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Back The Sweet Spot Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. CHAPTER ONE PALMER
  6. CHAPTER TWO PALMER
  7. CHAPTER THREE COLE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR PALMER
  9. CHAPTER FIVE PALMER
  10. CHAPTER SIX PALMER
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN COLE
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT PALMER
  13. CHAPTER NINE PALMER
  14. CHAPTER TEN PALMER
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN COLE
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE PALMER
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN PALMER
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN COLE
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN COLE
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN PALMER
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN COLE
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN PALMER
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN PALMER
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY COLE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE PALMER
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO PALMER
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE PALMER
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR COLE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE PALMER
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX COLE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN PALMER
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT PALMER
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE COLE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY PALMER
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE PALMER
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO COLE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE PALMER
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR COLE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE PALMER
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX COLE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN PALMER
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT COLE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE PALMER
  44. CHAPTER FORTY COLE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE PALMER
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO COLE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE PALMER
  48. EPILOGUE PALMER
  49. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  50. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My body trembles, needing the next moment to happen without me thinking about it. I want him to kiss me—I want him to kiss me so freaking bad. I want to lose myself in his arms and forget about logic and what might be right and what’s probably wrong.

But should I?

My phone buzzes with a very specific tone on the sofa behind me.

I pull away and fall onto my heels.

“I’m sorry,” I say, the connection between us broken. “That’s Ethan.”

“Sure. Get it.”

Cole falls back to the floor with a thud.

I grab my phone and read Ethan’s text.

My stomach hurts. Can you come get me?

My phone buzzes again.

Val:

I think Jared called Ethan’s cell. I was in the bathroom and I’m not sure what happened, but Ethan’s acting kind of weird.

Me:

I’m on my way.

I get to my feet. “I’m really sorry, Cole. But Jared apparently got a hold of Ethan, and God knows what he said . . .”

Cole is on his feet just as quickly. “Can I do anything? Want me to come back later and play catch or take him for some batting practice?” He glances over his shoulder. “Well, it’s dark. But we could—”

“Cole?” My heart swells. “Thank you. I got this but . . . honestly. Thank you.”

We stand face-to-face for a long moment. I’m not sure if he’s going to hug me, kiss my cheek, or pat my shoulder like a friend. Any of them would be welcome. But none of them are probably a good idea.

“If whatever his dad said was too bad, call me,” Cole says, smiling. “I have many talents.”

I wish I could hug him. My fingers itch to pull my body into his and let him shield me from some of the shit of my life.

But I don’t.

What I said before is true—my life is often a shit show. I have no one but Val, on occasion, to pull me out of it. And I have a son who needs me right now. Ethan trumps everything, even Cole Beck.

“That’s nice,” I say, walking around him and leading him upstairs. “Way to paint my imagination in a rainbow of colors just as you’re leaving.”

He laughs as we climb the steps and go back to reality.

Damn it, anyway.

CHAPTER NINETEEN PALMER

CHAPTER NINETEEN

PALMER

Are you hungry?” I watch as Ethan kicks off his shoes and slides them inside the shoe rack by the door. “There’s some pizza downstairs, but I could heat up the chicken-fried steak from last night, if you’d rather have that.”

He hums. It’s not an answer so much as him blowing me off—just like he’s done ever since I picked him up at Val’s.