The Trade(8)

“Bath & Body Works, huh?” She nods. “Still get a discount on those three-wick candles?”

She laughs and shakes her head. “I wish. I only buy them when they’re on sale because over twenty dollars for a candle is outrageous.”

“But they are the best.”

“Never found a candle that works better.”

“You know, some might say Yankee Candle—”

She scoffs. “People can talk about Yankee Candle until they’re blue in the face, but they have nothing on a three-wick.”

“Favorite scent?” I ask, nodding at her.

“Mahogany teakwood, easily. I love the smell of a man.”

Why does that make me gulp?

“What about you?” she asks.

Umm . . . my mind is blank, because all I can think about is Natalie sniffing men up and down, preferably me.

Trying to look as unaffected as possible, I say, “Uh . . . that’s a tough one, there are so many favorites.”

“Come on, you have to choose.” She presses her hand on my arm, her warm palm lighting up my veins, pumping my blood furiously through them.

“Yeah, choose.” I laugh to myself, feeling like an idiot just from the mere touch from a woman. “Uh, eucalyptus spearmint. Fresh and subtle.”

She sits back and looks me up and down, a look of awe on her face. “Cory Potter, I never would have guessed you were a euc-mint kind of guy, but what a wonderful surprise. That’s my second favorite.”

“Are you just saying that so you can act like we have something in common?” I tease her.

“No, I would never really want to have anything in common with a Rebel.”

“And there we go again, taking shots straight at my heart. Will the black and red of my jersey always set you off?”

She nods, not even giving it a second thought. “Yes, yes, it will.”

“Brutal.” I shake my head in humor. “So with the foundation, are you using anything you learned from college?”

“Eh, just a little. Not much though. Working in non-profit almost feels like an entirely different world. But I’m enjoying it, that’s for sure. Plus, since I get to work from home, I get to spend more time with Joseph. I see him at least twice a week now. One of those nights, I cook for him.”

“Are you just as good of a cook as Jason is?” I ask, knowing how much pride he takes in his cooking abilities.

“Not at first, but I’m getting there. I’ve been taking some cooking classes in my spare time.”

“To upstage Jason?”

She laughs, the humor reaching her eyes. “I hate to admit it, but yes. He’s so full of himself, he needs to be brought down a notch. I have some work to do, but I’ll get there.”

“At least you have the potato salad over him.”

“Totally.” She smiles and then looks out at the event. “Ugh, I should finish making the rounds and cleaning up.” She finishes her water before looking over at me. “Cory Fucking Potter, it was a pleasure. Thank you so much for coming to this event and supporting the foundation. It means a lot to us.” She winks and stands. “Have a good night . . . rebel.”

“You too,” I say, my voice coming off hoarser than expected as I watch her walk away, a slight sway to her hip, a hitch in her step from her sore feet.

Damn, I sigh.

What I wouldn’t give to spend a few more hours talking to her, getting to know her more. I want to know about her relationship with Joseph, how it was growing up with Jason as a brother, how she balanced Jason and Joseph. I want to know what else brings joy to her life besides her family and her job. I want her to know I love my family just as much as she loves hers. I want her to know that I empathize with her on how hard it is to grow up as a sister to a pain-in-the-ass baseball player too. I want her to see the other side of me that’s not portrayed on the TV screen or by the media, even the good me from Baltimore. I want her to get to know Cory . . . not Cory Fucking Potter.

Resigning to the fact that tonight is not the night for that, I stand and go to find Jason so I can tell him good night. When I get home, I need to think about an action plan, maybe talk to Milly, because I feel out of sorts, unsure of what to do, and I know she’ll be able to help me.





“Hey you,” Milly says, stepping into the office of the Division One Athletics facility.

My brothers, Rian and Sean, started D1 straight out of college. It was a small facility focusing on preparing athletes to face the rough training of D1. They’ve grown so much that they have two facilities with a possible third in the works. When Milly graduated from college, they hired her, and now she’s head of their baseball operations, giving private lessons and making sure the facilities and spaces are rented properly while helping develop the athletes that run through the system. The facility has revolutionized the sport in the area, making Chicago a very highly sought-after area for developing baseball players.

“I didn’t know you were coming in today. How did you get in without being recognized?” she asks, taking a seat next to me on the couch in the office.

Before Sean and Rian, the facilities were nice but the office space was barely a place to relax. Now that Milly’s on board, they have a kitchen, dining, and lounging area in the office along with desks and fully functioning office equipment. She’s brought in the level of professionalism and comfort they needed.