Pittsburgh Titans Series

After suffering a horrific injury that threatens to end his career, Baden Oulett is about to learn that sometimes a fresh start is just what the doctor ordered. I worked my whole life to achieve one goal—play professional hockey. As part of the defending Cup champion Arizona Vengeance, I was living my dream until one split second decision destroyed it all. Instead of lacing up my skates and hitting the ice, I’ve spent my days in rehab and physical therapy just so I could walk again. When a coaching opportunity with the Pittsburgh Titans is presented to me, I find myself with a career I had never considered but which allows me to continue being part of the sport that I love. While my injuries are physical, the same can’t be said for the woman I rescued. Suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, Sophie Winters has withdrawn from the world in fear and guilt. I didn’t know Sophie before that fateful night and have only met her once since, but I refuse to let her face her demons alone. Determined to be a friend, I support Sophie in the only way I know how… by simply being there. Through our shared trauma, Sophie and I begin to find peace within one another. As we grow closer, what started as friendship becomes more intimate until our broken pieces become one. But can a love born of anguish endure, or will the pain of our past prove too much to overcome?

Veteran player Gage Heyward retired from the league following a successful career. Now the Titans need him, but does he have what it takes to get back on the ice and pull this team together? After achieving the goals I set for myself, I walked away from my professional hockey career. It was a tough decision, but the right one at the time. When the Titans organization approached me about joining the team they were rebuilding following a devastating plane crash, I felt a passion for the game and a competitive spirit I hadn’t felt in years. The opportunity to make a huge difference to a lot of people spoke to me, and I accepted their offer and headed to Pittsburgh without a second thought. Jenna Holland is also new to town, having moved from Phoenix to Pittsburgh to take a job with the Titans. Her past has left her with scars—both physical and emotional—and she’s slow to trust others. But the more I learn about Jenna, the more I want to know. The more I need to know. Because the beautiful blonde with honey gold eyes and a wall around her heart has me enamored. My game on the ice is the best it’s ever been, but it’s my game off the ice I’m focused on these days. Because while Jenna may not be willing to take a chance, I know the potential is there for something big. Something life-changing. Now I just need to convince her to take the shot.

Drake McGinn turned his back on hockey after the league betrayed him. Will the Titans be his chance to clear his name and take back the career he once loved? After I made the decision to divorce, my ex-wife set out on a smear campaign against me, telling anyone who would listen that I was betting on hockey and throwing games. It wasn’t surprising that my ex told the lies, but the fact that the media, league, and fans chose to believe her baseless claims was unforgivable. I walked away from it all and never looked back. Having settled into life as a single dad to three boys, I’m content. I have more money than I could ever need, and plenty of time to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and whoever I want. So when Brienne Norcross, the team owner for the Pittsburgh Titans, shows up at my house with a job offer, I have no problem turning her down. But the no-nonsense billionaire, with sinfully seductive red lips and killer heels that would look hot as hell thrown over my shoulders, won’t take “no” for an answer. Now I need to find balance between hockey, my boys, and the explosive chemistry Brienne and I can no longer deny. A cast-off hockey player and the league’s only female team owner? I can think of a million reasons why it could never work but can’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. Game on.

Minor league player Stone Dumelin lost his younger brother when the Titans’ team plane went down. He never expected the phone call that followed. After a shoulder injury put my NHL career on ice, I resigned myself to the fact I’d never see my way out of the minor league again. As my career faded, my estranged brother’s star shot into orbit as the first line left winger for the Pittsburgh Titans. But when the team’s plane crashed returning home one night, his light was snuffed out, and I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. Now I’m in Pittsburgh, playing for the Titans, and face-to-face with my dead brother’s ghost at every turn. His locker, his legacy, his persistent and annoyingly gorgeous attorney who won’t stop contacting me about his estate, even though I’ve demanded she leave me alone. Harlow Alston would be extremely appealing if she wasn’t so aggravating. Only…that’s a complete lie. She pushes all the right buttons for me, and as much as I want her to quit pestering me about Brooks’s estate, I find myself intrigued by the fiery redhead who can’t take no for an answer. And the more I learn about Harlow, the more I find she might be the key to understanding who Brooks really was, and who I want to be. I’ve got a second shot at a career I thought I’d lost and the opportunity to build something real with Harlow, but can I find strength to move forward or will my past dictate my future?

