Love on Ice, page 1
Praise for Carolyn Miller
“Carolyn Miller’s ability to pull you into a story is outstanding! …a brilliant story of romance, exhilarating sporting excitement and devastating disappointment of hurdles to be overcome… I never thought I would give 5 stars to a book about ice hockey and speed skating!” ~ KAYE’S REVIEWS & NEWS
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“Love on Ice by Carolyn Miller is the second book in the Original Six Hockey series, and a fantastic page turner!” ~ BECKY’S BOOKSHELVES
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“Adrenaline, chemistry, romance, and lots of wooing!…You do not have to be a fan of sports or even knowledgeable in hockey and short track to appreciate the love story.” ~ GOODREADS review
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“Carolyn Miller scores another win with Love on Ice, the second book in her Original Six Hockey series. I absolutely loved the faith thread in this story. It’s message that success does not lie on what we do, but who we are is powerful.” ~ GOODREADS review
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“Sporty? Tick. Faith-filled? Double tick. Romantic? Triple Tick. Take it from me - The Breakup Project has all the feels and then some!” ~ ANDREA GRIGG, author of All Is Bright
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“The Breakup Project is a fun, charming, and faith-filled contemporary romance with adorable characters set in the competitive North American ice hockey world. Highly recommended.” ~ NARELLE ATKINS, Author of Solo Tu & Her Tycoon Hero
Love on Ice
Carolyn Miller
Visit Carolyn Miller at www.carolynmillerauthor.com
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Copyright © 2021 by Carolyn Miller
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover design by Marion Uekermann / KT Design
Edited by Katie Donovan
Bible references are from the New International Version.
Also by Carolyn Miller
The Original Six hockey series
The Breakup Project
Checked Impressions
Hearts and Goals
Big Apple Atonement
Muskoka Blue
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The Independence Islands series
Restoring Fairhaven
Regaining Mercy
Reclaiming Hope
Rebuilding Hearts
Refining Josie
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Regency Brides and the Regency Wallflowers series
Contents
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
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
A Note from the Author
Checked Impressions
About the Author
Also by Carolyn Miller
Chapter 1
Toronto, Canada
June
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Not bad for a sports-and-science-focused tomboy, Holly Travers thought, eyeing the intricate paper rose she’d just fashioned, her lips lifted in satisfaction.
“That’s beautiful!” Bree Karlsson peered closer, her long dark hair gleaming as the sun poured through the lounge window. “I swear, Holly Travers, you’re full of hidden talents. How did you learn to do origami?”
“I saw it at a banquet earlier this year in Japan. It was good to focus on something other than this.” Holly pointed to the pale scar on her upper arm that her T-shirt couldn’t hide. Her stomach tensed. Ten stitches in a Tokyo hospital hadn’t been fun. But it could’ve been worse. Thank God the other skater had shifted in time, otherwise Holly’s face would be wearing a permanent reminder of the debacle that was Japan.
Her best friend shuddered. “I’ll never understand why you do short track. It’s so dangerous.”
“What can I say? I have a need for speed.” And she loved the sport. Mostly. “Now, do you want me to teach you how to fold the roses into place cards? I thought they’d be great for the tables at the reception. But it gets a little tricky, so you must be patient…”
Bree’s laughter was as joyous as her vivacious personality. “It’s so funny to hear you, the speed queen, go on about patience.”
Holly grinned. Bree’s perpetual bubbly smile was even bigger now that the family was counting down to Bree’s wedding in seven days. “I brought some beautiful paper with me. I’ll go get it.”
Holly raced up the stairs to the guestroom of the Karlsson’s family home. The room was painted white with apricot accents now, but the old oak tree in the backyard still spread welcoming arms. She smoothed her boring light-brown hair into its usual high ponytail, then retrieved the expensive mauve-flecked handmade paper from her suitcase. A car door slammed outside.
As she made her way down the hall, she studied the pictures on the walls. Cute baby photos, vacations, high school and college graduations, hockey photos. The only constants were the glossy dark hair and blue-gray eyes the Karlsson family shared. She smiled. Her time here in Toronto as an exchange student seven years ago had been the best year of her life.
As Holly headed down the stairs, she caught the vague murmur of voices. She paused at the sound of Bree’s voice coming from the kitchen. “But Holly—”
“Holly?” There was a snort. “Bree, I’m over you and Mom trying to fix me up with one of your good little girl friends. I get enough offers as it is. Drop it, okay?”
Holly stilled. Little? So she wasn’t a giant like the rest of the Karlsson clan. And anyway, what was so bad about being good? So she didn’t have a past you’d ever read about in People magazine. Where were the guys who could appreciate that? Not that she was here to find a man.
