She swore off athletes. He’s not playing anymore. Technically.

Lexi Wyatt has three rules: no athletes, no depending on anyone, and absolutely no falling for her boss.

After her NHL ex gaslit her, cheated on her, and left her with nothing, she’s rebuilding her life one shift at a time—even if that means working at Boston’s most popular sports bar.

He’s steady. Patient. And completely unprepared for her.

Jake Donovan built Overtime after a career-ending injury killed his hockey dreams. At forty-nine, he’s content with his quiet life—until his sharp-tongued new bartender walks in with a chip on her shoulder and walls a mile high.

Forced proximity has never been this dangerous.

When Lexi needs a place to stay, Jake offers her the apartment above the bar. Totally professional. Except the more time they spend planning the Valentine’s Day event, the harder it is to remember why falling for each other is such a terrible idea.

But when her ex shows up looking for trouble, they’ll both have to face their pasts—and decide if they’re brave enough to risk everything.

A standalone novella featuring forced proximity, an age gap romance, grumpy-sunshine, and a guaranteed HEA.