D.C. Eagles Hockey

Once, I knew this girl who sent a video of herself to her brother's best friend…while she was hopped up on pain meds. And he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Sounds like a hilarious story, right? WRONG. This really happened…to ME, Melanie Taylor. That was five years ago, so I’m over it—over him. At least, I thought I was…until West got traded to the D.C. Eagles and moved to the same city as me! Oh yeah, did I forget to mention my brother’s best friend is Weston Kershaw? An incredibly talented and famous professional hockey player?

I'm the notoriously angry, grouchy D.C. Eagles defenseman who just can’t keep his temper in check—a temper that leads to a fifteen-game suspension from the NHL. As if that’s not bad enough, I'm forced into a short-term youth-hockey coaching gig—which my manager swears will “rebuild my image.” But what I didn’t expect was for a gorgeous, spunky blonde to stomp onto the ice on day one and lecture me about being rude to her little brother.

After getting my heart broken, I’ve sworn off athletes forever. Then my best friend has to go and marry an NHL player, and his teammate, Colby Knight, won’t leave me alone. Colby is a master at scoring (on and off the ice), and he’s not used to being told no. So he takes my disinterest as an invitation to pursue me even harder. I ignore him…until I realize I can use his expertise to help me get my crush’s attention. But now that he’s my dating coach, and we’re spending so much time together, I’m growing more and more distracted. I mean, those dimples? Very enticing.

Ford’s love life isn’t non-existent, it’s just hopelessly one-sided. And the only woman he’s ever wanted—his childhood best friend, Amber—doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. So why bother dating? When Amber’s fiancé leaves her pregnant without health insurance, she’s prepared to do it all alone—until childbirth causes complications with her heart and she needs minor heart surgery. Ford proposes a plan: a quickie wedding, insurance for Amber and her baby girl, and two years of platonically wedded bliss.