Page 2

one

Rory

If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s pretending that I’m always cool and collected around Cole Pierce.

But I think the facade is slipping.

I’ve known Cole for over three years—we see each other all the time. He’s my best friend Harlow’s brother… and the shortstop for the New York Stars, the team my dad is the Field Manager for.

That makes us off-limits to each other.

My heart doesn’t give a damn, though, because I’ve had an insane crush on the man since I met him.

And my heart is what’s trying to get me into trouble now.

When the Stars won the World Series three days ago, Cole was named MVP because he hit the home run that put the Stars in the lead. The team was celebrating in the clubhouse after the win, and during the celebratory champagne shower, I snuck Cole away from everyone. I wanted him to myself.

But things have been different since that moment. I can barely look him in the eye, and he seems to be trying his damndest to avoid me altogether.

What happened when we were alone seems to have us both freaking the fuck out.

I want nothing more than for us to get past all the awkwardness we’re feeling right now. I can’t have Cole for more, and I’d be devastated if I lost him as a friend over a momentary lapse in both of our judgments.

I need to talk to him today. I can’t take much more of this silence.

With my cap now surrounding my tight curls, I finally step into the shower. I love my curly hair, but it’s so much to manage sometimes. All of my friends have such silky, smooth hair. Mine’s a curly frizz ball most days.

It’s one of those times when I wish I had some of my mom’s genes. Her hair is basically pin-straight. I may be biracial, but I seem to have all of my dad’s ethnicity.

It’s fitting, though. The woman who barely cares to know me doesn’t even have genes that want to be around me.

Once I’ve finished washing my stress away, I grab my plush towel, wrap it around my body, and step into my bathroom.

I grab my phone from the counter and see a couple of missed texts.

Lane

You’re running behind today

Is everything alright?

Shit!

I spent more time wallowing in my head than I realized.

Rory

Shit, sorry, Lane!

Just got a little caught up

I’m leaving my apartment in a few

Be there soon!

Lane

Sage is already excited

We’ll see you shortly, Rory

Lane Brooks is the Stars’ center fielder and, technically, my boss. He’s a single dad, and I jumped in as his full-time nanny. His daughter is the sweetest fucking thing, so being with her doesn’t even feel like work.

But since today is the parade to celebrate the Stars’ World Series win, it’s the worst possible day to be running behind. Lane needs to get to the stadium, which means I needed to be there to grab Sage ten minutes ago.

Thankfully, we both live in Soho, so I can be there in five minutes.

I throw on a black long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Once I take the cap off, I fan my hair out over my shoulders, thankful it’s not frizzy today, and slide into my favorite sneakers so I can run out the door.

“I’m here!” I shout, breathless, as I walk through the door into Lane’s penthouse. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“Wory!” Sage shouts, toddling her way over to me as Lane follows behind.

“Hey, Sagie!” I scoop her up in my arms and spin her around. “Ready to go see Daddy in the parade today?”

“No!”

I sigh. Sage is still in her no-to-everything phase.

Lane walks over and plants a kiss on the light brown hair atop her head. “One day, Lovebug, that’s going to hurt my feelings.” He looks up at me now. “Everything okay, Rory? You’re never late.”

“Oh, yeah,” I laugh awkwardly. “Just got a little lost in my thoughts, is all.”

He cocks his eyebrow. “What thoughts were you getting lost in?”

“Nothing!” I reply too quickly. “It’s nothing.”

“You’re an absolutely horrendous liar,” he laughs. “But I don’t have time to interrogate you right now.”

Thank God.

“You head out, Lane. Sage and I are going to watch the parade from outside the stadium with the girls.”

“Have fun. I’m sure Harlow and Ella are going to be swooning the entire time.”

I just laugh because I know he’s right.

Ella and Harlow are both dating guys on the team. Ella’s fiancé is Josh Garro, the Stars’ second baseman. They got engaged just before the season started this year, and their wedding is next month, right before Christmas.

Harlow’s boyfriend is Knox Spencer, the best starting pitcher in the entire league. Their relationship began as fake, but it was clear to the rest of us how crazy they were about each other. We all spent most of this past summer trying to get those two to finally admit they had feelings for each other. Watching them both be in complete denial was irritating, but at least it paid off. Harlow and Knox are so in love with each other that it’s disgusting. In a good way.

But at least I’m not the only single one. Lucia and I can commiserate together over our lack of finding love. She struggles, though, because she keeps striking out with online dating, not because she’s been pining for her best friend’s brother for more than three years.

Lane leans over again to plant a kiss on Sage’s cheek. “I love you, baby girl. Have fun with Aunt Rory at the parade.”

“Get your ass outta here, Brooks,” I say. “You’re going to be late.”

“Your dad is my manager. I’ll just blame you.”

“I hate you,” I retort, rolling my eyes as he laughs his way out the door.

“Hey, she finally made it!” I hear Lucia yell as I find them among the throngs of people outside the stadium.

“Yeah, yeah,” I say back, finally joining my friends at the front of the crowd. “I was running late today.”

“Rory Fisher was running late?” Harlow says questioningly. “You’re early for literally everything.”

“I just… lost track of time.”

“No, you didn’t,” Lucia fires back, squinting her eyes at me. “You never lose track of time.”

Ella throws her arms around my shoulders. “Let’s not give Rory a hard time, girls. We’re here to support our men.”

“Lucia and I don’t have men,” I chide. “We’re both single.”

From the corner of my eye, I catch a smirk on Lucia’s face as my own flushes. I haven’t explicitly told my friends about my crush on Cole, but it would be Lucia if any of them had it figured out. And that smirk all but confirms that she somehow knows.

That means I’m fucked.

Since Ella didn’t know that Harlow and Knox’s relationship was fake at the start, it means that Lucia and I were the only ones within our little group here who knew. That led to both of us doing everything we could to get them together. They both wanted it—we just helped them see it.

But that means Lucia doesn’t have anywhere to focus her efforts now but on me. And I hate that because Cole and I can’t be together. As the Field Manager’s daughter, I’m strictly off-limits. I love my dad, but he has a petty side, and I’ve no doubt Cole would end up benched if anything ever happened between us.

There’s that and the fact there’s no way in hell I’d be his type. As an athlete, Cole has to keep in shape. He’s unbelievably fit. With all the muscles, shoulder-length sandy blond hair, and blue-gray eyes, he could be with somebody better than me.

When Lucia inevitably asks me about it, I’ll just have to deny, deny, deny. If my feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated, why would I share them with anyone?

That would only serve to hurt me.

“Oh!” Harlow exclaims. “It’s starting.”

I readjust Sage on my hip as we turn to see the start of the procession.

And my heart skips a beat when I catch a glimpse of blond hair right at the front.