False Start — Marianne Rice

After a drunken, abusive experience with a jock in high school, Meg Fulton ended up a single mother with a tough hide. Now, a brand-new high school principal, she uses her sharp tongue to keep men at a safe distance, until Connor McKay walks into the picture. She can't stand him. He's a sports-loving alpha male--no thanks But her path continues to cross Connor's, and as attraction heats to a boiling point, Meg learns there's more to him than biceps and a tight rear end. Ex-NFL player turned high school football coach, Connor McKay is well loved by all--except the intelligent, sexy, new principal who wants to change his athletic program. When they're set up on a blind date, he's finally able to crack Meg's wall. Things are heating up between them when someone from her past threatens to tear them apart. It will take a leap of faith for Meg to shed the scars of her past and let love into her life.