Noah Asher

Coach. That’s who I am. The strong, levelheaded, always-dependable coach.
But then my wife left me. And my daughter—well, according to the town—she ran off and left me too. Now I’m branded with scandal.
My reputation is at stake, and I have to play by the rules if I want to keep my job.
But then . . . Along comes Chance Leighton—a rule breaker with a scandal of his own. And worse, he’s not from here. He’s a Big Bend Bear.
I need to keep my head down and follow the rules of this town. This town that’s kept me in their perfect package since day one.
But he makes me want to rebel. To break free and live my life how I want.
So I have a choice to make. A choice that rivals all others. One that’ll change everything.

Chance Leighton

He’s the coach. I’m an outsider.
There’s no bigger rivalry than the one between the Big Bend Bears and the Kensley Panthers. But here I am, forced to work alongside Kensley’s stubborn, grumpy coach.
There’s no way he’ll give me a shot. He sees me how they all do—wrapped up in scandal and exiled from the only place I’ve ever called home.
Just for being who I truly am.
He follows the rules. He believes in a strict structure. It’s worked for him. But I want to chip away at this town’s idea of him and see the real man.
Can rivals become friends? Can they become even more?
I don’t know the answer to that, but we’re about to find out. Because he’s so much more than who this town makes him out to be.
It’s up to him, but I’m ready for the challenge if he’ll just reach out and take it.