#Kelowna day-trip

[equallyshaw]

rose hughes | rutger mcgroarty x rose hughes au! ⚘ au masterlist

about rose hughes! (also, im all over the place in this but enjoy!)

rose valentina hughes

born december 24th, 2004.

nicknames: rosey, lovie, flower & posey. hockey: the wizard & the surfer.

face claims: chloe primerano (hockey canada) , caroline harvey (wisconcin hockey) & nicole wallace (actress)

stayed in canada after her parents + brothers moved to ann arbor

after her family moved, she moved to Burnaby, BC to play for Burnaby Winter Club and then to Kelowna, BC for Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna Girls Prep (BC)

besties with connor bedard and kent johnson

also best friends with laila edwards (team USA & wisconin) and has been since they were young

has represented canada since u15 for iihf

last time she represented was in april 2023.

committed to u of wisconcin in june 2023 during training invitation for team canada u20, leaves for michigan shortly thereafter to tell her family (since it was a last minute thing) before the news was announced

she transferred from BC university to u of wisconcin for fall 2023

played for wisconcin as a top line right winger

majoring in earth and ocean studies, with a minor in astronomy

amateur surfer

LOVES the ocean & astronomy

favorite flowers: roses (duh) & white hydrangeas

lived with the same billet family for ten years. (a second family to her)

has canadian citizenship...came super super early while the family was in canada for a hockey trip (born at 7 months, but perfectly healthy)

she was the 'oopsie' baby

top name to represent canada in the olympics, for 2025.

huge reader

even bigger star wars fan

olivia rodrigo OG fan from her bizardvarrk days

huge dress fan (will use any excuse to wear one)

lover of all things golden hollywood (1940's-1950's)

breakfast at tiffanys is her favorite movie of all time (and then star wars 1-9)

most humble gal you'll ever meet

butttt the most active on social media, avid tiktok creator

writes poetry, and has an instargam account for it

bisexual

has 1 ex girlfriend who played on a rival team in canada, who plays for USA

came out when she was 17 to quinn first, and then told her brothers when she came out for summer in michigan a few months later

closest to quinn since she lived the closest to him

hates golf with a passion

Avid baker

won final four with wisconin in 2024

has been arrested before (blurb at some point lol)

[spine-buster]

Lost in the Memory | Ryan O'Reilly | Volume I

gif credit @/mitchmarner

A/N: Well, here it is...the first instalment of a very inspired plot bunny that appeared the day that ROR became a Leaf! Hope you all enjoy what is basically porn without plot :)

TW: sibling death

“We have an MLSE-owned condo that you can both go to take a few moments before the game – get that nap in – before coming back here.”

Ryan let Noel take it. He made up something on the spot, that he already owned a condo somewhere near here as an investment, and it was sitting empty, so he’d just go to that to get his pre-game nap in. Nobody was the wiser. After Noel was handed the keys to the condo, Ryan ordered an Uber to take him to Summerhill.

As he approached the front door of the original Victorian semi, he admired the bay-and-gable architecture that reminded him so much of the house the Napier kids grew up in. It was why Whitney loved it so much in the first place, and why Ryan bought it for her without giving it a second thought. Original stained-glass windows. Hardwood floors and trim. Original wood-burning fireplaces, still working after being built in the 1890s. Old but cozy. Grand but homey. Four bedrooms, just like there was in her house growing up, one for each of the kids, and of course one for her parents. Ryan could still remember where all the kids’ bedrooms were on the second floor, for various reasons.

Owen was the eldest Napier child, born in 1986 just like Cal. He was the smartest of all the Napier and O’Reilly kids too, save for probably Tara, and his job as a surgeon out in Kelowna proved it. He and Cal played a lot of hockey together, but when Owen decided to get serious about science, he quit. He and Cal drifted apart slightly, but they were still good friends and still kept in touch a lot. Tara came next in 1988, and Ryan and Gareth followed three years later in 1991, within weeks of each other. The two boys were inseparable, whether they were riding their bikes, on their skateboards or rollerblades or scooters, zooming down hills on toboggans – not to mention on the ice. They were always playing together on the same teams, until Ryan left for Toronto and then the OHL. But even then, Gareth would get himself to any game Ryan was playing that was even remotely close to their hometown. Whitney was born four years later in 1995. Owen and Gareth weren’t too excited to get a baby sister – they would have obviously preferred a brother – but Ryan still remembered the day she was brought home from the hospital. Shannon came in 1997, and the group was complete.

When Ryan got drafted, the Napier family were there celebrating with his. Even all of his foster siblings – almost 50 of them – loved the Napier family. When he was drafted and moved to Colorado, they’d make a trip with his parents once a year to watch him play. When he moved to Buffalo, they would drive down multiple times a year to catch a game and support him, knowing what he was going through there. His house was their house. Their house was his house. Their joys were his joys, and their tragedies were his tragedies.

He heard the door unlock. When it opened, he saw Whitney standing on the other side in a pair of Lululemon tights and a crop top. She seemed surprised to see him, even though they’d texted before he got on the plane.

“I thought you’d be taking your pre-game nap,” she said.

Ryan stepped into the house. He didn’t want to waste time. “I’ve got two hours until I have to be back at the arena,” he said, closing the door behind him and locking it without even looking.

In one swift movement, he wrapped an arm around Whitney and pulled her against his body. She let a giggle out. “We can get up to a lot in two hours, can’t we,” she whispered, her voice husky as she looked up at him. It was only then she realized he was wearing a stereotypical Canadian tuxedo, and she wasn’t holding up her end of the bargain. “And look at me. I’m not even wearing what I promised for you.”

“You know I don’t care about that right now. I like you better like this anyway,” his voice was just as husky as hers. His hands travelled down over her ass and he picked her up, just as he had countless times before, and she wrapped her legs around his torso, just like she had countless times before. There was no hesitation on either end when their lips and tongues met hungrily, not bothering with pleasantries or soft beginning kisses. That was for those who were unsure or perhaps didn’t know what they were doing, and Ryan and Whitney had been doing this for over ten years.

Ryan was big and strong. He always had been, even as kids – when he’d pick her up and carry her to her room kicking and screaming so he and Gareth could play video games in peace without her annoying them as kids; when he’d push her on the swing in the park and she’d go higher than all the other kids, making them jealous; when she wasn’t so little anymore and she’d pair up with him in pool fights where he’d let her get on his shoulders and he was as solid as concrete foundation. Hockey had only made him bigger and stronger. All the training he did throughout the year, and in the summers with his dad, only meant that his body was always overpowering in its size and stature, but not in a bad way. The first time they’d done this he’d been so gentle with her, but it only took until the second time for Whitney to want to feel his entire body against hers, and for him to use it to his full advantage (and to hers, if she was being honest). They hadn’t looked back since.

Ryan wasted no time carrying Whitney up the stairs, climbing them like it was nothing and leading her to her bedroom. When he placed her down on the bed, their lips didn’t even leave each other’s until she began to grasp at his jean jacket. “Take this off,” she breathed out. “I want to feel your body, Snook.”

Whitney pushed the jacket off his shoulders, and he tugged at the sleeves and pulled it off, throwing it off the bed. She snuck her hands underneath his top, the firmness of his body beneath her fingertips once again. It didn’t matter how many times it happened; it invigorated her every time. There was no other body on this earth that felt like Ryan’s – she was sure of that. And it didn’t matter if they were in bed, in the backseat of his car, in a pool or hot tub, or anywhere else, the feeling of his physical body so close to hers reminded her constantly that Ryan’s body was made for her, and her body was made for Ryan.

Before she could take off his shirt, Ryan began leaving a trail of kisses down her body, dragging his lips and tongue along areas until he pushed her crop top up, exposing her bra. “Take this off, baby,” he mumbled against her skin. “I need to see you.”

Whitney leaned forward so Ryan’s giant hands could slip underneath the fabric and pull her top off, and she followed quickly in pulling her sports bra over her head, lying back down on the bed with her arms above her head. When she felt Ryan clasping his hands over hers, applying pressure to keep them from moving, she grinded her hips up against his. “Fuck,” he let out quickly, quietly, biting his bottom lip. He crashed his lips against Whitney’s, sticking his tongue down her throat and causing her to mewl in pleasure, her hips grinding against his once more.

He could already feel himself getting hard – it never took long with Whitney. He moved down to her breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. Her little sighs and moans were what he got lost in; the same little sighs and moans he would think about when she was on the other side of the dinner table or deck in front of their friends or family and he couldn’t touch her like he could behind closed doors. The thought of them clouded his judgement so much sometimes that he’d tune out what everyone was saying around him and remember a time where he’d pinned her body under his and all they felt was ecstasy.

He began to place big, open-mouth kisses down her chest and stomach, getting achingly slow around her belly button. When he set her hands free, they immediately went to gathering the fabric of his shirt into her fists, pulling it off him quickly so they were both topless. His lips returned dangerously close to the waistband of her leggings. “Not now, Snook,” Whitney said. “Later. I want to feel you inside me. It’s been so long.”

Ryan could barely think straight. “Later?”

“Later,” she nodded, her hands moving down to the button and zipper of his jeans, unfastening them in record speed. “I need to feel you fill me up like you love to.”

She helped him wiggle out of his jeans, and he pulled her tights and underwear off. When he was back on top of her, he grabbed one of her thighs and hooked her leg around his torso. He squeezed at the flesh of her thighs, both their chests heaving up and down. “D’you still have your IUD?”

“Of course.”

The way Whitney closed her eyes as she felt Ryan enter her – every time – still got to Ryan – every time. The way her eyelashes fluttered, then closed shut, then the inhalation of breath. He could feel her nails digging into the skin on his shoulder blades. “Look at me,” he said, almost demanded. Whitney’s eyes fluttered open to do as she was told, even though he was still pushing himself inside her. “You look so beautiful under me like this,” he told her.

“You’re so good to me, Ry,” she called him the pet name only she was allowed. He was called Snook by his entire family. He was called Ryan by everybody else. But only Whitney could call him Ry. “God, you feel so good inside me.” By this point Ryan was fully inside her, basking in the feeling he knew all too well. With one of Whitney’s legs still hooked around his torso, he began moving in and out of her at a steady pace, making her eyes roll to the back of her head from the pleasure. She brought her hands around and cradled his face, her thumbs grazing over his lips. “You love having me like this, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Legs wide open, ready for you.”

“Yes.”

“Did you think about this when you were alone in St. Louis?”

She knew the answer to that question. She just wanted to hear him say how desperately he needed her. “Yes,” he huffed out, feeling her hips push into his again. “All the time.”

“Now that you’re in Toronto we can do this all the time,” she said. He watched as the slightest of smiles adorned her face, biting at her bottom lip. “You’ll be over a lot, won’t you Ry. Having me like this. Getting me on my hands and knees for you.”

The thought of it was heaven. If he could play hockey in Toronto and make love to Whitney in some sort of alternating schedule…well, that was his idea of paradise. “D’you need me like I need you?”

“Yes,” Whitney said without hesitation. “God Ry, you feel so good. Keep doing that. I want it to last as long as possible.”

Ryan grabbed her hands again, holding her wrists together above her head with just one hand. It was a while before he released them, and a while that they were back on his shoulder blades, digging deep into his skin. He couldn’t surmise how long they’d been going for, but he knew it had been a while, judging by the sweat on his body and how flushed red Whitney’s skin was, not to mention how puffy her lips were from all their kissing. He could feel himself getting close, and judging by the sighs and moans escaping Whitney, which he knew all too well, she was close too. “Look at me, Whit,” he said again, watching as she looked him in the eye.

“I want you to come inside me, Ry,” she breathed out. “Think about your cum in me while you win against the Habs.” He grunted at the thought. That would make him go crazy. “And when you get back home I’ll be waiting for you – waiting for you to fill me up again.”

Another loud grunt from him. She knew exactly what to say. “Fuckin’ love you, Whit.”

“Love you too Ry. Ever since we were kids.”

No more words were exchanged. Instead, laboured breaths, solid moans, and passionate cries filled the room until they came together, the feeling of Whitney tightening around his cock sending Ryan over the edge, and the feeling of Ryan coming inside of her, just as she wanted, sending Whitney over the edge too. He went for as long as he could, pumping in and out of her slowly as he felt her body shivering with pleasure, until even he was too tired. He collapsed onto her slowly, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his body, holding him close. They kissed for a while, slowly and passionately until they breathing returned to normal, with Ryan still inside her. Eventually, they lay together on their sides, holding each other.

Ryan’s eyes were getting droopy, and he was having a hard time staying awake. With the whirlwind 12 hours he’d just gone through, Whitney didn’t blame him. She began running her fingers through his hair, letting her nails massage his scalp. “Do you like how I redecorated the place?”

Ryan let out a tired smile. “Didn’t get to see it. But I bet it looks good. Not that my opinion matters.”

“Why not? You own the house.”

