Hot Silver Nights: Silver Fox Romance Collection

by Ainsley Booth

  As the bass-heavy music blared and the stage lights flashed, the bidding started on Greg and it was decent, in Cole’s opinion. All the bidders had programs, so they knew what was coming up, but apparently plenty of women wanted to go rock climbing with a fighter pilot.

  As Maria welcomed the winner to the stage where she and Greg hugged, Cole’s phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. Hope flared that it was Fedora. For the umpteenth time he wondered if the two of them would weather this. He was terrified she was washing her hands of Hat Trick and him all at once in a “been there, done that, moving on” maneuver. He honestly wouldn’t blame her if she did. He’d fucked things up royally.

  But the text wasn’t from Fedora. It was from his mom. Good luck, honey. I love you and am so proud of you.

  Damn.

  The auction continued. Competitive from birth, Cole evaluated each man, his date plans and his stage presence and decided his hockey date was solid—assuming the woman liked hockey—and he wasn’t cover-model handsome, but he wasn’t a dog either. And the women? From what he’d observed so far, they went gaga over every single man who’d gone out there. As Stephanie called his name to go “on deck,” even though he was as nervous as he’d ever been in his life, he was confident he wasn’t going to make an ass of himself.

  He was wrong.

  Chapter 19

  On night of the bachelor auction, Fedora was tempted to go to Hat Trick because she knew Cole wouldn’t be there. She’d been avoiding him for a day and a half. She did have a lot to do what with finding and setting up a meeting with a contract lawyer, like Slater had suggested and Jenna was excited, eager, and so full of questions, it was easy to put off facing Cole.

  But the more time that passed, the more shitty she felt and tonight was his big night, the one he’d been so freaked out about. There was no way she could bail on him.

  Wanting to look her best, she put on the orange dress that he liked, spent some extra time on her hair and make-up, and spritzed on some perfume as well. She normally didn’t wear any kind of fragrance because colognes had no place in a professional kitchen where one’s sense of smell had to be firing on all cylinders. But tonight was different.

  She arrived at Club Maxx pretty late. She’d been about to leave when Kiefer came home from work, miserable from having caught some kind of fast-acting bug and begging for some of her fortifying chicken soup. The poor guy looked like death warmed over so she hustled around barefoot, throwing together soup from a block of broth she’d had in the freezer, assorted veggies, and some alphabet noodles from the pantry. Kiefer had a soft spot for alphabet soup.

  By the time she had him tucked into bed with the soup, some tea, and reruns of Friends, she was running half an hour late. When she got there, she looked around for Ruth, but the place was a madhouse, so she just sat down at the first open spot she could find, which was off on the side and in the back.

  Luckily she’d gotten there only one bachelor ahead of Cole. Relief flooded her. She had to face him one way or the other, but at least this way, she could say she’d been there to support him.

  When the MC, Maria Mendoza, announced his name, Fedora yelled and clapped wildly and when he actually appeared on stage, he took her breath away. It had been way too long since she’d seen him. Looking at pictures of him on her phone from their trip to Seattle didn’t compare. He looked so stinking handsome in his suit. He had a hockey stick in his hand and had pulled a puck from his pocket. That was sort of cute. He did have a hockey theme to his date, so that made sense.

  “And if you’re wondering why Cole has a hockey stick in his hand, it’s because this particular date is called Fun on the Ice. All you hockey fans out there, get your checkbooks out. This is the bachelor for you.”

  Fedora glanced around the table at the other women and did not like the eager expressions on their faces. She wanted to stake her claim and announce to all of them that Cole was hers, but obviously that would be counterproductive to making money for the charity, so she sat there and fumed.

  “Cole Ripley played on several teams in the National Hockey League during his twelve year career…”

  At that moment, Cole tossed the puck in the air and looked as if he was going to catch it with the blade of his stick, but missed. The puck landed on the floor and rolled about two feet before he could snatch it back up. Maria kept on talking as, clearly embarrassed, Cole tried again. This time he got the puck to bounce three times before it hit the ground again.

  Fedora’s heart went out to him. The music was blasting and the lights were flashing, but the energy in the room had plummeted. Even the polished mistress of ceremonies was faltering.

  With considerably less composure, Cole retrieved the puck for the second time. His face was the color of a habanero pepper. She herself was mortified, but he had to be feeling ten times worse.

  Just as he was poised to try one more time, his face grim but determined, Fedora stood up.

  Chapter 20

  “OFREZCO MIL DÓLARES POR ESE HOMBRE!”

  Cole froze. So did Maria.

  He knew that voice. He searched the audience for her, but the lights were in his face and he couldn’t see.

  “I BID A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THAT MAN!” Fedora repeated, louder and in English this time.

  A consummate professional, Maria took the ball and went with it. “I have a bid for a thousand dollars, ladies,” she said smiling. “Who’ll give me eleven hundred for this hot hockey hunk?”

  He gave up trying to juggle the puck and without thinking much about it, swiveled his hips suggestively. The women squealed.

  “Eleven hundred!” shouted a voice.

  “We have a bid for eleven hundred. Do I hear—”

  “Eleven fifty.”

