I sacrificed everything—friends, family, love—for the game, and it spit me out after a public scandal, in a trade that feels more like exile to the San Francisco Fury.

In my final off-season, I head to the quietest place I know… my family’s ranch in Northern California. My plan? Find an assistant, sort out the wreckage, and stay out of headlines before I captain my new team all the way to the play-offs.

Not part of my plan? Violet James.

The quiet, unassuming wallflower was supposed to be invisible, temporary, forgettable. But when she moves in, she proves impossible to ignore.

I don't need complications. I definitely don't need the woman making coffee in my kitchen at dawn or staring at the stars from my porch after dark.

But Violet doesn't ask for my attention. She earns it with her nervous looks, quiet fire, and the way she makes me feel like I'm still worth something.

I’m her boss. She needs this job. This is temporary. And I don't do love.

Or so I keep telling myself. Mostly when she's wearing my jersey and nothing else.

Summer has an expiration date. So does my career. When both end, I'll have to choose between letting her chase the life she wanted before she met me—or asking her to stay and build a new dream by my side.

For the first time in my life, losing might be the only way I win.