“I may have bought it but it’s your house,” he said. Her told her that all the time. He nestled his head into the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath in before exhaling. Whitney could feel his entire body relax in her arms, and she knew he was going to fall asleep any second. “I made a promise to your brother that I’d take care of you,” he continued, “and I’m not gonna break that promise.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d told Whitney that, either. “I know. I remember you saying that to Gareth as he lay in his casket.”

“I’ll always take care of you, Whit,” were Ryan’s last words before Whitney felt his breathing steady as he fell asleep.

Gareth passed away in the summer of 2013, when he was 22 years old. Whitney was just 18, about to move to Toronto and enter her first year of university at Ryerson to study communications. After hopping over to Russia, signing an offer sheet with Calgary, and then signing again with Colorado, Ryan was home early for the summer because the team hadn’t made the playoffs. Gareth, Ryan, and a bunch of their buddies had gone to the beaches near Goderich for a day of some fun and paddleboarding. One by one they had left, until Gareth was the only one. He was supposed to be back out again at 8 that night for a party, but he never showed up. That’s when everyone started to worry.

She remembered texting Ryan first, of course. They spoke every day.

did gareth go your house to get ready for that party?

i left the beach at 2 cuz i was getting sun stroke gareth was still there with jonesy, , john, ben, burnsy, and trent why?

he never came home he’s not answering his phone can you please come over ry

The specific details remained a blur to Whitney. She remembered little pockets of what happened, such as Ryan bursting through the front door. She remembered the kind police officer begging her and her parents to get some rest before the search resumed in the morning but being unable to, despite Ryan in her bedroom with her, holding her and rocking her back and forth, telling her that everything was going to be okay. She remembered not being able to stomach Bonnie O’Reilly’s broccoli chicken casserole even though it was one of her favourites. She remembered Ryan squeezing her hand under the table.

At some point, Whitney remembered hearing the worst news of her life: Gareth’s body had been found washed up on the shore of Lake Huron near Blue Water Beach and had been immediately transported to the hospital. So much water had gotten into his lungs that he’d developed an anoxic brain injury.

She remembered when she first stepped into his hospital room and felt physically sick by how many tubes he was hooked up to, including the ventilator. She remembered the doctors telling them that Gareth had drowned, that he was brain dead, and that they would have to make the choice as to when to remove the ventilator. They waited by his bedside for two days before Owen made it back from British Columbia.

On June 5th, at 3:30 in the afternoon, Gareth James Napier passed away.

Whitney doesn’t speak about his funeral.

***

When Ryan woke up an hour later, he and Whitney were still in the same position, nestled together in her bed. Her hand was still in his hair, their limbs entangled with one another’s. He groaned slightly, knowing that he had to leave but not exactly wanting to. He looked at his watch.

“You should take a shower before you leave,” he heard Whitney’s voice.

“Come with me.”

“Ryyyyyy,” she elongated his name, giggling slightly at the end. “You can’t have sex when you’re trying to wash the smell of sex off of you.”

“You said later, Whit,” his lips grazed against her skin. “It’s later.”

Whitney would never be able to forget how Ryan’s beard felt between her legs. After kissing and washing each other and Ryan eating her out within an inch of her life (seriously, he had to use his hands to hold her up because her legs turned into fucking jello and Ryan wasn’t about to let her fall in her own bathtub and get a concussion), they stood together at her front door, kissing, waiting for his Uber to arrive.

“We fly out to Chicago after the game, and then from there we fly to Buffalo,” he informed her in between kisses.

Whitney already knew. She’d looked up the schedule. “D’you want me to be in Buffalo, Snook?” she asked. He hesitated. “I can be there. I know it’s gonna feel…interesting for you.”

“I can let you know which hotel we’ll be in,” he acquiesced. “If—if you can even come that early. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Whit.”

“I don’t want you feeling alone in Buffalo. I know how much of a mindfuck it can be for you being there,” she wasn’t having any of it. “I can hang out with all the Leaf fans.”

He smiled. “I’m gonna have to get you a jersey.”

“Only if it has your name on the back,” she said, running her hands up and down his chest. “You can fuck me in it after.”

Ryan groaned, leaning his head down to kiss her. A car honked outside. “If you drive home fast enough that night, we’ll be able to. We won’t have to wait.”

Another kiss, this time more urgent. And another. And another. And another. “I’ll see you in Buffalo, Snook,” Whitney finally said her goodbye.

Another kiss. This time, Ryan bit her bottom lip between his teeth and pulled it along with him as he moved away. A soft mewl left Whitney’s lips. “See you in Buffalo.”

***

When Ryan played in Buffalo, Whitney would drive down to see him play. She wouldn’t tell anybody where she was going or what she was doing because it was their little secret. Sometimes she’d go just for a game and to be with Ryan afterwards, and she’d drive home the next morning to make it in time for her 10am class; sometimes if Ryan had a particularly long home stretch, she’d stay over longer and they would stay holed up in his house, making love in every room and on every surface imaginable. In between she would finish school work.

It wasn’t as frequent when Ryan first got to Buffalo. He’d signed a seven-year contract extension for an absurd amount of money – $52.5 million – and was putting up good numbers. But the team kept losing. And losing. And losing. It started to take a toll on him mentally. He’d call to talk with her and their conversations would last hours. Sometimes he’d get really emotional. Sometime he’d even cry, and her heart would break over the fact that he was feeling this way and she couldn’t be there to comfort him. He admitted to her long before he said it in the media that he’d felt like he lost the love of the game multiple times throughout the season. He didn’t need to say it in the media for her to know.

The most heartbreaking moment for Whitney came during a rainy night in Buffalo. It was her last night staying with Ryan until he had to leave for a whopping 14-day road trip with the team. He’d been grasping on to her the whole last day, as if she’d float away back to Toronto without saying goodbye. When they were cuddled in bed together, just kissing, she could feel fresh tears roll down his cheeks.

“What’s wrong, Snook?”

“What’s wrong with me, Whit? Why can’t I win? I—”

“Snook, you can’t put that pressure on yourself. The team doesn’t start and end with you—”

“First with Colorado, now with Buffalo…everywhere I go I feel like a cancer.”

Whitney remembered having a sick feeling in her stomach as Ryan said those words. She remembered wiping his tears away with her thumbs and with her kisses, begging him to realize he was worth so much more than what he thought. She remembered telling him over and over how much she loved him, hoping that it would calm him down, but it didn’t help much. He was too far into his own head. The next morning, as he showered and finished his packing, Whitney was scared to let go of him. She didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want him to be away from her when he was so vulnerable. She made him promise to call her every day, even though they already spoke every day through text.

He kept his promise.

That summer, Ryan was traded to St. Louis. On the one hand, Whitney was sad because he wasn’t close anymore. There was no way she could just drive to see him so often now. On the other hand, she was happy he was traded out of a situation that made him lose his love of the game. She still visited him in St. Louis, but much less often. They still got up to their fun.

She parked in the same spot as she always did, and navigated the Keybank Centre like the back of her hand. She joined the legion of Leafs fans watching the warm-ups, getting as close to the glass as possible. She wasn’t wearing a Leafs jersey, so realistically, she’d stick out like a sore thumb. Despite her family being Leafs fans, she only ever wore Ryan’s jerseys.

Ryan saw her during warm up. Whitney knew he did because there was a cute little smile on his face for a few minutes, and there was a cute little smile on her face for a few minutes, watching him out there in a Leafs jersey shooting pucks and skating around. The days when her mother would haul her to arenas for Gareth and Ryan’s hockey games were long over, but the dream was alive for him: he was a Stanley Cup Champion. He was a Conn Smythe winner. And now he was a Toronto Maple Leaf. She only wished Gareth was here to see it all in person, even though she knew he was watching from above.

As she went to her seat after warm ups, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

You look beautiful.

She couldn’t help but smile.

Focus on the game you pervert.

She eventually took her seat, only about ten rows up from the ice. Barely four minutes into the game, she got her first gift: Ryan scored his first goal as a Toronto Maple Leaf. The only other time she thought she was as loud was when he won the Stanley Cup. A grand total of thirty-seven seconds later, he scored again.

Whitney knew she was going to be in for a hell of a game.

When he finished his hat trick at the end of the game, she cried a little. It was made all the more emotional by the fact they were in Buffalo – she had to admit that. But once the buzzer rang, and the Leafs won 6-3, she pulled out her phone instinctively, just as she had countless times before.

Leaving now. If you get home before me let yourself in. I’m so happy for you. And I’m so fucking excited for later.

It was when she got to her car that she received a reply. She thought he probably had to handle some post-game press which is why it took him so long.

That was for you. And you better be fucking excited.

***

At just before midnight, Whitney and Ryan’s lips crashed against one another’s in the privacy of her home. Their kisses were frantic, their hands, too. They almost knocked down the vase at the front entrance, and almost tripped going up the stairs to. But when they finally got to her bedroom, Whitney pushed Ryan to sit down on the edge of her bed. He watched as she dropped down to her knees in front of him.

She unbuttoned his pants and slid the zipper down expertly. She knew how to get into every pair of pants he wore. “You like what you see, Snook?”

“You know the answer to that,” he said, helping her wiggle his pants off of him. “You always look so pretty when you’re on your knees for me.” He brought his hands forward to cup her face, guiding her up slightly so he could place another sloppy kiss on her lips. “All that tonight was for you, baby,” he told her.

“You don’t have to butter me up Snook, I’m gonna suck your dick regardless.”

Ryan let out a chuckle. When he felt her hand over his growing length, he groaned slightly. He kissed her again. “You’re sweetness. That’s what you are, Whit. Sweetness.”

That was a nickname he had called her time and time again. And not just in bed. In the morning, when they would make coffee together; at dinner, when he was pouring her a glass of wine; when she was on the couch and he was in the kitchen as he would ask if she wanted more popcorn. The first time he called her that, they were still teens, and he was still using it to this day. Snook and Sweetness.

Whitney bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know if you should be calling me sweetness before what we’re going to do.” Ryan could feel his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he watched her free his dick from his underwear. She stroked him a few times before giving him one last look. “You wanna come down my throat?” she asked.

He nodded.

She licked the underside of his cock, causing him to hiss. She placed a few kisses along his head before she began sucking, only lightly, teasing him into oblivion. When she was satisfied with the number of curse words that left his mouth, without warning, she took more of his cock into her mouth. He leaned his head back in pleasure, and when he felt her take even more, a new string of expletives left his mouth. “God Whit, you’re so fucking good.”

She hummed in response, the vibration allowing for a new sensation. He could feel her swirl her tongue as he watched her bob her head up and down his shaft, taking more and more into his mouth with each passing moment. He pushed her hair out of her face and gathered it in his hands. He watched with eyes wide as she took all of him down her throat. He felt the back of her throat with the tip of his cock and grunted. She took him like that a few more times, with his help, his chest heaving up and down.

“Whit—”

“Hmmm?”

“Gimme your fingers.”

Whitney brought one of her hands up. Ryan grabbed it and brought it towards his mouth, sucking her index and middle fingers. He took them out of his mouth but kept them close, spitting on them before looking at her. “Touch yourself.”

Whitney whimpered at the command and did what she was told, sticking her hand down her underwear and placing them directly on her already wet pussy. She touched herself for a while as she kept taking Ryan’s cock down her throat again and again, even going so far as to spit on its head when she came back up once. Ryan couldn’t do anything else but curse, taking a while before he could finally formulate something else to say. “Look at me, Whit.”

She looked up at him with her beady eyes, popping his cock out of her mouth. “Yeah Ry?”

“You were fuckin’ made for me, you know that?” he huffed, bringing the hand that was in her hair around her face so he could wipe the spit off her lips with his thumb.

Whitney nodded quickly. “You were made for me too.”

“This pretty little mouth was made for me,” Ryan continued, “and your pretty little pussy too.”

“All for you,” Whitney agreed. “All for you.”

When Whitney continued sucking his dick, Ryan knew he was getting close. The moaning and sucking sounds definitely didn’t help, and he let Whitney know by saying it out loud. She took him all the way down to the back of her throat a few times more before Ryan bucked his hips and felt his hot cum release in her mouth and down her throat. He was gasping for air, his mouth wide open at the sensation; Whitney moaned in pleasure at the feeling and taste of him, as it had been so long since the last time. She continued to suck every last drop until she could feel his dick soften; only then did she finally stop.

Ryan pulled her up by gently tugging on her hair. His lips crashed on to hers and he pulled her body against his, falling onto the bed together. They wasted no time in removing each other of their clothes. When Whitney slid out of her underwear, Ryan got a look at how wet her pussy already was, covered in her own juices and his spit, and practically had a heart palpitation. “Come sit on my face, sweetness.”

She crawled over his body and sat on his face. He wrapped his arms around her thigs and pinned her down so she could barely move – just enough to grind if she wanted to, or if Ryan let her. It took no time at all for Ryan to start lapping at her pussy, starting with one long lick from bottom to top and sucking on her clit for good measure.

