Stephani Hecht The Prodigal Brother A Canton Family Christmas

Is there ever a time when you really can’t

redeem yourself? And if so, then what’s left to live
for?

At one time, Brock was the dream child of the

Canton family. Not only was he the oldest, but he
was predicted to be the number one draft pick for
the NHL. All those dreams were shattered when
Brock suffered a career-ending injury. Depressed
over his loss, he became lost in an addiction to
drugs. Not only that, but he betrayed his three
younger brothers to the point that they never want
to see him again.

But that was then, and now Brock is clean and

sober. While his brothers still don’t trust him, they
give him a job at the rink they own. It’s there that
Brock meets Jimmy, the only openly gay player in
the NHL.

Sparks instantly fly between the two of them,

but will Brock be able to fight his addiction and
his past long enough to find his HEA? But then
again, it is Christmastime, and they do say that is
when miracles happen.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
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entirely coincidental.

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

ISBN: 978-1-77111-413-4

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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The Prodigal Brother-A Canton

Family Christmas

Blue Line Hockey Series Book

Stephani Hecht

Dedicated to all the hockey fans out there. May

the lockout end soon.

Chapter One

rock stood in the parking lot of the small rink
and took a deep breath. Within the next few

minutes, he would know if he had a chance at
redemption, or if he’d truly lost his brothers
forever.

By all rights, he shouldn’t have a hope of the

former. He’d betrayed all three of them time and
time again. Trey, the youngest, has been the most
hurt by Brock and his addiction, to the point that
Brock didn’t know if he had the strength to stand
in front of Trey and see the hurt lingering in the
other man’s eyes.

But Brock had to face Trey. Just as he had to

face Chad and Devon. Most importantly, he had to
get their love back to convince them that he’d
actually changed himself this time.

Since it was colder than hell outside, and he

couldn’t very well linger in the parking lot all day,
he forced his feet into motion, walking slowly
toward the front door. As he went inside, despite
his anxiety, a wave of pride washed over him.

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The rink was beautiful, and it was all thanks to

his brothers’ hard work. Sure, they’d had some
other partners involved, but he could still see
traces of his siblings’ touches everywhere. How it
was no doubt Trey’s doing that the video game
room was full of the most modern machines and
flashing neon signs. The way the concession stand
sold several different brands of coffee for the
caffeine freak showed Devon’s touch. How there
were silly, yet artistic graffiti on the walls

—

that

was courtesy of Chad. They’d always ribbed Chad
that he was a better artist than hockey player.

Taking a deep breath, he went up to the front

desk. A tall, skinny kid with black hair was
running it. He barely glanced up at Brock. “If
you’re wanting ice time, sorry. We’re booked solid
for the next two months. Plus, this week is going
to be crazy with a capital cray-cray.”

“No, I’m here to see Trey, Devon, and Chad,”

Brock replied politely.

“Who should I say is here for them?”
“Their brother, Brock.”
It was as if Brock had dropped a bomb. The kid

froze before standing to his full height. His mouth
formed an O as he stared at Brock.

“Cut the shit, you’re not him.”
A bit of anger mixed with amusement went

through Brock. “Yes, I am.”

“No offense, but the last time I saw his mug

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

shot on the news, he didn’t look half as good as
you do.”

The kid—or rather, man, now that Brock had a

better look at him—would have been Brock’s type,
were it not for the ring on the stranger’s finger.
Sweet and innocent, that’s how he’d always liked
his men or women. That was, until he’d allowed
his life to go to hell.

“I promise that it’s me. Just go get one of them,

and they’ll prove it.”

The kid still looked skeptical, but he

disappeared only to come back with Devon a few
seconds later. Brock’s stomach grew tight. Of all
the brothers, Devon was the one who was going to
be the hardest to gain trust back.

Just as expected, Devon’s face instantly

morphed into an angry mask. “What in the hell
are you here for? Did you come back to steal some
more of Trey’s stuff? Or did you just want to trash
his place again?”

Brock cringed, even though he knew he

deserved every word of that and so much more.
“No, I came to see you guys.”

“Why?”
The question came quick—a whip of anger

behind it.

Glancing up so he could meet Devon’s

gaze…and damn if that wasn’t hard…Brock said,
“To apologize. To make things right…I don’t

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know. Just to let you guys know that I’m not a
complete waste of space.”

Devon stared at him for the longest time, and

Brock expected to be shown the front door.
Instead his brother finally gave a grim nod. “Let’s
have some coffee and talk. But don’t expect much.
We all learned the hard way not to trust you.”

Running a hand through his freshly cut blond

hair, Brock said, “Thanks, it’s better than I
deserve. I know that more than you could ever
imagine.”

They went over to one of the tables fronting the

concession area. Brock sat while Devon went and
got the coffees. He came back and placed a cup in
front of Brock. “I hope you still like cream and
sugar.”

It touched Brock that, despite all his anger,

Devon would still remember such a small detail.
“Yeah, I do. Thanks.”

They sat in silence of a few moments, before

Devon finally said, “I see you got your teeth
fixed.”

Years of meth use had all but destroyed them.

Brock ran his tongue over his new dental work.
“Yeah, I didn’t even know it, but I had a group of
fans, still. They all chipped in to get me into rehab
and to fix my teeth.”

The fact that he had fans at all still amazed

Brock. While he’d been drafted into the NHL, he’d

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

suffered a career-ending injury before he could
even play one game. He’d slipped into obscurity
until recently when some sports network decided
to do some Where are they now? special on him.

“It must have been that stupid show they did

on you,” Devon replied.

While his words might have come off as nasty,

his tone was soft.

“Did you watch it?”
Devon shook his head. “It was too hard to see

you that way.”

“And you probably don’t give a damn about

me anyway.”

Devon winced, and Brock immediately wanted

to take back what he’d said. Of course they hated
him. They had every right to. No sane person
could like him after all the crap he’d pulled.

“Sorry,” Brock mumbled. “You didn’t deserve

that.”

“So, how long has it been this time,” Devon

said with a sad, resigned sigh.

Brock cocked a brow. “You mean, how long

have I been clean?”

Devon nodded, his gaze going directly to

Brock’s arms. Not that there would be much to see
since Brock wore a heavy Red Wings coat.

“A year and a half,” Brock admitted.
Eyes wide, Devon gave a slow shake of his

head. “That’s impossible. You’ve never…”

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“What—been off the junk that long? Go ahead,

you can say it. I deserve that, and a whole lot
more.”

“If that’s the case, then why didn’t you come to

us sooner?”

Brock took a sip of coffee while he carefully

considered his words. What he said next could
very well be the most important thing spoken in
his entire life. “I wanted to make sure that I
actually have a chance of making it this time.”

“Are you sure it’s not because of the way you

stole all of Trey’s stuff and trashed his
apartment?”

Ouch! That one hurt.
“Maybe that a little, too,” Brock admitted.
“You should know that his partner is a cop. So,

if you’re thinking of pulling any of your usual
crap on Trey, you better forget it, unless you want
to end up in jail again.”

“You have no idea how bad I feel about Trey.

He trusted me when nobody else did, and I
betrayed him in the worst way possible.”

“Even worse than the time you took money

from a reporter to tell all our family secrets? We’re
just lucky that reporter ended up becoming my
partner, or else the whole world would know our
dirty laundry.”

Brock held up his hands. “I know. I used to be a

real piece of shit. You’re not going to get any

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

argument from me on that one. If, after today, you
guys never want to speak to me again, I
understand. I just came here to try to apologize for
all I’ve done to you. I know it’s not much, but it’s
all I have at the moment.”

“How about repaying Trey for all the stuff you

took from him?”

Devon was being hard, but Brock didn’t blame

him for it. Even though Brock was the oldest, it’d
been Devon and Chad who’d picked up all the
pieces the day their lives had gone to shit. Brock
hadn’t even been there that night. He’d been out
stoned and drunk out of his mind. He’d been too
busy brooding about his own problems to worry
about his poor baby brother who’d almost been
killed.

Hell, even though it’d been their father who’d

died that night, Brock still hadn’t cared. He’d only
shown up long enough to get his pittance of an
inheritance before taking off. He’d spent all the
money within a month, all of it going either into
his veins or up his nose.

“As soon as I get a job, I plan on paying Trey

back everything. He’s always been real special to
me. In fact, it’s thanks to him that I finally got
clean.”

“You told me that lie before,” a soft voice

sounded from behind. “Why should I believe you
now?”

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Turning, Brock’s heart dropped when he saw

Trey standing there. As usual, all of Trey’s
emotions showed on his face, too. The hurt, the
betrayal, the wariness in his brother’s gaze felt like
a blow to Brock’s gut.

He started to stand, but Trey beat him to it,

sitting down at the table with them.

“Where’s Chad?” Brock asked.
It wouldn’t be a family reunion unless they

were all there, now would it?

“He’s with Jimmy McCormick right now,” Trey

said.

“Isn’t he the Red Wing who finally came out?”

Brock asked.

“Yeah, he’s the first hockey player to do so,”

Devon said.

Brock shook his head. “No, you guys and some

of your friends were.”

A wry smile covered Devon’s face. “Well, let’s

just say he’s the first one who came out and still
managed to stay in the majors.”

Outraged on his brothers’ behalf, Brock said,

“Do you really think they kicked you back because
you’re gay?”

“Well, Trey has the best save goals against

average, and I have the record for most assists in
our league, but you don’t see the NHL begging us
to come back the way they did with Chad.”

“That’s so unfair!” Brock protested.

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Trey shrugged. “We all learned early on that

life is never fair.”

“Do you think Jimmy will be ousted, too?”

Brock asked.

“No, after what happened with us, too many

equal rights groups are watching things too
closely. The only reason they got away with
knocking us down was because of our bad
attitudes,” Devon said.

“But you guys stopped doing that kind of stuff

a long time ago. Well, at least most of it. Trey did
give that one defenseman a nice set of bruised
calves the last game, but the guy was asking for
it.”