  That was Fedora again, her voice clear and strong and maybe even a little angry.

  His confidence returning, he took a few steps forward, planted his stick in front of him and, knees bent, thrust his hips to the beat of the music. He was satisfied to hear more screaming. And more bids.

  Through it all, Fedora continued bidding. When it got to two thousand, he was running out of dance moves and was beginning to feel ridiculous. Thankfully, the pause after the last bid had grown long enough that Maria said, “Two thousand going once. Two thousand going twice. Sold, for two thousand dollars. Congratulations. Come up on stage so we can meet you.”

  He still couldn’t see shit because of the spotlights, but he tried to anyway. There was a cacophony of music, applause and catcalls, and Cole barely registered it because, with a look of triumph on her face, Fedora came forward. She emerged from the darkness of the pit and came into view like an avenging angel. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, her color was high, and damned if she wasn’t wearing the orange nipple dress.

  Chapter 21

  As soon as he could manage it, Cole took Fedora outside so they could talk. He’d had enough of the radio silence between them. It was time to hash things out.

  Outside of the club, the sudden quiet was refreshing. It was chilly and she had no jacket so he was treated to an encore performance of her nipples—a sight he’d never get tired of. Regardless, he did the gentlemanly thing and put his suit jacket over her shoulders.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I was in a hurry when I left and forgot to bring a sweater.”

  “It’s not a big deal.”

  Biting her lip, she raised her chin and said, “Cole, I came to tell you I’m sorry. I really screwed up.”

  He said nothing and she pulled his jacket tighter around her.

  “I should have talked to you,” she said. “I see that now, but when he first approached me, I wasn’t sure I was going to do it, so I figured ignorance is bliss and why upset you unnecessarily? Then, after I’d decided to take him up on his offer, I knew I needed to tell you, but…” She sighed. “I basically chickened out because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”

  “Damn straight I don’t like it.” He was glad he was able to keep his cool. Ye
sterday, he would probably have lost it.

  “I also was trying to keep my personal life separate. It’s my career, Cole, and I have a right to pursue whatever path I think is right.”

  “I’m not arguing that. Not at all. I would never think I had a right to dictate what you should or shouldn’t be doing with your career, but if we’re going to see where this goes, you and me, you need include me in the conversation, at least, as a sounding board.” Bracing himself against a sudden breeze, he took a deep breath and tackled the big question. “Do you want to see where this goes? Or is it over? Because honestly? I don’t think I can be with someone who doesn’t think I have anything to contribute on an issue this big. You shut me out and made me feel irrelevant.”

  “I made you feel irrelevant? Ha. That’s the pot calling the kettle black. You flat out told me to my face I wasn’t needed.”

  He winced. “I did, didn’t I? Sorry. Sometimes when I’m angry stupid shit comes out of my mouth.”

  “You’re a man,” she said with a shrug. “It’s expected.”

  “Touché.”

  As the music from the club continued to pound along with feminine shrieks and squeals, Fedora stood, wrapped in his jacket, looking so beautiful and vulnerable he wanted so much to pull her into his arms.

  “So, are we good?” she asked, uncertainty shadowing her eyes. “Because, you know, I did just pay two thousand dollars to go on a date with you.”

  He gave a soft laugh and took a step toward her. The next thing he knew, she had her arms around his waist and her face tucked into his neck. God, it felt good to hold her again. He didn’t want to ever let go.

  “Seriously though,” she said, “I promise to talk to you from now on when something important comes up. I do value your opinion.” She tipped her face up to look at him. “Very much.”

  “And I promise to be cordial to Anson the next time I see him, which might be much more often than I’d anticipated. I think he and my mom are dating.”

  Fedora gasped. “What? When did this happen?”

  “I’m not sure. Remember in Seattle when he said he had to stop in San Francisco before going back to San Diego? I think he was visiting my mother. She missed dinner at Jade West, but they had lunch together a couple days later.”

  “Are you upset?” she asked, genuine concern on her face.

  “A little. I don’t know this guy from Adam and all of a sudden, he’s inserted himself into the lives of the two women I care about most.”

  “He’s a good guy. The lawyer I talked to said the contract terms are more than fair. You’ll see.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want to talk about him right now.”

  “I can understand that,” she said. “You probably want to go practice your puck juggling.”

  “Shit, wasn’t that just a total clusterfuck?” He cupped her face and kissed her. “Thank you for rescuing me. I needed it, but you know, you could have easily stopped after that first bid. Once I started gyrating with these heavenly hips of mine, I had those women in the palm of my hand.”

  She scoffed and grabbed him by the lapels. “Give me a break. You think I want to share you? Ha. There was no way I was going to let one of those crazy women get a crack at you. You’re all mine, mister.”

  She said it flippantly, but he heard he question in her voice. Did he feel the same way? Hell yes.

  “Then it’s mutual,” he said, touching his forehead to hers. “I don’t want to share you either.”

  As she closed her eyes, a smile playing across her lips, he kissed her again, a little longer this time. God, it felt good. Her body fit so perfectly against his and with each moment that passed, he felt a little more settled, like his life was getting back to normal. And he liked the idea of a normal that included kissing Fedora.

