Penalty Box

Penalty BoxLUX BRUMALISBOOK 1 KRIS BUTLER Contents ForewordIntroduction1. Henley2. Henley3. Henley4. Henley5. Reed6. Henley7. Fletcher8. Henley9. Henley10. Reed11. Henley12. Dax13. Henley14. Henley15. Fletcher16. Henley17. Dax18. Henley19. Henley20. Reed21. Dax22. Henley23. Henley24. Fletcher25. Henley26. Henley27. Henley28. Reed29. Henley30. Fletcher31. Henley32. Dax33. Henley34. Henley35. Reed36. Henley37. Henley38. Henley39. Reed40. Henley41. Henley42. The SocietyLetter from the AuthorAlso By Kris ButlerAbout the Author Penalty Box Lux Brumalis Book One Kris Butler First Edition: January 2023 Published by: Incognito Scribe Productions LLC Kris Butler Copyright © Kris Butler 2023 All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means without prior permission of the author, except in cases of a reviewer quoting brief passages in review. For subsidiary rights, please contact Kris Butler at [email protected] This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, either living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Proofreading: © 2023 by Owlsome Author Services Formatting: © 2023 Incognito Scribe Productions LLC Cover Design: © 2022 Pretty Little Design Co Created with Vellum Blurb I loved two things above all others: hockey and Reese. Becoming Reese’s guardian hadn’t been in my plans, but I couldn’t turn my sibling away when they needed me. I never anticipated how difficult juggling hockey and raising a teenager would be. Being a woman in a male-dominated sport meant I spent the majority of my time proving I could measure up. It didn’t matter that I’d won two Olympic medals or could outshoot most male players. I was a woman, and that was all that mattered. When an ex leaked a private video, I was suspended from the league for ‘morality issues.’ Suddenly, I had no clue what to do with my life if it didn’t include hockey. With no direction, purpose, or job prospects, I felt lost, with no clear sign of what to do next. Visiting a friend, an opportunity for Reese emerged in Utah, and I was thrust into a world I hadn’t known existed—an elite academy for winter sports. Between coaching hockey and training Reese, I met three guys who made my heart race. But after my last relationship disaster, I wasn’t ready to choose a life I wasn’t sure fit me anymore. Feeling hopeful, I accepted a job coaching the male hockey team. Maybe trying something new would be what Reese and I needed. Lux Brumalis could be what got us out of the Penalty Box once and for all. Watch out, boys; it was time you learned how to play like a girl. My name’s Henley Henshaw, but you can call me Coach. Foreword This is a contemporary why-choose hockey romance intended for 18+ due to language and content. This book deals with some themes that might be triggering to readers. I always try to do my best to handle things with care for my characters and the reader. So please make sure to take care of yourself first. SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER ARE THE FOLLOWING: Family member dies from cancer Feelings of not being good enough Past drug use Mild bullying of non-binary character by peers Violation of consent (shared videos) Mild mental/psychological abuse This book attempts to portray hockey in its truest form, but the author has taken some liberties to make things fit within the world of the book for the story. So for any hockey purest, be kind; it was done purposefully to tell a story. This book highlights women in sports and the inequality many face. I could go on all day about this, but since you probably want to read this book and not listen to my soapbox, turn the page to start Henley’s story. Introduction The penalty box or sin bin is the area in ice hockey where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty, for an offense not severe enough to merit outright expulsion from the contest. Teams are generally not allowed to replace players who have been sent to the penalty box. This book is dedicated to women who fight against the parameters the world places on them and succeed anyway. Keep fighting; we’re all right here with you! CHAPTER ONEHenley The elevator door shut, closing me in silence as the words of the past hour ran circles around my head. Suspended. Unwholesome. Placed on leave. I didn’t know which one hurt the worst as they pierced my soul, ripping me open from the inside. I’d placed my trust in the league and my boyfriend, but it turned out to be for nothing. They’d turned on me when I needed them, leaving me to pick up the pieces. I tried to hold back the tears that wanted to fall, but the second I was alone, they erupted out of me, my lungs gasping for breath. I doubled over, sliding down the elevator wall until I was in a crouch. I clung to the bar at the back, the only thing keeping me up. What was I going to do now? How would I take care of Reese if I was unemployed? I’d spent my whole life playing hockey. I wasn’t sure I knew how to do anything else. The elevator began to descend, so I gulped in air, standing as I furiously swiped at my face. Pulling out a tissue from my bag, I wiped away the remnants of mascara, using the shiny elevator surface as a mirror. By the time the doors opened, the only indicator that I’d been crying would be my red face. I wasn’t even able to get away with crying without the whole world knowing. Pulling my sunglasses out, I placed them on, feeling a little braver now that no one could see my true state. Stepping forward, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, ignoring everything else. If I looked at any of the guards or personnel