Dr. Price beams at me as he juts out a hand for me to shake. I take it confidently and give him a nice, firm grip. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you, young man,” he says with a smile.

“All terrible, I’m sure.”

Dr. Price chuckles and shakes his head. “Not quite. But I have to admit, that hit you took in the last game had us all worried.”

“I take it that means you’re an Aces fan?”

Dr. Price raises his bushy eyebrows at me. “Everyone here is, Declan. It’s mandatory if you live in this town.”

I can tell from the half-smirk on his face that he’s playing it up, but I decide I like this professor—and I can see why he’s Hannah’s favorite, too. But before I can tell him that, another man standing behind him who was clearly eavesdropping spins around and locks eyes with me, then smoothly inserts himself into our conversation.

“Hannah! What a lovely surprise,” says the slick-looking man with perfectly coiffed hair. “And who might this be?” His tone suggests he already knows exactly who I am but wants me to say it anyway.

“Max, this is Declan Murray.” Hannah introduces us with a professional smile. “He plays for the Aces.”

“Max Whitmore.” The man extends his hand with a too-wide smile. “Personal injury attorney. You probably already know me. My face is on damn near every highway billboard in the city. You know, ‘Get Whitmore, Get Paid!’” He laughs at his own tagline. “I made seven figures last year just from slip-and-fall cases.”

I return his handshake with a firm grip, barely resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “Can’t say I’ve noticed.”

Hannah squeezes my arm gently, and I swear I can see the corners of her lips twitching as if she’s holding back a laugh. “Max is a former student who comes back to recruit for his firm.”

“Only the top one percent,” Max interjects. “Hannah here is on my shortlist. Brilliant legal mind.”

I nod politely, and when Max turns to talk loudly to Dr. Price about a case he recently won, Hannah leans over to whisper in my ear. “He’s one of those TV lawyers. Rich as hell.”

“And just as full of himself,” I whisper back, and although Hannah snorts, she keeps it under wraps.

“It was wonderful to meet you, Declan. Enjoy the rest of your night,” Dr. Price says, turning back to us before he excuses himself from the conversation, leaving us standing with Max.