IceCats

Chandler Moon's career as a defenseman for the IceCats is on fire. However, his marriage has gone up in flames . . . literally. He's resigned himself to the single life and being the best dog dad he can be, but he still holds out hope that one day he'll find "The One." So, imagine his surprise when he runs into "The One Who Got Away": Amelia Justice. His best friend's baby sister. AKA: "The One Who Is Totally Off-Limits." Amelia is broken. The punches that life, and her ex-husband, have thrown at her have her down for the count. She's cut herself off from her family and friends as she works to rebuild her self-esteem and her spirit. Hidden away in a small town, she never expects to reconnect with "The One She Should Have Chosen." Chandler is so much more than he was in college: more handsome, more muscular, more tattooed . . . It was supposed to be a casual fling while Amelia and Chandler worked to put the pieces of their lives back together. But as every good hockey player knows, a rebound can turn into one hell of a goal.

Nico Merryweather is loud, cocky, and says exactly what he's thinking. People laugh it off because they think they know him. And Nico makes sure no one is close enough to learn the truth. With a new season starting, they'll all be watching Nico, the goalie, but they'll never know the man behind the mask. The mask that hides a diagnosis few take the time to understand. Aviva Pearce's life is a collection of bad days all wrapped up without a bow. If it can go wrong, it will. She isn't the type to waste time dwelling on her misfortunes or to give up, though. She's got too much fight in her. And she definitely doesn't have time to waste on the wildly sexy, showboating goaltender everyone wants. After being bullied as a child, Nico has worked hard keep up the illusion he's just like everyone else. But with Aviva, he's ready to take off his protective gear and score the most important goal of his life.

Kirby Litman has been abandoned by everyone in his life at one time or another since childhood. And when his cheating ex drops their baby girl in his lap and leaves the country, he vows he won't abandon his daughter, Celeste, like he was. Between parenting, hockey, and mentoring three brand-new young players, he doesn't have much time for himself. Though, when Jaylin Raventorn crosses his path again, he wants to stop the clock for her. Jaylin has had her eye on Kirby from the first moment they met over a year ago, but his surprise fatherhood threw their plans into the penalty box. Now that he's back in play-and with a cute new teammate to boot-Jaylin is as eager as Kirby to pick up where they left off. But will the love-'em-and-leave-'em lawyer be able to let go of her fears to build a future with the man who's always been left behind? Or will the hard hit from their pasts be too much for them to overcome?

Owen Adler has spent his whole life being half of a matched set. But when his twin brother Evan leaves hockey-and him-behind on the Carolina IceCats, Owen finds he has to skate a new path on his own. Angie Paxton knows a lot about being on her own. She pushed Nashville, and the trauma she experienced there, to the back of her mind and started over in South Carolina. And though she's blooming where she planted herself both academically and professionally, emotionally, she's been struggling under the weight of her past. Owen has had a thing for Angie since they were kids, but she would never give him the time of day. Now that they're reconnecting as adults, they quickly find they want to spend all their days together. Angie is struggling to let go of the insecurities that plague her, but growing up Adler has made Owen an expert at getting what he wants. And for him, Angie is the only goal worth making.

Good things happen in threes. D'Artagnan Miklas is a lucky dude. He's the leading scorer of hat tricks for the Carolina IceCats, he's got a solid group of loyal friends, and he has a cute little sister he adores. But his friends are all coupling up, and Dart is tired of being the odd man out. Then fate steps in, courtesy of a chance encounter at a hotel bar, and Tennessee Dent sets his world on fire for one amazing, unforgettable night. They both agree that's all it is . . . but they should know better than to threaten fate with a good time.

Audrina: I ran. I left everything I knew and didn't look back. I have loved my best friend since I the moment I knew what love was. We skated along the line but didn't cross it, and I never knew why. Until one night, I took matters into my own hands. Just when I thought we were going to be together, he pulled the rug out from under me. He broke my heart, and I had no choice but to take off. After three years, I thought I was in the clear, and I was finally building a life. Maybe not one I'd wanted, but one I loved. I should have known better. Thatcher: It's not everyone who can say their best friend was born the same day as they were and slept in the bassinet beside them in the hospital. But Audrina and I can. Every huge moment, Audrina was there. She had always been my rock. We spent our whole lives in some kind of limbo where it felt like we were in a relationship, but we weren't. While the lines were blurred, my feelings for her weren't. She took off, leaving me behind. And in the three years since she left, there hasn't been a moment I haven't been looking for her. I need her-not only as my best friend, but as mine. But now, I've not only found her . . . I've found she isn't alone.