Camden Poe is the last of The Lucky Three, the surviving Pittsburgh Titans who weren’t on the team plane the night it went down. By all outward appearances, he’s adjusted to post-crash life well but inside he’s wrestling with the guilt of living. The catastrophe that killed the Pittsburgh Titans changed my entire world. My teammates were more than my friends—they were my brothers. I mourned their loss with the rest of the nation but then I did as I’ve been taught… I moved on. I focused on returning to the ice with the newly rebuilt team and put the tragedy behind me. Considering the circumstances, I adjusted well. Or so I thought. Now I’m plagued by nightmares of the crash and my play has suffered as a result. Facing the possibility of losing my place on the team, I need to pull myself together and fast. My buddy and linemate, Mitch Brandt died in the crash, leaving his wife Danica and son Travis behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered family. After reconnecting with Danica at a support group meeting, I find myself inexplicably drawn to helping her and her son move forward. What starts as two friends finding solace in one another following a tragedy becomes something more, leaving us both wondering if we deserve this chance. I feel as if I’m walking a precarious line between a man falling for an incredible woman and a man moving in on his dead friend’s wife. But one thing is crystal clear—I’ve found a peace with Danica that I wasn’t sure I’d ever have again. Now I need to find the confidence within myself to push past the insecurities and make sure she knows how important she is to me because if I don’t, I’ll lose the one thing that makes me truly complete.

Hendrix Bateman is one of The Lucky Three, a trio of players who were not on the Titan’s team plane the night it crashed. Feeling as if he’s been given a second chance, Hendrix is determined to make the most out of his life, but that doesn’t mean he’s not suffering from scars that can’t be seen. When I lost my Titan brothers in the crash, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I was devastated and grief stricken, but I was also grateful to be alive. Yeah, that might cause a little—okay, a lot of—guilt, but now I’m determined to live each day as if it’s my last. A night out with friends puts me in the crosshairs of Stevie Kisner—the devastatingly beautiful bar owner with a sharp tongue and a fire in her eyes that lets me know she has zero tolerance for guys like me. I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge, so I’m not dissuaded by Stevie’s tough as nails attitude or her big biker dad who looks like he wants to kill me. Fueled by too many shots and the raucous urging of my teammates, I set out to show Stevie I’ve got game both on and off the ice. While I shouldn’t be looking for anything more than a good time, I can’t help but be captivated by Stevie. She’s cool as hell and we burn hot together. But the more I get to know her, the more I can tell she’s holding something in reserve, and let’s just say I’ve got some trust issues after my last disastrous attempt at a relationship. Now I need to decide if I’m going to let my past dictate my future or if I am willing to put my heart on the line to find out if Stevie is exactly what I think she is—my everything.

Camden Poe is the last of The Lucky Three, the surviving Pittsburgh Titans who weren’t on the team plane the night it went down. By all outward appearances, he’s adjusted to post-crash life well but inside he’s wrestling with the guilt of living. The catastrophe that killed the Pittsburgh Titans changed my entire world. My teammates were more than my friends—they were my brothers. I mourned their loss with the rest of the nation but then I did as I’ve been taught… I moved on. I focused on returning to the ice with the newly rebuilt team and put the tragedy behind me. Considering the circumstances, I adjusted well. Or so I thought. Now I’m plagued by nightmares of the crash and my play has suffered as a result. Facing the possibility of losing my place on the team, I need to pull myself together and fast. My buddy and linemate, Mitch Brandt died in the crash, leaving his wife Danica and son Travis behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered family. After reconnecting with Danica at a support group meeting, I find myself inexplicably drawn to helping her and her son move forward. What starts as two friends finding solace in one another following a tragedy becomes something more, leaving us both wondering if we deserve this chance. I feel as if I’m walking a precarious line between a man falling for an incredible woman and a man moving in on his dead friend’s wife. But one thing is crystal clear—I’ve found a peace with Danica that I wasn’t sure I’d ever have again. Now I need to find the confidence within myself to push past the insecurities and make sure she knows how important she is to me because if I don’t, I’ll lose the one thing that makes me truly complete.

Bain Hillridge is new to the Titans and he’s building relationships with his new team, both on and off the ice. If only he could keep his hands off his teammate’s little sister. I loved playing for the Arizona Vengeance but I’m stoked to be part of the legacy the Pittsburgh Titans is building. A team that has risen from the ashes, I’m eager to help them achieve their goal of winning a championship. I’m also looking forward to becoming part of a new hockey family. A night out with my new mates introduces me to the little sister of our goalie, Drake McGinn, and I’m powerless to resist her. Keira and I have an instant and insatiable attraction and it doesn’t take long before we find ourselves tangled up in one another. While Drake has declared his sister off limits, I’m not deterred because I always go for what I want. I refuse to heed Drake’s warnings and take great pleasure in goading him every chance I get. It’s become one of my favorite hobbies, outside of making his sister scream my name. As things with Keira get hotter, feelings start to develop making it a little more complicated than we intended. But a bucket of ice-cold water is tossed on our relationship and we’re forced to reprioritize everything. Neither of us were looking for more than a hot fling but fates get twisted all the time. Faced with tough decisions, Keira and I know that no matter what choices we make, our lives are never going to be the same. Bain contains subject matter that may be sensitive to some readers. If you would like additional details, please https://bit.ly/TW_Bain.

