Silver Fox Read online

  Last night had been amazing. Jenna turned a night I dreaded into one of the best nights of my life. Everything faded away when we were together—there was only us. This was the feeling my teammates experienced as they found their mates.

  “Are you going to claim her, Fox?” Graham asked. “Jenna, not Fiona.”

  “Wiseass,” I said as the guys laughed. “Yeah. I already did.”

  That got met with a round of applause and a whole lot of claps on the back. It felt good, not to have the approval of my teammates, but finally to have someone to come home to. To have my family front and center in my life.

  “You know what that means.” Ray waggled his eyebrows. “Another party.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Coach glared at me when I walked into the film room on time. Shit, did we have plans to go over film before practice this morning? No, we couldn’t have. I would never forget something like that. It was possible we looked like roadkill or that he’d already heard about the party. Whatever it was, I’d pull him aside and talk to him about it later.

  Tyler nodded at me from the front row. I’d never been so happy to see his ass show up early and looking well rested.

  “I was worried about you guys,” Coach said. “But you surprised me and came together yesterday. Seattle was a tough opponent and they’re all going to get tougher from here on out. We’re the team to beat. You should be excited to be a part of the Alaska Bloodhounds.”

  We broke into groups by position to break down film. For quarterback, that was just Tyler and me. Most teams had a quarterbacks coach, but Coach filled that role on our team. I loved film breakdown. Football was my life, and this was my obsession.

  Coach put yesterday’s game on multiple screens. We had access to more camera angles than were shown on TV because as specialists, we were interested in different things than spectators.

  “What do you see?” Coach asked.

  Tyler raised his eyebrows but didn’t make eye contact with me.

  “I spent a lot of time on my ass yesterday.” No wonder I felt like shit, although blaming it on the drinks felt better.

  Coach nodded. “Why do you think that is?”

  “Seattle has a damn good defense,” Tyler said. He was right, but we faced a lot of good defenses. Damn good was a minimum requirement to be chosen to play in the CFA.

  Seattle’s linebackers were getting away from our offensive line on almost every play. But I would not throw my teammates under the bus to make excuses for my play.

  “Count how long you hold onto the ball,” Coach said.

  “Four seconds.” A blink of an eye to a spectator, but an eternity for a defense to sink their teeth into me. In a perfect world, I’d get rid of the ball in about two seconds. “Shit.”

  “You’re giving them opportunities to get to you.” Coach backed up the play and circled Sebastian, Graham, and another player who was wide open. “We got lucky this game. Thank Sebastian for that. If we didn’t have a running game, we could kiss our playoff hopes goodbye.”

  We moved on to our game prep for next week, another huge game, against Vancouver, and this time on the road. This would be the first time I’d travelled since Jenna and Fiona came back into my life. Now I understood why the guys with families hated road games. They’d always been an excuse or an escape for me.

  I totally zoned out, thinking about Jenna’s beautiful body against the mirror last night, her labored breaths fogging the glass. Her hair tangling in my beard. The way my bed already smelled like her.

  Clapping brought me back to the room. The guys were cheering for Sebastian, who won Offensive Player of the Week.

  How much had I missed? Fuck. I needed to get my head back in the game.

  For the first time in my life, I couldn’t wait for practice to end. I’d always believed there was no such thing as a bad practice—only learning opportunities. I’d stop and buy the flowers and a bottle of wine and chill out with Jenna for the rest of the night. Her success would rub off on me. And a whole bunch of other things, if I was lucky.

  “Fox, do you mind staying a minute?” Coach said after he dismissed the team for the day and headed for the door.

  “Of course not.” I followed him into his office. I was about to get reamed for my behavior lately—it had never happened, but I’d never deserved it before. He closed the door and motioned for me to sit down. “Listen, I know. Two seconds. Two-point-five, max. That’s the reason Sebastian won Player of the Week. He saved my ass.”

  Coach didn’t share my laugh. “It’s one of the reasons he won. That’s not the reason I called you in here, though.”