Trey’s gaze softened. “You watch our games?”
“Yeah, I bought season tickets this year,” Brock

admitted.

“Why didn’t you come to us sooner?” Trey

asked, sounding a bit hurt as he unknowingly
echoed Devon’s earlier question.

“Because I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t

disappoint you again. You deserve better than
that, little guy.”

It was a nickname that Brock had given Trey

when they were still kids and it’d stuck until they
were adults. It’d still been years since Brock had
used it, and it felt so good on his lips.

Trey gave a tiny smile. “I always knew that

you’d eventually get better.”

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Devon held up a hand. “Let’s not get ahead of

ourselves, yet. We’ve all heard this before from
Brock, and every time he’s gone back on the junk.”

Brock leaned forward. “Look, I’m not going to

lie to you and say that I’m cured, because I’m not.
I’m an addict and I always will be. I can promise
you that I’m good today. Plus, for the first time
ever, I feel like I’m strong enough to face the next
day. That’s all I honestly have to offer you for
now. I know it’s probably not what you’re looking
for, but it’s all I have. I hope…no, I pray, that
you’ll give me one last chance. I love you all so
much, and I just want to show you that I can be
something that you can eventually look up to. Or
at the very least, admit to being related to.”

Trey shot a pleading look to Devon. But Devon

still didn’t look convinced. Desperate, Brock
reached into his coat pocket, grabbed something,
and pressed it into Devon’s palm.

“What’s this? A poker chip?” Devon asked.
Brock held in his chuckle. “No, it’s the chip they

gave me at AA for being one year sober. I still go
to meetings all the time. I have no intention of
stopping, either. I know now that I can’t stay sober
without support from others.”

Devon continued to stare down at the chip.

“Where are you living right now?”

“I rented a small place a mile down the road.

It’s not much, but it will hold me until I get a job,”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Brock admitted.

Trey’s face lit up. “Why don’t we hire him for

the skate sharpening shop? He used to do it in
high school, remember? You said we were going
to need some extra help because of the big
Christmas tournament we’re having. That will
give us enough time to see if he’s really cleaned up
his act.”

“I don’t know,” Devon hedged.
“Come on,” Trey pleaded. “He’ll be working

behind the counter, but not handling any cash. We
can make sure the others know to keep an eye on
him, too.”

It hurt Brock to know that he was going to be

babysat or watched over like a naughty schoolboy,
but after what he’d done to his brothers, he knew
he deserved it.

Devon glanced up. “Is that even something you

would want to do? I know how much being in the
rink messes with you.”

In other words, they all knew that Brock didn’t

like being reminded of what had almost been.
Most of them thought that was what had turned
him to drugs. If they only knew the real truth.

Brock gave a slow nod. “Yeah, in fact, I think it

would be good for me.”

“Fine

—

if Chad agrees, you have yourself a job,”

Devon said.

Elation filled Brock. Not only would he have a

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job, but he would be able to see his brothers every
day, so they could rebuild their relationship.

“I won’t let you down,” Brock promised.
A tired look passed over Devon’s face. “I hope

not, because I really mean it this time. This is your
last chance. If you flake out on us again, you may
as well forget that you have brothers.”

Brock nodded. He would do everything in his

power to prove to them that he was worthy of
redemption. It was the least he owed them.

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Chapter Two

fter the shitty practice they’d just had, all
Jimmy wanted to do was go home and lick

his wounds, or, better yet, bang his head into the
wall.

Ever since the big scandal had broken, he’d been

off his game. It wasn’t because of his teammates,
as they all seemed to be taking the whole gay
thing in stride. Nor was it for lack of
endorsements since, if anything, he had more
offers coming his way. It seemed that being gay
was now the in thing.

No, everything had gone much better than he’d

expected. Sure, he’d gotten a few hate letters, but
he’d gotten a lot more of support. Some of them
had even been from kids who were gay and afraid
to come out. They claimed to look up to Jimmy
and want to be more like him.

That was what was throwing him off. Ever

since he’d admitted during that damn interview
that he was gay, it seemed as if a huge weight was

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on his shoulders. Which was funny, since he’d
imagined it would go the other way. He should be
relieved that his secret was out of the closet.

Instead, he found himself an instant

spokesman. He was already getting invites to
speak at LGBTQ functions, and they all wanted to
give him awards. All of which would have thrilled
him were it not for the fact that he hated being the
center of attention…now, worse, it terrified him.

He was afraid he would say or do the wrong

thing and embarrass or anger the whole LGBTQ
community. Already, there’d been some snide
remarks about why it’d taken him this long to
come out. The last thing he wanted was to make
some mistake and cause things to get even worse.

But Chad claimed there was something super

important going down at the rink that he needed
to attend to right away. Since Chad was Jimmy’s
ride, he had no choice but to tag along.

As they got out of the car, Jimmy wondered if

maybe Trey would want to pass the time by doing
some shooting drills. While the goalies at the NHL
were fantastic, not one of them could hold a
candle to the Canton brother. The fact that Trey
still played for the minors both angered and
worried Jimmy.

What if they decide I’m a problem and kick me back,

too?

“They would never do that. You’re too much of

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

a star,” Chad said.

It was only then that Jimmy realized he’d

spoken aloud. Startled, he still continued the
conversation, “Why not? They did that with Trey
and Devon.”

“Trey, Devon, and I were also showing up to

games drunk and punching out refs. Neither of
which you do.”

“Yeah, but they still haven’t brought them back

up, even though you now play pro again,” Jimmy
pointed out.

Chad let out a sigh, and Jimmy could tell the

man was scrambling for the right words to say.
“True, but you’re a better poster boy.”

Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, Jimmy

asked, “What in the hell is that supposed to
mean?”

“You’re the Chris Colfer of hockey. You are so

clean and innocent, you squeak when you walk.
The same can’t be said for Trey or Devon.”

“You make me sound like some kind of boring

nerd.”

“That’s because you are.”
As they walked toward the front door to the

rink, Jimmy gave Chad a playful shove. “Says the
guy who has the most penalty minutes on the
team.”

“We both know the only reason they wanted

me was so I could be their enforcer. So, if you look

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at it that way, I’m just doing my job.”

“I’m sure the guy who got stitches two games

ago wouldn’t agree with that.”

Even Jimmy thought the guy had been asking

for it, and not just because he’d muttered fag every
time he’d skated past Jimmy. So when the blade of
Chad’s stick had caught the guy’s chin, Jimmy
hadn’t been crying over spilled blood.

It didn’t pass Jimmy’s attention that the closer

they got to the front door, the tenser Chad got. His
jaw was clenched, and a tick started to dance at his
temple. His hands were even balled into fists.

“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you

so much? Are you stressed out over the
tournament this week? I thought the rest of the
crew had that handled for you.”

“No, it’s worse. My brother is here.”
Oooooookay…that told Jimmy exactly nothing.
“Of course he is. They’re both probably here

since they didn’t have a game today.”

“I’m not talking about Devon or Trey,” Chad

replied grimly.

It took a few seconds for understanding to click

into place. “You mean Brock?”

“I take it you’ve heard of him.”
“Yeah, I watched a special that SportsCenter did

on him. According to them, he’s gotten his act
back together. A group of fans even paid to have
his teeth fixed and set up a trust fund for him.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Chad snorted. “And I’m sure all that money

went in his veins. This isn’t the first time Brock has
claimed to be clean. In fact, if I had a nickel for
every time he has made that promise, I’d have
enough to retire.”

“So why are you even bothering to come see

him now?” Jimmy pressed.

Even as he asked that, he recalled how Brock

looked during the special. The before photo, taken
when he’d been a full-blown addict, had been
heartbreaking. The after one, where he’d been
cleaned up and given a fresh look had been
hot…no, daymn hot.

Too bad he wasn’t gay. Not that Brock had ever

come out either way. But come on, what were the
odds that there were three gay brothers in one
family?

“Did you ever think that maybe he may

actually make it this time?” Jimmy hedged. “He
seemed pretty determined when they interviewed
him. He even broke down when he talked about
you guys.”

“Yeah, and Trey broke down the day he came

home and found that Brock had not only stolen
everything of value, but had spray-painted the
walls. Whatever Brock did, he brought on himself.
Trey, on the other hand, didn’t deserve any of
that.”

Jimmy had to concede that Chad did have a

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point there. Well, kind of a point. “You do realize
that his drug addiction is a disease, and that
sometimes makes people do things they regret
later.”

Chad cut him a sharp look. “How would you

know anything about that?”

Embarrassed, Jimmy confessed, “My mother is

an alcoholic. Unlike Brock, she’s never even tried
to get any help. She just lies around all the time,
drunk out of her mind, and mean as ever. I was so
happy to get out of there and glad that I was the
youngest, so I didn’t have to worry about leaving
behind a brother or sister who’d be stuck dealing
with her.”

Jimmy didn’t add that’d been exactly what his

older brother and sister had done. Not only had
they left Jimmy alone to deal with her, but they
never once called to see how he was doing. Jimmy
guessed they got that trait from their father,
although he couldn’t be certain, since he’d never
met the man. Nor did Jimmy want to.

They reached the doors, and Jimmy rushed

inside, eager to get away from the cold. That was
the only thing he hated about Michigan, its
freezing temperatures. It sometimes made him
long for the days when he played for Anaheim.

As usual, whenever he went to the rink, his first

stop was the concession stand. He was almost as
big a coffee fiend as Devon. Jimmy was almost to

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

the counter when he spotted Brock sitting at a
table, just a few feet away.

Oh, wow! The images on the show had not done

Brock any favors. Before, Jimmy thought the guy
was good looking, but now seeing him in person,
Jimmy realized the man was fucking gorgeous
and then some.

Brock had soft-looking blond hair that flopped

over his bright blue eyes, making him appear
almost boyish, but in a sexy way. While he had a
few more pounds to gain, Brock still looked hot.
Or rather, as built as a guy could while wearing a
bulky jacket and tight jeans. Jimmy found himself
wishing that Brock would stand up, just so he
could see if the rear view was as well as the seated
one.

