The Game Changer (The Cedar Creek Thunder #1)

Chapter 1

ISLA

“Thank you, parking gods.” I breathe a sigh of relief as I pull into a spot right in front of a coffee shop my GPS says is close to my destination.

As I climb out of my car, I take a few seconds to look around at downtown Cedar Creek.

Despite only being a couple of hours farther north from Victoria, the city on Vancouver Island I’ve called home for the last eleven years, I’ve never been here.

From what little I’ve seen so far, it’s cute. Somewhere between a small town and a bigger city. Vibrant and busy, yet not nearly as crowded and chaotic as Victoria can feel at times.

If things go well today, I could see a move to Cedar Creek being a good thing. Which means I need to impress the new owner of the Cedar Creek Thunder baseball team.

But first, caffeine.

The coffee shop I walk into is warm and inviting, with eclectic art on the walls and comfy-looking chairs.

It’s the sort of place I’d love to sit and read a good book someday.

But not today, I’ve only got half an hour before my interview.

So, with a cup of strong Earl Grey tea and a chocolate croissant in hand, I turn to head back to my car, only to run straight into someone.

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” I cry out, realizing with dismay that I’ve managed to spill tea on not only my blouse, but also the man’s shirt. “Crap, I hope that isn’t burning you.” I pluck the fabric away from my skin as I look up at the person I just bumped into.

Oh.

Oh my.

Tall, with dark hair that has silver threads shot throughout, and grey eyes that are piercing straight into me.

A strong jaw, dusted with salt-and-pepper scruff, and thick, muscular shoulders covered in a perfectly form-fitted shirt.

I’m fairly certain my heart skips a beat or two as my mouth goes dry.

This man is beyond gorgeous and has all the long-forgotten parts of me sitting up and taking notice.

He’s walking, talking sex on a stick, and I’m a single mom who has only had sex twice in her life, both times with a clueless, fumbling teenage boy.

I’ve got a vagina that’s so paranoid about how easy it was to make a baby, even with a condom, she’s been hiding from the big, bad dick ever since.

But for a man like this, I might be able to convince her to come out of hiding…

If I had time for dating, that is.

I’m so busy trying not to drool, I don’t even realize he’s talking until I blink back to reality and hear his deep, warm, rumbling voice.

“…my fault. Can I replace your drink?”

“No, no. It’s fine,” I blurt out, sidestepping the gorgeous man. “I’ve gotta go. Sorry again about your shirt.”

I beat a hasty retreat to my car, not daring to look back.

“Damn,” I sigh as I let my head fall back against the headrest. It’s not like I haven’t been attracted to any men recently or enjoyed some self-made orgasms to fantasies of my celebrity crushes.

But something about coffee shop guy hit differently.

Deeper. Something tells me he’ll be the star of those fantasies for a while now.

The cold dampness from my wet shirt has me grimacing and looking down at it. Light brown liquid has stained my pale green blouse, and it’s not a good look.

But I’m a mom. Which means I’m always prepared for anything.

A glance in my gym bag that’s on the back seat proves this to be true, even if the Vancouver Tridents tank top that my kid got me for Christmas isn’t the most appropriate business attire.

Then again, I am interviewing for a position with a baseball team, so maybe it’ll be okay.

It’s going to have to be okay. Because a poop-brown tea stain in the middle of my chest is a lot worse than a tank top. Thank goodness for my blazer. And for my planning skills that allowed me to get here early enough that I won’t be late for my interview, even with this wardrobe change.

A few minutes later, and I’m parked at the address I was given for the interview. I’ve got just long enough to devour the rich, flaky croissant and chug the last of my tea. One more glance in my rearview mirror to check my hair and my teeth for lip gloss before I pop a breath mint in my mouth.

“You can do this, Isla Forrester,” I say to my reflection. “You are an amazing branding and marketing consultant. You are exactly what this organization is looking for and you’re about to wow them with your ideas and expertise.”

As far as pep talks go, it’s not bad. Even if it does little to quell the nerves in my stomach. It’s been a long three months on the unemployment list, and this job, while only temporary, could be my ticket out of Victoria and on to better things.

Besides, I love baseball, I know the game, and more importantly, I know how to create a killer marketing campaign.

