Hockey player’s niece uses his connections to get to know baseball players who are nothing but trouble and then gets her heart broken.
Not on my watch.
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t be like Mom.”
“Paisley, do you know why your uncle is wearing the batting coach’s name on his jersey?” Kami asks. My friends and niece have met before. Several times over the years, in fact.
“Because he’s got a thing for her and won’t admit it any other way,” Paisley answers.
I make a buzzer noise. “Wrong.”
“And yet, it seems so likely,” Nick muses.
I peer back at him. “You’re too simple of a man to understand the nuance of my fit.”
Kami chokes on her beer.
Nick grins at me. “You need help, my dude.”
“Why does Duncan need help?” a semi-familiar voice asks on my other side.
I turn and do a double take.
Shit.
Tillie Jean Rock-Cole.
Cooper’s sister. Married to a retired Fireballs star pitcher. Doesn’t come around the city often—she’s mayor of their hometown about an hour away in the mountains now.
Kami squeals her name and steps over Nick to give her a hug. Felicity shuffles around Nick to hug TJ too.
“Who’s that?” Paisley whispers.
“Someone who knows her way around a glitter bomb,” I whisper back. “Tread lightly.”
“Just when I swear I’m never believing another word Cooper says, I show up and Duncan’s wearing an Addie jersey,” Tillie Jean says.
I’m holding in a wince while she plops into the seat beside me.
“That one’s taken,” I tell her.
“I’m sitting up in the owners’ box with Waverly,” she replies. “But I heard a rumor there were old hockey players hanging out and wanted to say hi. Now I feel like I should be offering advice.”
“I’ve tried. It’s hopeless,” Felicity says.
“If razzing me counts as offering advice,” I say.
“It does if you’re smart enough to recognize it,” Nick says.
“Also, I’m not old,” I tell Tillie Jean.
“You kinda are,” Paisley says. “But I’m allowed to say that since you’ve been old to me since the day I was born.”
“I like you,” Tillie Jean says to her.
“I’ve been told I’m not allowed to talk to you for fear of glitter bombs,” Paisley replies.
“My first act as mayor of Shipwreck was to outlaw glitter in all forms in the town and surrounding areas that are serviced by town utilities.”