Whitney ran her hands through Ryan’s hair and gripped on to it. She knew she’d get beard burn, but she didn’t care – she wanted this to last as long as possible. Even though she was anticipating what would happen after this – all the positions they’d tangle themselves in, how many times he’d make her come, how much Ryan would leave her wanting more – the thought of Ryan between her thighs using only his tongue and lips to make her come was something she thought of way too often, especially on lonely nights when she was desperate to see him, or nights where they’d have phone sex and only her fingers could do. She had to have an active imagination because only the real thing – the real Ryan – could ever make her feel as good as he made her feel. Nothing was better than Ryan, because nothing or no-one loved her more than Ryan.

“Just like that, Ry,” she signed out, cupping her breasts in her hands and pinching at her nipples before having to grip the headboard.

“Tastes so fuckin’ sweet,” Ryan mumbled against the lips of her pussy, sucking at her clit right afterwards.

Her moans and mewls got louder. She knew her voice would be coarse tomorrow because of it – and he hadn’t even made her scream yet. That was still coming. She couldn’t help but tug on his hair and make him moan in the process. When she began grinding on his face slightly, she could feel his hands grip at her hips and help guide her – she knew she’d have marks there tomorrow, but she didn’t care.

After a while, when Whitney couldn’t hold it in any longer, she cried out his name over and over again as she came on his face, her entire body shaking on top of him. The only reason why she didn’t completely collapse was the headboard and Ryan’s strong hands. Eventually she shifted her body down, so she could see Ryan’s face, only to see that it was wet and covered in her juices.

“Holy fucking shit,” she blurted.

“I’m ready t—"

Ryan didn’t get to finish his sentence. Whitney acted fast, crashing her lips onto his so she could taste herself on his face. “Holy fuck,” she mumbled in between kisses.

“See how good you taste? How sweet?” Ryan mumbled in between kisses. “I could get drunk on you. I could eat you out all fucking night.”

“Tell me how you want me, Ry.”

“Get on your hands and knees.”

Whitney inhaled sharply. She did as she was told. She always did with Ryan. So did he. That’s what made everything so…nice. That’s what made everything so unbelievable. She faced away from him, but she could feel him watching her, getting a full look of how ready she was for him. When she felt him grab her hips again, she readied herself to feel his cock deep inside her pussy.

Instead, she felt Ryan’s body hover over hers. She closed her eyes, oblivious to what was going to happen next, until she could feel him placing light kisses at the back of her neck and across her shoulder blades. He was taking his time, being gentle, savouring the moment before they lost themselves into each other. “I love you, Whit,” he whispered into her ear.

“I love you too Snook,” she said.

“I’ve loved you forever.”

Whitney took another deep breath. He kissed along her ear. She turned her head so they could make eye contact. “It doesn’t feel like this with anyone else.”

“I know. It doesn’t.”

“I only ever feel like this with you, Ry. Nobody else can make me feel good like you do.”

“Same, Whit.”

There was a moment of silence between them, knowing what was about to happen. “Will you fuck me how you know I like it?” Whitney asked, her voice as sweet as how she tasted.

Ryan didn’t bother to answer. He continued his soft kisses down her spine instead, before placing a final kiss at the base of it and grabbing her hips. He could tell how giddy she was in anticipation. “Face down, ass up, sweetness.”

Whitney whimpered just at the command. In one swift movement she moved her body, and before she could say anything else, she felt Ryan’s cock teasing at her entrance. He was going to make her beg because she loved to beg, because she asked him to fuck her the way she liked it and this is how she liked to be fucked. She liked every way with him, but special moments like this deserved something special, and he was going to give it to her. When they made love, like the afternoon he arrived in Toronto…that was different. It was soft, and it was passionate, and it was the physical encapsulation of the conversation they’d just had, but what was about to happen next was anything but.

“Tell me how much you need me, sweetness.”

“I need your cock, Ry. Fill me up,” she begged.

“Beg. Beg.”

Whitney bit at her bottom lip. “Please Ry, pleeeease. I need to feel your cock inside me. I need you to fill me up. I need you so bad, Ry. I need what only you can give me.”

Ryan entered her in one swift movement, and her pussy was so slick that he slid right in and bottomed out. Whitney cried out in pleasure, and it didn’t take long for him to start pounding in and out of her, hearing her get louder and louder as he became rougher. Instinctively she would try to rise every so often, and Ryan would push her back down, making her cry out even louder for how he was controlling her pleasure. At some points, even her knees began to buckle and spread from under her, bringing her closer to the bed, and Ryan would have to pull her hips back up. He’d lost track at how many times he felt her walls tighten around his pulsating cock, lost track at how many times she cried out his name.

He pulled her hair so that her body was flush against his chest, bringing one hand around to tease her clit, and another to wrap itself at the base of her neck. He wasn’t choking her, because she didn’t like that, but this was their alternative. She brought her own hand up and placed it over his, trying as best as possible to intertwine their fingers.

“Fucking hell, Ry,” Whitney managed to get out. “Feels so fucking good.”

“D’you love it when I fuck you like this?”

“Yes. Fuck yes.”

“Tell me how good it feels. Use your words, sweetness.”

Whitney couldn’t believe him. She also couldn’t believe she would oblige. “You feel so fucking big,” she began, heavy breaths punctuating every thought. “You stretch me out, and my pussy…my pussy feels so full. I can’t wait until you come inside me. Can you feel how wet my pussy is?”

“How many times did you come?”

“I—I don’t know. I always lose count with you.”

Ryan leaned back and took Whitney with him, so she was lying down on top of him with one hand at the base of her neck and another on her pussy, his cock still buried deep in her. “Ry—”

“Take it Whit. Take it like the good girl you are for me.”

Though he couldn’t see it, Whitney’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as Ryan pumped in and out of her in this new position, hitting an angle that was sending her even quicker over the edge than before, which she didn’t think was possible. “Ry…Ry…fuck Ry…” her nails dug into the back of his hand. Her heartbeat was out of control.

She didn’t even know how much time had passed in that position – how could she? – before she heard Ryan utter the magic words. “I’m fucking close, Whit.”

“I wanna face you when you come, Ry. Can you—”

Before she knew what was happening, he slid out of her and got on top of her. Though she whimpered at the loss of his cock inside her, he spread her legs and hiked one around his torso and entered her again. Though it felt like she had been having just one continuous orgasm for the last several minutes, she was desperate to feel him come inside her, to feel one last wave of pleasure throughout her body. They looked each other in the eye; Whitney could see a fire in his that he reserved only for her.

“Tell me how much you need me, Whit,” he huffed.

“I need you more than anything, Snook,” she told him, because it was the truth.

“Am I the only one that gets to come inside of you?” he demanded.

“Yes,” she bit her bottom lip. “You’re the only one. The only one that gets to come in pussy, because it’s all yours, Ry. All yours.”

He buried his face into the crook of her neck, thrusting into her so forcefully that she cried out his name over and over. When she felt him come inside her, she grabbed the hair at the nape of his neck. Her finally orgasm rushed throughout her entire body like a title wave, hers and Ryan’s breathing the only thing to be heard in the bedroom. His breathing was so frantic it almost sounded high-pitched, almost like he was going through an asthma attack. His face was still buried in the crook of her neck as he collapsed on top of her. When he rolled over to the side, his cock left her pussy for the first time (for more than, like, five whole damn seconds) in what felt like hours. Whitney’s body was still shivering from her orgasms. Ryan was having a hard time catching his breath.

It was a few minutes before either of them felt even 0.0001% semblance of normalcy. Ryan was the first to look over at Whitney, who was still staring up at the ceiling. “Are you okay, Whit?” he asked.

“I’m better than okay,” she whispered – it was the loudest her voice could get.

Ryan couldn’t help but smile. “Ready for round two?”

Whitney whipped her head to the side to look at him, only to see him smirking and giggling like a little school girl. “I don’t think I’ll have a voice tomorrow. I don’t even think I’m going to be able to walk tomorrow,” she chastised.

“C’mere,” he mumbled, outstretching his arm so she could roll into his body. When she was tucked into him, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for being in Buffalo tonight.”

“It was nothing,” she said. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

“I love you, Whit.”

“I love you too, Snook.”

***

There was a long road trip coming up to the west coast. Seattle, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and then to New Jersey, before finally coming home again to face Edmonton during a Hockey Night in Canada. This meant that Friday was a good a time as ever for Ryan’s parents and Whitney’s parents to drive to Toronto to watch the game against Minnesota. Ryan had secured them tickets and access to the family room – as family members, of course. Whitney would have to be on her best behaviour.

They all had lunch earlier that day, before Ryan usually went down for his pre-game nap. Whitney met up with the parents at their hotel before the game, getting her friends and family pass from her mom before she walked with them to the arena. After giving their names and passes to a man named Omar, they were led to the family lounge, where there was at least half of the women Whitney assumed to be the partners of the men on the team. There weren’t any parents around, though, which Whitney thought would make them stick out like a sore thumb.

They weren’t there long before Whitney noticed a woman balancing a toddler on her hip approaching them with a big smile.

“Hello! You must be the O’Reilly family?” she asked.

“That’s us! And friends!” Brian said.

“It’s very nice to meet you. Welcome to the Toronto Maple Leafs!” she extended her free hand to shake everyone’s. “I’m Aryne Tavares, John’s wife, and this is my son Axton.”

Bonnie waved at him and he waved back. “We’re the O’Reillys,” she pointed at herself and her husband, “and these are our friends and neighbours, James and Alice Napier and their daughter Whitney. Whitney and Ryan grew up together.”

“Come take a seat, please – Ryan mentioned to John that you were all coming tonight. Can we get you any food? Whitney, follow me, you can meet some of the partners…”

It was a bit of a blur for Whitney, if only because she was meeting so many people associated with the players on the team that it was hard to keep track of them all. She met Bee McTavish, who was getting married to Morgan Rielly this summer; Aberdeen Bloom, who was with William Nylander (Whitney had read her book and had loved it); and Lusine, who was with Rasmus Sandin (Whitney didn’t think there’d be anyone younger than her present, but lo and behold). This sort of situation had happened before in Colorado and Buffalo, where things went normally, and in St. Louis, where things went a bit…differently, but Whitney was glad to say this was normal. They were all very nice, very welcoming, very talkative.

St. Louis hadn’t been like this. The first time she’d met the team, it was much less formally – at one of the guys’ raucous birthday parties she just happened to be in town for. Most of the guys were nice, albeit buzzed, but they were manageable. Jordan Binnington and his hands definitely weren’t, and he had a hard time taking no for an answer until Ryan had to step in. While that was long in the past, whenever it was brought up or remembered, Ryan still got angry about it. The anger didn’t come from a place where he though he owned Whitney or that she was his and no-one else’s – it was because Jordan was just downright disrespectful, from his words to his intentions to his actions. Ryan had been nothing but respectful to everyone his entire life, and he couldn’t fathom acting like Jordan towards anyone.

It was when Whitney emerged from the washroom during the intermission between first and second period that things got interesting. Everybody had been so nice, and then she saw Bee McTavish waving to get her attention. “Is everything okay?” Whitney asked.

“Aryne said Bonnie told her you and Ryan grew up together?” she wanted to clarify.

“Yeah,” Whitney nodded. “He’s known me since I was a baby.”

Bee looked around, over both shoulders, before she lowered her voice. “It’s Aberdeen’s birthday tomorrow, but since the boys are leaving for Seattle, we’re having her birthday party tonight,” Bee explained. “Lusine and I spent an hour decorating her place for a surprise birthday before we got here. You and Ryan should come! Get you away from your parents if you want.”

Whitney didn’t know what to say. It was the first time she was meeting everyone and they were already inviting her out? This was probably the nicest group of women she’d ever met. “Oh my God, that’s so – that’s so kind of you, but please, if this is a friends thing, please don’t feel obligated—”

“Oh my gosh, don’t even start,” Bee cut her off. “It’s nothing serious, and we would love to have you. I’m sure Ryan will love to get to know the boys even better in an informal setting, away from hockey.”

Whitney couldn’t help the smile that overtook her face. “I’ll ask him when we see them, but I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes…if only to get away from having to entertain his parents on a Friday night,” she winked.

“Boomers in the big bad city,” Bee joked.

“Nah – Brian and Bonnie are actually from Toronto. They’ll be fine. They may actually know a bar to go to.”

***

It was almost one in the morning before Ryan and Whitney called it a night at Aberdeen’s surprise “Quarter Century” birthday party. While they could have stayed longer, they promised their parents brunch at 11 the next morning before Ryan had to leave for the airport. They weren’t in for a long drive up to Summerhill, thankfully, because the second that they were in the elevator, away from the condo, Ryan grabbed Whitney’s hand.

“You know what I remembered tonight?” Whitney asked as they emerged from the parking garage.

“What’s that?”

“Remember when Binner was flirting with me?”

Ryan rolled his eyes, but not in an annoyed way – in an angry way, which – if Whitney was being honest – was the exact reason she brought it up. She wanted a little bit of heat to fester while they were in the car. “What about it?”

“Just how bad the flirting was,” she cracked a joke. “He wasn’t even being subtle about it.”

“Whit—”

“Remember how you had to talk to him and got angry with him?”

