Desire or Defense

A fifteen-game NHL suspension lands notoriously hot-tempered D.C. Eagles defenseman Mitch in an unlikely assignment: assistant-coaching a middle school hockey league to rebuild his public image. On day one he's called out by Andi, the sharp, spunky guardian who's raised her younger brother Noah since a family tragedy, for being rude to her kid brother. Six weeks of forced proximity, banter, and undeniable chemistry follow, testing both Mitch's temper and Andi's guarded heart.

Leah Brunner opens the D.C. Eagles Hockey series with a dual-POV, closed-door enemies-to-lovers sports romance balancing humor with real grief and family stakes.