“Easy, boy,” he whispered to himself. “He’s

straight, so no sense in making an ass out of
yourself by drooling all over something you can’t
have.”

As if sensing the ogling, Brock turned around

and locked gazes with Jimmy. They both froze,
Jimmy’s heart hammering as he found himself lost
in those intense eyes.

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Trey asked as he

came over to join Jimmy at the counter.

Jimmy put in his order before asking, “What’s

hard to believe?”

“That Brock really looks that good now. It’s

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almost like he never…” Trey trailed off, then gave
a shrug. “Well, you know.”

Chad sat down at the table, and Brock looked

away. Jimmy felt a sense of loss now that the man
was no longer staring at him. Clearing his throat
to mask his emotions, Jimmy asked, “When did he
show up?”

“An hour ago. So long as Chad agrees, we’re

going to have him working in the skate
sharpening shop.”

That was interesting and exciting. Since Jimmy

came to the rink often, that would give him plenty
of times to meet and talk to the oldest Canton
brother.

Straight…remember that? Down, boy!
Jimmy took his coffee with a thanks, then

leaned against a nearby wall. “Do you think Chad
will agree and let Brock stay?”

Trey gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “Of

course he will. He’ll be stubborn about it first, but
in the end he’ll give in. He and Brock used to be
really close when they were younger, so Chad has
a soft spot where Brock is concerned.”

“How about you? Are you okay with Brock

coming back? I know he hurt you pretty badly last
time.”

“I love all my brothers. Yeah, it hurt when

Brock turned on me the way he did, but I could
never hold a grudge against him. Not any more

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

than I could against Chad or Devon. Good or bad,
we’re all we have.”

If Trey only knew how lucky they had it. Aside

from his drunk of a mother, Jimmy didn’t have
anybody at all. Most of his extended family
disowned him when he came out. That still didn’t
stop them asking for money or free tickets to the
games, though. Which was the true definition of
what the fuck. If Jimmy lived to be a hundred, he’d
never understand hate or people.

Glancing over at the table, he could tell the

conversation was heating up. Chad was standing
now, instead of sitting, and his face was red with
rage. Oh boy, that never was a good sign. Chad
only got that way when he was really, really
pissed.

Brock, for his part, appeared as calm as ever.

While Jimmy couldn’t hear what they were
saying, Brock seemed to be accepting Chad’s
anger. Brock even nodded a few times, as if he
agreed with some of Chad’s points.

The calm and cool act must have worked,

because after a few moments, Chad’s coloring
returned to normal, and he sat back down. They
soon began to talk again, but in much softer tones.

“He looks like he’s clean,” Jimmy observed.
“You’ve never seen him when he was strung

out.”

“Maybe not in person, but I did on that news

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segment they did on him. Back then, he looked
like a bum. Now, he’s good looking.”

Trey gave a knowing grin. “Now, Jimmy, you

don’t have a crush on my brother, do you?”

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Even if I did, that

wouldn’t change a thing. Brock’s straight, and I’m
not the type of guy that fantasizes about doing it
with a straight man.”

“Brock’s not straight.”
Stunned, Jimmy jerked up straighter. “He’s not

gay. From what I remember, he used to have a
bevy of females chasing him and he didn’t exactly
run away that fast.”

“He’s bisexual. He’s just never come out about

it yet.”

“Why not? After you and Devon came out, you

would think he has nothing to lose.”

“I think he was too afraid to admit it while Dad

was still alive, and after that, he was too busy
wallowing in self-pity to worry about telling us
much of anything,” Trey surmised.

“I guess you do have a point there, but if he’s bi

and never said anything about it, then how do you
know about it?”

Trey put a finger to his temple. “My gaydar is

excellent. I can’t think of a time when it’s ever let
me down. Brock is setting off all the alarms and
whistles. He always has, ever since I saw him
mooning over my New Kids On The Block poster.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

They shared a collective sigh.
“They really are a good looking group of men,”

Jimmy said.

He couldn’t help but recall his own poster of

the boy band. Or better yet, posters, since he’d had
one on every single wall of his room. He’d had all
of their CDs, too, something he’d never dared to
admit to any of his friends at the time. In high
school, Jimmy had been so deep in the closet he’d
probably smelled like moth balls and damn wool.

“So, is Brock single?” Jimmy asked in what he

hoped was his most casual tone.

“I haven’t asked him, but I can if you’re that

interested. Do you want me to slip him your
digits?”

Jimmy resisted the urge to body check Trey into

the side of the concession stand. “I can handle my
own dating life, thank you very much.”

Trey held up his hands in an innocent gesture.

“Like I would ever interfere. I’m just a guy who
minds his own business.”

Jimmy buried his face in his hands. He was so

screwed, and not in a good way.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Three

had leaned in closer to Brock. “Okay, just so we
have this clear. You mess up even once and

your ass is out of here. Are we clear?”

Brock nodded. “I know that’s more than I

deserve. Thank you.”

Some might have thought that his words came

across as groveling, but Brock truly knew he’d
already used up all the chances a reasonable
person could ask for and more. In his opinion, he
hadn’t come close to making amends enough as it
was.

Covertly, Brock glanced back over at Trey, who

was standing next to the most handsome man
Brock had ever seen. With sandy blond hair and
light blue eyes, he almost had the surfer thing
going. That was until one looked at his body, since
that screamed all hockey player from his tall build
to the tightly packed muscles.

“I guess I should introduce you to Jimmy, since

he was asking about you.” Chad waved over the

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

pair.

A jolt of shock went through Brock. “He was…

I mean, what did he have to say?”

Chad gave an indifferent shrug. “He mentioned

some interview show he saw you on.”

Brock gave an internal groan. In other words,

before they could even exchange a hello, Jimmy
would have a first impression, and it wouldn’t be
a good one. He’d know Brock was a loser who lost
everything to drugs and all but gave up on life.
Most of all, he would think that Brock did it just
because he was injured and couldn’t play
anymore. Which was a pretty slim excuse to end
up in the gutter, in the grand scheme of things.

How Brock had longed to tell the whole truth in

that interview, to let the world know that it was
because of his abusive father and indifferent
mother. Or how he’d felt like such a loser, not
because he couldn’t skate anymore, but because
he’d failed to protect his younger brothers from
their dad’s wrath.

But that could never happen. If there was one

thing that a Canton knew, it was to keep family
secrets close and never let them outside closed
doors. It’d been beat into their heads…literally…
from a young age, and repeated so often that it
almost became a mantra.

Trey came over and plopped into the seat next

to Brock. “Does this mean we get to keep Brock?”

Stephani Hecht

“He’s a man, not a puppy,” Devon groused.
Trey gave a fake look of shock. “Does that mean

that I can’t beat him with a rolled up newspaper if
he’s bad?”

“Nobody ever said that,” Chad countered.
“Just don’t make it a hockey stick, and we’ll be

good,” Devon teased.

Or rather, he might have tried to tease, had the

joke not hit too close to home for all the brothers.
An uneasy silence fell over the table as Brock felt
himself dragged back to so many bad memories.
Going by the grim, green-behind-the-gills looks on
his siblings’ mugs, they were in the same place.

Clearing his throat, Jimmy broke the tension.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Really?” Brock asked, then immediately

winced.

Trey gave him a look that clearly said nice move

there, slick.

“Actually, I should be saying that it’s nice to

meet you,” Brock recovered. “Without you
watching out for Chad, he would have had his ass
handed to him.”

Chad look affronted. “I’ll have you know that

I’m the enforcer on the team.”

“Maybe you would be, if everybody on the

other team wasn’t too busy chasing Jimmy down
the ice. As is, you just fight with the air.”

“Not fair.” Chad pointed to a gash over his

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

cheekbone. “I got this last game, and the other guy
looked way worse.”

Brock made a dismissive wave of his hand.

“That’s what you always say.”

They all laughed, and, just like that, it was

almost like old times between them

—

before the

terrible incidents that had left Trey scarred inside
and out and Brock a mental fuck-up.

“Where are you staying?” Chad asked.
When Brock told them the exact address, Trey

made a face. “You can’t stay there. Come crash at
my place.”

While the offer was tempting, because of their

history in that area, Brock shook his head.
“Thanks, but I have to do this on my own. If I
keep working, I can eventually move up to
something better. Besides, I’ve made friends with
all the roaches in my room, and it would be hard
to leave them behind.”

Devon smiled. “We can’t have that. You would

just break their little hearts.”

Trey still wasn’t ready to let it go, though. “If

you think it’s because I’m still upset about last
time, I’m over that. I don’t mind you sleeping on
my couch.”

Brock remained firm. “No, I really do need to

make it on my own. That’s the only way I’m going
to succeed this time. I’m already leaning on you
guys too much as it is.”

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A look of hurt went over Trey’s face. “That’s

what family is for.”

“You’re supposed to support me, not enable

me, and I was making you do that for too long.
You’re my baby brother. I should be watching
over you, not the other way around.”

Brock couldn’t have been for sure, but he could

have sworn that he saw a brief look of admiration
cross Chad and Devon’s face.

Devon patted Brock on the shoulder. “So, is the

knee feeling okay?”

“It aches some, but it’s not as bad as it used to

be.”

“Do you think you could do some light

skating?”

“I don’t know. Why?”
“Rink two is open, and we all have some free

time.”

The thought of lacing up again sent a thrill of

excitement through Brock. “It wouldn’t hurt to try.
It’s been forever since I hit some ice.”

Chad was already getting up. “I have an extra

pair of skates here. Since we both wear the same
size, you can borrow mine.”

Devon pulled out his cell. “Just let me call Saul

and have him meet me here instead of our place.”

Trey all of the sudden decided he had to use the

bathroom, so that left Brock and Jimmy alone.
Brock nervously tapped his knee as he wondered

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

how best to keep the conversation going.

“Chad told me you saw that special they ran

about me,” Brock finally said.