“He deserved it,” Ryan said simply. “I never got over it, by the way. I’m still angry with him about it.”

“He helped you win a Stanley Cup,” she deadpanned.

“Doesn’t matter. He disrespected you and made you feel uncomfortable. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness for making you feel that way.”

There was a moment of silence between them, with only the sound of the rubber tires moving along the road filling the void. Whitney’s hand snuck across the dash and landed on Ryan’s thigh, squeezing it gently. “You never told me what you said to him, you know.”

He moved his hand to grip her thigh. “Come on, Whit.”

“Come on, Snook,” she countered, raising her hand higher on his thigh, dangerously close to his member.

She watched as Ryan bit his tongue, and it had nothing to do with how high her hand was. She knew he was having one of his small internal battles. “I just told him to knock it off. That I didn’t like how he was treating you. You clearly weren’t interested and what bothered me was that he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He told me he bet you were used to it and that’s when I kind of lost it on him. Told him that you weren’t, and that if he was gonna keep doing that, I’d knock his teeth down his throat.”

Whitney couldn’t help but smile. “Was that before or after he put his hands on me and pulled me in to sit on his lap?”

Okay, now Ryan was getting angry. Remembering the thought of seeing Jordan’s hands on Whitney, in places where Ryan knew only his hands had been, sent him spiralling. Pulling her onto his lap, like some kind of dog – Ryan had steam coming out of his ears that night. “I fuckin—I can’t—I think it was after,” he honestly couldn’t remember. The anger clouded his memory. “All I remember is wanting to give him a black eye. Dad always said no violence and I’ve never wanted to punch a guy until then.”

Whitney didn’t know why, but she loved hearing all of this. She loved hearing about how upset Ryan got, what he said to Jordan, everything. It wasn’t that it made her feel wanted or valued – she always did with Ryan, so that wasn’t an issue. And it wasn’t because she generally disliked Jordan – although that was a perk. But she felt herself getting hotter with each passing second. “You hated it because I belong to you, right?” she prompted, her voice low and not suggestive at all. She saw Ryan hesitate to go down this road, and more than a few moments of silence passed between them. She squeezed his thigh softly. “You can say it Ry. It’s okay.”

“I don’t think…” he hesitated again. “You don’t belong to anyone, Whitney. I don’t like that.”

“Okay,” Whitney nodded slightly, her voice sober. So she struck out on that one – that was fine. “Sorry, Snook.”

“You don’t have to apologize, sweetness.”

Another few moments of silence. Whitney noticed some recognizable shops, so she knew they were close to home. She removed her hand from his thigh and placed it over his, which was still resting comfortable in her lap. She made sure their fingers intertwined before moving it up. “Remember when we were kids and we used to getaway in your car for hours?”

Did he. Ryan could still vividly remember the first time they hooked up in his car. For years there had been such charged energy between them that Ryan didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, this was his best friend’s younger sister. On the other hand, he quite literally couldn’t keep himself away from her. And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that they literally grew up together. It began with instances like Whitney sitting beside him on an old porch swing one night, where Ryan felt like his body was on fire. It continued to other instances, like when they were playfighting in the pool one night and Ryan couldn’t get out at the same time because…he had something to hide. Then, later that summer, Whitney and Ryan shared their first kiss. It almost didn’t happen, because Ryan was convinced Gareth would be lurking in a bush ready to kick his ass, but they were safe. From the moment he felt Whitney’s lips on his, he was a goner. He knew that there would be nothing else like it. They kissed more than a few times after that, and each one was their little secret. It progressed to Whitney and Ryan texting each other in secret. Nobody knew about the kisses. Nobody knew about the pictures she was sending him, either. Not nudes, but suggestive enough.

When Ryan came back the following summer, things were cranked up to 1000. Gareth wasn’t around as often because of his summer courses (though he was still around quite a bit), and Owen had already moved to British Columbia, which meant that unless Ryan and Gareth’s friends were around, when they were alone, Ryan and Whitney got into a lot of trouble. Kisses turned to makeout sessions – on couches, in his bed, on her bed. Then makeout sessions on couches or beds turned into makeout sessions in Ryan’s car, when they’d drive to Goderich together to watch the sunset over the lake but end up not seeing the sunset at all. Kisses and makeout sessions turned into touching, too. Lots of touching. Whitney could still remember what it felt like the first time Ryan’s hand snuck underneath her sundress and in between her legs. Ryan could still remember what it felt like the first time Whitney zipped down his pants and snuck her hand beneath his underwear.

They were supposed to be watching the sunset one night when Whitney made the suggestion that they have sex. Ryan was against it at first, coming up with any excuse he could. “You’re my best friend’s younger sister” was the obvious one. “You’re barely seventeen” was his other, more plausible excuse. Whitney didn’t care; she didn’t care that he was older and she didn’t care about his excuses. He was the safest, most natural, most responsible, most loving choice. All the boys at school were gross little perverts, and here was Ryan, who had always looked after her, who was always asking if he could stick his hand down her pants, always asking if he could grope her boobs. Most of all, she wanted it because she knew he loved her. There was no way it could be with anyone else. She wanted him so badly that it was driving her insane. But then there was a moment when Ryan looked into Whitney’s eyes and everything changed. They weren’t desperate – far from it. They weren’t even pleading. Instead, what he saw in her eyes was everything he loved about her, all the memories they shared growing up together, all the times they had each other’s back when they broke a vase or had some unexplained bruise or fed their vegetables to the Napier’s dog, Cinnamon.

And so, as the sun set over Lake Huron, in Ryan’s car, they had sex.

And they hadn’t stopped since.

“Of course I remember,” Ryan said. He made a right-hand turn onto the street. Whitney knew it would only be a minute or so until he pulled into her small driveway. “I—I always remember those times. Those were some of my favourites.”

Whitney squeezed his hand again. She was wearing pants, but when she guided Ryan’s hand between her thighs, he could feel her core. “They’re some of my favourites, too.”

“Why are they for you?” Ryan asked.

Whitney took a moment to collect her thoughts. “I—it’s gonna sound weird, Snook.”

He gave her a look from the driver’s seat. “I spit in your hand the other night and told you to touch yourself. We’re past the point of weird, sweetness.”

Whitney couldn’t help but snort. He was right, that was for damn sure. “I’ve always thought you were attractive. Like, once I hit puberty, I found myself only being attracted to you, or, like, trying to find guys that looked like you so it wasn’t you because I thought it was wrong at first. And so when we started hooking up, for me, it was a lot about the emotions, sure, but more so about, like…the physical. Like…your body, Snook. Just…your entire body is just so big and strong, and when you’d hover over me or I’d get to run my hands along your back or your chest, I just couldn’t get enough of your body. There’s always been something so visceral about your body to me. So remembering back to the first time I got to touch it…God, I could make myself come right now just thinking about it.”

Ryan stayed silent for a few moments, taking in everything Whitney had to say. “For me,” he began slowly, “it’s some of my favourite memories because I—you—you were always just a ray of light. Like so many people got moody and pretentious, but you didn’t. You matured and whatever, but you still experienced joy. Every day wasn’t the end of the world for you. You saw every day as a chance to experience joy.”

Whitney was smiling. “I talk about you like a hot piece of ass, and you talk about me in the most beautiful way.”

“You were always a handsy kid,” Ryan joked. He finally turned into her driveway, parking the car and turning it off. “But your body was just as enticing, sweetness. I still remember the first time I touched you too. How your body responded immediately. Just like now,” his voice was getting lower and lower, his eyes focusing on his hand between her thighs.

Whitney leaned over the centre console first, kissing Ryan sweetly. Their lips couldn’t leave one another’s, and eventually, Whitney began climbing over to get into Ryan’s lap. He pushed his seat all the way back so they would be more comfortable. His hands immediately went underneath her top as they continued kissing, and everything felt back like it did in Goderich, on the coast of Lake Huron. From the kissing to the touching to the windows fogging up.

With Ryan’s hands over her breasts, Whitney felt overwhelmed – but in the best way. “Make love to me here, Snook. Just like we used to,” she breathed out.

“Yeah? You want it?” Ryan asked.

She nodded. “I want it. I want you, Ry.”

Somehow, Ryan helped Whitney out of her pants. Then, somehow, she pushed his down too, sticking her hand down his underwear to free his cock. His hand travelled down between her legs, teasing at her lips and causing her to moan. “You remember the first time I touched you like this?” Ryan asked. Whitney nodded her head. “You remember how you were squirming in my lap?”

“I was trying to get your fingers deeper.”

Ryan giggled. “Your entire body was shaking when I touched you.”

“Because I couldn’t believe you were,” she said. “Things I had dreamed about for so long were happening.”

Ryan pushed a finger ever-so-slightly into Whitney’s pussy, causing her to catch her breath. “What else did you dream about?”

“It—it started with you kissing me. Then I would dream about your hand or your mouth on my pussy,” she explained as they looked each other in the eye. “The first time I dreamt of us having sex, I woke up in the middle of it and I was touching myself.”

“Fuck Whit, you never told me that before.”

“Did you ever dream about me, Snook?”

“All the time,” he nodded. “Still do, sweetness.”

“What do you dream about?”

“Most of the time it’s burying my face in your sweet pussy,” he began, pushing his finger further into her. “Can I tell you a secret, sweetness?”

“Yeah?”

“Sometimes, when it’s been long since we’ve seen each other, I dream about something as simple as holding your hand.”

Whitney couldn’t help but smile. He called her sweetness, but he was sweetness personified. He said things like that all the time, and it didn’t matter what it was, but Whitney would fall for it every time. He was so sentimental. “Make love to me Snook.”

He guided his cock to her entrance and she lowered herself on top of him, gasping at the angle that he was entering her, especially since they were so close physically. It took her a few moments to get used to the feeling. This wasn’t the first time they had hooked up in a car since they were horny teenagers, but it had definitely been a while. “You feel so good, Whit,” Ryan huffed, gripping at her hips.

“Can you do me a favour?” she asked, opening her eyes and finally focusing back on him.

“What’s that?”

“Can you kiss me here?” she asked sweetly, moving her hair out of the way and pointing to her jawline.

Ryan smiled. “Of course,” he mumbled, already moving forward to place kisses exactly where she wanted them. She grabbed onto the backrest right by his shoulders.

“And here,” she pointed to her neck, causing Ryan to move down.

She began moving in his lap, slowly, running a hand through the hair at the nape of Ryan’s neck. He moved back up to her lips and they kissed for a while, Ryan’s tongue down her throat and hands squeezing her hips. She didn’t want this to end quickly, so she didn’t move quickly, either. There was something so intimate about the moment, despite them being in the front seat of a car. Reminiscing on their memories right before this must have been the kicker. Ryan was just as gentle then as he was being now, except now they both knew what they were doing.

“Ry?” she pulled away so they could look each other in the eye.

“Hmm?”

“D’you love me?”

“Of course I love you,” he said, kissing her right afterwards. “D’you love me?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “It’s only ever been you, Ry.”

He hummed in happiness. “It’s always about you for me.”

Whitney leaned forward, giving him small, light kisses along his jawline and neck before moving up to his ear. “Tell me I’m yours, Ry.”

“You’re mine, sweetness,” he huffed into her ear. “All mine.”

“All yours,” she repeated. She didn’t belong to him – that he made clear – but she was his, and he was hers. “Look at me, Ry.”

He did. His eyes were so blue, Whitney thought that the oceans were captured in his eyes. They were always like that, but when he grew the dark beard, they somehow became even more prominent. “You’re so beautiful, sweetness,” he said. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful girl in my life.”

Whitney couldn’t help but smile. While fucking Ryan was out of this world, making love to Ryan was the best. While fucking felt so good, and so satisfying, and always left them wanting more, making love brought an emotional fulfillment neither could get from anyone else. “Your girl.”

“My girl,” he kissed her passionately. The windows had fogged up so much, but their pair continued kissing anyway, Whitney’s grinding in his lap giving them more and more pleasure slowly but surely.

Whitney moved to kisses along his jaw when she felt herself getting close. “I want to feel you come inside me, Ry. Will you do that for me?” she whispered.

“Anything for you, sweetness,” he tightened his grip on her hips.

She didn’t move any faster, but she could feel Ryan guiding her back and forth. They were looking into each other’s eyes the entire time as they got closer and closer to their release. It seemed as if even their breaths were in sync, huffing out laboured breaths until Whitney became louder and louder. When he came inside her, Ryan could feel her legs shake in his lap, the moans escaping her as she nestled into the crook of his neck. “Oh fuck Ry…” she didn’t know what else to say, couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Was that what you wanted, sweetness?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “It was just like when we used to sneak away to Bluewater Beach.”

Ryan smiled again, and he knew Whitney was smiling too. He slipped out of her, but they stayed embraced for a while longer before they began to feel the cold permeate the car. “Let’s go to bed, Whit.”

She sighed, knowing she’d have to get off his lap. She looked him in the eye one last time before resolving to climb off him and back into the passenger’s seat. “Will you hold me?”

“I’ll do anything you want me to,” Ryan promised.