She bit her lip, uncertainty keeping her rooted to the step. Arrogance always made her prickly and defensive. Should she go in guns blazing or smile and just pretend she hadn’t heard? Eavesdroppers never heard good about themselves, did they? She closed her eyes for a few seconds and drew in a deep breath. One of Coach Chan’s mottos floated into memory: Put on brave face; don’t let fear win.
She lifted her chin and headed into the sunny modern kitchen, pasting on a smile as three faces swung her way. “Hi!” Aim for bright and perky. “Mike, how are you?” She stepped forward to give Bree’s burly hockey-playing fiancé a quick hug.
“Holly. Good to see you again.” He eyed her with good humor. “Bree was telling us you got off the plane this morning and went straight into bridesmaid mode. The wonder from Down Under, eh?”
“Ha. Not that wonderful. But it’s nice to know I’ve got some long-distance fans.”
Her smile faded as she turned to the other man. Brent. Breanna Karlsson’s twin. Bree’s emailed photos of her family hadn’t done him justice. Muscled, probably a foot taller than Holly, dark hair and blue eyes holding hints of gray and green—he’d grown even better looking than the guy she recalled from her time here on exchange. Back then, he’d lived away, playing junior hockey in Sault Ste. Marie. But on his few visits home, he’d made an impression.
Holly’s hand strayed to the tiny scar on her forehead. Brent had made an impression, all right. His skating lessons—reluctantly given—might’ve left her with this scar, but they’d ultimately set the direction for her life. And his popularity with girls had further strengthened her resolve to never, ever throw herself at a guy or settle for cheering from the sidelines. Nope. She’d much rather be the one who actually did something worth cheering about, and between her skating and her university studies, she was going to do it. According to Bree’s emails over the years, many girls continued to be charmed by that physique and those unusual eyes. Not that looks mattered if his attitude stank. “Hello, Brent.”
He swallowed. Hopefully it was some pride. “Hey, Holly. How’s it going?”
She pasted on a big smile. “Great!” Okay, maybe tone down the perkiness a tad. “Congratulations on your Cup win.”
“Thanks.” He still eyed her warily.
“How are you?”
He shrugged. “Can’t complain.”
Holly snickered. No, with his recent NHL championship win and multi-million dollar contract with Detroit, she bet he had little to complain about.
He stared at her blankly. “What?”
Holly gave her sweetest smile. “I imagine the only thing you have to complain about is all the girls throwing themselves at you.”
He blinked. Bull’s-eye. What was it with women and pro athletes? Her stomach twisted. Girls could be so stupid. She shook her head as she carefully placed the package of special Ogura lace paper down on the marble counter top. “But you don’t need to worry about me. You’re not my type.”
The room filled with Mike’s laughter. “So, what is your type, Holly?”
Not arrogant, for starters. Brent might share the same genetic pool as Bree, but he seemed the polar opposite of Holly’s warm-hearted, generous friend. Brent leaned back against the marble counter, watching them, eyes narrowed, arms folded across his broad chest.
“I like guys who are short, blond, and plump, who aren’t obsessed by sport and can show their feelings.” She smiled, thinking of the little boys at church, their chubby arms that wrapped tightly around her whenever she was in town and able to help lead their Sunday school class. Yep, they definitely knew how to help her feel the love.
Bree chuckled. They’d emailed about Holly’s “guys” before. “Now, before we start on the place cards, are you hungry? Mom said to make yourself at home, eat whatever. She was so sorry not to be here for your arrival. She had to take Grandma Violet to a doctor’s appointment.”
“No worries.” Holly watched Bree hunt through a cupboard. “I hope everything’s okay?”
“Granny V wants her blood pressure checked. She’s a little excited about next weekend.” Bree produced a container. “Ta da! Muffins. Mom said she tried to make them healthy for you.”
Holly sighed, even as her saliva glands kicked into overdrive. “Your mum’s such a good cook. But I need to be careful while I’m here. I can’t afford to put on any weight.”
Brent snorted as she grabbed an apple. “You one of these girls who’s always on a diet?”
Bree laughed again, tossing her hair over a shoulder. “Just look at her, Brent. She’s the only one of us who didn’t need to diet before the wedding.”
Holly stifled the sigh. She sometimes wished she weren’t so lightly framed and had Bree’s more voluptuous curves. It might help her feel more feminine. She’d never been a girly girl, too busy trying to keep up with her sporty brother and his mates, trailing after them on the bike or running, getting pretty good at the disciplines even before training started demanding it of her.
Oh well. Wishing never changed anything.
