Icing, page 1
Icing
CHICAGO FALCONS SERIES
BOOK ONE
NICO DANIELS
ICING
Nico Daniels
This is a work of fiction. All characters, locations, and entities are either products of the author's imagination, or used fictitiously.
Copyright ©️ 2023
Nico Daniels
Cover Art by Kari March Designs
Editing by My Notes in the Margin
Formatting by My Notes in the Margin
Created with Vellum
For our sky babies.
Never in our arms, forever in our hearts.
Love you to infinity.
Contents
Prologue
1. Greyson
2. Gavin
3. Greyson
4. Gavin
5. Gavin
6. Gavin
7. Greyson
8. Gavin
9. Greyson
10. Greyson
11. Gavin
12. Greyson
13. Greyson
14. Greyson
15. Greyson
16. Gavin
17. Greyson
18. Greyson
19. Gavin
20. Greyson
21. Greyson
22. Greyson
23. Gavin
24. Greyson
25. Gavin
26. Greyson
27. Gavin
28. Greyson
29. Greyson
30. Greyson
31. Gavin
32. Greyson
33. Greyson
34. Gavin
35. Greyson
36. Gavin
37. Greyson
38. Gavin
39. Greyson
40. Greyson
41. Gavin
42. Greyson
43. Gavin
44. Greyson
45. Gavin
46. Greyson
47. Greyson
48. Gavin
Epilogue
Afterword
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Prologue
GAVIN: JULY
One cloud. The otherwise vibrant blue sky was clear and went on forever, the picturesque beauty marked by a lone white puff in the shape of a middle finger. The cumulus had positioned itself directly over the church and it seemed even the universe had provided commentary on the wedding.
“Can you at least pretend like you want to be here?” Asher’s voice filtered through my daydream in which I saved the princess from the hairy beast she was about to marry. “I know you had some knight in shining armor fantasy worked up where you rode off into the sunset with Greyson, but it’s her wedding day. You need to get it together.”
“Would you shut your mouth?” I hissed as I pulled him away from the crowd. I looked around to make sure his obnoxiously loud voice hadn’t carried to the hundreds of guests that milled around outside the huge brick church. “Someone might hear you.”
Asher rolled his eyes and pulled a bottle of water out of his pocket. He downed half of it before he held the remainder out to me.
“Everyone knows Gavin. Most of us don’t stay celibate pining for someone we know we’ll never have. If you think people don’t notice you never take a woman home, you truly are delusional.”
“I’m not celibate, dickhead. I just don’t feel the need to sleep with a different random person every day of my life.”
“When was the last time you had sex?”
“Irrelevant,” I grumbled.
I hoped it wasn’t obvious to anyone but him. He was the one who had heard my rants for the last four years about what a complete and total dickbag KJ Sullivan was. The sun that peeked through the thick layer of leaves above our heads was a reminder that Mother Nature didn’t share my stormy mood. The stagnant heat of the summer air suffocated me almost as much as our conversation.
“I get this is tough for you to swallow and I’m sorry. I know you believe in karma and signs and all that, and you really thought you were meant to be with her.” Asher’s tone softened when I dropped my eyes to my feet with a shrug. “Listen. Let’s skip the reception and go get blackout drunk. In the meantime, you have to slap on a smile and pretend to be happy for your teammate on his wedding day.”
The phrase ‘wedding day’ about the woman I shouldn’t want made my tie feel more like a noose and I pulled at it uncomfortably. It was execution day for my chance at happiness. I’d rather be standing on the gallows.
A strong breeze lifted the leaves on the trees and a large gray cloud moved over the sun, like it was dropped straight from the belly of an angry storm. The temperature fell sharply, still not close to comfortable but noticeable enough that goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. Something had just shifted in the universe.
The guests simultaneously looked skyward to see if an unpredicted storm would unleash on us when the doors of the church flew open and smashed against the brick walls outside them. The groom-to-be was thrown down the steps, his pants wrapped around his ankles. The hulking monster of a man I knew was Greyson’s brother towered over him with so much rage across his face I was certain I was about to witness a murder.
“If you so much as look in the general direction of my sister ever again, I’ll end your fucking shit life,” Trevor growled, crouched over the pile of tuxedo and scared man on the sidewalk. His head snapped up and scanned the team who were gathered with wide eyes and slack jaws. When he landed on me, I shrank back in fear. Just a little.
“What the fuck just happened?” Asher’s low voice was nothing compared to the thoughts that swirled through my head. My eye caught a flash of a wedding gown as it flowed down the steps of the church, surrounded by muted blue and rose pink. She was a frighteningly beautiful vision of heartbreak lined with hope. A broken winged angel in a white lace dress, Greyson stood calmly as her bridesmaids surrounded her like a shield. She looked dazed as her eyes lifted off the pavement and found mine. A flash of ... something ... ignited her soft blue irises for a split second before her attention was drawn to KJ at her feet. Greyson kicked away the hand he reached out in a desperate attempt to hang on to the life he’d almost faked his way into.