Might as well get to the point right away,

instead of dancing around the great big, I-know-
you-know-that-I’m-a-former-junkie issue. Jimmy
gave a soft smile that did all kinds of weird things
to Brock’s insides.

“Yeah, I did,” Jimmy said. “It made me admire

you so much.”

“Why?” Brock blurted.
That’d been the last reaction he’d expected.

Disgust, maybe, or perhaps disdain, but not
anything positive.

Jimmy scooted over to the chair Trey had just

vacated. It made it so they were only inches apart.
Without meaning to, Brock breathed in deep,
inhaling the scent of soap and some kind of high-
end smelling cologne.

The combo of scents did all the right things for

Brock, and he found his body responding. Desire
shot through his body, and his cock pressed
against his pants. Shifting to the side a bit, he
prayed Jimmy wouldn’t notice. Sure the guy
might be gay, but there was no way that he’d even
want a brief hook-up with a loser like Brock.

Jimmy didn’t seem to notice, as he just smiled

and continued with the conversation. “It took a lot
for you to open up to the nation like that.”

Stephani Hecht

Brock gave a small chuckle. “Nation may be

overplaying it a bit. I’m sure only the hockey
world cared, and even then, only a handful of
people probably remember who I am.”

“I remember,” Jimmy countered in a soft voice.
A warm feeling went through Brock, and

suddenly he found himself lost in Jimmy’s blue-
eyed gaze. “Really?”

“Yeah

—

you probably don’t recall it, but we

played against each other once.”

“When?” Brock scrambled to recall, all the

while thinking to himself how could he have
possibly forgotten meeting somebody as hot as
Jimmy.

“We were on different high school teams and

we were at a Christmas tournament. Kind of like
the one that’s going on here this week.”

“Did you beat us?”
“No, we lost by a ton. Nobody on the team

could keep up with you.”

When Brock didn’t say anything, Jimmy

winced. “Sorry, that was really insensitive of me.
You probably don’t like to be reminded of…well,
you know, how it was…before you were…hurt.”

Coming from anybody else it might have stung,

but it was hard not to be touched by the sweet
way Jimmy stammered. Reaching out, Brock
grabbed Jimmy’s hand. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Brock realized what he’d done and tried to pull

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

his hand back, but Jimmy wrapped his fingers
around Brock’s wrist and held him in place. “No, I
shouldn’t have said it. I sometimes act like an ass
when I meet new people. My mother always said
it was because I was so shy.”

“People, or just guys?”
Again, Brock wanted to take something back,

but then he saw the unmistakable flare of interest
in Jimmy’s gaze.

“It only happens with men I’m attracted to,”

Jimmy said.

Brock couldn’t hold back the small sound of

shock that slipped past his lips. “How could you
possibly be attracted to me?”

“Because you happen to be a very good-looking

man.”

Jimmy fanned his thumb over Brock’s wrist, the

touch leaving behind fissures of electricity.

Now it was Brock’s turn to stammer. “But…you

saw the show. You know everything about me.
How I used to…well, you know.”

Or rather, Jimmy knew almost everything about

Brock

—

but he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to

share the rest with anybody. At least not unless he
was high and blubbering, and he didn’t plan on
being in that condition ever again.

Remember, one day at a time. I’m sober now and

that’s what’s important. Tomorrow will be a new day,
and I will face that one and stay sober then, too. It was

Stephani Hecht

a mantra that he’d learned in rehab, and he
repeated it to himself at least one hundred times a
day. It’d worked so far, so he wasn’t going to
change. Although, now, as he sat there basically
holding Jimmy’s hand, Brock found that there was
something besides his brothers and himself to stay
sober for.

Not that he was getting ready to even begin to

think that he and Jimmy could have a lasting
relationship. They’d only known each other for ten
minutes. However, it was nice to know that option
could be open in Brock’s life now.

Of course, that would mean that he’d have to

tell his brothers that he liked to play for both
teams first.

“Knowing about your past addiction isn’t a

turn-off,” Jimmy said.

Shocked numb, it took Brock a few moments to

reply, “It doesn’t?”

“No, it makes me admire you. I saw how far

you’ve come, and I’m amazed by your courage.”

Brock shook his head. “I’m not brave at all.”
A cold pit formed in his stomach as he recalled

all the times that he’d stood by as his father beat
one of his brothers. He’d always felt that he
should have stood up to the old man. Or, at the
very least, offered to take the beatings in their
stead, but he’d been so scared, bruised, and young
at the time. All he could think about then was how

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

glad he was it wasn’t him getting the bad end of
the belt.

And didn’t that make him the worst bastard of

all? Even worse, later on, he’d turned on his own
brothers and abused them, as well. He might not
have beat them, but he used them for money, sold
them out, stole from them, mocked them, and
made their lives miserable. He could only imagine
how hard it would have been for him to stand by
and watch as one of them slowly destroyed
themselves the way he had.

Jimmy gave Brock’s wrist a squeeze. “Take it

from the kid of an alcoholic mother, you are very
brave.”

Surprised by such an intimate admission, Brock

asked, “Is she recovering, too?”

A look of bitterness and a dash of sadness

crossed Jimmy’s face. “No, the last time I talked to
her was months ago, and that was only so she
could ask for money. Even then I could barely
understand her because her words were so
slurred.”

Brock’s heart went out to the other man. “What

did you tell her?”

“The hardest thing of all—no.”
“It may have been hard, but it was the right

thing to do.”

Jimmy frowned. “It didn’t feel like it at the

time.”

Stephani Hecht

Brock didn’t know what amazed him more, the

fact that they were still holding hands or that they
were sharing so much after only knowing each
other for such a short time. But Brock knew better
than anybody how cathartic a little bit of sharing
could be.

“Trust me, it was. You need to stay strong and

not enable her. That’s the only way that she’s ever
going to get better.”

The corner of Jimmy’s lips kicked up into a

weak smile. “I guess you would know that better
than anybody.”

“Yes, I would. Just ask Trey where it gets you.

He found out the hard way.”

Brock would have gone into more detail, but

his brothers all decided to return to the table.
Jimmy and Brock both jerked back, acting like a
couple of teenagers who’d just been caught
necking.

Chad and Devon wore identical perplexed

expressions. Trey, ever the brat, had a knowing
smirk on his face. Brock made a mental note to
have a long chat with Trey before long. It would
seem the baby brother might be the smartest of
them all.

“Did you get ahold of Saul?” Brock asked

quickly, to get the attention off him and Jimmy.

Devon blinked a few times. “Yeah, he’s coming

over to join us.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Trey grinned. “Good, I called Wade and he said

he’d be coming, too.”

Chad made a face. “You called him while you

were in the can?”

“Sure, it’s always good to multi-task. You tell

me that all the time.”

Brock bit back a laugh. He’d missed Trey and

his smart-ass mouth so much it was a blessing to
hear it now. Chad, on the other hand, looked less
thrilled. He rolled his eyes. “Why should I be
shocked by anything you do anymore?”

Trey gave him a mock serious look. “I ask

myself that same question every day.”

With a sigh, Chad held up the skates. “Okay,

you guys ready to hit the ice?”

Brock was the first one to give a big hell, yeah to

that one. He could almost hear the ice calling his
name and, for the first time in what seemed like
forever, he was ready to answer back.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Four

immy took a break from skating and leaned
against the boards. The Canton brothers were

all in a tight group. They would sometimes
playfully shove each other or just rib each other
about something. It all looked so normal that
Jimmy could almost forget that Brock had been
through so much.

If only it weren’t for the haunted look in Brock’s

gaze whenever he talked about the past. Jimmy
couldn’t be certain, but something told him that
there was more to that story than he was hearing.
Come to think of it, he’d never really bought the
whole excuse of not being able to play hockey
anymore as the cause of Brock’s addiction.

Guys got hurt and lost their careers all the time,

but one hardly ever heard of them getting that
depressed over it. In fact, a good majority of them
moved on to coaching or other ventures within the
sport. They just didn’t give up on life.

Saul came over and began to snap pictures.

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Even before he’d become friends with Chad,
Jimmy had known Saul, since the man covered the
sports section of the local paper.

“It’s so great to see them together for once,”

Saul commented, as he continued to take pictures.

“Yeah, it reminds me of the old days when we

all knew each other as kids,” Jimmy replied.

A guarded expression came over Saul’s face.

“You knew them when their dad was still alive?”

Okay, now Jimmy was convinced that

something was up. He had just hadn’t figured it
out yet.

“I wasn’t exactly best friends with them, and, in

fact, Brock doesn’t even recall me, but we grew up
in the same area, and the hockey youth league
world can be small sometimes,” Jimmy hedged.

Saul gave a nervous laugh. “Oh, yeah, of

course.”

Jimmy fought harder to recall the few

encounters between their families. “The Canton
father had a history of being kind of a hothead.”

That was putting it kind of mildly. Thinking

back on it, there had even been a few times where
Mr. Canton had gotten so unruly in the stands that
the police were called. It made Jimmy wonder
how the father acted at home or, more specifically,
how he reacted when Brock was injured.

Jimmy was willing to bet his best pair of skates

that situation hadn’t gone down well.

Stephani Hecht

“He beat them, didn’t he?” Jimmy asked in a

low voice.

Saul lowered the camera and studied Jimmy for

several moments. “You and Chad are pretty close,
right?”

“Sure we are.”
“If you want it to stay that way, then do

yourself a favor, and don’t ever ask him that
question. If there’s one thing they hate discussing,
it’s their old home life. Just forget about it. It will
be better for you and Chad.”

“What if it’s not Chad that I’m worried about?”
“Then who…” Saul trailed off as he glanced

over at Brock. “You can’t mean what I think you
do. He’s straight.”

As if on cue, Brock chose that moment to send

Jimmy a look so smoldering and full of lust that it
was a wonder the ice didn’t melt. Jimmy returned
it, even going so far as to slowly lick his lips in a
suggestive manner.