They redressed and rushed inside, desperate not to feel the cold night air for too long. Whitney washed off her makeup and Ryan got ready for bed, lying in bed in his boxers with the blanket open until Whitney slipped in. He made sure to set his alarm for 9:30 before outstretching his arms and having Whitney cuddle in to him. Just like he promised, he held her as they fell asleep.

“I love you, Snook,” Ryan heard Whitney say, barely above a whisper, right before she fell asleep.

“I love you too, Whit,” he responded, placing a small kiss on her shoulder.

***

“She was very nice,” Bee said to Aberdeen as she helped load the dishwasher of all the glasses used for the surprise party. “She was mentioning how she and Ryan grew up together in Seaforth. She’s got two older brothers, and Ryan’s got three other siblings, and they’re all best friends.”

“That’s so nice,” Aberdeen said, slightly buzzed, trying to hide from Bee that she was going to lose her balance any minute. She gripped on to the counter top for dear life. “Did you watch them at all? See anything fishy?”

Bee furrowed her brows. “Uh…no? Why? Did you?”

Aberdeen shrugged her shoulders, a playful grin playing on her face. “I don’t know what’s going on, but they’re not just friends.”

[james-a-b]

W!

!!!!! getting one ask for this game surprised me tbh, two is incredible and you need to know that if i were a golden retriever i would be wagging my tail SO fast

anyway, they've done a fair number of things that have surprised and delighted me, but my favourite is and always will be the moment they broke out in song during TATINOF.

To provide some context there- at the time, youtubers doing a show the way Dan and Phil did was absolutely UNHEARD of. No one had ever done anything like it before, and no one really knew what to expect. The show I saw was in Seattle, near the end of the US leg of the tour, but Dan and Phil had asked everyone to avoid spoiling the show for others, and I'd managed to avoid any spoilers that WERE out there pretty much entirely. I went in blind.

That day was the best day of my life. Not solely because I was seeing TATINOF; Seattle is my favourite city and we went on the underground tour and ate a pizza that was almost bigger than our table and went to the pop culture museum, where they had a Dalek and a Cyberman and a bunch of other really cool movie/show props, but seeing Dan and Phil was definitely the highlight of the day.

I'd been depressed for almost a decade and actively suicidal for going on six years at that point, but when I first discovered Dan and Phil in the fall of 2015, I realized for the first time that the way I was feeling and had been feeling wasn't just a natural part of growing up. They seemed so alive and so so happy in a way I'd never seen from an adult before, and it gave me hope that maybe I could feel that way again, too. So they meant and still mean a great deal to me. They saved my life.

TATINOF had just begun touring the UK when I started watching, and then in early 2016 they announced they were coming to America. Now, I'm Canadian, and I was living in Kelowna, BC, so I was understandably disappointed when the nearest show was in Phoenix, Arizona, too far to travel to. But then, a month later, they announced more dates, and Seattle was among them. So I begged my parents to get me to Seattle for the show.

Mom bought my ticket, and Dad arranged a Seattle trip. Mom offered to buy me a VIP ticket, by the way, but I thought about it and then decided I'd rather have a regular ticket in part because I was such a new fan and in part because the thought of standing in front of them and being seen made me want to spontaneously combust. (I did get a VIP ticket to II, and then I ended up spending the first half of the show hyperventilating bc I got too excited/overwhelmed lmao)

I remember specifically choosing a balcony seat because while I knew Dan didn't enjoy audience participation from an audience perspective, I wanted to play it safe. Just in case. And Dan did make some jokes about asking for audience participation, so I'm actually glad I did. My heart could barely handle things as is!

The show was... indescribable. I'd taken art to submit to crafty corner, and while it wasn't chosen, I was absolutely beside myself just knowing they'd seen it. And during the show, they took things so much farther than anyone ever expected them to, with the suggestive themes of the fanfiction part (brokeback montain references?? only one tent??? this was YEARS before they came out, mind, and they'd NEVER really leaned into or encouraged that sort of thing before) and then Dil being revealed as the entity causing everything, and then, on top of literally every amazing incredible thing they'd already done in the show, they started SINGING??

We knew they did little songs for things like baking videos, but that was a FAR cry from performing onstage, and they were hardly professional singers, so a musical number was absolutely the last thing I expected to actually happen. I absolutely screamed myself hoarse during the course of that show, as did most everyone else in that theatre, but I don't think I've ever screamed so loud as I did when they started singing.

So... yeah. That's my answer.

(ask game here)

[bcacstuff]

Another update on the Canada trip

Yesterday I posted his tweet "beautiful BC.." and this picture he posted on August 7 2013 (just after he finished HoL and was casted for OL, starting in fall 2013)

Diana G reposted his pic on FB quoting the text and adding

Just days before he tweeted

This woman wrote about it (in 2015)

Saying the above pic was in the Rockies, and he also posted a picture on IG and FB

Sam had posted an Instagram selfie of himself beside a lake.  I looked at the photo and posted on Facebook, “That looks suspiciously like he’s in the Okanagan…”  i.e. my home town of Kelowna. 

and

He posted assorted photos from around our region, including one of a relation and a beat up old pick up that they were travelling around in. 

The 'relation' being his brother of course. The pictures might have been these ones:

She goes on about seeing him stranded on the side of the TransCanada Highway, and finding out he tweeted about that

Nothing about Comax though or seeing a Spitfire. Anyway thought my Canadian readers discussing this might find it useful additional info.

Thanks @brian-in-finance finding the FB post and the story of Shawn Thanks, @bootsaucepunk for finding the additional pics

[seedlessmuffins]

favourite part about british columbia? (that doesn't give away too much about u)

oh bestie i have so many you don’t even know!

vancouver bias aside, i love love love the lake cities of the interior, especially nelson and west kelowna. the kootneay lake and the okanagan are so nostalgic for me, i love it there.

honestly any vancouver beach i love, but sunset beach is my fav of all time! it’s also so crazy to me because it’s a white sand beach with palm trees in downtown van like that’s so silly. speaking of sunset beach, i miss going to granville island, the food there is so good and i love window shopping (i don’t have nearly enough money for anything there). i bought a recycled paper notebook there once and it was so pretty i ran out of pages but i keep it to look at

the ferry to the island is also underrated, especially when it’s sunny and you can see seals and whales? the views from the ferry are only matched by the sea to sky highway, another fav. my fav island is galiano, if you’ve never been it’s a perfect day trip it’s so small but so pretty and there lots of camping spots and farmers markets, and at the ferry terminal there’s a little wood fired pizza shop and a bookstore that i love.

and then honestly any local hike is the best, i love going on hikes with my friends especially in the morning the vibes are unmatched

if i had to pick one place though? garibaldi mountain 🥰

[brainrattlers]

Play It Cool - Tyson Jost (24/n)

Author's notes: Lots of feels this chapter, but it'll end on a good note, I promise. I didn't want to dwell on it too much because it was going to make me sad too. So get ready for this rollercoaster! Also it's a late night write/post, so I'll edit it more in the morning, all errors are my own.

Pairing: Tyson Jost x OFC (AJ)

Word Count: 4914

Warnings: Language probably. Just assume that always. Depression.

Need to back up a chapter? Here's 23! https://brainrattlers.tumblr.com/post/696530198978576384/play-it-cool-tyson-jost-23n

Tyson dropped his bag and ran up to his grandparents, giving them both big hugs. AJ and Laura immediately hugged and said hello, followed by the same with Kacey and Grandma Emily.

“It’s so good to finally meet the infamous AJ!” Grandpa Jim smiled big while pulling her in for a tight hug. “Glad you could come out to visit!” He tried to grab AJ’s rolling carry-on, but she insisted she could get it.

The ride to Laura’s was well planned at least - the family brought two vehicles now that there were six of them traveling back. Laura and Kacey took one vehicle, and the grandparents, Tyson and AJ were in the other. All sorts of questions were already being asked, about the flights, about how things were settling in St. Paul. AJ was pretty quiet, still a little groggy from all the Dramamine from the flights, as well as just watching all the sights around her as they traveled about. She apologized, not meaning to be rude, but was just a little foggy still.

The first day was pretty lazy, everyone had the day off and just relaxed around the house. AJ and Tyson helped Laura make dinner for everyone that evening. Card games were played, and AJ was, but wasn’t, surprised at how competitive the Josts were while playing. All sorts of conversations were had, mainly about AJ to learn more about her and how she ended up with Tyson (and she still insisted on telling the sanitized version, despite Laura smirking, knowing full well how that story really happened). (I’m actually pretty certain that Laura, if not Tyson, filled them in on the real story. Tyson would have no shame in that he was simply wearing a towel the first time he met AJ. That sounds like something he’d brag about, really.)

AJ’s favorite part of the first day though was seeing all the photos and memorabilia of Tyson all over Laura’s house. But don’t be fooled, there is just as much pride in Kacey as well, with volleyball photos and trophies scattered around. Seeing the two kids growing up, excelling in their own sports was inspiring. AJ didn’t have anything she was that great at, all she had was bowling, and she only pulled off taking 2nd at Women’s State Tournament in Singles one year.

It was also a trip seeing Tyson’s room, which pretty much hadn’t changed much since before he left for UND. Laura had made a few upgrades to it while he was out in Kelowna at Pursuit of Excellence with his cousin, Brendan. But otherwise, it was pretty much the same. A few framed photos on the walls, a small bookshelf, and a pile of dumbbells in the corner. Tyson was actually really excited about this though. Back at new home, the two share a king-sized bed (and AJ has gotten better about not crowding the one side Tyson is on), but here that most definitely wasn’t the case. In fact, pretty sure Laura had not intended on Tyson bringing guests with him that he’d be sharing a bed with when he got a couple upgrades, so he had a full-size there. 

At least it wasn’t a twin?

But yes, Tyson was pretty excited at the fact that they’d have to curl up close at night. In fact, he was so excited, he pinned AJ against the back of his bedroom door, kissing her neck. As much as AJ wanted to see where it would lead, she had to stop Tyson’s advances.

“Mr. Jost, we are under your mother’s roof, and we will be respectful of that, at least when she’s home…” AJ winked.

The look of shock on Tyson’s face was epic, he had not expected that to ever come out of her mouth. But, for the time being, they definitely needed to follow the rules in AJ’s eyes. This was so different than when Laura and Kacey had come out to visit at Christmas, that was their turf. This time, it’s Laura’s. But AJ was willing to bend those rules as much as she could.

Laura knocked on the door before opening it. “Everyone decent? I don’t know if Tyson showed you where towels are, but they’re in the closet next to the bathroom, and if you need anything, just holler.”

AJ nodded, “Thanks, I really appreciate you letting me stay here with you all. I didn’t mean to crash the party.” 

Of course AJ was being overly apologetic, as she does.

“Hush, you know I love having all my kids here. I just wish it was slightly different circumstances. But either way I’m glad you’re here,” Laura hugged AJ. “Good night you two, no funny business, Tyson. Sleep well.”

Tyson gasped, feigning offense before he hugged his mom goodnight.

With a quick trip to the bathroom to prepare for bed, AJ found that Tyson was already in bed, laying back, hands behind his head that was propped up enough to see her tiptoeing toward him.

“If only past me knew that future me was going to have this amazingly gorgeous, smart, funny and kind woman in this very bed with me… I don’t think past me would have believed it.”

AJ shook her head in disbelief at his words, maybe a touch of a blush tinting her cheeks as she crawled into Tyson’s waiting arms. It was definitely a closer fit in bed, but the two were able to spoon for a bit, before at least flipping so they were still touching, butt-to-butt… it’s typically how they end up, especially because AJ overheats so quickly in the summer. 

Tyson was sound asleep after being lulled by the familiar feelings, sounds, and smells. AJ on the other hand was wide awake, not used to any of it. The only thing keeping her grounded was the fact the familiar sound of Tyson’s soft snores filling her ears. She flipped back over and was the big spoon curling herself around the body next to her. AJ found herself asleep just as hard as Tyson was after the long travel/meeting the family day.

The next couple of days were lazy days as Laura had to work, and left Kacey, Tyson and AJ to their own devices. The two toted AJ around the area, showing off places of interest to them, like where they went to elementary school, the rink Tyson first played hockey at. They also spent some time with the grandparents, where AJ got to hear all sorts of stories about Tyson growing up. Kacey was definitely into spilling the tea on Tyson as well - the poor guy didn’t stand a chance.

With the playoffs still going on for other teams, Jess made plans with Tyson and AJ to catch a game in Edmonton together. Tyson decided against going to the game, but agreed to getting dinner and drinks before/after the game. 

For Tyson, that wound was still fresh. Imagine working several years toward your dream, and then you get sent to a different job elsewhere, and your previous crew achieved said dream without you. That’s gotta sting. The fact the Avalanche kept rolling on in the playoffs stung horribly bad. He couldn’t bring himself to go to the game itself, it simply hurt too much.

“Babe, you can still go. I know they’ve been your team forever,” Tyson tried to convince AJ to still go without him, “I’ll definitely be there for dinner and drinks with Jess though. I miss her!”