  “Okay.” This wasn’t like our usual meetings. We brought each other coffee and watched film while we talked about the league. Coach wasn’t in a chatting mood. “Was it the party? Because—”

  “It wasn’t the party.” Coach was never interested in excuses. “As you know, every Alaska Bloodhound was signed to a one-year deal to make sure they were a good fit. The organization—”

  “What the fuck?” I’d heard this speech before. “You’re trading me? Over one bad game? I’m not slowing down, and I’ll prove it to you when we get back on the practice field on Wednesday. I’ll prove it against Vancouver.”

  “We’re not trading you. The organization has decided not to renew your contract, Landon.” He never called me that. “Tyler Jones will be the future of the Bloodhounds. We brought you in because you were a high-performing veteran with leadership skills. The front office likes what they see out of Tyler, so—”

  “I’m out.” Fuck. Coach was talking about me in past tense, and Tyler in future perfect. “Am I finishing the season?”

  We didn’t get this type of notice in the CFA. It was usually clean out your locker and get the fuck out.

  “Of course you are.” He sat on the edge of the desk and frowned. “You’re my quarterback until the last game of the season. There are two reasons I’m telling you now. Tyler’s role in practice will change, and we expect your full cooperation and sportsmanship. And the Winnipeg Warriors inquired about you. They’re having a hell of a time at the position this year. They want to buy you out of your contract, but I said no. You’re playing great here, and I want you to have one more chance to win a championship.”

  He’d already written my eulogy. “What are my choices?” I asked.

  “Winnipeg wants an answer sooner than later. They’re considering other veterans to step in and do triage. They’ll wait for you, if you’re willing. Their season is a lost cause no matter who goes there. Or you can retire at the top of your game, hopefully with a championship ring.”

  “Let me guess—Winnipeg is another one-year contract.” If it was even that long.

  “You’re forty years old, Fox. You’re still a hell of a quarterback, but you know as well as the rest of the league, you’re one injury away from retirement. You’re a risk as much as an asset. You knew this was coming. Yes, it’s a one-year contract.”

  It was like he held a gun to my head and asked me to choose which chamber to place the bullet in. Coach had delivered the death sentence on my career. Landon Fox, ex-football player. Then what? I could go to Winnipeg, play my ass off, but at the end, I’d most likely be out. There were no guarantees. There never were.

  “Thank you for being honest with me.” A lesser coach would’ve sent my ass packing to Winnipeg, no questions asked. I got up and headed to the door.

  “Fox, I believe in you. I never stopped and that won’t change.” Coach followed me to the door. “You’re not going to quit on me, are you?”

  I shook my head, my animal growling at the thought of it. “I never quit.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  JENNA

  Fiona startled when she walked into our bedroom and found me in my bed reading a book. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I live here.” I put the tablet down and pulled the blanket more tightly around me. “Were you expecting company other than your mother?”

 
That got a smirk out of her. “No, I just thought you lived with Dad now.”

  Honestly, I did too. It had only been a week, so my stuff was still mostly here, but my toothbrush was definitely there. Which would be a problem later tonight. I’d had a great afternoon with Fiona, signing the lease for Ocho and then celebrating with the massages and a late lunch. Landon and I had quickly fallen into a pattern that was as cozy as these pillows and blankets. He came home from practice about the same time every night. I made dinner and then we ravished each other until we fell asleep in each other’s arms. But tonight, that didn’t happen. He didn’t come home. No call, no text, nothing. I came back here—it had only been a week, and I might have made too many assumptions. Which was a little humiliating when I had to pick up and go home with a camera crew in tow. But no matter what happened, I was worried about him.

  I wouldn’t tell Fiona any of that. Out loud, it would sound too much like doubt and failure. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, sweetie. Don’t you have plans tonight?”

  “I actually just got back from a date with Tyler.” Her cheeks flushed. She liked him.

  I hadn’t realized how late it was. “How did that go?”

