Page 135 of Vegas Heat

And what better person to teach me than Cooper Noah?

“Who’s AJ Winters?” I ask.

They both stare at me like I have three heads.

I hold both palms face up. “What?”

“He’s only one of the best shortstops to ever play the game,” Cooper says. He glances at my father. “Are you sure you two are related?”

My dad laughs. “I’m sure. She has the DNA results to prove that.”

“I blame my evil mother. She was so hell bent on keeping me from anything baseball that I never learned a thing about it. So why would this guy leave his team to come play for you?” I ask.

Cooper fields the question even though I directed it at my dad. “Right place, right time,” he says. “Your father is a baseball legend, and his name alone will get players to the team. He’s thekind of guy who’s been around this game a long time, and from where I sit, I feel like we’re assembling a championship team right out of the gate.”

“Is that usual for these expansion teams?” I ask.

My dad shakes his head. “Typically expansion teams take a few years to get off the ground. But with Cooper on third and Brewer on first, we’ve already secured big names other guys will want to play with, and being in Vegas is a huge draw for a lot of these younger, single guys. Right, Coop?” my dad asks, elbowing Cooper in the ribs.

He clears his throat. “Damn straight. Between the women, the tables, the booze, and the fact that there’s no state income tax in Nevada, we’ve got a hell of a set up here.”

I raise a brow and purse my lips, carefully treading the line of showing myboyfriendI’m disappointed in his words while keeping my dad from sniffing around us. “Is that all Vegas is to you single guys?” I ask, clear disappointment in my tone.

“Well, no,” Cooper says. There’s a clear twinkle in his eye that tells me he’s just kidding around, but I think I can also tell he’s about to say something for my father’s benefit. And I’m not wrong. “There’s also the strip clubs, the horny bachelorettes, and the first-class entertainment.”

My dad barks out a laugh, and I want to smack Cooper for his words. I shake my head. “Freaking men,” I mutter.

My dad gives me a pointed glance. “See? Just like I was telling you the other day. Ballplayers are assholes, so you should stay far, far away.”

“You got that right.” I shoot Cooper a look.

“We’re notallassholes,” Cooper mumbles, but he keeps his eyes focused down on his plate.

My dad lets out a snort. “Yeah we are.”

“Speak for yourself, man,” Cooper shoots back.

“Look, any guy on the team will tell you ball comes first in our lives in season. Even out of season, look how much time we’re spending at the stadium. Even if you’re not an asshole, that still doesn’t mean you have time to focus on a relationship,” my dad points out. He digs into his chicken, grabbing a huge forkful and shoving it into his mouth.

“What about you and Joanie?” I ask.

“That’s different,” my dad says around the chicken in his mouth, and I narrow my eyes as if to ask how it’s different for them. “For one, she puts up with a lot of shit from me. And for another, I wasn’t in season when we got together. I started as an assistant coach when I retired, but then I moved into the front office with the Rockies. I did a lot of that remotely from here in Vegas as I started investing both time and money in other ventures. We grew closebecauseI was out of the game, not in spite of it.”

“So you’re telling me not one single baseball player has ever had a successful relationship during the season?” I ask. That simply can’t be true.

My dad shakes his head. “No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying it’s hard. It’s a lot of time away, and it’s difficult to build a relationship with someone you never get to see. Which is why Coop here is swearing off women for the next three years, right, man?”

It’s Cooper’s turn to offer a snort, and I can’t help a small giggle at that.

“I was just telling Gabriella the other day that she deserves so much better than what a ballplayer could offer her. Don’t you think?” he asks Cooper.

Cooper nods. “Absolutely,” he says a little absently, avoiding eye contact with me.

What my dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him, but it’s clear he really believes in the things he’s trying to sell us. I’m just startingto worry he’s selling Cooper on the idea, too…and that’s a little concerning given how strongly I feel for him.

CHAPTER 11: COOPER

It’s Monday morning and Gabby’s at class, so I put in some extra time in the weight room. Joanie’s been talking about the next challenge in the intern competition, and she wants players judging this time. I already know where my vote is going, so I’m trying to find a way to opt out of it so I’m not making it obvious that I’m in love with the woman I keep voting for.

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