Page 27 of Silver Fox Puck

I should be ready.

Instead, my jaw is clenched, my muscles wound too damn tight, and I know exactly why.

I push a shock of hair away from my face, forcing myself to shake off the tension. Focus. There’s no room in my head for distractions. No room for things that don’t matter.

No room for her.

And yet…

Kenzie is still there.

Like a brand pressed into my skin, a slow, lingering burn that won’t fucking fade. It’s been days since I watched her walk away.

Since I stood in that hotel lobby, my hands fisted at my sides, watching her disappear into the back of a cab while I told myself to let her go.

It was supposed to be one night.

No names. No expectations. No lingering thoughts.

But Kenzie isn’t the kind of woman you forget.

And I fucking hate that I know that now.

I exhale sharply, gripping the handle of my suitcase as I step toward the curb. I’ve got bigger things to deal with. Bigger priorities. And the first one is waiting for me across town.

Olivia.

My daughter. My entire world.

She’s the reason I took this job. The reason I do anything.

The reason I even considered Denver in the first place. I clench my jaw, forcing down the frustration that thought still brings. The truth is, Denver looked like the smart move on paper. Bigger market. Better salary. A team with a solid foundation. The kind of career move that could have set me up for the long haul.

And I considered it—because I have to think about Olivia’s future, too.

Lauren made sure of that.

Her lawyers already pushed for more control over custody once. A power move. A reminder that she still holds the legal upper hand. If I don’t stay financially rock solid, I wouldn’t put it past her to try again.

And the worst part?

She’d probably win.

Because no matter how much I love my daughter, courts like stability. They like money. They like mothers who can prove they offer both.

So yeah, Denver made sense. More money. More career security. More leverage if I ever had to fight back.

But it wasn’t here. It wasn’t where Olivia is. And I refuse to let her grow up seeing me as a visitor in her life.

I shake my head, stepping toward the car rental pickup area. Time to get my shit together. Time to focus on the only thing that matters.

Whatever the hell happened that night with Kenzie?

It’s done. Over. Gone.

At least, that’s what I tell myself. The car ride across town is quiet. Not in a peaceful way. In the kind of way that leaves too much room for thoughts I don’t want.

I grip the steering wheel, forcing my focus forward. Nashville is my chance to do right by my daughter. I made my choice, and I don’t regret it.

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