  The End

  I hope you enjoyed reading about Cole and Fedora. Crazy for Cole is the second story in my Hockey on Tap series. Falling for Flynn is already available. Seduced by Slater will be the third novella.

  Please sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to receive the free epilogue for Fedora and Cole and information about my new releases.

  Acknowledgments

  This book wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many people. First of all, congratulations to Fedora Chen for winning the “I’ll name a character after you” prize from the 500 Sinners party. I hope you’re happy with the result. Thank you, Amanda Gaskin, for helping me choose a neighborhood for Fedora to live in. I am grateful to Laura Flores Omelas, Beth Farkas, and Becki Backus Winckler for their help with the Spanish. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Greg Akahoshi, a wonderful chef and a rabid LA Kings fan. Finally, Melanie Ting, Lee Souleles, and Kimberly Cannon, you ladies rock.

  About the Author

  Kate’s Bio

  An Uncensored Man Banter™ enthusiast, Kate Willoughby happily, maybe even obsessively, writes her hockey romances in Southern California. She likes cooking and watching cooking shows like Top Chef, The Pioneer Woman and Chopped. She reads all kinds of books—romance, first and foremost; thrillers; biographies; science fiction and fantasy; and hockey non-fiction.

  Kate is also a rabid LA Kings fan. Her collection of memorabilia is getting to the point where she’s going to have to dedicate valuable bookshelf real estate to it. The current piece de resistance is a signed photograph of Dustin Brown with the Stanley Cup raised over his head. Yes, he’s shirtless. Yes, she gazes at it a lot.

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  Silver Wings ~ A Second Chance to Soar - Keriann McKenna

  Silver Wings ~ A Second Chance to Soar

  Copyright December 2016, Keriann McKenna and Ashlin Abbey Publishing, LLC, All rights reserved.

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  Foreword

  A wedding, a whirlwind trip around the country, and an unexpected attraction to the pilot always at her side...Carolyn's role as mother-of-the-bride is proving to be a lot more exciting than she expected.

  Arthur is determined to be a gentleman. But from evening horseback rides at the ranch to an unexpected night in a hotel room together, his desire for Carolyn is tested.

  Both have waited a long time for a second chance at love. Neither of them want to get it wrong. One room, one bed, two people who only met a week ago—a recipe for disaster or an opportunity for a second chance?

  Chapter 1

  Annie Campbell burst into tears—tears she’d been holding back for days. She excelled at keeping things together, but today she was having a complete melt-down.

  “Darlin’, what’s wrong,” Mac asked her as he handed her a handkerchief from the back pocket of his jeans.

  “Oh Mac, I miss my mother. I want her here. I want her with me when I pick out my wedding gown, my flowers, all the things brides do with their mothers. I want her to have a few days to get to know you; after all she’s never met you.”

  “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he asked, drying her eyes and pulling her into his arms.

  “I don’t know. I guess I just realized how much I want her to be more a part of this. I think it’s important for her too. It’s not right for her to arrive the day before our wedding, meet you, and watch me walk down the aisle.”

  He rocked her back and forth in his arms and then whispered in her ear. “I’ll call Arthur. You call your mom. We’ll get her here tomorrow; I don’t want you to be upset, okay?”

  “Okay. Thank you, I’m going to call her right now.” She sniffed and picked up her phone.

  During the preparations for the wedding, Arthur spent a lot of time at the ranch. Content with being single and working for Mac, he got in enough flying hours to keep his pilot’s license current and he usually had plenty of time off—until Mac met Annie. He was thrilled Mac had finally found someone to share his life. They had a whirlwind courtship and their wedding was fast approaching. Bringing in Mac’s parents and guests from across the country would give him more time in the air and he loved flying.
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br />   Early the next morning, Arthur headed to the airport. He had filed his flight plan and was ready to head for Kansas to pick up a woman he imagined would be some dowdy older woman who spent a good deal of time in the corn fields.

  He set the Challenger down without incident and taxied to one of the two gates the small airport had. After powering everything off, he went inside the terminal which wasn’t much bigger than an average hotel lobby. As he looked around, he saw two women talking and approached them.

  “You must be Carolyn,” he said to the older, grey-haired lady. “I’m Arthur, Mac’s pilot. Are you ready to go?”

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” the older woman replied. “But, I’m Mrs. Seibolt. Carolyn went to school with my son, Larry, and I offered to give her a ride. This is my neighbor, Goldie Dinkle. She came along with me so I’d have some company on the way home.”

  “Well, I’m happy to meet you both. Where is Carolyn?”

  “She’ll be right out. She just stepped into the ladies room…oh, here she is now.”

  Arthur’s mouth fell open when he looked up to see Annie’s mother. She was smiling and could have passed for her daughter, although as she got closer he could see a few laugh lines around her eyes and a sprinkling of grey in her long auburn hair.

  She extended her hand. “You must be Arthur; thank you so much for picking me up. I offered to drive, but neither Annie nor Mac would hear of it. I’m not much of a flyer…I guess they might have told you that so forgive me if I’m a little nervous.”

  Arthur marveled at the softness of her hand in his until she let go and turned to say good-bye to her friends.