Game Changer, page 28
"Yeah, you go on telling yourself that it’d be different, but it’s one thing to fool around in the middle of paradise and another to face cold, hard reality. It’d only end badly. I’m not asking you to walk away from her. I’m telling you." Kyle places his hand on my shoulder and I try to shrug him off.
"Doesn’t she get a say in any of this?" I question, seeing him falter for a split second.
"She has no clue about the lifestyle we lead. Yeah, she might have a faint idea, but she’s not in the thick of it. She doesn’t know how hard it is to have a relationship with someone like you. It’s nearly impossible if she can’t be with you on a day-to-day basis. So stop deluding yourself and giving her false hope." Kyle exhales sharply when I turn away from him. "Brooks, you know I’m right."
"But there’s something there, man. I feel it." I can’t say these words to his face, but they have to be said.
"Well, unfeel it." Kyle replies sternly, brooking no opposition. "College should be a fun time for her where she can spread her wings and not have anything holding her back. I don’t want her tying herself down to you when you can’t be there to reciprocate. You’re asking her to sacrifice too much."
"And what about my sacrifice? Don’t you think it’d be hard on me too?" I look over my shoulder at him, but I can’t read him.
"If it’s meant to be, you’ll reconnect at some other point in your lives. Now is not the time." Kyle’s voice is low and sure. He’s made his decision. "I need to know that you won’t go against me on this."
I sigh, turning around, standing eye to eye with him. However sound his argument, I’ll never agree with him on this, but I don’t have much of a choice. The upcoming season is going to be the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. I need him on my side. I don’t want to start a war between us. I can’t make an enemy out of a guy who’s been nothing but a friend to me since the day we met.
"I give you my word," I respond, telling him what he wants to hear. "But can I at least say goodbye to her?"
"I don’t think that’s such a good idea." Kyle isn’t going to budge an inch on this. "I’m not going to say anything more about what happened last night. Let her blame me if she’s looking for someone to blame. That’s the least I can do."
"But she’s going to hate me, man." I feel nothing but disappointment wash over me. "Having you play the martyr isn’t going to make this any easier."
"It will in the long run. She won’t know what went down between us. She’ll most likely get mad at me and not you. Isn’t that what you want?" He glances at me like I should be grateful for the reprieve.
"I just wish I didn’t have to lie to her. That’s not how I operate." I rub the stubble forming along my jaw, wishing things didn’t have to be like this.
"I know my sister better than anyone. Trust me. It’s for the best." Kyle reaches out his hand for me to shake, and I take it reluctantly.
"You’d better be right," I mutter, hating how my future is being torn away from me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it from happening.
"I am," Kyle replies with a certainty I just don’t feel.
"I’ll leave the hotel immediately. She won’t even know I’m gone." My throat tightens when I try to swallow. This is it. I’m really not going to see her again.
"You do that." Kyle slaps me on the back as I start to stride by him. "I’ll see you in a few weeks down at spring training." When I don’t stop, he continues speaking. "Hey, are we good?"
"Yeah, we’re good," I call back to him, but I keep walking. This is going to be difficult enough without dragging it out.
I pass through the lobby, making my way through the happy couples strolling down to breakfast. Yep, I’m right back where I started when I arrived. I thought for once that my dream of being with someone was about to come true. Not anymore.
I hit the elevator button for my floor and close my eyes. Sasha is upstairs sleeping, unaware of everything that’s transpired. How her fate was decided as well as mine. My dear, sweet, darlin’ girl, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait as long as it takes for your brother to relent because I’m yours now. I belong to you, and somehow, someday, I’m going to find my way back to you, probably in a way I never imagined possible.
Bonus Content
The ABCs of Baseball with Sasha Roberts and five-year-old Taylor Landry
a special guest feature at The Queen of Diamonds
Taylor: "What do all of those letters mean after my dad’s name in the newspaper?"
Sasha: "That’s what’s called a box score."
Taylor: "Is it like a sandbox?"
Sasha: "No, more like a report card."
Taylor: "Does my dad get all As?"
Sasha: "Sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn’t."
Taylor: "How do you know?"
