Nebraska Knights Holiday Hockey Romance: The Knights are the toughest team on the ice, but out of uniform, they’re guys with hearts of gold. Mostly. Some are grumps and others are secret cinnamon rolls, but all of them will find love no matter the holiday.


Does Cupid have a nice list? Never mind. Forget it. I’m breaking up with Valentine’s Day.

It started innocently enough with a harmless inquiry about a cute guy at a coffee shop. The goal was to get back in the romance game. The search turned into a social media frenzy. #DesperatelySeekingDane was not available. Talk about a buzzkill.

Just when I thought things couldn’t become more dramatic, because of my five minutes of online fame, a TV production company reached out to me as a last-minute contestant in a dating contest. It was an instant yes because one of the three bachelors is a major movie star and my lifelong crush.

Here's the twist: I’m matched with the third-place prize, a daredevil hockey player I can't stand. Let’s just say we have a brief but storied history involving shrill whistles, spilled coffee, and a bloody incident in an elevator.

However, turns out the date is only the opening act. We end up in each other’s debt, resulting in a meet-the-parents situation. But we kind of hit it off. As things heat up between us, sparks fly and the ice begins to melt. Can I be falling for the guy I loathe?

We weren’t supposed to kiss...again. Is it still a second chance when our first one was a secret?

Rewind: In high school, I was Little Miss Brainy Rebel Girl to my twin’s athletic Mr. Popularity. That also meant I avoided wading into the dating pool. Like a shark, it didn’t help that my protective brother probably scared away potential suitors.

Fast forward: He’s engaged, but our parents won’t let him tie the knot until I find a boyfriend. Now, he has guys lining up to date me. This only becomes an issue when his best friend, Redd, gets a hero’s welcome when he returns to play hockey for the Nebraska Knights.

Pause: Little does my brother know that Redd and I kissed on a senior year camping trip. After that, I swore off smooching forever. But I get looped into helping him fundraise for our old high school’s hockey team, and he and his adorable secret move into my grandmother’s old house.

We end up spending a lot of time together. Making pancakes, playing flashlight tag, going to the lake... The problem is we despise each other, or so I thought. Will things between us fizzle or will there be fireworks this 4th of July?

I have a kiss hangover. Is that normal for the first time?

My love life is a big bah humbug. When a blind date goes bad, a Knight in ugly Christmas sweater armor swoops in and rescues me with a kiss in a very public way.

That wouldn’t be a problem except Pierre plays for the team my father coaches and has a reputation for being the biggest flirt on ice. If you ask me, all hockey players belong in the penalty box.

Except, I wouldn't object to a second kiss or lessons. Dare I say Pierre is a pro? Could have something to do with him being French Canadian. However, his rescue PDA lands him in trouble with the team.

We make an agreement: he teaches me how to kiss and I play the role of the girl he can’t get over. For those of you not up against the glass, he pretends to be falling over his skates for me and I pretend to hate him.

Then a winter storm leaves us stranded and it’s up to us to help save the Christmas Market. Seems like our game of fake-it is turning into a make-out. I mean make-it.

But what’ll happen when the holidays are over and we go back to our real lives? I don’t want to land on Santa’s naughty list, so I won’t tell a lie. Pierre had me at that first mistletoe moment. I just hope he feels the same.

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