“Oooooor, maybe not so much so,” Saul

drawled out slowly. “Oh my God. Why didn’t
Devon tell me that Brock liked men?”

“I don’t think Devon knows. Or at least he

didn’t before today. I’m sure he’s beginning to
suspect, though.”

Saul grunted. “Yeah, he’d have to be blind not

to.”

“How do you think he and Chad will react?”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

“They’ll be surprised at first, but it does go a

long way toward explaining some things. I’ve
always felt that part of Brock’s problems was that
he felt guilty for not…” Saul trailed off, then shook
his head. “Never mind.”

Then it all dawned on Jimmy with alarming,

heartbreaking clarity. Brock felt guilty for not
protecting his brothers. It must have been even
worse when Devon had come out to take some of
the heat off Trey. No doubt, Brock felt that should
have been his job, and he’d failed them yet again.

“You don’t have to go on. I get it.” When Saul

looked alarmed, Jimmy put up a hand. “You don’t
need to worry. My own home life was far from
pristine, I won’t go around and blab their secrets.
Not when I have so many of my own.”

Saul looked a bit relieved, but most of the

tension remained in his body. “You can’t say
anything to anybody…I mean it. You have no idea
what the ramifications could be if their whole
story came out.”

That meant that there was still a bit of the

mystery remaining. Instead of turning Jimmy off,
it made Brock all the more intriguing.

“You do know that it’s only because of them

that you had it so easy when you told the world
that you’re gay,” Saul said, not unkindly.

Jimmy nodded, as he’d never been under any

other misconceptions. “They may not have been

Stephani Hecht

pro, but they were hockey players. It was thanks
to them that I even got the courage to do what I
did.”

Saul gave him a sideways look. “Yet, you’re

really not out, are you?”

That question shocked Jimmy enough to make

him forget to stare at Brock for a while. “What is
that supposed to mean? I was on the cover of the
Advocate and Sports Illustrated declaring my
homosexuality, or did you miss that?”

“Okay, maybe that’s true, but you’re still hiding

in the shadow of the closet.”

Now Jimmy was beginning to get a bit pissed.

What gave the reporter the right to judge him?
“I’m not hiding in anything.”

“Well, you have to admit you’re not exactly

going out of your way to date anybody. Plus,
during all the Wings social functions, you always
go alone. I know because I cover them. So, while
you may be out, you still haven’t shown the world
that you’re gay.”

“What in the hell is the difference?”
Saul gave a grim smirk. “Soon enough, you’ll

realize the difference. I just hope Brock doesn’t get
hurt in the process.”

* * * *

The next day marked the start of the tournament,

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

and Brock found himself busier than ever as
players of all ages needed their skates sharpened
for the games ahead.

It only took him a bit before he was used to the

machine again, and it was like he’d never stopped
sharpening blades. He was also able to master his
old high skill level, which made him even more
popular once word spread. In the hockey world,
finding a good blade sharpener was almost like
discovering a holy grail or something.

The least variation in rocker or sharpness of the

blade could very well cost a player the game—a
game that could cause the entire team to lose the
tournament. Since some of the teams traveled
from several states away to play in the games, the
win was everything for them.

Halfway through the grueling, yet satisfying,

day, Brock looked up to see Jimmy leaning over
the counter. A thrill went through Brock as he
straightened up, his hand going to the small of his
aching back.

“What are you doing here? I’m pretty sure the

Wings have their own sharpener on staff,” Brock
teased.

Jimmy held up a sack from a local fast food

place. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t be able to
get away for your lunch, so I brought some to
you.”

Touched, Brock reached over and took the bag,

Stephani Hecht

his stomach growling the entire time. “Thanks, I’m
starved.”

Opening it, he found burgers and fries inside.

Folding back the foil wrapper, he bit into one of
the sandwiches. “This is heaven.”

Smiling, Jimmy asked, “How about you let me

take you out to a real dinner tonight?”

Brock froze mid-chew. This was it—if he went

ahead, then he would all but officially be out as
bisexual. There would be no going back, as the
closet door would be kicked down, and it could
never be closed again.

But as he gazed at Jimmy, Brock found that

none of that mattered to him anymore. All he
wanted was to be able to spend more time with
the man, and damn what others thought.

“It would be kind of late. I don’t think I’ll be

able to leave here before eight tonight. Would that
be okay with you?” Brock countered.

Jimmy nodded. “We could just go to my place

and order in, if you want?”

Brock smiled. Not that he minded being seeing

out in public with Jimmy. It was just that Brock
knew he’d be tired after working all day.
“Vegging out on the couch with you would be the
perfect way to end the day.”

“Do you want to watch Slapshot?”
“No way, it hits way too close home with my

brothers’ reputations. All that’s missing in real life

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

is the foil.”

Jimmy laughed. “You do have a point there.

Okay, how about Blazing Saddles? That is, unless
you want to watch some other kind of movie.”

“Are you kidding? I love the old comedy

classics. I think that flick is in my top five favorites
of all time.”

“Just promise me that Airplane is one of them,

too, and we’ll be a perfect match,” Jimmy
countered.

“Don’t forget The Jerk. That one is gem.”
“No doubt!”
Brock felt as if their conversation could have

gone on forever, but a ten-year old came up with
his skates and the conversation was broken.
Jimmy gave a wave, “I’ll pick you up later.”

“Sounds great,” Brock responded before getting

back to work.

The rest of the day was busy, but it still seemed

to move at a snail’s pace. Brock alternated
between being excited and nervous. He couldn’t
recall a time where he’d felt so excited about
something.

Near the end of the day, Devon came over.

“We’re all hitting the pub after we close. Do you
want to join us?”

Wiping his hands on a rag, Jimmy shook his

head. “It’s better for me to stay away from those
kinds of places.”

Stephani Hecht

A blush came over Devon’s face. “Sorry, I

wasn’t thinking. Of course it would be. If you
want, we could go some other place.”

“That’s okay. I have plans with somebody else

tonight already.”

A flicker of surprise crossed over Devon’s gaze.

“With who?”

Taking a deep breath, Brock decided he might

as well rip off the bandage and get it over with.
“Jimmy

—

we have a date. Or at least, I hope it’s a

date. We’re just going to his place, but he acted
like he was interested in getting to know me
better.”

Devon blinked a few times, then opened and

closed his mouth a couple of times before
managing to get out. “Wow, I had no idea you
were gay.”

“Actually, I’m bisexual, but I can’t think of

anybody who I’ve ever been attracted to as much
as I am to Jimmy.”

When Devon let out a muttered curse, a bit of

anger spiked through Brock. “Look, I’m sorry if
you have a problem with it, but I can’t change
who I am. It’s just what it is.”

Devon held up his hands. “No, that’s not it at

all. I just realized that Chad is the black sheep of
the family. Who would have thunk it.”

Brock rolled his eyes. “I’ve always known he

was the oddball. It just took you this long to figure

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

it out for yourself.”

“You just say that because Trey loves me most.”
It was a lie, and they both knew it. Trey had

always looked up to Brock, even when Brock had
literally been living in the gutter, which was why
he’d been hurt the most by what Brock had done
that day, when he’d trashed Trey’s place and
taken off.

Clearing his throat, Brock glanced around to

make sure that they were alone. “Was it you or
Chad who killed the bastard?”

Devon’s face lost all its color. “Are you talking

about Dad?”

“Yeah.”
“Neither of us. It was Mom. Dad was hurting

Trey…and she finally had enough of it. It was me
and Chad who cleaned up the mess after.”

Heartbroken over Trey, Brock glanced down at

his dirty hands. “It should have been me.”

“What do you mean? You who were hurt like

that, or who killed the asshole?”

“Both. If I had come out first, then Dad would

have taken out his rage on me instead. Or if I had
stood up to him, then maybe he would have
stopped hurting us all.”

Devon gave a bewildered shake of his head.

“You aren’t to blame for anything that Dad did.
You were just as much a victim as we were. You
can’t beat yourself up over that.”

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“It’s true, though. I was the oldest, so I should

have protected you guys. Instead, I got myself
thrown out because I was injured and no use to
him anymore. Then he turned all his rage on you
three instead.”

Understanding dawned on Devon’s face.

“That’s why you started drugs, wasn’t it? The
guilt you felt over us. It had nothing to do with
you not being able to play anymore.”

Brock gave a half shrug. “That was part of it.

But let’s face it, we’re all screwed up one way or
another thanks to him. I just took the easy way
out.”

Devon gave a bitter laugh. “I saw how bad you

looked at times, big brother. Nothing about your
life has been easy. You had it worse than any of
us. Well, with maybe the exception of Trey.”

Anger surged through Brock at the thought of

their bratty yet sweet sibling being hurt that way.
“It almost makes me wish that Dad were alive, just
so I could kill him again. He didn’t suffer enough
for what he did.”

“You’re not going to get any argument from me

on that one,” Devon agreed.

Devon went around the counter and gave Brock

a hug. “I should punch the shit out of you.”

Hugging Devon back, Brock laughed. “What

for?”

“For thinking you had to be the martyr. We

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

were all in this, so we should have handled it
together, instead of you thinking you had to take
it on all by yourself.”

“I’m sorry. I should have come to you sooner,

instead of treating you like some helpless kid.
You’re only a little bit younger than me, so maybe
we could have done something together to end the
situation.”

They hugged again, then Devon said, “You

know what?”

“What?”
“I know you’re going to make it this time.”
“Why are you so confident?”
“Because you have all of us supporting you

now. Together, there isn’t anything the Canton
brothers can’t do.”

Brock laughed. “You do have a point there.”
Devon stepped back. “Just promise me one

thing.”

“Anything.”
“No more secrets.”
Brock gave his brother a stern look. “That goes

both ways. You guys should have found me that
night. I would have helped you.”

“I know that—now.” Devon cleared his throat

and smiled. “I just have to get used to the idea of
my brother dating one of Chad’s closest friends.
It’s something that I never thought would happen.
Or at least not where you were concerned.”