She eyed Brent. “I’ve a week off on the proviso I eat well, train, and visit the gym as much as possible. Competition season starts again soon, and my coach wants me ready.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Your coach?”
Mike wrapped an arm around Bree. “Come on, man. Even I know she’s the best short track skater in Australia.” His blue eyes twinkled. “And going to compete at the Games in a couple of years.”
Holly forced a smile. Crashing out in Japan had raised serious doubts about whether she should even be part of the skating program, let alone dream of competing in Vancouver. And yet this passion to prove herself burned inside and wouldn’t be denied.
Brent shrugged. “Oh. I forgot what you do.”
His indifference felt like a slap. Obviously she didn’t rate too highly on Brent’s radar. She bit into her apple, wiped juice from her chin.
“Maybe Brent can take you to the gym. He’s always training and watching what he eats.” Bree’s smile widened. “He’s like you, even if he’s not exactly your type.”
Holly slid a look at Brent, who seemed unimpressed. No way was she going to force her company on him. She shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m sure I can walk or bike there.”
Mike’s lips twitched. “He’s gonna need a new training partner now that I’m too busy.”
Bree turned to her twin, her purple-hued eyes wide. “You don’t mind, do you, Brent?”
The siblings engaged in a stare-off before Brent sighed, shook his head, and finally turned to Holly. “I like to go pretty early in the morning. Six thirty okay?”
She smothered the smile. Six thirty was an hour later than her usual training started. “That’ll be fine. Thank you.” She threw the apple core in the bin and carefully wiped her fingers, then turned to her best friend. “So, Bree, are you ready to start on those place cards now?”
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Holly glanced up from her muesli at the kitchen’s new arrival. “Good morning.”
Brent nodded, grabbed a bowl, poured in cereal and milk, and started eating silently.
O-kay. Obviously not a morning person. She refocused on her breakfast. Last night Brent had looked at her askance more than once as she happily answered questions from Bree’s parents about her recent travels. Perhaps God’s gift to women thought she was here to find a man—namely him. Her lips curled up on one side. As if he’d ever meet her boyfriend criteria.
Top of the list was someone whose actions and attitudes demonstrated his love for God. Second was someone who could cope with the demands her sport placed on her, like no time for a social life and constant jetting off for competitions around the planet. Hello? What guy could cope with that? Those two qualifiers always filtered out any prospective candidates. Handsome had certainly never needed to be factored in. Not that she could afford to be interested, even if Mr. Right should miraculously appear. Coach Chan said it best: Firsts need focus, not distraction.
Brent grabbed two bananas and nodded to the door. “Ready?”
Holly quickly scooped up the last mouthful. “Yep.” After rinsing her bowl, she grabbed her gym bag and followed him to the Jeep outside. A few fat raindrops splattered against the windshield as they drove through Toronto’s busy suburban streets.
As they waited for the red light to change, she tried out a tentative smile. He was Bree’s brother, after all. “So, Bree mentioned you bought a house in Detroit last year.”
“Yeah.” His face grew animated for the first time that morning. “After staying in hotels and rooming with others for so long, it’s great to have my own space.”
“It would be.” She nodded. “People think the travel for competitions is glamorous, but staying in crowded dorms and long bus rides with all that gear isn’t always easy.”
“I had some of that growing up.” He flicked a look at her. “It’s easier now, of course.”
Oh. Right. Of course. Mr. Millionaire, who flew with his team on private planes, stayed in five-star hotels, and had bought his first house at the ripe old age of twenty-five. Holly glanced out the window and sighed inwardly. She’d always had to trust God with finances. There wasn’t much money to be made in short track, or much financial support, especially in Australia. Most skaters had to have a full-time job to help supplement the basic scholarship from the Australian Institute of Sport. She’d always had to work hard, save harder, and budget well to make ends meet.
Enough of the pity party. “So, how will you cope with being on your own? Will you get lonely?” Her cheeks heated. For goodness’ sake—she sounded like a desperate groupie! “I mean, when you live by yourself, that’ll be different…” She glanced over, noticing a twitch in his jaw as he pulled sharply into the gym parking lot and quit the engine.
He reached into the back to collect his gym bag. “I haven’t thought about it much, to be honest.”
So much for chit chat. She grabbed her gear. “Uh, thanks for doing this.”
“No problem.” He led the way in, holding the gym’s front door open for her.
Maybe he was nice, and she’d misread the ego. “Um, sorry about yesterday.”
He turned to study her steadily for a beat before shrugging. “Sorry for liking short blond guys?” A grin flickered. “Don’t be. No skin off my nose.”