“Thank you all for taking the time to be here, but there will be no wedding today. Or ever. I can’t pretend my fiancé isn’t cheating on me now that I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I sincerely apologize that you’ve all wasted your time.”
The hushed murmur that had been pulsating through the crowd increased into a full buzz after her speech. My heart pounded so hard against my chest it made breathing difficult as Greyson’s brother zeroed in on me and stepped forward menacingly.
“You’re the captain. Make sure this fuck gets as far away from my sister as humanly possible. Faster than yesterday. Otherwise, I’m going to arrest him for being a piece of shit and throw him in a cell,” Trevor demanded as he stepped between her and KJ.
I fumbled for something to say when Greyson timidly moved closer to me. The lemony sweet smell of her skin filled my nostrils, and I closed my eyes with the need to collect myself. When I opened them again, I found her with her eyes on my mouth and a soft pink tinge crept up her cheeks.
“Ignore him. He’s upset. This isn’t your responsibility. Thank you for coming Gavin. I’m sure there are plenty of other places you’d rather be. Seeing you makes this a little easier,” Greyson spoke so quietly I had to strain to hear her, and she turned away before I could respond. Her flock of protectors moved with her like a choreographed dance team. Trevor shot one more withering glare at KJ before he wrapped an arm around his sister and hurried her to privacy.
KJ wrestled with his clothes and tried to regain some semblance of dignity while we all stared at him with a mix of shock and disgust.
“Why are you all just standing there? Fucking help me!”
I squatted in front of him and called on all my self-control not to knock him out. “Get yourself together and get out of here. The Falcons don’t need bad press because you refuse to keep your dick in your pants. At your own fucking wedding.”
“I didn’t plan it, Dad.” KJ sat up as I attempted to shield him from the hundreds of cell phones pointed at the Chicago Falcon who had, very literally, been caught with his pants down. I bristled at the nickname my teammates used out of respect, but he managed to make sound like an insult. “But I was nervous, so I called a friend for stress relief. Really, it was for Greyson’s benefit. I wanted to be my best self when I walked down the aisle.”
I turned to my team and told them to disperse, that I would handle this mess.
“You’re disgusting.”
“Whatever. I’ll have this smoothed over by tomorrow. She’ll never have enough self-respect to cut me loose.” KJ was so unbothered it was actually scary.
“I truly, honestly, hate you.”
He grinned as he patted my cheek. I clenched my fists against my thighs, refusing to allow him to bring me to his level. At least not when there were cameras around.
“I truly, honestly, don’t care. Have a nice summer, Gavin.”
He didn’t have the decency to be embarrassed by his actions or care about the hurt he’d just caused. I wasn’t surprised, but I was still angry I had to fix yet another one of his screw ups. The media fallout from this would be a nightmare. I shot off a text to my coach so management could formulate a plan of action before it was everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was already too late. The guys from the Biscuits in the Basket podcast were like wizards with how fast they got informa
“Well. There’s that sign you were looking for.”
Indeed.
CHAPTER 1
Greyson
OCTOBER
Trevor squeezed my hand tightly while we stood in the darkened corridor waiting to be brought onto the ice. I didn’t want to be there. When I stepped inside the Delta Center the memories swirled around me and overwhelmed my senses.
“Relax, RayRay. It’ll be over soon,” Trevor leaned in and spoke next to my ear while the Falcons announcer took his place behind the microphone. “What kind of cupcake would Grandpa want to represent him as a hockey player?”
It was sweet of him to try to distract me in the way that always worked, but even creating a recipe in my head wouldn’t cut it this time. When the Falcons had reached out about doing a tribute to our grandpa during the home opener, I thought it was a great idea, until they requested his family be there for a ceremonial puck drop. I could sit in front of a video camera and talk about my favorite foods all day long to be broadcast on national television but standing live in front of twenty thousand people was a whole different story. I had only recently gotten to a point where I didn’t cry the moment I woke, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep myself together during the video that would play during the tribute.
“Jonah Park left an indelible mark on this organization. His work ethic and teamwork played an integral part in the creation of the establishment you all know and love today. He instilled those values into his family, and while he wore the Chicago sweater with unwavering pride, he was most proud of the accomplishments of his grandchildren. Please welcome Trevor and Greyson Park to the ice.”
The baggy jersey I wore with my grandpa’s number on the sleeves did nothing to provide warmth and I shivered while I clung to Trevor’s arm. I didn’t belong in this world anymore. I wasn’t sure I ever had. My love of the Falcons games had slowly dwindled with each day KJ and I were together. I had powered through the sadness of watching him flirt with fans wearing his name on their backs so I could spend time with my grandpa. After he passed away, I had no reason left to go.
