All I Want (San Francisco Strikers Book 5) Read online

  All I Want

  San Francisco Strikers, book 5

  by Stephanie Kay

  All I Want

  Copyright © 2018 Stephanie Kay

  eBook Edition: November 2018

  Edited by CeCe Carroll, www.cececarroll.com

  Cover Art by Caitlin Fry

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Stephanie Kay. www.stephkaybooks.com

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (www.fbi.gov/ipr). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  ALL I WANT

  San Francisco Strikers, book 5

  (novella originally part of Hockey Holidays anthology)

  A tragedy in her past inspired Maggie Terraza to become a pediatric oncologist. Her focus on her career leaves little room in her life for anything else. Maggie might have loved Alex Westbrook for years, but they were on very different paths. When Alex’s career takes him from their Chicago hometown to the west coast, whatever they had between them had to end. Maggie can’t let a long-distance relationship distract her, no matter how it breaks her heart. But when a residency opens up at San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital, can she avoid seeing Alex?

  Alex “Westie” Westbrook loves his job playing with the San Francisco Strikers hockey team. His life is the game, but also giving back to his new city with his Westie’s Warriors Foundation, offering an arena suite to sick children and their families from Children’s Hospital. The last person he expects to see when he greet the kids in the suite is the woman who stole his heart and iced him out four years ago.

  Fate has finally brought Maggie and Alex back to the same city. Can he open his heart again to the woman who broke it? Can Maggie find room for both her career and the man she never stopped loving? With the holidays fast approaching, they may discover all they really want for Christmas is a second chance at love.

  ~*~

  Please sign up for my newsletter for upcoming releases and exclusive excerpts. You can also email me at [email protected] or find me on Twitter or Facebook. For more information, please visit my website, www.stephkaybooks.com. You can also join my reader group on Facebook, Stephanie Kay’s Sassy Strikers. We discuss books, romance, dessert, and hockey butts.

  Dedication

  To second chances and finding love under the mistletoe.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Excerpt from Breakout

  About the Author

  Books by Stephanie Kay

  Acknowledgements

  There are so many people to thank that I don’t know where to start.

  To CeCe Carroll, my wonderful editor, thank you for polishing up my writing and catching every word I missed.

  To Iveta Cvrkal, proofreader extraordinaire, thank you for finding every comma I missed…I hate commas!

  To Caitlin Fry, my fantastic cover artist. I love this cover!

  To Samantha Wayland for getting me hooked on hockey. Bet you didn’t think I’d get this obsessed this quickly! Can’t wait for our next hockey road trip, you know, for research purposes. Maybe we can run into another AHL team on the road and recognize them by their outstanding asses.

  To Aven Ellis, for your great feedback and I love that we can continue to bounce ideas off of each other.

  To my fantastic beta readers, Elaine and Sita. Thank you for helping me polish this book. Your comments helped immensely and I’m glad you enjoyed Alex and Maggie’s story.

  To the Bergy Babes. Woohoo. Hockey season is back!

  To the Hearties. Thank you for welcoming me into this group of amazing hockey romance authors and for answering all of my questions. I’m sure I will pester you all with each book.

  To my Sassy Strikers. I can’t believe that people want to join my reader group and talk about my books! I know you’re just here for the hockey butts.

  To the members of Rhode Island Romance Writers, New England chapter of RWA, New Hampshire chapter of RWA, and all the writers I’ve met in the last decade, thank you for your workshops, conferences, and critiques. I’ve learned so much since I joined RWA. I shudder to think of how horrible that first historical romance is in comparison to my writing now.

  To my mom. You and Dad showed me how to have a successful 40+ year marriage through laughter and affection. You’ve also shown me that even in grief, you can become the strongest woman I know. So glad you are finally able to travel the world and have a social life I envy!

  To my amazing in-laws, thank you for letting me watch your hysterical Italian family for the last 15+ years. I still think about that first Christmas Eve. After everyone gorged themselves on seafood for dinner, my mother-in-law asked if anyone was hungry, and the family sat down to a lasagna she just had in the fridge and dove in…at eleven p.m.

  To my family for always encouraging me to go after my dreams and for your unwavering support, even if most of you don’t read romance novels…I’ll forgive you for that last indiscretion.

  And of course, to my husband, John, for more reasons than I can count. You were the one who encouraged me to get back to writing when I was laid off from my day job in 2008. Probably so I would leave you to your books and guitars. Chicken has dried out on the grill and sweet potatoes have been burned because I was working on a scene instead of focusing on dinner, but you never complained…well, not that loudly. And you agreed to let me live out my romance dreams and get married over the anvil in Gretna Green, Scotland, even if you did refuse to wear a kilt. Thank you for loving my craziness and putting up with discussions about the characters in my head not doing what I want them to. And I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for us next year with our new addition. Who knew that was possible?!