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“Are you going to be okay with it? It won’t be

too weird for you?”

Brock hoped not, because he really felt like

there could be something special between him and
Jimmy.

Devon cocked a brow. “I hate to break it to you,

but everything is weird about this family. By the
way, Saul wants to know if it’s okay to publish
some of the pictures he took of us skating last
night.”

“Why would he want to do that?”
“Believe it or not, there were a lot of people out

there rooting for you. I’m not just talking about
the ones who fixed your teeth and got you into
rehab, either. You have a ton of fans.”

“But I never even played a professional game

before.”

Brock couldn’t even begin to describe how

confused he felt. He thought he’d been all but
forgotten. It was humbling to say the least to
know that so many people gave a damn about
him.

Devon clapped him on the back. “Everybody

loves the Canton brothers, and that includes all of
us.”

Brock laughed. “Aren’t you being a bit vain?”
“No, they’ve made t-shirts saying as much.

Haven’t you seen them yet?”

“No.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

“Well, then I’ll have to buy you one.”
Somehow, Brock didn’t think Devon was

kidding him on that one.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Five

immy opened up his front door and ushered
Brock inside. As he closed it behind him, Jimmy

couldn’t recall a time when he’d been so nervous
for a date. That was, if that’s what it could even be
called. He wasn’t even sure if what they were
doing constituted a real date, since they weren’t
going out anywhere.

All he did know for certain was that he wanted

to get to know Brock better, hopefully in more
ways than one. He didn’t know if he was moving
too fast, but Jimmy had never felt such a powerful
pull toward somebody before and he decided he
wasn’t going to hold back. Now that Brock
showed the interest was mutual, Jimmy planned
on seeing how far things could go between them.

As they walked into the living room, Brock

looked around, but he didn’t openly gawk like
some of Jimmy’s old friends had. While Jimmy
might not be a home interior designer, he did have
money, and he liked to surround himself with nice

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

things. That still didn’t mean that he wanted guys
to look at him as a possible sugar daddy.

“Nice place,” was all Brock said, his gaze only

mildly interested.

While Jimmy knew he should be a bit insulted,

instead the blasé attitude sent a wave of pleasure
through him. It let him know that Brock was there
because he was interested in Jimmy the man, not
the hockey star.

“I’m glad you like it,” Jimmy said as he took

Brock’s coat and set it to the side, along with his
own.

“What I would like to see most right now is the

bathroom,” Brock said in a light voice.

After pointing Brock into the right direction,

Jimmy called and ordered the pizza. He was just
hanging up when Brock came back out. Brock had
showered at the rink, and he smelled of soap and
his normally carefully styled hair was a bit more
mussed than usual. It worked on him somehow,
though, and made him all the more handsome.

Stepping forward, Brock captured the back of

Jimmy’s head and brought him in close. They
were around the same height, so their lips were
even. Once they were mere inches apart, Brock
paused and said, “I’ve been dying to do this since
last night.”

Jimmy had just enough time to part his lips

before Brock crushed their mouths together in a

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kiss so hot that Jimmy almost melted on the spot.
Brock’s tongue slipped in, giving Jimmy his first
taste of the man—sweet and peppermint, as if
he’d been sucking on mints or chewing gum.

Reaching out, Jimmy grabbed the front of

Brock’s t-shirt and pulled their bodies flush. He
then rocked his erection forward so it rubbed
against Brock, leaving no doubt as to how much
Jimmy wanted him.

“We should probably wait until after we eat,”

Brock said, when they’d pulled apart.

Pleased that there was going to be an after,

Jimmy nodded. Taking Brock by the hand, he led
him to the couch, then went over and loaded the
DVD. Once Blazing Saddles began to play, they got
comfortable in front of the TV, their bodies
wrapped around each other.

The pizza arrived, and they separated long

enough to eat. Once finished, they drifted back
together and began to cuddle once more.

A few simple caresses led to some nibbles,

which led to some petting and deeper, longer
kisses. They soon forgot the movie and were lying
down on the couch, Jimmy stretched out over
Brock.

“Since I paid for dinner, does that mean I get to

top?” Jimmy teased.

A sexy smile tugged at Brock’s lips. “I think

that’s a rule I can get behind.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

“Do you want to go upstairs to my room?”
In truth, Jimmy didn’t find himself inclined to

move at all, too worried about ruining the
moment.

“Sure, I’d love to go there—later,” Brock

replied, apparently on the same brain wave.
“Right now, I like right where we are.”

Jimmy reached between them and began to

undo Brock’s fly. “Are you sure?”

“Sure that I want to stay in the living room or

that I want you to fuck me?”

“Both.”
Jimmy’s heart pounded as he waited for the

reply. While he wanted nothing more than to bury
himself into Brock, Jimmy knew that he might be
moving too fast for the other man.

A happy smile spread over Brock’s face,

making him look all the more beautiful. “I want
both. I’m not going to change my mind, so don’t
worry.”

Relieved, Jimmy dipped his head down for

another kiss, all the while unzipping Brock’s
pants. Once he had them open, he reached under
Brock’s underpants and grabbed his thick cock.

Brock let out a sound that was part yelp of

surprise and part groan of desire as his hips shot
up. Pleased with the reaction, Jimmy tightened his
grip and moved his hand up and down a few
times.

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Glancing down at Brock’s face, Jimmy savored

the way he looked in the throes of passion, with
his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted, and the
prettiest shade of pink covered his highly arched
cheekbones.

In other words, Brock was utter and complete

perfection and then some. While Jimmy knew that
wasn’t really possible, he still couldn’t think of a
better way to describe the image below him.

Leaning down, he grabbed Brock’s bottom lip

between his front teeth and gave a gentle love bite.
Brock let out a small laugh. “That feels funny.”

His next bout of laughter was cut short by

another gasp as Jimmy gave his cock another
squeeze. “Get undressed, while I go get the
supplies.”

Jimmy got up, then made it to his room and

back in record time. He came in, condom and lube
in hand, just in time to see Brock kicking off the
rest of his clothes.

While Brock might have been on the thin side,

there was a bit of the athlete still eager to show
itself in his build. Slim lines mixed in with tight
muscles to make for a sleek figure that set Jimmy’s
body on fire.

That was, until his gaze landed on Brock’s

arms, and he saw all the scars left behind by years
of track-marks. Brock ran a self-conscious hand
over them. “Sorry, I can put my shirt back on if

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

they bother you.”

Jimmy stepped forward and pulled Brock into

his embrace. “Don’t, I like you just the way you
are. The scars represent something that you battle
with and beat every day. They make me proud of
you.”

Brock tilted his head back slightly. “You don’t

have to say that to get me naked and ready. In
case you haven’t noticed, my clothes are already
off and halfway across the room.”

It didn’t pass Jimmy’s attention that Brock often

reverted to joking when the topic became too
complimentary toward him. It made Jimmy
wonder how often the man had received praise in
the past, or if the years of criticism from his father
had left him unable to think good of himself.

Brock gave an impatient tug of Jimmy’s clothes.

“I want to see you, too. It’s only fair, after all

—

showed you mine.”

Laughing, Jimmy set the supplies down on the

nearby coffee table. He then began to pull off his
clothes, tossing them without a care to the side.
Once nude, he held his hands to the sides then
spun in a slow circle, in a teasing manner. “What
do you think?”

Lust filled Brock’s gaze as he reached out to

wrap his hand around Jimmy’s cock. “That I can’t
wait to get this into my ass, but how much I want
to top next time. Your ass looks tight as hell.”

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“Then you’re lucky that I’m versatile.”
“Yes, I am,” Brock replied, giving Jimmy’s cock

one last tight squeeze. “Now, how do you want
me? I’m all for foreplay, but you have me so horny
right now, all I want to do is get to the fucking.”

Since that was a plan that Jimmy could get into,

he put his hands on Brock’s shoulders and spun
him around so he was facing the couch. “Put your
knees on the cushions and hang onto the back.”

Brock obeyed, the position tilting his ass out

perfectly. Jimmy took a moment to admire the
view before reaching for the lube. Squirting some
over his fingers, he then reached between Brock’s
ass cheeks. Finding the man’s tight hole, Brock
circled it with his finger before slipping in one
digit.

Brock let out a hiss of pleasure, his fingers

digging into the black leather of the couch. “Fuck,
that burns.”

Jimmy froze. “Is it too much?”
“No,” Brock moaned. “It hurts in a good way.

Give me more.”

Jimmy sawed the one finger in and out slowly a

few times before adding a second, spreading them
slightly so as to stretch Brock out and get him
ready. Brock let out another groan, his hips
thrusting forward repeatedly, the motion making
his cock brush against the couch, leaving behind
droplets of pre-cum on the leather.

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Finally, Jimmy could hold out no more. Moving

his fingers, he grabbed a condom and slid it on his
hard, aching cock. While he’d loosened Brock
pretty well, Jimmy still added extra lube before
lining up his cock and pressing in.

He slid all the way to the hilt, Brock’s body

accepting him perfectly. Jimmy only froze a
moment to allow both of them to adjust to the new
position. He then started a slow but firm rhythm.

The sounds of slapping flesh filled the room,

while Jimmy grabbed hold of Brock’s hips and
tried his best to fuck him into the couch. Brock’s
hold on Jimmy’s cock felt so firm…so hot, that
Jimmy couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be with
anybody else.

“Please…help me…oh, damn…just…” Brock

panted.

Jimmy still got the gist of what Brock wanted.

Reaching around, he grabbed the man’s cock and
began to stroke in time with the thrusts.

“Thank…fuck…understood

me…”

Brock

stammered.

It was obvious that he wasn’t the most

articulate guy during sex. Not that Jimmy
minded

—

just being with the guy was enough. He

didn’t care if Brock stuttered or sang the entire
encyclopedia.

Brock let out one last curse before he came, his

ass clamping down on Jimmy’s cock. The near

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vise-like gripe was enough for Jimmy to be
dragged over the edge of the cliff, too. He went
stiff, his cock filling the condom as wave after
wave of pleasure washed over him.

