Downloading Back to Center Ice

She left to chase her dreams on the ice. Now, she’s back to save the only home they ever knew—if the woman she left behind doesn't freeze her out first. Emily Dawson has spent the last eleven years holding Birch Lake Community Arena—and her heart—together with duct tape and sheer willpower. As the manager of the struggling local ice rink, she has no time for distractions. She certainly has no time for the woman who broke her heart and left town without looking back. Former pro hockey star Alex Rivers had it all, until a blown ACL abruptly ended her career. Now, she's back in the hometown she swore she'd outgrown, carrying immense guilt and a desperate need to make amends. When the rink faces a financial crisis, Alex steps in to help save it. Working side-by-side in forced proximity, the emotional tension between them is thick enough to cut with a skate blade. The agonizing slow-burn of their shared past quickly threatens to melt the ice, leading to a fiery, high-heat reconciliation neither of them can resist. But as old wounds surface, they have to decide if their second chance is a permanent victory or just a penalty shot. What to expect: Sapphic / WLW Sports Romance High Heat & Angsty Slow Burn Second Chance Romance Small Town Healing Forced Proximity