Ryan Talonovich is the star of his college hockey team, until an accident during practice leaves him confined to a wheelchair. The doctors say he'll walk again but a new season is already underway and he's been replaced on the team, which leaves him feeling alone and betrayed. What's the use of fighting to get back on the ice now?<br><br>Then he meets Dante Espinosa, a short track skater on the city's speed skating club. Though he has to work overtime to afford his sport, Dante is hell on ice, and dreams of making the cut on the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team.<br><br>Their love of the ice brings them together, but too many obstacles stand in their way: Ryan's struggle with therapy. The memory of Dante's first boyfriend. Lack of funding to the event, Dante's harassing boss, a skating friend in love with him, and Wil Dietrich, who will do anything to win.

Power Play

As he skates to the player box, he hears Wil Dietrich’s voice behind him, over the rush of skaters passing by. It’s a laugh, painful to hear, and then the word faggotspat like a challenge begging to be answered. Faggot.Dante’s jaw bunches in anger and he jams the covers on his skates so hard, he slices the thin plastic easily.


But he’s not going to rise to the bait. He’s better than that—no use fighting with someone like Dietrich, who’s just looking for an excuse to get Dante suspended from the club, and there’s no quicker way to do it than to get in a fight on the ice. They’re speedskaters, not hockey players. A fight and he’ll be barred from racing tomorrow. Then Dietrich takes his place at State and there go his dreams. No, he’s not going to fall for it.


Chapter 38