  “Good. Weird. The camera crew is just right there. All the time.” She kicked off her boots and settled on her bed. “It’s totally nerve-wracking.”

  “Yeah. It definitely makes you think about every word before and after it comes out of your mouth.” I picked up my phone again, hoping for a message, wondering what I said to make Landon disappear. My shoulder ached where he sank his fangs in to claim me last night. I thought that meant forever.

  “Right? The confessional room is a nightmare. I was ready to fess up to everything I’d ever done wrong.”

  I laughed. “I’d pay good money to hear that.”

  “I’d make Tessa destroy the evidence before you ever got your hands on it.” She tossed a throw pillow across the room. “Do you know how they’re going to edit this stuff?”

  I threw it back. “You mean, are they going to make us look like we think we do, or like completely unstable bitches? I have no idea. That’s why I told you to make good choices.”

  Someone knocked on the door. Fiona got up to answer, and found Molly on the other side. “Landon’s here,” she said. “And I think he just shifted.”

  “Shifted? You mean he’s a fox?” Fiona stood in the middle of the room with her mouth open.

  “No, I mean he’s naked.” Molly turned crimson as I pushed past the two girls and ran downstairs.

  Landon was indeed naked and wet in the middle of the living room. Someone had given him a throw pillow from the couch to cover his business. I crashed into him, putting my arms around his cold body. He was shivering and dazed as I held him.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “It’s over.” His voice was rough, like he was still in animal form and this human thing was just an illusion.

  Fiona came running down the stairs, a blanket trailing behind her like a cape. She pushed it at us and backed away quickly. “Dad, cover up. Please.”

  I wrapped it around his hips. He really needed it around his shoulders for warmth, but he was in a house full of women and once he snapped out of his fog, he’d appreciate the modesty.

  “Come. Let me take you home.” I didn’t know where he’d been, but I was thankful he came to me when he was confused and upset. Foxes were considered prey in the forest, and even though he didn’t look like he’d been hurt, there was no telling what he’d experienced. I turned back to Tessa. “Do not follow us.”

  She nodded. “Let us know everything’s okay.”

  “Do you want me to come with you, Mom?” Fiona hugged herself. Her eyes were huge and shined with unshed tears. Her dad was this big, strong man who had trouble showing emotion, and this was so unlike him.

  “No.” I wasn’t sure that was the right answer. “I’ll keep you posted.”

  Landon was lucid. He followed me to the car and got in with no problem. But he was a shell of himself. I didn’t have a lot of experience dealing with him like this because he’d never been so vulnerable with me before. I never let him be. When the going got tough, we both ran.

  I waited for him in his kitchen when he went upstairs. I went through his cabinets until I found tea bags. When people came to me sad, lonely, and confused, I fed them. Food was love. I couldn’t always communicate with words, but I could express myself with a meal. Or in this case, a hot drink. I’m here for you, Landon. Don’t shut me out.

  He came downstairs in gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. His hair was mussed from the shift, and he looked like the boy I met so many years ago. He nodded as he accepted the mug and sat at the bar. He dipped his head and closed his eyes.

  “I’m here for you when you’re ready to talk,” I said softly. “I’ll wait for you. All night if that’s what you need.”

  His phone was nowhere to be found. Before I realized tomorrow was his day off, I tried to figure out a way I’d get in touch with his coach. Landon was freaking me out, but at least he was drinking the tea.

  “Thank you.” The tea was a cold memory by the time he spoke. “I knew I could come to you, and it would be all right.”

  He was still scaring me. “Baby, tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Coach called me into his office today.” His gaze was fixed on the empty mug between his hands. He shook his head, like he couldn’t believe the image his memory was showing him. “I had a shitty game yesterday. I deserved to have my ass handed to me. But it wasn’t that, and it wasn’t about the party. The Bloodhounds...aren’t renewing my contract at the end of the season.”

  That seemed a little extreme. “Why? Because of one game?”