  And to my readers, thank you for continuing to read my books and fall in love with my characters as much as I have. I hope I make you laugh out loud and follow your heart. And to my readers that still love Grant the most, he has a few scenes in this book just for you.

  Please sign up for my newsletter for upcoming releases and exclusive excerpts. You can also email me at [email protected] or find me on Twitter or Facebook. For more information, please visit my website, www.stephkaybooks.com.

  Chapter 1

  “Maggie? What? How?” Alex Westbrook sputtered as the door to his Westie’s Warriors suite in the Strikers’ arena closed behind him, and he stared at the woman he hadn’t seen in longer than he could remember. No. That was a lie. It’d been four years and seven months, give or take a
day. Not that he was counting.

  “Hi,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear, barely meeting his gaze.

  He didn’t miss her nervousness or the fact that she was not surprised to see him. Five years since he’d tucked her hair behind her ear. It still looked as soft as he remembered. His fingers shouldn’t itch to see if his memory held true.

  “Hey, Westie. You know Dr. Maggie?” a voice called out, and Alex looked down at Henry.

  The kid shot him a grin that rivaled any of Alex’s teammates for lack of teeth. At least the kid had a valid reason—he was six years old. Henry was always smiling, even after finishing up his second round of chemo, his hair resembling peach fuzz. Alex could learn a few things from his Warriors.

  “Yes, we grew up together.” Her voice was soft, and it rolled over him. He’d missed her voice. Hell, he’d missed her.

  “You did?” Henry asked, his gaze darting between them.

  “Yeah, we did. I didn’t know you were a doctor at Children’s Hospital,” he said.

  “I started my residency a few months ago,” she said, her dark eyes wide, waiting for his reaction.

  Months. How had they never run into each other? Since creating Westie’s Warriors four years ago and partnering with the city’s children’s hospital to bring patients to his suite at the arena for all the Strikers’ home games, he spent a good portion of his time visiting the hospital and trying to help in any way he could. But he’d never seen her.

  Why hadn’t she bothered to look him up when she’d arrived in San Francisco? Yes, she’d ended their relationship years ago, but before that, they’d been friends. His chest hurt, and he tamped down the urge to show any weakness. So that’s how much he’d meant to her.

  He’d loved Maggie since the day he sat in the desk behind her in middle school. The girl had been his first kiss. His first everything.

  “Yeah, Dr. Maggie is the best doctor,” Grayson, an eight-year-old battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma said. Alex crouched down to eye level.

  “Really?”

  “Yep.” Grayson leaned in. “But I don’t think she likes hockey. She said it’s her first game.”

  Alex bit back his grin at Maggie’s squawk of denial.

  “I happen to know that she likes hockey. She used to come to all of my games when I played for the AHL team near Chicago,” he said, glancing up at her. Her deep brown eyes glistened, and her cheeks pinked. He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms, not caring about the fact that they weren’t alone, or that he was angry that she hadn’t reached out to him, not once, since she’d ended it.

  He pushed down the urge.

  “Really, Dr. Maggie?” Henry asked.

  Her laugh was soft, and it drummed up way too many memories.

  “Yes. I said this is my first Strikers game.”

  “Why? You know Westie. He can get you into all the games, I bet,” Henry said.

  “All she had to do was ask,” Alex said.

  “Umm, thanks. The hospital keeps me pretty busy…” she said, her gaze dropping to the floor as she shifted on her feet before looking up at him again.

  “I bet,” he said, his eyes locking on hers. He noticed her indrawn breath, and he couldn’t help but look at her mouth. A mouth he remembered fondly. A mouth he craved to kiss again.

  What the hell was wrong with him? He needed to pick an emotion and stick with it, and it should be anger and irritation that she was here, not the overwhelming urge to take her in his arms.

  “Well, umm,” she murmured, and he shook his head.

  “Yeah, I need to get back downstairs before Coach yells at me. You guys need anything? More snacks?” he asked, turning away from Maggie to address the room. Over a dozen kids and their parents filled the suite. He’d be back after the game to spend more time with them, but he always liked to check in with his guests before puck drop.

  “No. And thank you again for inviting us, Westie,” Henry’s mom said, her hand on her son’s shoulder as she smiled up at Alex.

  “Anytime,” he replied.

  “I think you should get a hat trick tonight, Westie,” Grayson said.

  He chuckled. “I’ll try my best.”

  “Just kick some ass, Westie,” Henry piped in.

  “Henry,” his mother gasped, shaking her head.

  Alex said his goodbyes to the rest of the room, his gaze meeting Maggie’s. She’d escaped to the back corner to check on Arabella. He gave her a nod, not sure what else to say. She’d thrown him for a loop, and he did not need that right before a game.

  He stepped into the hallway. Dammit. Now was not the time to think about those memories. He had a game to win, and all his focus had to be on the ice.