The Avs arrived in Edmonton, and AJ found herself crashing at Jess’ hotel for the night. Just like any other pre-gaming, the night before was spent making signs, and watching Sandra Bullock movies. For some reason, it never failed, these two ended up watching some movie of her’s. Dallas had them watching Miss Congeniality 1 and 2. They watched The Heat, and The Blindside. Pretty sure one night they even watched Speed.

Tonight’s choice? The Proposal.

The Proposal was one of Jess’ favorites, which maybe explained why she seemed so giddy while watching it. I mean, Ryan Reynolds in a towel? Yes please. But she seemed more giddy than normal, even more than after a few margaritas. The two of them spent the entire evening drinking and working on their signs for the next day.

Letting the women sleep in as it was a late night, Tyson picked up AJ and Jess and took them around to some of his favorite spots before they settled on dinner. And as he said he would, he had dinner with them, Jess and Tyson catching up more than anything.  But as dinner ended, Tyson excused himself, saying he would meet up with them again after the game, either for maybe drinks, or at least get them back home. AJ could see something off with Tyson, and offered to skip the game, but he insisted as he dropped them off at the arena.

With signs in hand, the two women headed down to the glass on the Avs warmup side. Familiar faces lit up seeing AJ waving and holding up her sign. Even Mikko, who called AJ a traitor in Minnesota a few weeks prior, seemed pretty happy to see her. As warmups ended, AJ and Jess found their seats. The phone in AJ’s pocket buzzed as she sat down.

Tyson: I didn’t mean to be a buzzkill, I’m sorry

AJ: You’re fine. Is everything okay?

Tyson: Yeah, I just… things are kind of bothering me.

AJ: I’m so sorry babe, I really can leave now if you want me to.

Tyson: No, you spend time with Jess. Go, have fun. Text me when you’re ready to head home. 

AJ: Okay. Love you

Tyson: Love you too Eggo

AJ apologized to Jess for zoning out for a few moments talking with Tyson. She didn’t mean to be rude. Eventually she just had to admit that Tyson was struggling a bit internally with how things were playing out. Jess understood though, it really was a shitty outcome, how things played out with the trade. She wasn’t mad that AJ was trying to be there for Tyson, because clearly he needed it.

The two were able to focus on the game though, and the Avalanche won over the Oilers that night. Edmonton fans were none too happy about the outcome, but Jess was ecstatic. The mood had shifted some, and AJ wasn’t feeling much like partying a whole lot. After a single drink, AJ admitted she was pretty tired, and was ready to head out. She’d stay longer if Jess wanted to as well, but Jess had picked up on the attitude change. 

“Hey, no worries, go take care of what you need to. I should probably get back soon anyway, early flight and all.”

Tyson: I’m at The Pint, I can be there in about 15? Or you can walk over here?

AJ: We can walk, I don’t think it’s far. See you soon love.

Tyson: (heart emoji)

AJ and Jess did a quick tequila shot before they headed toward The Pint. Tyson spied AJ first, with a giggling Jess with her, giving a small smile. Through the crowd they found their way toward each other.

Someone grabbed him for a selfie, and a smile graced his face, but AJ could see it didn’t meet his eyes. All she could see was how tired he seemed. How much it seemed like he didn’t want to be there, as much as he faked it and it was pretty believable otherwise. 

AJ’s eyes met his as she nodded, understanding a bit of what he was feeling.

After finishing up with a few fans, Tyson grabbed AJ’s hand and pulled her in close. Checking in with each other, AJ looked up at Tyson, who breathed a small sigh of relief. With a squeeze of his hand, Tyson looked down and kissed AJ’s forehead, finding something that grounded him in her. 

Two girls standing nearby trying to get Tyson’s attention scoffed, sneering at AJ, eyeing her up and down. AJ did not appreciate the display, and took advantage of the disbelieving stares. Sliding her hand up Tyson’s neck and cheek, she pulled his cheek down, meeting her own face where she kissed him deeply and exaggerated. Upon pulling away, Tyson blinked trying to regain his bearings, and AJ smiled sweetly at the two gawking girls. Realizing they’d been bested, AJ’s competition sulked and walked away, on the prowl to find another man to entice.

“What was THAT for?” Tyson looked at AJ, still a little shocked by her boldness in public. 

AJ wasn’t really one for PDA like that, so it was very out of character for her. It did get him out of his head for a few moments though, which was a needed break. She just shrugged her shoulders, while he squinted, trying to figure out what just happened.

Still unsure of what just took place, Tyson whisked his lady and her best friend off toward his car, dropping Jess off first, and then heading home with AJ. It was a quiet drive, with Tyson’s hand sitting high up on AJ’s thigh.

“What happened tonight?” AJ broke the silence, “Do you want to talk?”

Tyson bit his lip, contemplating his next words carefully. “It’s just… I’m just… tired. Frustrated. I just can’t do this right now.”

“Tyson, I’m lost, what’s going on?” AJ was genuinely concerned. He was sounding like her when she was having her down days, and she didn’t like it. She figured out this is what it must feel like for Tyson when she was down.

“It’s just been difficult here lately,” Tyson kept his eyes on the road, continuing, “I don’t know, it sounds dumb, but, it just sucks, you know? I want to be happy for all of them, you know? But I can’t. It hurts…I was supposed to be with the team.” 

“I can’t even imagine what it feels like. But I’m here for you, yeah? Always and forever.” AJ put her hand on top of his still on her thigh. “I may not know what to say, but I’m always here to listen.”

With a nod, Tyson pulled into the driveway at his mom’s house. They quietly got inside, and went directly to bed. The mood was still a bit of a downer, the two directly went to bed. Instantly, AJ pressed her cheek to Tyson’s shoulder, and hugged him into her tightly. He melted into her arms, feeling like everything was better when she was holding him. He still let go of a shaky breath, and she knew he wasn’t completely good. Her hope was that a good night’s sleep might help.

Unfortunately, for both of them honestly, it felt like things were spinning a bit out of control. The further the Avs went in the playoffs, the further that knife felt like it was being jabbed into Tyson’s gut. AJ shut off her phone so she wouldn’t get updates on the game. More nights than not, Tyson was in AJ’s arms, tears falling down his cheeks, sobs coming and going when he’d think about what could have been had he not been traded.

Of course, not quite sure how to handle the situation, AJ was just listening, letting Tyson vent and get it all out. After a number of nights trying to soothe Tyson’s heartache, she called in the big guns for help.

“Laura, can I ask you for some advice?”

Take stock in the saying “Mother knows best.” Because often, she really does. With Tyson moping around the house, barely leaving, seemingly going through the motions, Laura put her foot down and put on her coaching hat.

Breakfast that morning was a bit unexpected with the conversation that ensued.  

“So what are you up to this evening, Tyson?” Laura knew full well that it was Game 2 between the Avalanche and Lightning, but she was going to make a point.

Tyson sighed and poked at the eggs on his plate, pushing them around. “I don’t know, probably go to bed early or something.”

Laura quirked an eyebrow at AJ. The statement was bland and monotone. It was the least animated AJ had ever seen Tyson be.

“Hey, how about… you go for a run before dinner tonight? We’ll have dinner together, and then you can see how you feel.”

Tyson hadn’t been on a run in quite a while, and Laura knew it was something that would clear his head. Focusing on his cadence, his breathing, it would put him into a place that was empty, free of frustration and being depressed. Plus those endorphins would do him some good. 

And Laura was right, the run helped him that night. He still avoided the game like the plague. AJ relied on texts from Jess, and not the sound of the ESPN app on her phone letting her know someone else had scored. (In fact, that would have been 7 times that night, as the Avs won 7-0, bringing game three to Tampa.)

The next day, Tyson had some news. He’d been texting Dumba, who was working with Empowers Performance in Edina, who wanted him to come out and train for the summer. He could work it around the dates he was with Dynamic in Edmonton. There might be some hopping back and forth a bit.  Even more, he was talked to by a few people affiliated with Da Beauty League, and after a couple players dropped out, they heard Tyson was possibly going to be in Minnesota a bit more this summer and hoped he’d be on a team. Things were starting to look up for him a little. He had things to focus on that weren’t the Avalanche continuing their quest for the Cup.

Despite extending the trip longer than the original week and change, the new plan brewing in his head also was dashed (his intent was to stick around until Canada Day, July 1, as his grandpa had a concert as part of the festivities), so he remained flexible. The couple headed back to the States, and Tyson started training a bit more. 

He was feeling pretty good, feeling a little better mentally AND physically. Things seemingly were falling into place.  He and AJ toured a couple townhouses and apartments, and finally picked one. Tyson’s schedule was being hammered out between workouts and DBL in Edina, and working with Dynamic a bit still in Edmonton. And even better, he had a small get away break for her and AJ for Canada Day still, and he was super excited for this year’s, he knew it was going to be unlike any other one for his family.

But just as things started going well, they stopped again. Humanity showed how ugly it could be in the form of starting to get comments on his Instagram posts about how if he’d still be playing with the Avs, they wouldn’t be playing for the Cup. That he was a terrible player. There were some that were far worse, but I’m not going to continue feeding those trolls. And if you recall, he was the one telling AJ months prior to never read the comments… he did. And it broke his heart, and soul. He already was reeling with the fact that the Avs were so close to winning the Stanley Cup without him, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The depression was back… but between Laura, Kacey and AJ, they convinced him to get off Instagram for a bit. If it felt right, stay off it completely. If he missed it, he could come back in a few weeks, see if all the crap had settled down.

It was perfect timing to get off social media for him too, as his friends (former teammates) started posting all of their celebrations about winning the Cup. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see how much it tore Tyson’s heart from his chest. It was all too much.

Tyson sat there, glassy-eyed, not sure what to do. Finally, AJ did.

Grabbing his phone from his hands, AJ found the Instagram app, and temporarily disabled his account.

“There. No more. No more comments. No more seeing festivities. And you know what we’re going to do with this sadbrain going on? We’re going to channel it into bettering YOU. I know you are bigger than this. Time to prove it.” AJ thought Laura would be proud of that pep talk.

The timing was perfect. The next morning, Tyson felt free, more free than he’d felt in a long time. He went to work out at Dynamic, and worked HARD. He went for another run that evening. And the same the next day. And one more day before he and AJ made their way back to Minnesota. 

The break from social media was exactly what Tyson needed. AJ let him know that a lot of his followers were concerned about his sudden departure, but AJ didn’t say anything… it was not her needing to get away, it was him. And when/if he was ready, he could tell the story. But for now, it was allowing him to focus on working on himself.

And when they returned to Minnesota? The two signed on the dotted line of a new lease, and spent a few days moving in furniture and getting their new space in their new lives set up. He worked with Matt and the trainers at Empowers Performance. Tyson’s mental health was on the up and up, which made AJ’s life easier. In fact, the first night they were in the new place, AJ slept like a log. Not because she was exhausted from unpacking, but Tyson’s bed, the bed she’d spent so many nights on in Denver, was back. It felt familiar. The better sleep helped her own mental health, along with unpacking some of their favorite things, and finding homes for them in their new home.

Speaking of AJ, since returning to Minnesota, she picked up some freelance IT support work, mainly in the form of Tyson’s teammates and coaching staff needing help with computers and tech in general at their homes. She was able to have an income and not feel like she was mooching off of Tyson. She could put money toward rent, and buy groceries. 

Together, the two of them made a hell of a team, sharing the responsibilities around the new home. One would cook, the other stepped in to do dishes. They alternated between who did the laundry, who vacuumed the carpet. They just fell in perfect sync with each other.

Of course, their time there was short, as Tyson already had plans for Canada Day. Dragging AJ with him, not that he had to twist AJ’s arm too much, they made it to Edmonton for a couple days, including the holiday. Tyson was straight up GIDDY about it, and AJ couldn’t figure out why. He’d never really mentioned it before. The closest thing she could think of was the fact that he was just super big on being patriotic for his country… and while he was, this was not even remotely close to where his mind was.

Tyson actually left AJ alone for a bit the day before, saying he had to go pick up some supplies for his family’s celebration the next day.  AJ offered to come with, but he insisted she stay at home, and he’d be back. In his defense, he did come back with tons of food that could be grilled to celebrate the coming day. He also let AJ know that his grandpa’s band was playing a show during the afternoon, and it would mean a lot to him if they went.

AJ wasn’t about to turn down going to a show put on by Panache.

Laura, Grandma Emily, Kacey, Tyson, and AJ piled into the car, and headed for the concert. Tyson was super fidgety, bouncing his foot rapidly. This continued once they found seats. At one point, AJ was just looking around, people watching, and she swore she saw Nate there, but she figured it was definitely her imagination. It could have just been a guy with blonde hair wearing his hat backward.

The show was a lot of fun, with the band playing a lot of jazz standards.  Suddenly though, Grandpa Jim stopped the band, and said there was a special request. He nodded at Tyson, and shakily, Tyson got up and asked AJ for her hand to go dance with him. It was much smoother than the last time they danced in the small hotel room kitchen. 

