Page 7 of The Player I Can’t Pick

She gives me a small smile. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a headache. I get them sometimes when I wear my hair up in a ponytail.”

The thought of her hurting has me standing and moving behind her. “Here. Let me help.”

She stiffens when I reach for her hair, but she doesn’t tell me to stop. I carefully work the white hair tie off and wrap it around my wrist before running my fingers through the thick strands. Her hair falls down her back, and I comb my fingers through it again. Then I press my fingertips against her scalp and begin to massage. She lets out a loud moan. My cock lengthens inside my jeans, and I bite back a groan.

My voice comes out thick. “Feel good?”

She leans her head back, and her eyes flutter closed. “Too good.”

I continue massaging her scalp, trying not to think about what other sounds I could pull from her. She moans again, and her eyes suddenly open. We stare at each other, and she tenses. “Oh my God. I’m sorry.” Her cheeks turn red. “I mean, that feels better. Thank you.”

Reluctantly, I let my hands fall away. Before sitting back down, I pull my chair closer and turn it so I’m facing her instead of the stadium.

“Tell me about yourself.”

She scrunches her nose. “What do you want to know?”

I don’t even have to think about it. “Everything.”

She tilts her head and studies me.

I smile. “You already know I play baseball. What do you do?”

“I just finished college. I’m moving here to find a teaching job.”

“In Jasper?”

She nods. “Yeah, or somewhere close.”

“Why Jasper? Are you from around here?”

She shakes her head. “No. My dad recently moved here, and I want to be close to him.”

I nod. “Family is important. What about your mom?”

She gives me a sidelong look before turning her attention back to the stadium. “She left me with my dad when I was five. I haven’t seen her since.”

I reach over and place my hand on her knee. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugs, but I can tell it still affects her.

“What about you?” she asks. “Tell me about your family.”

I leave my hand on her knee and stroke my finger along the denim. “My mom and dad raised six of us. They spent the last few years traveling, but they’ve been staying closer to home since the grandkids started coming.”

She tenses. “So the grandkids are your nieces and nephews?”

“Yeah.”

She leans closer. “Tell me about them. All of them.”

“You really want to hear about my family?”

“Yes. It’s always been just me and my dad. I used to wonder what it would be like to be part of a big family.”

Something tightens inside my chest. “Okay. There are six of us. Me, Miller, Logan, Ozzy, Penn, and our sister, Skyler.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Only one girl?”