Score on You

Ridge Carter's hockey career is behind him, but his sense of purpose returns when Calliope Porter arrives in Knox Creek to leave her past behind and begin again. Some might call his interest in her extreme. Ridge sees it as protecting the woman he intends to make his for good, and the first step is getting Callie to move in next door. The story is also told in Callie's voice. She describes her old life as living inside the bars of an invisible cage, until one night she has a choice and runs without looking back. Starting over is a steep climb with unknown obstacles, but she treats each twist as part of her journey. Meeting Ridge is the most meaningful one. The former star is intimidating yet irresistible, nothing like the men she was raised to fear, and instead of reining in her new freedom he shows her how to thrive. Ridge's stony exterior rarely cracks, except around her, and Callie likes that very much. She finds that he is never far away, and she wonders whether it has to do with more than his being her neighbor, but she chooses to trust him. He treats her as a bigger prize than any goal he scored on the ice, and the experiences he gives her are only the start. Once again, one choice could change everything.