Anyone who spends time with me knows two things. One: If I want something, I get it, which is how I end up back in my old college haunts, buying a dilapidated bar with my five best friends and staring down the barrel of an unknown future. Two: The idea of settling down makes my skin crawl, and that's how I made it to forty with zero serious relationships in the rearview mirror. At least I'm smart enough to hire the right people. Enter Salem Barlowe, the prettiest twink who ever twinked and my personal kryptonite.

Henri Vasel has perfected the art of people-pleasing. He's a good student, a fair hockey player, and has a group of friends he'd do anything for. He's happy. Or, rather, as happy as he can be when he has a class with the one person he can't seem to please at South Carolina University. Atlas Kaiser hates a lot of things, but right now he hates Henri Vasel the most. He doesn't want to have to stare at his perfect face or listen to his adorable German accent. He wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, they're partnered together for the semester.

If there’s one thing I don’t need upsetting my quiet and comfortable routine in the small town of Darling, Montana, it’s newcomer Ash Alcott crash landing on my family’s ranch like some sort of blonde angel. I don’t need his flirting. Or his smile. I don’t need the way he makes me question whether or not I’m truly happy being alone at forty. I certainly don’t need to be giving him riding lessons or appreciating the meals he cooks for the ranch.

I always thought of Silas Rush as my biggest rival on the track and a stuck-up loner off of it. He and his fancy pro career left our crappy hometown in the dust before high school even finished, and then I didn't think of him much at all. I was too busy trying to keep my little sisters from turning into addicts like our mom, and myself from turning into a rage-junkie like our dad. All while keeping food on the table. Now he's back, reminding me of all the things I don't have, just like he always did.

Hockey is in my blood. I learned to skate before I learned how to ride a bike. I’ve been on a wild ride, playing at the highest level for some of the biggest and best teams in the league. But now it’s over, and I’m not sure what to do with myself. So I'm going home to Elmwood. But I’ll tell you what I’m not gonna do—I’m not going to coach my buddy’s junior hockey league. No chance. I don’t know how to deal with kids, and besides, the other coach—who happens to be my best friend’s brother—hates me. With reason.