Frosty Hollow

  Action Adventure

  A mix of family, friends, danger and sexy bodyguards.

  Bodyguards Inc

  Heroes

  Sanctuary

  Ranch/Cowboy/Family

  Cowboys, a ranch, family, and love.

  Texas

  Legacy

  Montana

  Ellery Mountain

  Meet V.L. Locey

  V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee.

  (Not necessarily in that order.)

  She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

  When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

  Pinterest :: Goodreads :: V.L.’s blog

  vlloceyauthor.com

  [email protected]

  Meet RJ Scott

  RJ is the author of the over one hundred published novels and discovered romance in books at a very young age. She realized that if there wasn’t romance on the page, she could create it in her head, and is a lifelong writer.

  She lives and works out of her home in the beautiful English countryside, spends her spare time reading, watching films, and enjoying time with her family.

  The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit and has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

  www.rjscott.co.uk | [email protected]

  NEWSLETTER

  Tumblr | Facebook Group | Full Book List