Excerpt!
Austin wracked his brain, digging deep into his limited knowledge of baseball. Why can’t you like basketball? “Oh, umm… the White Sox, right?”
“Shh! You can’t say that out loud here!” She pressed her index finger over his lips.
He pecked the tip of her finger with a kiss. “Sorry,” he breathed. “I’m a Dodgers fan, remember?”
“And it’s the worst thing about you, Mr. Templeton.”
A chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” boomed throughout the park, the seventh-inning-stretch celebrations interrupting their spirited disagreement.
“When did that happen?” Casey wrinkled her nose and scanned the ball field. “You distract me too much.”
An elbow to his right side jabbed him in the gut. Ouch! Austin turned as the woman beside him pointed toward the field at the gigantic screen above the scoreboard. His eyes widened as his and Casey’s image stared back, squarely tucked within the shape of a pink heart, the words KISS CAM emblazoned in bold.
Casey roared with laughter and yanked his hat from his head. Her bright blue eyes sparkled in the stadium lights, her gaze hovering over his mouth. Leaning in, Austin pressed his lips to hers as the fans erupted in cheers, their claps freezing the moment. The lights faded. The cold bleachers melted away, and all that existed was the quirky girl in his arms, the girl who had unknowingly mended his soul with the stitch of a baseball. He deepened the kiss, bathing in the sweet contentment consuming his heart.
Because when you least expect it… and when you’re least ready for it… love happens.
Casey McDaniels lacked direction, spending the better part of her youth boyfriend hopping, partying, and bartending – her dreams, career ambitions, and education put on the backburner in favor of a social life and steady paycheck… that is, until a new lawyer moves into town.
When sexy, smart, and brokenhearted Austin Templeton relocates from Los Angeles to Chicago, Casey can’t help but put her former lifestyle aside in favor of the sweet romance that erupts between them. Finding more than just her heart set ablaze, Austin’s own professional ambition ignites a fire beneath her – pushing her forward into uncharted territory.
But one thing’s for sure… his career will always come first. When an unexpected promotion threatens to take him back to California, Casey reels, forced to choose between the man who captured her heart and the newfound path to success he led her down.
With her heart torn down the middle, Casey leaves the choice in Austin’s hands. After all, what’s more important? A job… or love?
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Author bio:
Julie Navickas is an award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor and serves as the executive director of The Writing Champions Project. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University.
Giveaway!
This sounds like a very good read.
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