Tate Jackson is the golden boy from California: blonde hair, easy smile, and the defensive star of the Ballad U hockey team. Girls usually fall at his feet, and life has always come easily for him. But every night, he ends up at The Retro Rooster, ordering the same coffee and burger. He tells himself it's the coffee that keeps him coming back, but really, it's the waitress who barely spares him a glance and somehow makes him want to earn one.
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Celeste is a single mom barely keeping it all together, raising her son, studying physical therapy, and working endless shifts while keeping her heart locked behind carefully built walls. One of her regulars always comes in late, ordering the same strange combo with a side of shameless flirting.
Letting someone in was never part of the plan, especially when she has more than just her own heart to protect. But the charming defenseman keeps chipping away at her defenses. The question is: can Celeste leave the safety of the neutral zone behind and take a chance on love, or will protecting her heart always come first?