We stood together in the middle of the rink, all eyes on us as the clapping deafened before it trailed off to eerie silence. The tribute began with video clips of Grandpa from his early years in the league. They were interspersed with pictures and interviews, and I covered my lips with my fingers when his booming voice filled the arena. I missed the smile in every word he spoke and the laugh that shook his entire body. The photo from my pastry school graduation caught me off guard. It was a time when my chestnut brown hair was cut in a severe bob and colored a shocking shade of red rather than the soft balayage waves I now favored, and my makeup choices were more emo teenager than exhausted bakery owner who barely scraped a mascara wand through her lashes. I was mortified literally millions of people now had that version of me on their televisions, and I dug my nails into Trevor’s hand.
“You gave them that picture? What the hell?”
“It’s my favorite. Look how happy he was. How proud,” Trevor spoke out of the side of his mouth without taking his eyes off the screen. When I looked back, I saw it from his point of view.
My eyes pricked with the tears I would do anything to hold in, and I tried to covertly dab them with the tissue that was crumpled in my fist. I looked up and noticed the team captain, Gavin Halstead, with his eyes on me. He held my gaze captive while the corners of his lips turned up into a sympathetic smile. I looked away quickly, embarrassed by the instant flush that covered my cheeks.
The willpower it took to not let his eyes pull my attention off the video was more than I had. By the time Trevor and I accepted handshakes from the former players who were lined up to pay their respects I’d snuck more than a couple glances at Gavin. Trevor nudged me and pressed the puck he had promised to drop into my hand.
“It should be you. Everyone expects it to be you.”
As if he sensed my trepidation at the prospect of being the one responsible for the ceremonial puck drop, Gavin kept his stare locked on mine as he skated to his position in front of me. A gentle smile that was mine to keep was the last I saw of his face before he turned to the photographer poised for the photo op. Gavin and the captain of the visiting team posed with their sticks on the ice while I dropped the puck. My eyes followed the back of his neck as he bent over in front of me to scoop it up, and I caught the scent of salt and lime soap as he stood back up and pulled off a glove. He smelled like a margarita, and I knew what the cupcake special would be the next day. Gavin shook Trevor’s hand first and then took mine as the warmth of his touch flooded my body. Goosebumps rose on my neck as the heat of his breath whispered over my skin. I fought to keep my eyes forward as I waited for his rough voice to invade my thoughts.
“It’s really nice to see you back here.”
I was shocked into stunned silence and turned my head quickly, met with his sparkling brown eyes and another half-smile. Gavin skated off like he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning, and I watched him until he had disappeared into the tunnel. I followed Trevor down the red carpet and through the bench, relieved to be off the ice. After a detour for drinks, we slid into our seats on the glass, and I relaxed for the first time since we had walked into the arena. Every time Gavin skated near us during warmups, I automatically looked down into my cup, annoyed by Trevor’s immature taunting.
“You need to give him half a smile. He’s starting to look pathetic,” Trevor watched my awkward attempt to not humiliate myself with the man I’d had a completely inappropriate crush on for years. I looked up at exactly the wrong time, as Gavin skated towards me while his eyes dared me to look away. Just to shut Trevor up I ignored the heat in my cheeks and tried to smile. My mouth didn’t connect to my brain, and I instead ended up in a pained grimace. Gavin smirked and a deep dimple showed in the corner of his mouth as Trevor threw his head back and laughed.
“This is the strangest mating ritual I’ve ever witnessed.”
I shoved him hard as he lifted his cup to his lips and took pleasure as the golden liquid sloshed over the rim. He coughed up beer and held up a hand while he wiped the other across the back of his mouth.
“Alright, alright, truce,” Trevor reached across me to the waitress who had appeared and ordered two more beers. “I thought it was weird the way he acted at the church. I get it now.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I demanded. “He acted no different than everyone else.”
“If you say so,” Trevor gave me an unreadable look, and I focused my attention on the ice to avoid his questioning stare.
My engagement to KJ Sullivan had been a joke from the moment the ring went on my finger. Everyone knew it, including me. A small part of me had held onto the hope he would magically turn into a good man if we got married. That evaporated when half the city witnessed him get thrown out of the church by my brother. I was glad Trevor hadn’t been carrying his gun that day, because I had no doubt the detective would have ended up the criminal. While I was utterly humiliated in the moment, the fact everyone I knew was there to see it happen eliminated any need for me to retell every salacious detail of the story. Anyone who wasn’t aware just had to open the Biscuits in the Basket Instagram page, since they had reposted the video at least once a week the entire summer. I was aware of the Chicago based podcast before my wedding, since they seemed to be in just the right spot to catch my fiancé in compromising positions with puck bunnies all the time. But their celebrity had shot through the stratosphere once they posted a video of the entire scene. From right after Trevor tossed KJ down five stairs like he was a bag of marshmallows, right up to Gavin squatting next to him on the ground, looking like he wanted to rip his limbs off and beat him unconscious with them. Apparently, page views measured higher to them than human decency, and they’d become nationally known thanks to my devastation.