He barely had time to brace himself before he

fell on top of Brock, which would have made them
both fall into the nice mess Brock had made on the
couch.

“Sorry about that,” Brock said as he looked

down at the spunk.

Jimmy slipped out, then dropped to his knees.

“Don’t be. One of the good things about leather is
that this kind of thing wipes up pretty easily.”

Rolling to one side, Brock gave him a shrewd

look. “It sounds like you have a lot of experience
in that area.”

Reaching out, Jimmy ran the back of his fingers

over Brock’s cheek. “The only one I’ve ever
brought home is you.”

“Is that because you just came out or that you

don’t want to bring too much attention to the fact
that you’re gay?” Brock challenged.

Brock had a very valid point. Saying he was gay

was one thing

—

for Jimmy to flaunt it around was

quite another. He’d yet to walk into to a public
event with another man, let alone allow the
neighbors to see him take someone home. Until
that night, he’d kept things either in the backroom
of the club or at some random hotel room.

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Yet, Brock was worth the risk of taking that

final step. To scream to the world, Not only am I

gay, but I do actually date and sleep with other men.
It’s not just a word or a label, it’s who I am. Deal with

it.

Trey, Devon, and so many others had done it

before, sure, but Jimmy was the first pro player. So
he knew it would be both harder and more
profound for him. Yet, as he gazed up at Brock,
Jimmy couldn’t think of any reason to go back into
his semi-closet.

He now realized what Saul had been talking

about the night before. While the prospect of
going fully public scared Jimmy, he realized the
time was right.

“Hey, I was wondering something.” he hedged.
“Yes, you were the best lay I ever had,” Brock

drawled, teasingly.

Jimmy laughed. “Not that. Although that

information does help my ego. I was wondering if
you wanted to go to the Wings holiday party with
me.”

When Brock just stared at him, Jimmy rushed

on. “It’s a thing they do every year, and it’s a lot of
fun. The press is going to be there, and I
understand if that’s going to be a problem for
you.”

“Problem for me?” Brock echoed. “I would think

it would be the other way around.”

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“I don’t follow.” Jimmy slowly shook his head.
“Do you really want to be seen with the former

junkie?”

Jimmy got up and sat on Brock’s lap, dipping

his head down to give the man a kiss. “No, I want
to be seen with you. To me, there’s a big
difference.”

Brock ran the pad of his thumb over Jimmy’s

bottom lip. “Sometimes you really confuse me.”

“Yeah, well, we’re both new to this. So, I figure

that we could help each other stumble our way
through it.”

A crooked smile came over Brock’s lips. “I like

the sounds of that plan.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Chapter Six

atch your stick! Keep your head up!”

The warnings from the ref came too

late. Jimmy took the business end of a stick blade
to the chin. Pain shot through his face as he
dropped to his knees. Even before he shook off his
gloves, he could tell by the telltale drops of blood
that he’d been sliced open.

Great! Just what he needed. It was only the first

period, and there was no way he could sit out the
rest of the game. So, while it hurt like a mother
fucker, he was going to have to get stitched up
and back on the ice ASAP.

Ah, the life of the hockey player. How so many

looked over the gritty details like playing while
injured. Some even bragged about how tough it
made the players of the sport. At the moment, all
Jimmy wanted were a couple of pain pills and an
ice-bag.

The trainer and coach came over. The player

responsible for the injury was being led to the box,

“W

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but not before he called over his shoulder. “Is the
little faggot going to cry?”

Anger surged through Jimmy and, despite the

blood and pain, he jumped to his feet, ready to
attack. The trainer and coach held him back.

“Easy, kiddo. You’re not going to do yourself or

the team any good if you fight while hurt. Not
only could you put yourself out for the season, but
you may get a penalty,” the trainer, an older man,
soothed.

“Hey, fuckhead!” Chad shouted toward the

player now in the penalty box. “You and me are
going to have some real fun. I have your number
tagged now, and I’m not going to forget.”

Coach cocked a brow. “Yeah, as you can see,

we’ll already be getting enough penalty minutes
as it is, thanks to Canton.”

“Did you hear what that asshole said to me?”

Jimmy raged as he pointed to the penalty box.
“Chad is right to be pissed.”

“Sure, but we all knew it was going to be

coming. Don’t worry, though, I plan on filing a
complaint with the league, and you have the team
behind you,” Coach assured him.

Maybe so, but would they still be supportive

once Jimmy brought Brock to the holiday party?
Or would they turn once they realized that Jimmy
planned on doing much more than just saying he
was gay?

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

When the ref called a five-minute game

misconduct call in favor of Jimmy, the crowd
cheered. Jimmy realized that it was louder than
usual, no doubt since many of them could figure
out what the other player had said. Hockey fans
were getting less tolerant of hate speech. It helped
Jimmy deal with the pain a bit to realize that.

As he skated to the locker room, there were

cheers for him, which wasn’t surprising since they
were on home-ice. Jimmy gave them all a wave on
his way out.

Jimmy and the trainer went into the now-silent

locker room. Jimmy sat on the edge of the table
and waited while the other man got the suture
equipment ready.

They continued to be quiet as the trainer got to

work. Finally, Jimmy asked as they waited for the
Lidocaine to kick in, “What do you think the guys
would do if I brought my boyfriend to the holiday
thing?”

“I didn’t even know you had a boyfriend?”
“We just met a few days ago, but I have a good

feeling about this one.”

“Good? How?”
“I think I could get really serious about him.”
The trainer, Grayson, raised a brow. “Is it

anybody that I know?”

“Normally I would laugh at that since I don’t

exactly see you playing around the gay scene, but

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this time you actually do know him. It’s Brock
Canton.”

“You mean the junkie? Why would you waste

your time with him?”

“He’s a reformed junkie, and he’s a great guy.

You should see how hard he’s working at
redeeming himself to his brothers. Right now, he’s
working at the skate sharpening shop in their rink.
He refuses to take a hand-out, too, even though
Trey offered.”

When Jimmy had heard that last bit of

information, it’d endeared him all the more to
Brock. It was just another piece of proof showing
how serious he was about his recovery.

“You do know that even though he claims to be

better, there are still going to be some bumps if
you decide to stay with him,” Grayson warned.
“Are you sure you’re not trying to fix Brock
because you’ve never been able to cure your
mother?”

Coming from somebody else, the question

might have irked Jimmy, but he knew Grayson
only had his best interests at heart. This wasn’t the
first serious, deep conversation the pair had
shared.

“No, I still feel like there’s no hope as far as

she’s concerned. We’re not even spending
Christmas together this year.”

“Let me guess, she’s still pissed that you

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

refused to give her any more money?”

A wave of bitterness hit Jimmy. “Yeah, it’s not

going to get any better between us once I start
flaunting my sexuality and go public with Brock.”

“Who said going out with another guy would

be flaunting in the first place?”

“She did,” Jimmy changed the tone of his voice

to mock her, “Be gay all you want, just don’t go

flaunting it around. It will embarrass both me and your

team. Then you won’t make any money and where will
that leave me?”

Grayson grunted. “She’s a real gem. I can’t

speak for her, but I know most of the team won’t
care. Sure, there may be some grumbling from a
few of the ones who are assholes, but fuck them.
They don’t have to live your life—you do. And I
happen to think you’re doing a great job of it.”

“Saul said I’d been hiding in the shadows of the

closet by not going out in public with another guy.
He has a point. I was just afraid of making things
worse.”

The trainer pointed to Jimmy’s wound. “This is

proof that you’re already dealing with hate. I
don’t think anything you do in public is going to
change that.”

“I guess you have a point there.”
“Now, I have to start sewing you back up, so

shut up or else you’ll ruin my work. You know
how much I hate it when you guys do that.”

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Since Jimmy was well aware of that fact, he

shut his yap. That still didn’t stop the trainer from
chatting it up, though.

“I figure this, kid. You have to be happy, and if

Brock is what does it for you, then you have me on
your side. Just let him know that if he ever hurts
you, he’ll have me coming for his ass, and I don’t
sew up wounds I make.”

Jimmy bit back a laugh and didn’t say anything.

The trainer then went on to share several bits of
his own personal family drama, and by the time
Jimmy was sewed closed, he felt like he knew
everything there was to know about the other
man.

Grabbing his helmet and stick, Jimmy went

back to the game. His appearance was met by a
loud round of cheers. Jimmy took his place on the
bench, not too shocked to see Chad sitting in the
penalty box. The ass even had the gall to grin and
wave at Jimmy. Damned if Jimmy didn’t return
the gesture. His best friend’s craziness must be
catchy.

A hand came down on Jimmy’s shoulder. “You

ready to go out? We could really use you since
we’re shorthanded thanks to the power play.”

Jimmy nodded, already getting up and

climbing over the boards. His change came during
the midst of a play.

The asshole who’d slashed him happened to

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

have the puck and was making a charge toward
the Wings’ goalie. Jimmy smiled to himself.
Perfect!

Skating as hard as he could, Jimmy caught up.

He picked the ass’s pocket, deftly stealing the
puck. Turning, Jimmy saw nobody between him
and the opposition’s goalie.

Well, who could leave a chance like that

unanswered?

Balancing the puck on his blade, like a dancer

moving to a slow song, Jimmy went on the
breakaway. Above the roar of the crowd, he could
hear the other team scrambling to catch him, but it
was too late. There was no way they could touch
him.

The goalie came out to face-off against Jimmy,

but the fear in his eyes showed that he knew he
didn’t have a chance. Pulling back, Jimmy let
loose. His slapshot was perfect, the puck tucking
in neatly over the top right corner of the net.

The red light went on, followed by the horn

that indicated a goal. Jimmy threw his hands in
the air, barely keeping on his feet when the team
rushed over to congratulate him.

