Page 100 of Verdict

The next morning after practice, I sat on the bench in the dugout, staring out at the field. I couldn’t seem to get Ava out of my head and as if he could sense it, Walker sat down next to me, bumping his shoulder into mine.

“What’s on your mind, Jordan?” He started rolling a ball in his hands.

I huffed a laugh. “You don’t want to know.”

Walker was silent for a beat, staring out at the field with me. “I don’t mean to be a dick, Coh, but I’m going to tell this to you once. Ava is off-limits.” He turned toward me. “She deserves more than the time and attention a professional baseball player can offer her. Ava is just starting out. I don’t want her to base any of her life decisions around a guy, she’s only eighteen.”

I nodded. Because I got it, I really did. But that didn’t stop me from thinking about her. From imagining what it would be like to touch her, to feel her skin beneath mine.

I blew out a breath. “I get it, man. I’ve got a younger sister too.”

“Because you know, if you did cross that line, I’d have no other option than to break your face.” He pushed off the bench and tossed me the ball he was holding.

I snatched it from the air, as he leveled me with a stare. “Glad we had this talk.”

And with that he made his way out of the dugout. His warning loud and clear. I’d just gotten drafted to this team, I respected the hell out of Walker. As much as Ava seemed to crash through my defenses and take up space in my brain, there was no way in hell I was ever crossing that line.

Chapter 29

Ava

Present Day

He was leaving. He was choosing Boston, I felt it in my gut.

Today was decision day, his deadline. I hadn't heard a word, and I was over it. It was early in the morning, and Ellie was still sound asleep. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Me: Can you stop by my place this morning before you head to the field?

His response was immediate. Almost as if he had been waiting for me to text him.

CoJo: Yeah, on my way.

I was pacing the floor in my living room, thinking through what I wanted to say to him, when his knock broke me from my thoughts. I quickly headed to the front door, swinging it open. Cohen stood on the other side. Chocolate waves perfectly styled, amber eyes locked on me. I stepped to the side to let him in. The Aviators t-shirt he wore stretched tight across his broad shoulders, his joggers doing nothing to hide his perfect baseball butt. I let my eyes linger a moment longer than necessary.

He turned to face me. "What's up, Trouble?" He said it so casually, like today didn't define his future… our future. It pissed me off.

I planted my hands on my hips. "How can you be so casual about this?"

His head tilted. "About what?"

I threw my hands in the air in frustration. "I don't know, Cohen. Does the Boston offer ring a bell? You know, the five-year, one-hundred-and-thirty-five-million-dollar contract."

Cohen smirked. He fucking smirked.

"Oh, yeah. That."

I wanted to punch him in his pretty face.

I had been agonizing over his decision for the past week, and he was acting like he couldn't care less. "Your deadline is up. You haven't given us any indication whether you're taking our deal or theirs."

Smart, Ava. Keep it about the team, about business.

His face fell slightly. "The team. Right. You need to know because of your job." He leaned back against the counter in my kitchen and crossed one leg over the other. "What do you think I should do?"

I stood across from him, crossing my arms over my chest. "I think it's an incredible offer. A career-defining opportunity."

Cohen nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "That's true. It is."