Troy

After missing a year of hockey while going through cancer treatment, he needs to prove he's just as tough as he was before his diagnosis. He had a great life as a single, wealthy and popular hockey player for the Toronto Blaze, and he's gonna get it all back.

His new neighbor flipping him to the ground in the hallway was not a great start. The irritating woman didn't recognize him, and was quick to suspect the worst of him. As much as he'd like to ignore the single mom, her daughter is an avid hockey player and fan, and he can't rebuff her. He eventually becomes a friend of the family, and it's more fun than he expected.

But Troy doesn't do responsibility and Michelle does nothing but.

Michelle

After the death of her husband, Michelle moved her family to Toronto for a fresh start. Condo sitting for a year gives her the opportunity to get a bookkeeping degree so she'll be able to support her family with marketable skills now that she's left the Canadian Forces.

After a rocky start, her hockey player neighbor helps the family settle in to their new lives. Troy becomes a support Michelle has been missing for too long. But she can't rely on him. People change, and they leave, and in the end, you can only rely on yourself. Better to cut things off before he does.

Until she desperately needs help...

This book was previously published as Her Family's Defender by Harlequin Heartwarming. It has only been edited since. It is a closed-door romance.