Page 26 of Silver Fox Puck

I groan. Perfect.

"And Allie wants to see you too," Jake adds, his tone shifting slightly. "She says it’s been too long."

My stomach twists with a different kind of guilt.

Allie.

My best friend. Jake’s wife. Pregnant and glowing and probably pissed I’ve barely made time for her lately.

Shit.

I’ve been meaning to go see her. To check in, catch up, be a good best friend instead of constantly running from one city to the next.

But between work, layovers, and… other distractions, I haven’t.

And now I feel like an ass.

I exhale and dig my palm into my forehead. "Fine. But if Mom tries to set me up with one of her friends’ sons again, I’m moving to another country."

Jake chuckles. "Noted."

He hangs up, and I shove my phone in my pocket, finally sliding into the back seat of my rideshare.

The driver glances at me in the mirror. "Where to?"

I take a breath.

"Home."

It’s supposed to feel grounding. Safe. A reminder that I’m where I belong.

Instead, it feels like a countdown. Because in a few days, Grant Maddox is going to be here too.

And no matter how much I tell myself he doesn’t matter…

I’m not sure I believe it.

Chapter 5 – Grant

Nashville smells different.

Maybe it’s the warmth of the sun on pavement or the air that carries the sharp, fresh bite of rain. Maybe it’s just the weight of everything this city represents.

A shot to do well in the league.

A second chance.

A way to focus on what matters. Olivia.

That’s what this is supposed to be.

A reset. A clean slate. The place I finally get my shit together and prove I’m more than the mess I left behind. More than the man who almost lost everything.

And that starts now.

I shift my duffel higher on my shoulder, stepping away from the airport and into the thick Tennessee air. The breeze carries the sound of honking horns, the faint hum of live music in the distance. This city has a pulse, and I’m about to be a part of it.

I should be excited.

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