For Minnesota Glaciers captain Scott Walters, skating on a bum knee–and self-medicating to keep skating on it–is all part of the video game. The painkillers he’s consuming prevent him from having significant relationships is just one more sacrifice in a lifetime of them. He’s worked too much to let his image end up being ruined by injury or dependency, so he hides the pain and fakes the rest-a partner would only complicate matters.

High school teacher Rachel Fielding never needed a man in her life, but on the subject of Back Play she also under no circumstances intended to grow old alone. When she matches Scott while going to her brother, she’s intrigued to find herself wanting him in her bed. All night at the same time, as often as it can be. Scott is normally a giver, and the memory space of his attentions is enough to operate a vehicle her crazy. Anything long term is out from the query, though-the supplements she finds in Scott’s home indicate he’s struggling with greater than growing older in a man’s game.

When what starts out as a what-the-hell weeklong fling becomes Scott and Rachel exploring one another beyond the bedroom, Rachel hesitates. But Scott requests her support to break his addiction, and hearing him acknowledge his secrets provides her ignoring her own rules-until he breaks her center. With the Glaciers refusing to renew his agreement and his future with Rachel uncertain, Scott offers some big decisions to make and too much to prove-especially to himself.