Off the Stick

Five years ago, I did the one thing I promised myself I'd never do.

I fell for a hockey player.

But the timing hadn't been right. We were young-I had a scholarship for a college in the US and Dane "Ax" Axelrod was heading toward the pros. In the end, we agreed to part on mutual terms and not stay in touch. It just made sense. But that didn't mean I wasn't damn proud of him when he got drafted.

Which is why I never told him I was pregnant with his baby.

Now I've just finished my degree and landed my new job with the Vancouver Vikings. It means moving to a new city and, after having the daily support of my family, parenting my daughter fully on my own for the first time.

Of course, I knew Dane played for the Vikings, but as a lowly junior analyst, I figured I'd never run into him. Even if I did, he'd never remember who I am. After all, rumor was he'd been with hundreds of girls since then.

Wrong. I managed to run into him first thing, and surprisingly, he does remember me.

Which is a major complication.

Especially when Dane meets my daughter, who just happens to be his spitting image.

I've tried keeping Lennon's identity under wraps and never sought out Dane's parental involvement, but Ax is no fool. He quickly figures out Lenni's his daughter and wants to get to know her. But I know what an NHL player's life is like.

Now I'm in the middle of a tricky situation-am I trying to protect my daughter from a man who may not be around much for her?

Or am I just protecting my own heart from falling for him once again?