Sasha: "I look at his ERA which means earned run average. That’s the number of runs he gives up to other teams. If it’s low, it’s good. If it’s high, it’s bad."
Taylor: "So he doesn’t want to get a hundred?"
Sasha: "I don’t think he’d have a job if his ERA was a hundred. Most pitchers would like them between one and three."
Taylor: "What about you? Did you have an ERA too?"
Sasha: "No, I had an OBP, or on-base percentage. This one goes in reverse. The higher the number, the better."
Taylor: "So you had to do your bunts to make it go up?"
Sasha: "Only if I was able to run hard and make it to first, but if the pitcher couldn’t throw a strike between the letters on the front of my uniform and my knees and it didn’t catch any of home plate, then I could draw a walk and get on too. It’s like a free pass when a pitcher throws four balls before he can throw three strikes."
Taylor: "So it’s like playing Go Fish? You ask for balls. The pitcher asks for strikes. Whoever gets what they want first, wins."
Sasha: "Something like that. A good OBP is anywhere between .300 and .400. It’s like a batting average, only it’s usually higher because it includes walks, not just hits."
Taylor: "You made my daddy go crazy during your first game. Did he throw a wild pitch?"
Sasha: "He almost did, but thank goodness he didn’t. A wild pitch is one that bounces before it reaches the catcher like Pedro and he can’t hold on to it. It comes in where he doesn’t expect it to be. A passed ball is one that doesn’t bounce before it gets by him."
Taylor: "Did it hurt when you got hit by a pitch? How fast do pitchers throw?"
Sasha: "To make it to the majors, like your dad, most guys throw at least ninety miles per hour, some faster if they’re power pitchers, some slower if they rely more on curveballs, otherwise known as breaking balls."
Taylor: "They break the ball? How do they do that?"
Sasha: "The ball itself doesn’t break. The path it takes into the catcher’s glove does. It dips down. A master pitcher can move the ball all over the plate and put it wherever he wants it."
Taylor: "How come more guys don’t bunt, only girls?"
Sasha: "Well, guys do bunt from time to time. A lot of them just aren’t that good at it anymore. They’d rather hit a home run than learn the basics."
Taylor: "So it’s something even a kindergarten baseball player should be able to do?"
Sasha: "Exactly. A lot of people think it’s a cheap out, but moving the lead runner around the bases helps score runs too, especially in a tight game when the pitcher is shutting down your hitters."
Taylor: "How come Brooks doesn’t have a base?"
Sasha: "Because he plays shortstop, the spot between second and third. A lot of balls are hit in that hole, and it takes an athletic player to field that position. They’re usually young like Brooks."
Taylor: "Are they as cute as him too?"
Sasha: "Usually. Chase Whitfield was pretty easy on the eyes. Taylor, now you’re making me blush!"
Taylor: "Why does Terry want you to come back as a DH? What’s that?"
Sasha: "It’s called a designated hitter. In the American League, the pitcher doesn’t bat like in the National League. The DH is usually a home runner hitter who can drive in a lot of ribbies. DHs are generally a little older too and have played for quite a while."
Taylor: "What’s a ribbie? A frog?"
Sasha: "No, a ribbie is an RBI or run batted in. They’re important because, if runners get on base, you want to bring them around to score. A guy with a lot of RBIs is able to do that. If you have over a hundred in a season, that’s terrific."
Taylor: "I like you, Sasha. You know your stuff."
Sasha: "Thanks to my father and my brothers. They taught me everything I know."
Taylor: "I’m gonna get my daddy to teach me everything he knows too."
Sasha: "Sounds like a plan. Maybe we’ll see you, Nan Whitfield and this baby in my tummy up in the big leagues someday. How cool would that be?"
Taylor: "Super cool!"
Organ Donor Links
For more information on how to become an organ donor, visit:
http://organdonor.gov
To learn how organ donation helps individuals in need, visit:
http://hopeforheartsfoundation.org
http://donatelife.net
http://www.transplants.org
About the Author
Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.
Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers.
She is the author of NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER.
Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com.
Sign up for her email newsletter.