With the music starting, AJ recognized it instantly as Chet Baker… she couldn’t believe Tyson talked them into learning “My Funny Valentine.” It’s a very short song, but Grandpa Jim playing clarinet provided the vocals for the song. The two swayed, spun and even dipped in those two and a half minutes.

At the conclusion of the song, AJ was getting ready to head back to her seat, not wanting to stall the concert any longer than necessary, she didn’t want to be rude. However, Tyson asked for a moment, and leaned down to tie his shoe. Grandpa Jim looked at him and suddenly gasped. A few others also audibly gasped. Very confused, AJ turned around to find Tyson down on one knee, tiny black velvet box in his hand.

Laura clasped her hands over her mouth.

Inside the box, was a white gold ring with a black sapphire center stone, surrounded by a halo of clear diamonds.

AJ was the next one to clasp her hands over her own mouth. She stared at the ring, and stared at Tyson, with a look of absolute “WTF?” taking over her face. It wasn’t the fact that he was proposing, hell, they’d already done that even if it were a secret. But this was next level. This ring was the exact one that AJ had shown Jess one day while the two of them were shopping for engagement rings for giggles months prior.  However for everyone else, it was a new situation for the two in this couple.

Tyson squinted a bit. “Will you be my funny valentine?”

The play on the song hit AJ right in the heart. And just like the last time he asked… she nodded emphatically, before finally finding her voice to squeak out a “yes.” Tyson slid the ring onto AJ’s finger, whispering softly, “I told you I’d get you a better one!”

The couple kissed, and the Jost family was still in shock. Clearly Grandpa Jim knew that they were playing the song, but he just assumed it was so the two could dance. He didn’t expect the proposal. So here he is, just like when Tyson was drafted, and scored his first goal… Grandpa Jim was straight up crying. The Jost family not in the band rushed the couple to congratulate them. AJ was showing off her ring… and was very confused suddenly. She’d never shown it to Tyson.

“Hey babe…. How… how did you know?” 

Tyson motioned over to the corner, where Jess and Nate were standing. AJ HAD seen Nate earlier! But it was apparently Jess that let Tyson know what to get AJ, after he specifically asked for her help.

(I’m not going to say Jess was all, “I know exactly what she wants, it’s this.” But…that might just be indeed what happened.)

Jess and Nate joined the crowd congratulating AJ and Tyson. They tried to keep it brief as Panache still had 3 songs left on their setlist, and probably not enough time to play them. The crowd dispersed back to seats and let the band continue. But between songs, and after the set, the congratulations flowed.

The two never let on that they’d already been engaged for months, this was all for show for the family and friends… and for AJ to give her a ring that wasn’t going to stain her finger a different color and smell of pineapple all the time.

The rest of the day, AJ couldn’t stop looking at her finger adorned with the black and white stones. The smile on her face wouldn’t stop either.

After the concert, the Jost family, complete with future Mrs. Jost, headed back home for the evening. Tyson agreed to man the grill, and AJ helped prepare a few side dishes. Jess and Nate were even there, enjoying the festivities. Dinner was had, and finally around 9:30, everyone was outside in the backyard, roasting marshmallows in the firepit. Looking up at the sky due to some loud crackles and booms, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the Canada Day fireworks going off. 

With the last explosions, most everyone went inside (or back to the hotel in the case of Nate/Jess), getting ready for bed.  The last two outside with the dwindling flames of the firepit still going were Tyson and AJ. With a blanket under them, they sat on the ground, Tyson holding her from behind. He was studying how the last few flames of the fire illuminated AJ’s cheeks with a soft glow. Kissing her shoulder, he realized just how perfect the day was. The two stayed this way until the fire finally went out. But unlike the fire in front of them, Tyson knew that their love was never going to die out. Chapter 25 is right here! https://brainrattlers.tumblr.com/post/697803948290146304/play-it-cool-tyson-jost-25n

[laresearchette]

Thursday, March 09, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: SCHOOL SPIRITS (Paramount +) TOP CHEF (Food Network Canada) 9:00pm THE TORSO KILLER CONFESSIONS (A&E Canada) 9:00pm   WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT HER STUDY OF A KILLER (TBD - Lifetime Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA HUGH VAN CUYLENBURG: G.E.M

CBC GEM ROAD TO THE JUNOS: SINZERE ROAD TO THE JUNOS: K-RIZ

NETFLIX CANADA YOU (Season 4 Part 2)

WBC BASEBALL (SN1) 5:00am: China vs. Japan (SN Now) 6:00pm: Italy vs. Cuba (SN Now) 10:00pm: Czech Republic vs. China (SN) 11:30pm: Cuba vs. Panama

CURLING (TSN/TSN4) 9:00am: 2023 Tim Hortons Brier: Pool Play (TSN/TSN5) 2:00pm: 2023 Tim Hortons Brier: Pool Play (TSN) 7:00pm: 2023 Tim Hortons Brier: Pool Play

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 1:00pm: Atlanta vs. Jays

TENNIS (TSN3/TSN4) 2:00pm: WTA 1000 Tennis: Indian Wells - Early Round Coverage Day #2 (TSN3) 9:00pm: WTA 1000 Tennis: Indian Wells - Early Round Coverage Day #2 (TSN30 11:00pm: ATP 1000 Tennis: Indian Wells - Early Round Coverage Day #2

NHL HOCKEY (TSN2) 7:00pm: Rangers vs. Habs (SN) 7:30pm: Oilers vs. Bruins (SN360) 9:00pm: Kings vs. Avalanche (TSN5) 10:30pm: Sens vs. Kraken

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 7:30pm: Warriors vs. Grizzlies (SN1) 10:00pm: Knicks vs. Kings

CANADA'S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (CBC) 8:00pm:  Teams travel to Kelowna, BC, for the Plane Pull, the tandem Rosé Roll, and the solo Trestle Trip challenge. The competition intensifies in the first elimination round and one team is sent home.

TRIGGER POINT (CBC) 9:00pm:  Lana works with New Scotland Yard to hunt The Crusaders before they carry out another terror attack, and she is confronted by the horrifying possibility that someone close to her could be involved.

THE GREAT POTTERY THROW DOWN (Makeful) 9:00pm: It's Garden Week and the eight remaining potters create a trio of character gnomes, before guest judge Adam Keeling sets them the task of making a sea kale forcer.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MIAMI (Slice) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE):  A grudge between Guerdy and Alexia taints her long-awaited wedding celebration; Larsa hosts a "new beginnings" party, but falls into old habits when she discovers a joke made at her expense; on Star Island, trouble bubbles in Lisa's marriage.

CHELSEA HANDLER (CTV Comedy) 10:00pm:  Few people love Canada quite as much as host Chelsea Handler; performers include Adam Christie, Jay Jurder, Vanessa Gonzalez, Sam Jay, Salma Hindy, and Atsuko Okatsuka.

CANADIAN REFLECTIONS (CBC) 11:30pm: The Flying Sailor / Delphine

[techrishlinkbuilding]

How Do I Get to Mustang Powder? - Whitegrizzly

If you're planning an exhilarating cat skiing adventure, Mustang Powder is a premier destination you won't want to miss. Nestled in the Monashee Mountains, this remote lodge offers some of the best powder skiing experiences in British Columbia. In this article, we'll guide you on how to get to Mustang Powder and make the most of your "mustang cat skiing" adventure.

Getting to Mustang Powder

Travel to Kelowna Your journey to Mustang Powder begins with getting to Kelowna International Airport (YLW). Kelowna is well-connected with direct flights from major cities across Canada and the United States. Once you arrive in Kelowna, you can rent a car or arrange for a shuttle service to take you to your next destination.

Drive to the Mustang Powder Staging Area From Kelowna, you'll need to drive approximately two hours to the Mustang Powder Staging Area. The staging area is located near the town of Cherryville, BC. Make sure to check road conditions and weather forecasts, as winter driving in the mountains can be challenging. A 4x4 vehicle with winter tires is highly recommended.

Snowcat Transfer Upon arrival at the Mustang Powder Staging Area, you'll transfer to a snowcat for the final leg of your journey. This ride is an adventure in itself, as you'll traverse rugged terrain and gain elevation on your way to the lodge. The snowcat ride typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding wilderness.

What to Expect at Mustang Powder

Mustang Powder Lodge is renowned for its deep, untouched powder and vast terrain. Here's what you can expect:

Exceptional Terrain Mustang Powder boasts over 15,000 acres of skiable terrain, with a variety of runs to suit all skill levels. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a first-time cat skier, you'll find plenty of challenging and exciting runs to explore.

Luxury Accommodation The lodge offers comfortable, cozy accommodations with stunning mountain views. After a day of thrilling "mustang cat skiing," you can relax in the hot tub, enjoy gourmet meals, and unwind in the lodge's welcoming atmosphere.

Professional Guides Safety is paramount at Mustang Powder. The lodge employs experienced guides who are knowledgeable about the terrain and trained in avalanche safety. They will ensure that your skiing experience is both exhilarating and safe.

Preparing for Your Trip

Book in Advance Mustang Powder is a popular destination, and spots fill up quickly. Be sure to book your trip well in advance to secure your spot.

Pack Appropriately Prepare for varying weather conditions by packing appropriate ski gear, including layers, a good quality ski jacket, pants, gloves, and goggles. Don't forget your avalanche safety gear, such as a beacon, probe, and shovel.

Stay Informed Keep an eye on weather forecasts and snow conditions leading up to your trip. Staying informed will help you pack and prepare adequately.

Experience the Thrill of Mustang Cat Skiing

Mustang Powder offers an unforgettable cat skiing experience, with pristine powder, expansive terrain, and top-notch amenities. Getting to Mustang Powder may require some planning and effort, but the reward is well worth it. Whether you're seeking adrenaline-pumping runs or serene, untouched landscapes, Mustang Powder has it all.

Embark on your "mustang cat skiing" adventure with White Grizzly, and discover why so many skiers and snowboarders consider it a must-visit destination. From the journey to the lodge to the incredible skiing experience, every moment at Mustang Powder is designed to exceed your expectations.

For more information about White Grizzly and to book your next cat skiing trip, visit White Grizzly.

[orchardgardensseniors]

Autumn Safety for Seniors in Retirement Living

As we enter autumn, it’s important for seniors to be aware of fall safety! While living in a retirement community provides additional safety that a senior living on their own doesn’t experience, there are still further ways seniors can stay safe this autumn. Here are our top five tips on how you can stay safe while retirement living in Kelowna.

Purchase Additional Warm Clothing

As the days get cooler and the cold months approach us, it is important to ensure you have enough warm clothing in your closet. It is important to stock up on socks, warm hats, long-sleeve shirts, warm pants, coats, sweaters, warm gloves, and comfortable house shoes. It is also a good idea to leave some of these warm pieces of clothing in your vehicle in case you need them.

Invest in Waterproof, Slip-Resistant Shoes

As leaves fall and the sidewalks get slick with rain, seniors are at a greater risk of falling. To help prevent this, you can purchase some waterproof, slip-resistant shoes! Not only will your feet stay warm and dry, reducing your risk of getting sick, but will also help you stay upright. These shoes can typically be used indoors or outdoors, and are very useful on slippery leaves or icy sidewalks or walkways. Indoors, they can help prevent accidental falls caused by poor lighting, water spills, or other tripping hazards.

Prevent Risks of Sickness

As we enter cold and flu season, seniors will find themselves at greater risk of getting sick. It is important to keep your immune system healthy. By staying hydrated and eating nutrient-rich foods, seniors can reduce their risk of getting sick. At Orchard Gardens, we provide balanced and healthy food and beverage options to our residents. Washing your hands often and avoiding touching your face are also great ways to keep germs away and prevent getting sick.

Don’t Leave Candles Unattended

Everyone loves the ambience and scent of candles in the fall. The warm flicker and glow of the flame create such a calming and nostalgic feeling. However, according to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 8,200 home fires are started by candles each year. Never leave your candle unattended, do not burn candles overnight, and ensure nothing flammable is too close to your candle.

Don’t Forget About Daylight Savings Time

This year, daylight savings is on Sunday, November 5th, 2023. With this change in time comes shorter days. The sun will start going down much earlier than it has been, which is important to keep in mind when you need to drive or walk anywhere in the evenings. 

—————————————————————————————————————————— If you’re looking for a VRS seniors retirement home that offers a fulfilling community, we are here for you. Feel free to contact us with any questions you have. Call 604.731.1020 to arrange a tour at one of VRS’ warm and friendly independent senior communities.

[college-girl199328]

Eight years ago, when Brian McNamara decided he wanted to become a critical care paramedic, the training he in Prince George. Vancouver was the only place in BC where Emergency Health Services offered the program he needed to advance his training to the highest level. He made the to leave his pregnant wife and spent the better part of the next two years away from his family to earn his credentials.

Since then, the COVID pandemic spurred the provincial government to invest more money in northern B.C.’s pre-hospital care system, and with that came the resources to develop a made-in-Prince George critical care paramedic training program. In December, it produced its first three graduates.

