Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 131271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
“Jacob—”
“I said I don’t want it!” His voice cracks through the room like a whip, startling me into silence and drawing the attention of the others around us. He stands abruptly, shoving his hand into the pocket of his hoodie and pulling out a set of keys. “Keep the box, throw it out, do whatever you want. Just don’t tell me about it again.”
Before I can respond, he’s already walking out of the room.
“Jacob—wait!”
But he’s gone, his long strides carrying him out of the apartment without a backward glance, leaving me stunned and unsure how to process what just happened. He doesn’t want his father’s memorabilia. Is it because he’s still grieving after all these years, and looking through the box would be too painful? Or something else.
Feeling like I’ve opened up a healed wound, I finish my drink in a long swig.
The Drayton brothers are the most confusing men I’ve ever met, and I’m not about to waste more of my energy trying to figure them out.
EPISODE 263
ICING THE CAKE - THE HOCKEY CHANNEL WITH A SWEET BITE
[Video starts with the host sitting at her kitchen counter (visible from the neck down), holding a hockey puck in one hand and a rolling pin in the other.]
Anonymous Host:
“Hey there, cake fanatics and puck lovers! Welcome back to Icing the Cake, the show where we mix hockey, baking, and all the tea you can handle. Today, we’re talking about keeping it in the family. No, not in a ‘royalty marrying their cousins’ way—although, hockey royalty might come close.”
[She points the puck at the camera, leaning in conspiratorially.]
Anonymous Host:
“You ever notice how hockey seems to be a family affair? I could reel off a whole bunch of names spanning generations, and some scored onto the mug twenty-five years apart. It’s like someone handed out Hockey Starter Packs to certain gene pools and told the rest of us to sit tight. And honestly? It makes sense. You grow up in a house full of sticks, skates, and endless reruns of game tape, and you’re bound to either become a pro or never want to see ice again. The Draytons are one example of this. A famous father and three sons hellbent on trying to prove themselves.”
[She picks up a mixing bowl and slices butter into it.]
Anonymous Host:
“But let’s get to the juicy part. What happens when hockey bros take the whole shared interests thing to sharing women? I’m talking about the Hockey Bro Ex-Girlfriend Pipeline. It’s as predictable as a power play: one guy dates her, they break up, and suddenly, she’s sitting in another guy’s family section, cheering for someone else with the same jersey. One man’s first round pick becomes another’s second, third, or even seventh!”
[She gestures dramatically, whipping the batter.]
Anonymous Host:
“Look, I’m not judging anyone’s love life. You date who you want. But you have to wonder, why are hockey guys so into this? Is it convenient? A weird sense of competition? Or are they just that bad at meeting new people? Like, you’re telling me a dude who spends half the year traveling to major cities can’t swipe right on someone who isn’t his linemate’s ex? Or worse, his brother’s! Come on.”
[Cut to her holding a tray of unbaked cookies shaped like puzzle pieces.]
Anonymous Host:
“And that brings me to today’s bake: ‘Puzzle Piece Cookies’. Because clearly, these hockey guys think every woman is just a piece in their little relationship game—one that conveniently snaps into place wherever it’s needed. Sweet, buttery, and full of drama.”
[She starts icing the cookies, some with names like “Jake” and “Brody,” others with “Candy” and” Brandy”, and some with question marks.]
Anonymous Host:
“These cookies are a perfect metaphor. They look cute and harmless, but once you see how they all fit together, you realize the whole system’s a little… too connected. Just like the hockey dating scene.”
[She pauses, icing another cookie.]
Anonymous Host:
“Now, I get it. Hockey players share a bond. They go through battles together and live and breathe the same sport. Maybe it feels natural to extend that bond to other areas, but here’s a wild thought! Instead of sharing girlfriends like they’re spare sticks, maybe try branching out? Expand your horizons and date someone who doesn’t know what ‘offsides’ means. It might be refreshing.”
[She holds up a finished puzzle piece cookie with a bold red X piped over it.]
Anonymous Host:
“And for the ladies? Let’s stop letting these guys turn you into collectibles. You’re not a hockey card to be traded between teammates. If they can’t learn to keep their sticks out of each other’s lanes, maybe it’s time to bench ‘em. So there you have it. Family bonds are great—on the ice. But off the ice? Maybe it’s time to stop treating love lives like team drills. Until next time, keep it sweet, keep it sassy, and remember, no one belongs to anyone, even if you’re wearing the same jersey.”