Page 39 of Falling Back to You

always am

JULIET:

Call me cute again, and Mrs. Gulliver WILL be your new nanny.

ME:

Noted.

Chapter thirteen

Cal

Tennessee knew how to put on a show for autumn.

Call me a cliché, but I loved me a pumpkin spice latte and watching the leaves change colour. Southern Idaho lived in a perpetual shade of mostly brown year-round, so our autumnal display wasn’t anywhere near as spectacular as this part of the country. Walking through downtown Nashville was an eruption of blazing oranges and yellows. I was going to appreciate the colour explosion while it lasted.

“You ready?” Myles asked while we suited up in the locker room after our meet and greet before the game.

“To wipe the ice with these guys? Absolutely.”

He paused mid-lacing his skates and shot me a knowing look.

Of course he wouldn’t let me get away without answering truthfully. Having Myles for a friend was like having an external conscience. He had a gift for reading the emotions of everyone around him, no matter how hard you tried to hide it. “Fine. I’m nervous. Happy?”

“Don’t be. Seriously, Jules picked the best imaginable person for you to practice with. There’s no pressure.”

If Myles was saying that, it meant I had nothing to worry about. “Can I get a hint?”

“I’m under strict orders to keep my mouth shut.” He smiled softly. That same sappy smile that only appeared when he was thinking about his wife. “Jules had a lot of fun doing this. I won’t spoil that for her.”

This was one of those rare times I regretted that my best friend was married to my sister. He always took her side—not that I wanted him not to. As much as I might gripe about their unfailing need for PDA, he was good for her. The best, really.

Still, a guy needed his best friend in his corner sometimes.

Coach Thompson called the room to order and launched into a pep talk. My muscles itched to hit the ice, play hard, and work out my nerves.

By the time we skated out for warm-ups, the arena was electric. The air was crisp and sharp with cold and determination.

I held myself together while Hailey Bishop, America’s country music sweetheart, sang the national anthem. She was a big-time star but also a close family friend since she was Juliet’s best friend Stephanie’s cousin. And Stephanie was an honorary little sister (all three of Juliet’s friends were), which made Hailey one by proxy. Sorta. It was confusing, but basically, she was family. Enough said.

Hailey and Juliet waited in the stands, cheering. Despite being out of our home state, there was something comfortable about having familiar faces in the crowd.

Popping my mouth guard in place, I skated into position. The buzz of the crowd fed my pent-up energy. It was go time.

We played hard and won against Nashville 3–1.

Gotta love that high of winning an away game. Although, they’d come out fighting even harder for a win on home turf tomorrow.

After showering, I hurried through a couple interviews Bells had lined up. I answered questions, took pictures, and signed a few jerseys before I made a dash for my rideshare. Usually, I took my time with fan interactions, but tonight was different.

I had a date to get to.

Per my request, Juliet had made reservations for a private room at my favourite wings place. I wasn’t a big name in Nashville, but I had enough clout to be recognized. And the paparazzi theorizing about my love life was the last thing I wanted to run PR for. Bells might try and make me fake date someone, and while I was thrilled it worked out for my friends Nash and Stephanie, I had zero desire to go that route.

No thank you.

I kept my baseball cap low and after taking a selfie with my driver, who was wearing a Chargers hoodie, I strode into the restaurant.