Like her on Facebook.
Follow her on Twitter.
Friend her on Goodreads.
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
About the Author
Collette West, Game Changer
Thank you for reading books on ReadFrom.Net
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"Doesn’t she get a say in any of this?" I question, seeing him falter for a split second.
"She has no clue about the lifestyle we lead. Yeah, she might have a faint idea, but she’s not in the thick of it. She doesn’t know how hard it is to have a relationship with someone like you. It’s nearly impossible if she can’t be with you on a day-to-day basis. So stop deluding yourself and giving her false hope." Kyle exhales sharply when I turn away from him. "Brooks, you know I’m right."
"But there’s something there, man. I feel it." I can’t say these words to his face, but they have to be said.
"Well, unfeel it." Kyle replies sternly, brooking no opposition. "College should be a fun time for her where she can spread her wings and not have anything holding her back. I don’t want her tying herself down to you when you can’t be there to reciprocate. You’re asking her to sacrifice too much."
"And what about my sacrifice? Don’t you think it’d be hard on me too?" I look over my shoulder at him, but I can’t read him.
"If it’s meant to be, you’ll reconnect at some other point in your lives. Now is not the time." Kyle’s voice is low and sure. He’s made his decision. "I need to know that you won’t go against me on this."
I sigh, turning around, standing eye to eye with him. However sound his argument, I’ll never agree with him on this, but I don’t have much of a choice. The upcoming season is going to be the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. I need him on my side. I don’t want to start a war between us. I can’t make an enemy out of a guy who’s been nothing but a friend to me since the day we met.
"I give you my word," I respond, telling him what he wants to hear. "But can I at least say goodbye to her?"
"I don’t think that’s such a good idea." Kyle isn’t going to budge an inch on this. "I’m not going to say anything more about what happened last night. Let her blame me if she’s looking for someone to blame. That’s the least I can do."
"But she’s going to hate me, man." I feel nothing but disappointment wash over me. "Having you play the martyr isn’t going to make this any easier."
"It will in the long run. She won’t know what went down between us. She’ll most likely get mad at me and not you. Isn’t that what you want?" He glances at me like I should be grateful for the reprieve.
"I just wish I didn’t have to lie to her. That’s not how I operate." I rub the stubble forming along my jaw, wishing things didn’t have to be like this.
"I know my sister better than anyone. Trust me. It’s for the best." Kyle reaches out his hand for me to shake, and I take it reluctantly.
"You’d better be right," I mutter, hating how my future is being torn away from me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it from happening.
"I am," Kyle replies with a certainty I just don’t feel.
"I’ll leave the hotel immediately. She won’t even know I’m gone." My throat tightens when I try to swallow. This is it. I’m really not going to see her again.
"You do that." Kyle slaps me on the back as I start to stride by him. "I’ll see you in a few weeks down at spring training." When I don’t stop, he continues speaking. "Hey, are we good?"
"Yeah, we’re good," I call back to him, but I keep walking. This is going to be difficult enough without dragging it out.
I pass through the lobby, making my way through the happy couples strolling down to breakfast. Yep, I’m right back where I started when I arrived. I thought for once that my dream of being with someone was about to come true. Not anymore.
I hit the elevator button for my floor and close my eyes. Sasha is upstairs sleeping, unaware of everything that’s transpired. How her fate was decided as well as mine. My dear, sweet, darlin’ girl, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait as long as it takes for your brother to relent because I’m yours now. I belong to you, and somehow, someday, I’m going to find my way back to you, probably in a way I never imagined possible.
Bonus Content
The ABCs of Baseball with Sasha Roberts and five-year-old Taylor Landry
a special guest feature at The Queen of Diamonds
Taylor: "What do all of those letters mean after my dad’s name in the newspaper?"
Sasha: "That’s what’s called a box score."
Taylor: "Is it like a sandbox?"
Sasha: "No, more like a report card."
Taylor: "Does my dad get all As?"
Sasha: "Sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn’t."
Taylor: "How do you know?"
Sasha: "I look at his ERA which means earned run average. That’s the number of runs he gives up to other teams. If it’s low, it’s good. If it’s high, it’s bad."