Van Turner found fame as part of the Carolina Cold Fury, helping the team bring home a championship. He also found love and married his teammate’s little sister, eventually retiring from the game to enjoy a quiet life in the verdant hills of Vermont. Now, Van’s dark past threatens to unravel his future. I never regretted my decision to walk away from hockey. I attained what so few in the league are able and retired at the top of my game. Besides, I had the ultimate prize by my side—my gorgeous wife, Simone. We settled into married life and were ready to expand our family when I was blindsided by my sociopath of a parent, this time from the grave. Before dying from cancer while in prison, my serial killer father left his private diaries to a journalist. From that one bequest came a tell-all biography detailing his deranged crimes along with a litany of lies meant to ruin my life. Knowing first-hand the horrors of growing up the product of a monster, I know there is no way I can bring a child into this drama. I refuse to allow my kid to suffer the taunting and harassment I did, so I walk away from Simone and our beautiful life together. With the knowledge that she will be safe from the publicity of my shameful past and able to find a love she deserves, I return to hockey, joining the Pittsburgh Titans. The long hours on the ice are the only thing that will keep my mind off everything I’ve left behind and I know that I’ve given Simone her best chance at happiness. I’m a man who doesn’t learn from the past and I should have known better than to underestimate my wife. The woman doesn’t know how to take “no” for an answer. She’s as persistent as I am stubborn and it’s a battle of wills as she uses all her powers of persuasion to save our marriage. Simone wore me down once, but she won’t do it again. I’m keeping my wits about me, no matter how much she tempts me. But those, my friends, are what they often call ‘famous last words’.

Boone Rivers uses his fame and fortune as a professional hockey player to his advantage, but not in the way most people would think. Volunteering as often as his busy schedule will allow, Boone meets one brave young boy who turns his world upside down. As a first-line right winger for the Pittsburgh Titans, I thrive on the thrill of the game. I live for the smell of the ice, the cheer of the crowd and the way my heart pounds whenever I step into the arena. But once I’m out of my skates, my focus is on giving back to the city of Pittsburgh. It’s funny how life puts people in your path. I meet Aiden while visiting the children’s hospital and I’m struck by the strength and resilience of this 12-year-old kid fighting for his life. As my visits continue, we bond over video games and hockey until one day Aiden’s older sister walks into his room and I realize there might be a bigger purpose here. Lilly Hoffman has the weight of the world resting on her slight shoulders. Aiden’s illness isn’t getting better, she’s at risk of losing her job and their father is looking for the answers to his prayers at the bottom of a liquor bottle. I find myself wanting to lessen Lilly’s burden and what starts as a simple act of friendship turns into so much more. As we grow closer, I can’t help but fall for this fiercely protective and independent woman with a tender heart and bruised but not yet broken spirit. As we face a future of never-ending uncertainty, I vow to be Lilly’s source of strength and comfort. Lilly and Aiden have reaffirmed to me the importance of giving and receiving love unconditionally, even in the darkest of times. And no matter what happens next, no one can take that from us. Boone contains subject matter that may be sensitive to some readers. If you would like additional details, please visit the book page for Boone on my website.

Callum Derringer was hired by the Pittsburgh Titans to help rebuild the organization after a devastating plane crash left its future unknown. Now that he’s got the team back on track, it’s time to put some effort into his own life. When I accepted the job of general manager with the Titans, it was just the opportunity I needed to prove myself to the sports world. Unfortunately, my career isn’t the only area in which I’ve previously made mistakes and the past is about to come back in a big way. Juniper Ryan is…complicated. Smart, funny and insanely gorgeous, she was my first love and my first heartbreak. But my loss was my stepbrother’s gain and she’s been his wife for five years now. I’ve done a decent job of putting her out of my mind but when I’m brought home for a family emergency and see the bruises on Juniper, I’m gutted to learn that she was pushed into the arms of a monster.  Vowing to put our past aside, I learn dark truths about my brother and his marriage to my first love. And to make matters worse, I’m beginning to realize the feelings I once had for Juniper aren’t tucked quite as far away as I had hoped. When things take a dangerous turn, I’m willing to put myself in the line of fire to keep my girl safe. I was a fool to walk away from Juniper the first time and I’m a man who knows better than to make the same mistake twice.