A League of Her Own. Karen Rock

      

      He was attractive, talented...and way off-limits.

      Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she’s a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father’s struggling minor-league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It’s going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she’s worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather’s world falls apart and Garrett’s the one who’s there to catch her...

      “What do you have in mind?”

      Heather stepped closer, and Garrett breathed in her subtle citrus scent.

      “A contest. If I get more strikes out of twenty pitches than you do, you stay. If you have more, then I’ll release you.”

      He stared at her. Processing. She couldn’t be serious. Sure, he had control issues, but he was still better than a college-level player. She was making this easy. But if she was foolish enough to offer him this out, he’d take it.

      They eyed each other for a long, tense moment before he jerked his chin at her.

      “You’re on.”

      Dear Reader,

      Growing up, I sported scraped knees instead of bows, spent my days prowling through the woods playing “war” rather than dressing up dolls, and learned to shoot BB guns before mastering the art of mascara application. Never a “girlie girl,” I still fell head over heels for Mills & Boon romance books in my preteen years and am thrilled to write for this wonderful company. I’ve never questioned those different sides of me, and accept that I’ll always be as excited to watch a ball game as I am to watch The Bachelor.

      A League of Her Own is dear to me because Heather embraces her competitive, sports-loving side, as more and more women are doing today. When I watch or attend games, I hear women cheering as loudly as the men. I enjoyed writing a romance for female sports enthusiasts, like me, who have sentimental hearts—even if we yell for blood when our team loses a run/basket/touchdown/goal. I’m excited to showcase strong female characters like Heather, and give readers a different kind of romantic heroine that they can relate to and root for in the story.

      I would love to hear from you about your favorite sports experiences and teams as well as your thoughts about the novel. To contact me, email [email protected].

      Thanks!

      Karen

      A League

      of Her Own

       Karen Rock

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      KAREN ROCK

      is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time author. Her Mills & Boon Heartwarming novel Wish Me Tomorrow has won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the 2014 Golden Quill Award. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales, cooking and hiking. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter and Cavalier King cocker spaniels.

       www.KarenRock.com

      This novel is for all “sports moms” and especially my wonderful mother-in-law, Bernice Rock, the greatest, most dedicated of them all. Your seven sons and daughter are blessed to have had your unfailing support as you cheered them on at games and worked hard behind the scenes to keep their hectic lives running smoothly. Most important of all, you gave them your unconditional love. They couldn’t have had their amazing childhoods without you.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

Dear Reader

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       CHAPTER TWELVE

       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

       CHAPTER FOURTEEN

       Copyright

       CHAPTER ONE

      IF HEATHER GADWAY’S cell phone hadn’t already been dead, she would have killed it.

      She peered at the blank screen, then squinted at the sun overhead, picturing her frowning father getting sent straight to her voice mail...again. Ever since she’d moved to California, he’d insisted they speak every morning. He’d probably left his version of a warm-and-fuzzy message, one she imagined sounded like this:

       “Heather. For Pete’s sake. Charge your phone. Next time put the cord next to your makeup. Then you’ll actually remember the darn thing needs juice.”

      After a silence punctuated with grumpy noises, he’d end with, “Call me back so I know you’re alive.”

      She