Taylor: "So he doesn’t want to get a hundred?"
Sasha: "I don’t think he’d have a job if his ERA was a hundred. Most pitchers would like them between one and three."
Taylor: "What about you? Did you have an ERA too?"
Sasha: "No, I had an OBP, or on-base percentage. This one goes in reverse. The higher the number, the better."
Taylor: "So you had to do your bunts to make it go up?"
Sasha: "Only if I was able to run hard and make it to first, but if the pitcher couldn’t throw a strike between the letters on the front of my uniform and my knees and it didn’t catch any of home plate, then I could draw a walk and get on too. It’s like a free pass when a pitcher throws four balls before he can throw three strikes."
Taylor: "So it’s like playing Go Fish? You ask for balls. The pitcher asks for strikes. Whoever gets what they want first, wins."
Sasha: "Something like that. A good OBP is anywhere between .300 and .400. It’s like a batting average, only it’s usually higher because it includes walks, not just hits."
Taylor: "You made my daddy go crazy during your first game. Did he throw a wild pitch?"
Sasha: "He almost did, but thank goodness he didn’t. A wild pitch is one that bounces before it reaches the catcher like Pedro and he can’t hold on to it. It comes in where he doesn’t expect it to be. A passed ball is one that doesn’t bounce before it gets by him."
Taylor: "Did it hurt when you got hit by a pitch? How fast do pitchers throw?"
Sasha: "To make it to the majors, like your dad, most guys throw at least ninety miles per hour, some faster if they’re power pitchers, some slower if they rely more on curveballs, otherwise known as breaking balls."
Taylor: "They break the ball? How do they do that?"
Sasha: "The ball itself doesn’t break. The path it takes into the catcher’s glove does. It dips down. A master pitcher can move the ball all over the plate and put it wherever he wants it."
Taylor: "How come more guys don’t bunt, only girls?"
Sasha: "Well, guys do bunt from time to time. A lot of them just aren’t that good at it anymore. They’d rather hit a home run than learn the basics."
Taylor: "So it’s something even a kindergarten baseball player should be able to do?"
Sasha: "Exactly. A lot of people think it’s a cheap out, but moving the lead runner around the bases helps score runs too, especially in a tight game when the pitcher is shutting down your hitters."
Taylor: "How come Brooks doesn’t have a base?"
Sasha: "Because he plays shortstop, the spot between second and third. A lot of balls are hit in that hole, and it takes an athletic player to field that position. They’re usually young like Brooks."
Taylor: "Are they as cute as him too?"
Sasha: "Usually. Chase Whitfield was pretty easy on the eyes. Taylor, now you’re making me blush!"
Taylor: "Why does Terry want you to come back as a DH? What’s that?"
Sasha: "It’s called a designated hitter. In the American League, the pitcher doesn’t bat like in the National League. The DH is usually a home runner hitter who can drive in a lot of ribbies. DHs are generally a little older too and have played for quite a while."
Taylor: "What’s a ribbie? A frog?"
Sasha: "No, a ribbie is an RBI or run batted in. They’re important because, if runners get on base, you want to bring them around to score. A guy with a lot of RBIs is able to do that. If you have over a hundred in a season, that’s terrific."
Taylor: "I like you, Sasha. You know your stuff."
Sasha: "Thanks to my father and my brothers. They taught me everything I know."
Taylor: "I’m gonna get my daddy to teach me everything he knows too."
Sasha: "Sounds like a plan. Maybe we’ll see you, Nan Whitfield and this baby in my tummy up in the big leagues someday. How cool would that be?"
Taylor: "Super cool!"
Organ Donor Links
For more information on how to become an organ donor, visit:
http://organdonor.gov
To learn how organ donation helps individuals in need, visit:
http://hopeforheartsfoundation.org
http://donatelife.net
http://www.transplants.org
About the Author
Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.
Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers.
She is the author of NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER.
Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com.
Sign up for her email newsletter.
Like her on Facebook.
Follow her on Twitter.
Friend her on Goodreads.
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
About the Author
Collette West, Game Changer
