Rhett - Black Ice — Jessica McBrayer

A team captain, playing at the top of his game, suddenly traded two days before the hockey season begins and everything he knew has been swept out from under him.Rhett Norris has a chip on his shoulder and doesn't intend to become part of the Savannah Heat family. He'll do his job, but he doesn't need to be best friends with anyone to get the job done. He hates the move but doesn't intend to ignore his other joy— volunteering to work with children. He finds his way to Mentor Savannah, an after-school program that the Heat sponsors. He's impressed with the psychologist who volunteers there when they become involved in a child's life. He has always admired skill and she has it in buckets. He also admires the way she looks and how easy it is to talk to her.Stella appreciates Rhett too, but when he indicates that he is interested in more than working with her she panics and wallows in self-doubt. There are way too many years between them for her to risk her heart. Keeping her distance proves impossible when they both live in the same building. Her son finds out that Rhett is a professional athlete and wants to learn from him, the stakes get higher. Despite all that, Stella isn't about to enter a relationship with a much younger man. She sets her boundaries but Rhett is not a quitter and Stella is drawn to him despite their age. Will his persistence or her fear of being hurt, get the upper hand? It's not just her own heartbreak if she makes the wrong choice, her son is at risk, too. When Rhett lets his guard down the Heat team shows him they have his back on and off the ice. The comfortable life he had in Winnipeg doesn't seem so important as the new life he can make in Savannah.