  ***

  “Tripping,” the ref yelled, gesturing to Alex as one of Anaheim’s forwards pushed back to his feet.

  “I barely touched the guy,” Alex grumbled before he looked toward the bench. Bugsy looked pissed and Alex didn’t blame him. They were down three to one and Anaheim’s power play was lethal.

  “Come on, Allen practically skated into Westie,” Cheesy said, pointing to the replay on the jumbotron.

  “Tripping. Minor penalty,” the ref said, before skating to the middle of the ice to make the official call.

  “We’ll kill it, but what’s up with you? Your focus is off,” Cheesy said, skating over to the penalty box with Alex.

  “I’m fine. The guy embellished,” Alex muttered, taking a seat in the sin bin, tapping his leg in frustration. Cheesy wasn’t wrong. Alex had been distracted all night. He refused to look up at his suite to see if she was watching, and then he felt like an asshole for not looking up to see the kids.

  He’d never lost his focus like this before, and he’d be damned if he was going to let Maggie get to him. He’d get his answers from her, but for now, he had a game to win. He concentrated on his teammates. Anaheim fired the puck on Gally, but the Strikers’ goalie dropped to his knees and covered it.

  Alex hated being the cause for his team to be a man down. He glanced at the clock. Thirty seconds left. He took a sip of water and stood up, his stick ready, and waited for Gally to hit his stick on the ice, signaling a few seconds left in the penalty before he could go back on the ice.

  The penalty box door opened, and Alex darted onto the ice, catching Sully’s slight head tilt right before he passed the puck. It hit the center of Alex’s stick and Alex was off. Within seconds, he sent the rubber disk flying over the blocker-side shoulder of Anaheim’s goalie.

  The goal buzzer blared through the arena and his teammates came crashing into him.

  He looked up at his box. The kids were cheering and jumping up and down. He gave them a salute, loving how excited they were to come to the games. That’s why he’d created the Warriors. Every kid in that suite had gone through more than he could imagine, and if he could give them a reason to smile or not think about what they were going through for one minute, he would do whatever he could.

  Before he turned back to his teammates, he spotted Maggie clapping in the corner. He hoped her smile was wide, like that smile she always used to give him when she watched him play.

  Yes, he definitely had questions for her and he wasn’t going to let her avoid him again.

  Maggie finished her first rotation Wednesday morning and stopped off at the nurses’ station.

  “Heard someone had a good time at the game last night,” Callie, one of the nurses and Maggie’s first friend in the city, called out.

  “What?” Maggie asked, setting down her tablet.

  “The game. Westie. Heard it was a good one. He’s so dreamy,” Callie said, smiling as a few of the other nurses extolled Alex’s better qualities.

  “Wait. What did you hear?” Maggie said, stopping next to Callie. No one knew about her and Alex. She’d kept their history under wraps, and until one of her colleagues had asked her to take his place at the game last night, she’d always found a way to get out of attending. To get out of seeing him.

 
Because what would he say to her? It’d been years since she’d ended their relationship. She’d had her reasons, which had seemed hollower as the years had gone by. She’d believed ending things had been practical, but logic hadn’t made it hurt any less when he’d tried to reason with her. It’d been for the best. They’d been so young, and she was preparing for medical school and he’d just been traded. Their lives were just starting, and they weren’t going in the same direction. She’d repeated her reasons over and over, drilling them into her brain, but if she was completely honest with herself, her heart had never gotten the message.

  No man had ever measured up to her first—her only—love.

  “Maggie? I take it you fell under his spell. We all have,” Callie said, cutting through Maggie’s memories.

  “No, no. Of course not,” she said. “Aren’t you engaged?”

  Callie grinned. “Yes, but I’m not blind. So, what’s your deal with him? Come to think of it, you’re never around when he stops by. At least from what I remember.”

  “I should get back to my patients.”

  “I know for a fact that you just did your rounds and I’m due for a quick break. Want to grab coffee?” Callie asked.

  Maggie’s phone buzzed.

  Saved by a meeting.

  “Sorry, I can’t. Forgot I have a meeting with Sandra,” she said, backing away from her friend.

  “This isn’t over, Maggie,” Callie called out as Maggie headed to her boss’s office, hoping her meeting ran long and that Callie would forget about the game.

  ***

  Five hours later, Maggie couldn’t wait to crawl into her bed. The combination of a late night last night after the game went to overtime and checking in on Camilla, her ten-year-old patient who was back in the hospital after she’d gone through remission twice, had taken its toll. She both loved and hated her job, but seeing Camilla back in a hospital bed hit a little too close to home. Camilla reminded Maggie of her sister, Grace. Same bright smile through the pain, and a giggle that brought Maggie back to high school, when her eleven-year-old sister was battling the same aggressive cancer that plagued Camilla.