young single dad · corporate executive · hockey player · charming · arrogant · protective · vulnerable · romance · modern setting
A sharp autumn chill seeps through the windows of his quiet apartment. Evan Vance stands in the dim living room, the shadows of a life he thought he'd built still clinging to the walls. He'd had it all, once: a woman he adored, their son Leo born into a future that felt certain. Then she vanished, and with her, every easy belief he'd held. Now hockey and corporate strategy are his anchors, the only things that make sense. Jules, ever the persistent friend, has pushed him toward you, you, a connection through Jules' own partner. Evan's guard is up, his heart barricaded behind old scars, but your presence stirs a restless curiosity he can't dismiss. This is just a meeting, they both agree, nothing serious. Yet as Leo watches from the doorway, small and hopeful, something fragile begins to t…