Planning for the CCP program started in late 2019 in response to a predicted surge of COVID-19 added staff and based a dedicated medical helicopter and additional fixed-wing aircraft at Prince George's Airport. The first intake of candidates - advanced care paramedics (ACPs) Spencer Ovenden, Eric Konkin, and Joseph Balfour trained two years ago, working closely with medical staff at the University Hospital of Northern B.C.

The program involves 18 months of training, starting with a post-graduate working in a hospital alongside doctors and nurses trained in intensive care interventions, trauma surgery, respirology, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and infectious diseases. Once licensed to the CCP level, the paramedics are eligible for a six-to-nine-month residency overseen by a group of UHNBC doctors headed by Floyd Besser, who also holds a CCP certification. A critical care paramedic responding to a call can bring the life-saving interventions of a hospital intensive care unit to the patient's ability to travel in a helicopter or fixed-wing plane to rural and drastically reduce response times.

In consultation with hospital physicians, a CPP determines a treatment plan for each patient to stabilize their condition and prepare them for transport. They have the authority to administer almost every drug a physician would and can perform procedures to restore heart rhythms or to clear an obstructed airway. If needed, a CCP can insert a breathing tube to intubate a patient to immobilize them and keep them safe and stable for the time it takes to get to a hospital.

Konkin, a 48-year-old Grand Forks native, worked as an ACP for 11 years in Kelowna. Throughout his 25-year paramedic career, he always wanted to become a CCP, but it wasn’t feasible until how CCP training to save lives in central and northern B.C.

Having those flights available to bring definitive critical care keeps ambulance crews and medical staff in outlying communities from having their facility to accompany a patient in a ground ambulance. Considering how vast the northern half of the province is, one road trip there and back can take an entire shift for a small-town medic.

Ovenden, 33, was working ACP shifts in the Lower Mainland when the opportunity to train in Prince George's was offered to him late in 2020. He considered medical school when he was committing to at least eight years of university before he could start helping the sick and Prince George his permanent home, like Konkin, and nearly doubled CPP ranks.

The new recruits allowed the Prince George's station to expand its CCP shifts around than just day shifts. CCPs fly in tandem with another critical-care paramedic to retrieve a patient. BCEHS has two fixed-wing planes and one helicopter based on one nighttime crew assigned to the is crewed for one daily 12-hour daytime shift.

Their hospital training in operating rooms and intensive care teaches CCPs how to maintain that level of care once the patient leaves the hospital so they can be transported to a receiving hospital. Ovenden says the balance between classroom instruction and clinical training in the two-year program prepared him for just about every situation he’ll encounter, and he will save more lives as a result.

The vast terrain he covers in northern B.C. means long flights with one patient, sometimes as long as four hours if the call is in Fort Nelson, in sharp contrast to the 15-minute interfacility flights common in the Lower Mainland. Ovenden knows CCPs who trained at Vancouver General Hospital, and they had to get in line with other medical students waiting to practice procedures. At UHNBC, a teaching hospital with fewer students, the wait.

Balfour, 42, moved to Prince George in 2019 after his wife got pregnant with their second child, and they knew they were about to outgrow their one-bedroom Vancouver apartment. The chance to become a homeowner and work brought him to Prince George's, and he jumped to learn critical care.

[msbarrows]

Jan 4 - slept in, but not terribly late, and then spent most of the afternoon scanning, mostly working my way through a thick binder of photo insert pages. Many of them had writing on the back, so I was doing both front and back scans in order to capture the notes as well. They were a series of trips - mostly fishing trips - my BIL's parents (sometimes accompanied by the BIL) took to places like the NWT and BC back in the late 80s. Between getting the photos out of and back into their slots, and the doubled scanning (totalling almost 300 images), it took all day for just that one binder.

Was later looking over a cardboard box full of random albums of various age that I'll be starting in on tomorrow, and found a newspaper clipping that finally solved for me the mystery of exactly how Mrs Arbuckle of Kelowna, BC was related to the BIL - she was his maternal grandmother after all. The clipping referenced the BIL's mother being taken down the aisle by her step-father, so clearly the Arbuckle surname comes from him, while the bride herself had what must be her biological father's surname. I'll have to make sure a copy of that goes into the folder specifically set aside for scans of stuff that makes genealogy clearer.

I made a vat of meat stock today out of a big ziplock of assorted stuff accumulated in the freezer (some of it going back to while my sister was still alive), and then turned part of it into a pot of soup for supper, while most of the stock got frozen for the nephew to find use for in future.

Looks like I'm only here a few more days, brother has said he aims to come down to retrieve me early next week.

[house-of-stars]

3, 5, 7, and 18!

3. favourite musical artist/group you started listening to this year?

ARKELLS!!!!! the arkells for sure. I’ve known about them for a while but never actually listened to their stuff. so finally did that this year and it was SUCH a good choice i love them so much, and i got to go a concert of theirs and it was the best show ever. i highly recommend!!!!!

5. tv show of the year?

problem with me is that i do not spend a lot of time watching shows or movies so i cant say anything that came out this year?? i just rewatch stuff i like and most recently it’s been Boy Meets World. love that show a lot and watch it every year

7. actor of the year?

again- i don’t watch a lot of things. hmm. maybe Florence Pugh? really enjoy her characters

18. a memorable meal this year?

oh SO many actually. went on a road trip this year for the first time ever so every single one of those meals just cuz everything was new and exciting. some were just pre-made salads in the hotel room but thinking about those meals makes me remember what we did and saw that day. Most memorable was probably this really expensive restaurant in Kelowna, it wasn’t even fancy really just super expensive but i mean that food was Delicious so it was worth it. i had a chicken burger and sweet potato fries with their special sauce, and an iced oat milk latte.

[lastfrontierh]

The Definitive Information To Heli-skiing In Canada

With entry limited to heli, small airplane, or boat, Silvertip enjoys the title of most remote heli-ski lodge in Canada. If you are on the lookout for ease of access, many Canadian outfits are based mostly in popular ski cities and a few have drive in access. More remote lodges might be accessible by way of industrial flights instantly into Calgary or Vancouver, or more remote airports, like Kelowna or Kamloops. Some may require a switch on a smaller charter to a regional airport. Many operations in Canada will provide heli transport or small flight transportation included within the value to more distant areas. Check within the inclusions part on our packages to see if a switch is included.

These boutique heli ski operators, while smaller than CMH and Mike Wiegele, supply an amazing luxurious ski vacation in distinction to any resort skiing. We suggest you place a heli ski vacation in your skier’s bucket listing, learn these important heli ski suggestions, and go to Canada – the birthplace and finest place on earth for helicopter skiing. Though I traveled to Terrace solo, I knew that my fellow riders would be a group of people keen about reaching one of the best skiing terrain available — and as a lot of it is potential.

In a region that receives metres (40-60 feet) of snowfall each winter, Selkirk Tangierswill blow you away with unbelievable powder conditions. Starting from CAD$5,599/ person Heli skiing BC for three days’ heli-skiing (all-inclusive). Starting from CAD$7,480/person for three days’ heli-skiing (all-inclusive). Starting from CAD$8,400/person for 4 days’ heli-skiing (all-inclusive).

Our guides allowed for plenty of freedom as we made our means down every run. We skied our means alongside the mountain, through every type of terrain from steep, slim channels to huge, wide-open bowls to zig-zagging, tree-gladed runs and extra. Whistler Heli-Skiing, the company I toured with, provides unique rights to nearly half one million acres of the Pacific Coast Mountain Range, terrain that features Heli skiing BC 173 glaciers and 475 breathtaking runs. Positioned handily close to Whistler village and its many, various accommodations, this trip provided the best combination of convenience and thrill. The Pisten Bullys deliver superior comfort and reliability when it comes to getting up the mountain to get the untracked snow.

His Tlingit First Nation ancestors guided gold seekers over the famous Chilkoot gold rush path of 1898, and Niko continues the custom of guiding and stewardship in the area. Sign up for the To the Mountains e-newsletter to receive expert-curated deals, journey guides and snow news. Guests who buy within the multi-day bundle receive unlimited skiing, lodging and meals. Stretching will allow you to stay limber and loose, not only bettering your efficiency, but minimizing the potential threat to your body on the slopes. Help these muscles relax and keep away from further ache or cramping the next day with an intensive post-ski stretch.

We in contrast options corresponding to gauntlet or cuff closures, wrist cinches, nose wipes, wrist leashes, clips, and heating components. Well-tailored fingers and low-profile leather reinforcements of the Fission SV make this one of the dexterous of the good and cozy gloves that we tested. We measured sturdiness based on our experiences with every mannequin. We punished these products during the testing period with daily and extended use over a number of ski seasons when potential. We additionally utilized priceless enter from dozens of different customers and OutdoorGearLab pals.

Includes unlimited vertical, transfers to/from Vancouver to Williams Lake Airport via aircraft and Williams Lake to Silvertip Lodge through helicopter, meals, and more. This season, a personal charter leaving from Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal at 7 a.m. Is included within Heli skiing BC the value and makes it possible to ski the day friends arrive. Plan to reach in Vancouver the evening before and keep at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel.

[apwmagazine]

Man Hit With $6,253 Kelowna Rental Car Bill After 30-Day Impound – Kelowna News

Man Hit With $6,253 Kelowna Rental Car Bill After 30-Day Impound – Kelowna News

Photo: Twitter – @ylwkelowna A man who planned to rent a vehicle from Kelowna’s airport for just two days is stuck with a $6,253 bill after the car was impounded for a month in Revelstoke. Amandeep Singh Dhindsa filed a dispute with the Civil Resolution Tribunal earlier this year, claiming Avis Car Rental overcharged him during a trip through the Interior last January. Dhindsa rented the car…

[bookaways]

Discover the best deals on flights to the Canada

Flight prices this time of year are sky-high, but don't worry! We've got some great deals just for you. Check out our flight search engine, and we'll show you all the best deals we could find.

If you're ready to book now, just click "buy now" and follow the prompts. Our system will automatically build a travel itinerary with the cheapest flights possible and compare it for you against other searches.

We want to make booking your next trip as easy as possible!

Lowest Flight Offers to Canada

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Thanks for checking in, have a great day!

{Bookaways.com}

[tassiecreek]

DISCOVER THE LAKES OF NORTH OKANAGAN FROM YOUR DOORSTEP

Buying land for sale in Vernon is not only about getting a slice of land to build your dream home. It’s also about living close to some of the greatest outdoors in the Okanagan. When you live in Vernon, you have easy access to a variety of lakes that are ideal for many water activities.

There are four main lakes in the Vernon area: Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake, Swan Lake, and Wood Lake. Each lake has its own unique features so make sure you visit and explore them all!

OKANAGAN LAKE

The largest lake in the region is Okanagan Lake, home of the legendary Ogopogo lake monster!

Beyond the lake monsters, this lake offers many kilometers of pristine beaches and campgrounds. It also connects all of the major cities in the valley. The lake begins in the south at Penticton, runs along Kelowna, and ends in the north at Vernon. 

The lake is 135 km (84 mi) long and 5 km (3mi) wide and is said to be 232 m (930 ft.) deep in places. It’s a favourite place for locals to go swimming, boating, wakeboarding, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing and more!

KALAMALKA LAKE

Kalamalka Lake is Vernon’s slice of heaven. This lake has an incredible colour that varies from teal to cyan to indigo. Surrounding this lake there are beaches, picnic areas, campgrounds, and hiking trails to explore. 

On hot summer days, make sure you head to Kal Beach early to find the best spot! This is one of the best beaches in the area. It’s a great spot for families to build lasting memories. You can also visit the Alexander Beach Pub for a cocktail at sunset!

People in Vernon spend their days swimming, boating and enjoying water sports. There are two provincial parks that let visitors explore Kalamalka Lake through the trails, parks, and beaches. Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park has campsites and hiking galore. Kekuli Bay Provincial Park has lakeside camping and a boat launch. 

There is also access to the Rail Trail, which lets people bike and stroll a historical railway path that stretches along Kalamalka Lake from Vernon to Kelowna. 

SWAN LAKE

Swan Lake is a quieter lake that lets visitors connect with nature. The lake is smaller and shallower than the comparative lakes. There is a network of wetlands that surround the tranquil shoreline. You will find wonderful bird watching here. Nesting and migration patterns are easy to notice at Swan Lake since there is a large population of ducks, waterfowl, marshland birds and more. Visit throughout the year to view the natural cycles of the local birds. Each season brings new wildlife and beauty to discover!

WOOD LAKE

Wood Lake is immediately south of Kalamalka Lake. This is the Okanagan’s warmest and most calm lake, which makes it a delight for fishing and paddle sports. There are two marinas to dock or launch your boat, Turtle Bay and Wood Lake RV. You can find camping and beaches to turn your visit into a weekend getaway!

A lakeside lifestyle is around the corner for you with land for sale in Vernon. Day trips, evening hikes along the water, summer days at the beach, and weekends spent boating are all at your fingertips when you live in Vernon. Discover the rare opportunity to build your dream home and live your ultimate lifestyle!