He’d done it. Scored a goal while they were

shorthanded and made the bastard look like an
idiot in the process. That still didn’t stop Chad
from rubbing it in a bit. When the jerk skated past,
Chad called out, “Hey, you just had your ass

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handed to you by the faggot. How does it feel?
Maybe next time you’ll think twice before you
take a cheap shot on him. Jimmy is ten times a
better player than you’ll ever be.”

Before the guy could answer, another one of

Jimmy’s teammates checked the dolt from behind.
Luckily for them, the refs missed that illegal play.
The move sent the guy sprawling to the ground.

Another round of cheers came from the fans.

Jimmy looked up into the crowd and that’s when
he saw it, a poster that read one word: Thanks!
Under it was a rainbow. The boy holding it
couldn’t have been more than fifteen and he
looked at Jimmy with something akin to hero
worship.

It was then that Jimmy was reminded more

than ever that it wasn’t just his life at stake. Sure,
he’d received numerous letters of thank you from
gay youth hockey players, but it never really hit
home until that moment. It wasn’t a weight or
burden to carry, it was a great gift and
opportunity.

He was more than the first major player to

come out

—

he was a ray of hope to all those kids.

The ones who were lost, scared, alone and
ostracized. He couldn’t let them down, either. The
best way to make sure that never happened was to
do what his trainer had suggested…from that
point on Jimmy would be living his life to the

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

fullest. That included being seen with Brock at
social events.

Hopefully, it would eventually lead to more.

He and Brock had just met, but Jimmy already
knew the guy was special, to the point of maybe
being the one for him. So, Jimmy was damned if
he was going to blow things, just because he was
scared.

After the game, he found Chad in the locker

room. The defenseman was sporting a new black
eye, but he was smiling from ear to ear. As usual,
he was happy because he’d managed to rack up
more penalty minutes. Word had it he was trying
to break some record of sorts.

Sitting down next to him, Jimmy said, “You’re

crazy. You know that, right?”

“How could I forget? People remind me of it

every day of my life.”

“I wanted to warn you about something,”

Jimmy said, getting right to the point.

He’d learned long ago to keep things focused

while talking to Chad, lest the man go off in a
different

direction.

Sometimes

having

conversation with him was like herding a group of
gals from that show The Bad Girls Club.

“Well, more of a give you a heads up rather

than a warning, since I think what’s going to
happen is a good thing,” Jimmy clarified.

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For once Chad grew serious. “What is it?”
“I asked Brock to go to the holiday party with

me.”

Chad frowned. “Are you sure that’s a smart

thing to do?”

“This coming from the guy who tried to drink a

beer while standing on his head?” Jimmy teased.

“I’m being serious here.”
Red hot rage surged through Jimmy and for the

first time ever he considered taking a swing at his
friend. “What’s wrong with Brock?”

“He’s a junkie.”
Jimmy squared off against his best buddy. “I’ll

admit I’ve heard that from others, but I expected
better from his own brother.”

Chad shrugged. “Sorry, it’s just we’ve heard all

this song and dance from him before. It’s not like
he’s exactly redeemed himself in our eyes.”

Incredulous, Jimmy gawped at his friend. “Are

you shitting me? If my mom did half of what
Brock has, I’d be so happy I’d be shitting unicorns
and leprechauns.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.

We have the history with Brock, not you,” Chad
defended heatedly.

Since common sense wasn’t working, Jimmy

decided to try another tactic. “Maybe Brock has
claimed to be clean before. He may have even
gone to rehab. But has he ever refused a hand-out

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

from any of you, the way he did when Trey asked
him to move in with him?”

“Maybe not, but he did take the job.”
“From what I heard, that took some arm

twisting, too. And, even then, the only reason
Brock took it was to be closer to you guys. It sure
as hell wasn’t for the pay. I have a sneaking
suspicion he isn’t exactly making the bank as a
skate sharpener.”

“Yeah, but it’s still not the first time he’s

claimed to be clean and that he’d never do drugs
again.”

“That’s just it

—

Brock never promised that he’d

never fall off the wagon. He’s taking it one day at
a time. That’s the way a true recovering addict
would talk. He’s not going about this half-assed.
He’s even going to meetings. Nearly every day, in
fact. That shows me that he means it this time.
He’s not playing you guys this time. Shit, he
didn’t even come to you until he was clean for
over a year. What more proof do you need than
that?”

For a moment, Jimmy worried that Chad might

take a swing at him. Then a look of devastation
dawned on the man’s face. “Shit, you have a point
there. We have been treating Brock like crap. Yet
he keeps taking it. Why?”

“Because he doesn’t think he deserves better.

Now it’s up to you guys to prove differently. Are

Stephani Hecht

you up to the task?”

Jimmy held his breath while he waited for the

answer. Finally, after what seemed to be forever,
Chad nodded, “Yeah, we are. We’re Cantons, after
all.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

Chapter Seven

rock worked another hard day and still had
to clean up the sharpening shop before he

could leave. It didn’t leave him in a bad mood,
however, since he’d be meeting Jimmy after. Plus,
it felt good to be putting in hard days of work and
know that he was helping his brothers out.

The tournament was halfway over, but things

were still as crazy as ever. It was all worth it,
though. Not only was the event a huge success,
but teams were already asking to sign up for next
year. It looked like it would become an annual
event and prove to be a huge moneymaker.

The only drawback was that the head manager

of the sharpening shop had been unwilling to put
up with all the extra work and had quit without
leaving any notice. It’d made it more work for
Brock, but he managed to keep up, although it had
meant putting in even more extra hours.

He was just about to lock up when his brothers

approached. Chad held a big box that was

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wrapped in bright red paper and had a big white
bow on top.

“I thought you guys took off a while ago,”

Brock said.

“We wanted to give this to you first,” Chad

said, holding out the gift.

“Already? Christmas is still a few days away,”

Brock replied in a teasing tone.

“It’s a special one that can’t wait,” Trey replied,

for once his face serious.

Brock took the gift, which was light, then

opened it. Inside was a single piece of paper,
written on it was, “Redemption—welcome home
to our brother. We’ve missed you.”

“Are you serious?” Brock asked.
Damned if his eyes didn’t mist up a bit. The

only reason he didn’t give into the tears was
because he’d been taught from a very young age
that real men don’t cry.

Trey gave a bashful shrug. “Actually, you

earned it. We didn’t give it to you. The whole gift
thing was symbiotic.”

Devon let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of

his nose. “Symbolic, you twerp.”

Trey gave his brother a hard shove. “We all

know what I meant. Just because you’re with a
reporter doesn’t make you the Grammar Nazi.”

Devon shoved back. “Why not? Somebody has

to keep you in check.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

“That’s what I have Wade for.”
“Since when did a cop know about things like

grammar and vocabulary?”

“He knows better than you.”
Brock held up a hand. “Enough, you two. I

think we’ve all made our point.”

And just like that, all the missing pieces slipped

into place. Once again, Brock was the leader, the
eldest of the group, the peacemaker. Whereas the
others began to listen and respect him again.

“By the way, we were kind of hoping you

would take over the sharpening shop,” Devon
said. “We talked to the other partners, and we
think you would be a perfect choice as the new
manager. We were also thinking that maybe you
would want to run some clinics, too. You know,
some checking and skating ones. Just whatever
your knee can handle. We know that some things
are still hard for you.”

Brock rubbed his slightly achy knee. “I think it

will be fine. The knee is good at letting me know
when I push it too hard.”

“Of course, all of the new responsibilities will

come with a nice pay raise,” Devon added.

Elation filled Brock as he realized that while he

might not play professionally, he’d be doing the
next best thing, working behind the scenes. By
running the clinics, he would be helping to mold
future players and making a difference in the

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world. Hell, he could even move on to some real
coaching later on down the road.

“I can’t ever thank you guys enough,” he said.
Chad clapped him on the arm. “Like we said,

you earned it. We’re all so proud of you.”

“I’m just sad that it took us this long to get back

to this point in our relationship,” Devon added.

This time Brock didn’t fight it when a tear

slipped down his cheek. “You and me both.”

The next morning, when Brock came in to open

the shop, he found Jimmy waiting for him. While
the visit was unexpected, it still sent a thrill of
happiness through Brock, especially since they’d
just seen each other the night before. It’d been a
great night, too. One that had left Brock sore in all
the right places.

“Hey, what are you doing here? Do you need

your skates sharpened or something?” Brock
teased.

Jimmy smiled and then shook his head. “I just

wanted to make sure you still wanted to go with
me to the party tonight.”

“Of course I do,” Brock assured him.
“The press is going to be there. It’s going to be

the first time that I’m photographed with another
man. So, it’s kind of going to be a big deal. In fact,
I personally asked Saul to come and cover it. I
want to make sure that it’s handled right.”

The Prodigal Brother-A Canton Family Christmas

A strange feeling hit Brock at that one. It was so

unexpected that it took him a few moments to
realize it was jealousy. “Are there going to be
other men, or am I going to be the only one? From
the way you’re talking, you plan on making this a
usual occurrence.”

“Honestly?”
Taking a deep breath, Brock nodded.
Jimmy continued, “I think it’s just going to be

you. I know we just met, but I have a feeling that
you’re the one for me. I hope you feel the same
way about me. I know it may be too soon for me to
ask that of you, but part of me can’t help but hope,
that you like me as much as I care about you.”

Joy flooded Brock as he realized yet another

piece of his life slipped into place. “Yes, I do.”

Jimmy came in close and kissed Brock. “So,

does this mean that I can call you my boyfriend?”

“Only if I can call you mine,” Brock countered.
And that was how, thanks to the miracle of the

holidays, the prodigal Canton brother found his
way home. The hockey world was never the same
again, either.
God help them all.

About the Author

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of
two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all
things about the state, from the frigid winters to
the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. You can
usually find her snuggled up to her laptop,
creating her next book.

Contact her at:
Email Address:archangelwriter@yahoo.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht

FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=pr

ofil&id=1109353859

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephanihecht

Blog:
http://stephanihechtauthor.blogspot.com

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