Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
. . . until she bumps into Kyler in their kitchen and sparks fly.
Kyler Rose, the starting center for the Northport University hockey team, is done for the moment he lays his eyes on Thea. But he can't allow her to become a distraction. He's determined to make it to the NHL. That's if he doesn't get booted for failing grades first. And even though he's on scholarship, it doesn't pay his bills or provide for his family. Neither do the tips he earns from his bartending gig. When an offer to make some fast cash falls in his lap, he takes it, thinking no one will care if he gets hurt . . .
. . . except Thea does care.
But just as Kyler finds a way to navigate his feelings for Thea, an unexpected link to his family comes to light and he finds himself in the fight of his life to protect those he loves the most - his family.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
one
Thea
I never really thought I’d be that person—the one who switches school after a year because they’ve changed their whole career path. It’s not as if the change is because some big scandal went down. There was no sordid affair with a teacher, no cheating on a test, not even the slightest hint of any wrongdoing. The plain fact is, I quickly discovered the major I was studying was not for me. It took a while for realization to set in. I thought my plans were set in stone since ninth grade. Graduate from college with a summa cum laude, become a successful defense attorney defending high-profile cases in the state, get married and have kids. Now my direction has changed, and a high-flying defense attorney has been replaced with a nutritionist and dietician.
There is another reason for this change; one I haven’t admitted to anyone. I feel like I’m stuck. I’m floating around in no man's land with a future I’m not sure I want anymore. The trouble with having a life plan from an early age is the risk of growing out of it. It seemed like a good idea when I was fifteen and obsessed with crime dramas. It’s only when you start hitting the books and going to lecture upon lecture you realize it’s not as glamorous as it seems. I quickly discovered the legal profession is not for me.
So here I am, leaving my hometown of Silver Lake and moving three hours south, where I’ll attend the University of Northport for the next three years. The Health Sciences department at Northport is one of the best in our state, which is the reason I’m transferring there. My career choice may have changed, but my ambitions for graduating summa cum laude remain the same. It helps that my older brother, Jude, goes there. Thankfully, I get to share a house with him and some of his teammates. Jude is on Northport’s ice hockey team, and if he wanted to, he could easily be drafted to the NHL. At the moment, though, he’s set on graduating and “conquering the world,” his words, not mine.
Truth be told, I’m really excited to be living with Jude again. Unlike some siblings, we really get along, and I’ve missed him. Jude moved to Northport last year and while he used to come home often enough, it wasn’t the same as seeing him every day. We used to be as thick as thieves when we were younger. He was always sure to include me in any activities he did with his friends, even if it meant having to be designated goalie in their game of soccer because they were one player short. He’d also cover me when we got into trouble—like the time I threw our frisbee carelessly, and it ended up chopping off the heads of the roses in old Mrs. Jones’s Garden. I didn’t mind if it meant I could hang out with him. Luckily, he feels the same way, or so he tells me. He’s been sending me daily updates about my room and events taking place at Northport during my first few weeks there.
Northport is also a beach town, which is another plus for moving. It has regular access to the sea and a boardwalk with unique little shops as well as a huge shopping mall. Don’t get me wrong, I loved living in Silver Lake while I was growing up, but there are only so many times you can hang out in the town square or at the local shopping mall. So, Northport wins all around.
The downside to moving, aside from leaving my mom and dad, is my boyfriend, Adam, will still be in Silver Lake. He’s staying at Silver Lake State College studying for a business degree. His life plan is to join his family’s construction business and eventually take over from his dad when he retires. Adam has a sound business mind and will do so well in running the company, eventually. We started dating four years ago, at fifteen, and had all our firsts together—first kiss, first prom, and first everything else. When I get to the “married with kids” part of my plan, it’s going to be with Adam. We’ve even talked about it, down to the details of our kids’ names, so I know we’re both on the same page. The trouble is, I’m not sure whether my feelings on my planned future with Adam are also changing.
Adam was the quintessential popular guy at school. The prom king. The star quarterback. The one boy every girl wanted, but only I got. With his blond hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and perfect smile, he really is the type of guy who could Jerry Maguire you. The kind of boy who has you at “hello.” I fell hard and fast, and when Jude moved away, Adam stepped in to be my inseparable other half. But recently, I feel as though our priorities are changing. I don’t know whether it’s because of all the work he’s taking on—with his studies and the internship he’s just started at his father’s business—or we’re simply outgrowing our relationship. Before, he would have been supportive of my change in direction, just as I was when he told me his plans of following in his father’s footsteps. But, when I told him about transferring to Northport, all I got was an “uh-huh, sure babe, whatever you want to do,” and nothing more. I would have thought he’d be a bit more invested in my decision, given it meant moving three hours away and probably seeing each other less, but I guess I was wrong. I’m hoping the distance between us will put us back on track. It’ll either make us or break us, that’s for sure. I, for one, hope it won’t be the latter.