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

When he’s finished, she’s quiet for a long time. Now she’ll say he’s a bad influence on her son, or she thinks they shouldn’t spend so much time together, or maybe she doesn’t want Dante to see Ryan anymore. He holds his breath, coils the phone cord around his fingers and waits. Waits. Finally she asks, “What’s his name again? The punk who started the fight?”


Her voice is clipped and determined. Dante stammers out, “Dietrich. Wil Dietrich. I’m not sure—”


“Dietrich,” she interrupts, and even though she can’t see him, he nods in agreement. “John Dietrich’s boy?”


“I don’t know,” Dante mumbles. “I’m not—his dad has money, I know that. His mom’s here at the competitions and his dad’s company is one of the club’s main sponsors. I don’t know their names, though.”


Chapter 170