CHANGING THE PLAYER: Charleston Pirates #1 Chance, Jacob (suggested reading .TXT) 📖

I’m not going to argue with her because we both know if she and I hadn’t come to our agreement, I’d probably already be off the team. Left to my own devices, I’d have undoubtedly fucked up and been let go.

“I can’t believe I’ve never been here before. I feel like a slacker,” she tells me.

“There are plenty of places I haven’t been to yet. Kendra is the one who showed me this park when she first moved down here. She loved it because it’s quaint and right near the water. I like it because it’s quiet. Since that day, it’s become one of my favorite places.”

“Look at the grand oak trees. They’re gorgeous.” She wipes her mouth with a napkin. “By the way, this grinder is amazing. Where did you get it from?”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, but I can’t reveal where it was made.”

“Why not?” She pouts her lips, reminding me of how fantastic they felt last night.

I place a few napkins on my lap to hide my dick’s reaction. “If I tell you, then you won’t need me to get you another one sometime.”

“If you promise to bring me another one, then I guess I can let it go for now,” she teases, angling her head.

Holy shit. Nadia Patel just flirted with me. Pride expands and fills my chest. I feel like I just won the Super Bowl. Okay, that’s a gross exaggeration, but it felt pretty fucking amazing. Nadia never flirts with me or anyone else. Not even when she’s flirted with. This feels like a huge win for the Shaughnessy camp.

“I’ll bring you whatever you want. All you need to do is ask.”

Our conversation falls off as we fill our mouths with the delicious food. It’s greasy, messy, and perfect. We both eat every bite.

“I gotta be honest, I was hoping you wouldn’t be able to finish your sub,” I confess.

“That’s not nice.”

“You’re less than half my size. How did you eat all that anyway?”

Her mouth opens in feigned outrage. “Are you saying I eat like a pig?”

“No, I just don’t know where you put it all.”

She lies back on the blanket and rubs her stomach. “It wasn’t easy, but I forced myself. It was too good to waste.”

“I would’ve eaten what you didn’t. Let this be a lesson going forward; if you don’t want something, I’ll almost always finish it. I have a difficult time consuming enough calories between the gym and practices.”

“I guess I’ll have to cook for you more often then,” she says.

“Yes, please do. Nothing beats a home cooked meal.” Leaning back on my palms, I brace my weight and look around the park.

“Tell me about this place,” she says.

“This is a cool fact I learned when I was studying up on it. When the colonists first relocated here, there were oysters covering everything. Their shells had been bleached white from the sun, so people began referring to the area as White Point. It wasn’t until almost the mid 1800s that this was turned into a public park and renamed White Point Garden. After that, they did landfill projects removing the oysters to plant shrubs and plants.

“I bet it was surreal with this area all covered in white shells,” she mentions.

“I wish we could see what it looked like back then, but those days are long gone.” Lowering to the blanket beside her, our shoulders almost touching, I take hold of her hand. In my periphery, I notice Nadia stiffen for a second before her limbs go loose again. “Thanks for having dinner with me.”

“Thank you for thinking outside the box and bringing me here.”

“Now you can come back anytime you want. I hope you find it as relaxing as I do.”

“It’s not too far from my office. I can come here on a break if I want some fresh air.”

“Before I forget to ask, I need to know what’s on my schedule this week,” I say.

“Aside from your away game, there’s nothing.”

“For real? How did that happen?” I turn to look at her profile, but she’s gazing at me.

She smiles. “You just got lucky, I guess.”

“I feel like I won the lottery. It’ll be such a relief to have my nights off. Especially with the away game. Leaving town always cuts our week short.”

“Don’t forget you’re coming over for dinner,” she reminds me. I wasn’t expecting her to keep our dinner date. I thought she’d avoid speaking about our plans and then message me to cancel at the last minute.

“Forget? Are you crazy? It’ll be the highlight of my week. I’m already looking forward to it and wondering what you’re going to make.”

“I’m not going to tell you ahead of our dinner. It’ll be fun to surprise you,” she says.

“As long as it’s not too much work for you. You’re busy enough already without doing extra work for me.”

“Flynn, I have to eat too. Besides, if I cook extra, I’ll have leftovers for the week.”

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” I ask. “It’s next week.”

“Staying in my pajamas all day and acting like a lazy sloth.”

“You don’t know the meaning of the word lazy. You’re not going to visit your family?”

She shakes her head. “My parents will both be working. They're not big on celebrating holidays.”

“What about Christmas?”

“I usually stay here.”

I study her profile. “You don’t want to go home?”

“Nope. This is home to me now and has been for a long time.”

I don’t want to feel pity for Nadia’s lack of family connection. My situation isn’t any better, but at least I have Kendra. “Do you have any grandparents?” I ask.

“One set, but they’re in India, so I haven’t seen them since I was a teenager. What about you?”

“I have one grandfather still kicking around in a nursing home in Massachusetts. When the season ends, I need to get up there to pay him a visit.”

“How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”

“Just a few months, but I feel like I owe him for being the most