  “No. Because they were never going to renew it. I’m not the future of the organization. They’re ready to move forward with Tyler.” He spit out the last word.

  “I’m sorry.” I put my hand over his, grateful that he didn’t shy away from my touch. I knew how he felt, because I was willing to bet it was pretty similar to the day Charlie told me he was leaving me and taking my restaurant. The earth dropped out below me and I had no idea how I’d crawl out of the hole. Landon was nowhere near ready to hear about how I’d hit rock bottom and wound up on my feet. But he knew I’d done it. Maybe that was why he came to me. Or maybe it was because he knew I’d take care of him until he was ready to start climbing. Because I loved him. And I belonged to him. “What does that mean?”

  “Not sure yet.” He leaned back on the stool and ran his hand through his hair, making it even more crazy. “Winnipeg wants me. It’s another one-year contract, and if they don’t renew, then I’m probably out of the game. No one’s gonna take a chance on a forty-one-year-old quarterback who’s been with more teams than they can count on two hands. Doesn’t matter what my stats are.”

  “Winnipeg?” It was a city I knew nothing about, expect for it wasn’t here. “You’re going to go to Winnipeg?”

  “If that’s my only chance to play, yeah.” His eyes narrowed. “You said you’d come with me.”

  “Did I say that?” I could’ve said a lot of things in the heat of the moment last night, especially under the influence of those woohoos. “Landon, I just signed the lease on the restaurant today. Fiona’s here.”

  I stopped short of saying she needs me, because it was painfully obvious he did too.

  “Fuck,” he said under his breath. “I don’t know how to make this work, Jenna. I don’t know what my life is without football, and I don’t want to live without you.”

  “What happens when Winnipeg doesn’t work out?” I bristled at the glare he shot me. “I mean, if it doesn’t work out. Where do we go after that? Do we shut everything down and start over every year? I’m not sure I can live like that.”

  “I thought things were going to be different this time.”

  “They are. I’ll be here, waiting for you. I can come see your games and you can visit us in the offseason. And when you’re done wi
th football, which is a when and not an if for everyone, even the mighty Landon Fox” –at least that got a smile out of him— “you can come back to Holiday Falls. You can come home.”

  He rubbed his hand over his face and huffed. “My life just got ripped away from me and handed to Tyler Jones on a silver platter.”

  “Don’t blame him for this.” I had no idea why I kept rooting for that kid, besides I liked the way he treated Fiona. “He’s doing the same exact thing you would do, given the opportunity.”

  “Right. And I’m supposed to teach him everything I know,” he growled.

  “He’s fucking lucky to have a chance to learn from the best.” I got up and stood behind Landon, putting my hands on his tense shoulders. His body relaxed under my touch. “I bet you wish someone did that for you. He’ll be grateful. It might not seem like anything now, but you’ll be watching him play years from now, and you’ll be able to say you’re the one who helped him be great.”

  “Yeah.” He turned to me, and our lips met in a hungry kiss. Landon gripped my hair, not willing to let me go. He was desperately trying to hold on to what he had, but there was one opponent he couldn’t beat. Time.

  Slipping off the chair, his body wasn’t cold anymore. Anything but. He raked his hand down my back and squeezed my ass, pulling me in even closer, like he meant to consume me. His erection was obvious against my belly, and I forced my hands in between us so I could stroke it through his sweatpants.

  He groaned against my mouth as he pushed my pajamas off my body. I stripped his clothes away, and we stood naked, needy, and unable to let each other go.

  “I need you,” he said so softly my heartbeat almost drowned it out. He pushed me against the island, picking my legs up and placing them around his waist. He was inside me, where he belonged, his thrusts frantic, his lips on mine. I gripped his back, scratching at his skin—doing much more damage than any predator he’d met in the forest earlier that night. He answered, slamming into me harder, like he had to prove to the world that he was a force to be reckoned with. His body stilled as he reached his climax, and my muscles quivered and clenched around him, not ready to let him go.