I climb out of my car and give a tug on the bottom hem of my blazer as I look up at the low-rise building where the interview is to take place. I’d expected to meet at the stadium, or the team’s head office, wherever that is. Instead, I’m at…a coworking space?

I quickly pull up the email inviting me to the interview and double-check I’m in the right place. Yep, this is it.

Opening the door, I step into a nondescript lobby area. Seated behind the one desk is an older man with a small sign in front of him that has “Cedar Creek Thunder” written on it. He gives me a smile.

“Are you here for the interview?”

I nod and smile back. “Yes. With Mr. Calloway?”

“Wonderful. I’m Gabe, his assistant. Let me take you back.”

He leads me down a short hall and knocks on a door before pushing it slightly open. “Luca, your first interview is here.”

I step up to take his place and put on a professional smile as the door opens more fully. “Mr. Calloway? I’m Isla Forrester.”

My hand, which was outstretched to shake the one of my potential new boss, falls to my side as that smooth, warm voice from the coffee shop says just one word.

“You.”

I can feel my eyes blinking rapidly, as if I’m trying to wake up from a dream. But this is no dream. No, the hot-as-sin man that I spilled tea on just half an hour ago is standing in front of me, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

“I see you were more fortunate than me and had some clothes to change into.” He chuckles, reaching out a hand to me.

Almost mechanically, I lift mine to shake his, and the second we make contact, it’s as if my entire body comes alive from a deep sleep.

“Y-yes. Sorry again about that. And about wearing this to an interview.” I gesture to my shirt. “Hope it’s not too much of a faux pas to wear another team’s shirt.”

He chuckles again, that rich sound vibrating through me. “Nah, I’ll consider it a good omen that you’re enough of a baseball fan to have had another team’s merch in your car.” He points to the chairs in front of his desk. “Shall we sit and get started?”

I inwardly heave a sigh of relief. Thanks for the save, Charlie.

I sit down, angling toward him, and lift my portfolio out of my bag. “Thank you for extending the offer for an interview, Mr. Calloway.”

He nods slowly, that slight smile still on his handsome cheeks. Up close, I can see the thin lines on either side of his eyes that tell me he either smiles a lot, spends time in the sun, or both. I hope it’s both.

No. No, I don’t. No inappropriate thoughts about the obviously older, very handsome man who is my potential future boss. Bad Isla, bad.

“Luca is fine. Let’s get right into it. This is a nine-month contract position, with the possibility of turning into a permanent position.

Your primary responsibility will be to head the relaunch of the Cedar Creek Thunder.

What makes you think you’ll be the right person to lead the marketing campaign? ”

“Well, first of all, baseball is the best sport on earth, and anyone who tries to say otherwise is simply wrong. I don’t care if that makes me a bad Canadian to not pick hockey or lacrosse, but I’ve been a baseball fan since I was six years old and my dad took me to my very first Vancouver Tridents game.

” I pause, wondering whether or not to share the next part.

My being a former teen mom, now a single mom, doesn’t affect my ability to do my job, but, it is part of why I want this job.

“I’ve got a twelve year old son.”

His eyebrows raise. Yeah, I know I don’t look old enough to have a kid who will be a teenager in a few months. That’s what happens when you have a baby at seventeen. Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything, and I continue.

“He’s just as crazy about baseball as I am. In fact he’s who I have to thank for the wardrobe save,” I gesture to my tank top. “Anyway. Me being a mother has nothing to do with my skills as a marketing consultant, but he is part of the reason I believe in what you’re trying to achieve.”

Luca nods. “And what is it you think I’m trying to achieve?”

I let a small smile break free. “It’s not what I think, it’s what I know.

I’m friends with someone who knows one of your players.

That’s how I know that you want to make the Cedar Creek Thunder, and their stadium, a cornerstone in Cedar Creek.

Which I think is a fantastic idea. Every town needs something that brings them together, and what better way than uniting them as a fan base for a local sports team.

The opportunities to engage with the community throughout the process of rejuvenating the Thunder’s brand are endless, and any project that brings business and community together is what I want to be working on.

Because a strong community, a town full of connected residents, is the sort of place I want to raise my kid in. ”

Luca steeples his fingers together under his chin, looking at me with an expression I can’t even begin to decipher. He’s silent for a moment, and I force myself to keep my hands still and my gaze steady.