Sugar Cookie Country House

A heartwarming Christmas romance where he falls first in this grumpy sunshine sports novel featuring a curvy small town heroine and a hockey player hero!

Because sometimes love doesn't follow the playbook…

When sunshiney Jenny wished for more adventure in her life, she never thought she’d be sent a grumpy hockey player.

But could Dylan’s gruff exterior be nothing more than an act? Does this hockey hunk secretly enjoy their spirited debates that upset their friends at Thanksgiving? (Oops.)

Of course, men like him don’t go for curvy, small town women… Or do they?

Dylan can’t help but be captivated by Jenny's feisty, direct charm. The catch? Despite being benched for an injury that might end his career, he’s deep in trade talks that could send him across the continent.

But since meeting Jenny, the idea of a life off the ice isn’t nearly as unsettling. Then again, maybe his foot will heal, he’ll get the girl, stay with his team, and have it all. Either way, he needs to convince Jenny that all this big-shot wants this holiday season is her.

As she took in the vehicles parked in front of Maverick’s, she climbed from her truck, suddenly overcome by jitters. She’d heard it was renovation day at Maverick’s again and had decided it would be a good time to pick up the salad bowl she’d left behind last Friday.
Not because Dylan might be here.
Her cowboy boots hit the dry dirt along the edge of the driveway, sending up puffs of dust as a hawk circled the barn out back. As the sound of a power saw filled the air, she caught herself scouring the parked cars, on the lookout for one that could be Dylan’s. Even though his foot was currently in a plastic Velcroed boot, it sounded like he was a regular on Mav’s crew.
Let’s see. The Mustang was Maverick’s. The shiny black SUV would belong to single dad Landon. The truck was former rodeo star Leo’s. Dylan had said he drove a car. Was the Caddy his? She snorted in amusement at the unorthodox choice as she made her way to the faded old house that had seen better days.
The home’s front steps creaked and at the door, Jenny straightened her new, deep pink checkered blouse and dusted the thighs of her new jeans. The fresh outfit wasn’t in case she saw Dylan. No, it was simply because after going back to her natural brown hair color, all of her clothes seemed boring. At least, that was what she told herself. And anyway, what was the point of owning your own boutique if you didn’t sometimes use it as your personal closet? And the cute beaded necklace? That was just an extra treat for the long hours she’d put in during her Black Friday sale.
Jenny knocked on the screen door’s frame, the sound of a power saw and male voices continuing to drift through the opening.
“Hello?” she called, pulling on the door’s handle. The whole frame suddenly swung downward as the top hinges came free from the rotten door frame. She let out an involuntary squawk and flailed her free hand to protect herself.
An arm reached past her, righting the door. The arm smelled like the outdoors and fresh nail polish.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up before doing a double take at the man standing at her side.
It was Dylan O’Neill. But his mussed up shaggy locks were pulled back by a sparkly plastic tiara and smeared across his scowling lips was bright pink lipstick. He looked like he’d passed out drunk and been pranked by buddies. Or been playing tea party with Landon Jackson’s four-year-old daughter.
Dylan’s strong hands held the door upright, protecting her from being bludgeoned while she stared at him in stupefied shock.
His voice was an even deeper timbre than she’d remembered as he said, “Hi.”
She found the ability to speak after several attempts. “Right. Hi.”
She blinked at him, unmoving, her eyes following his muscular, corded arms to the door, noting that his fingernails were a sparkly rainbow of messy colors. Her heart hiccupped at the idea that Dylan had a secret, tender side where he was great with kids.
With a sinking heart she realized that distracting herself with thoughts of cruises and foreign trips was never going to work when it came to Dylan O’Neill, because now, there was no way she was ever going to be able to forget him.