The Game Changer (The Perfect Game 2)

Work got busier for me, and I was assigned to my first on-location shoot after a tornado practically destroyed an entire town in the Midwest. It was harder than I imagined, shooting the devastation and witnessing people’s pain up close and in person. My heart literally ached with each shot I captured.

Sometimes I questioned if what I was doing held true value. And I wondered how I was any better than the paparazzi, invading people’s personal space for the sake of a photograph.

But when one of my photos was chosen to solicit donations and another was used to focus on rebuilding the town, my fears were eased. I convinced myself that my pictures did good and helped bring to light the true devastation, so others could see it and be called to help.

I walked the short distance from the subway station to our apartment, excited to see Jack. His team had an afternoon playoff game that day and I didn’t attend partly because I knew Jack wouldn’t be pitching and I was also under a deadline at work. It was embarrassing how excited I got at the idea of coming home to Jack. He wasn’t normally home before I was, and I liked walking through the door and into his waiting arms. I looked up at our apartment building, the shadow casting halfway across the street, and grinned. I allowed myself to get lost in the sounds of the traffic rushing past me, finding comfort in their constant accompaniment.

When I opened the front door, a familiar smell hit me, and I struggled to place it. “What are you cooking?” I shouted into the apartment with a smile.

Jack peered around the kitchen wall at me. “You won’t believe what I got Gran to do,” he said with a laugh.

“That’s where I know that smell from! That’s Gran’s sauce!” I raced into the kitchen, reaching for a spoon before dipping it into the saucepan on the stove. I blew on it lightly before tasting it. “Oh my God. So good. Did you make it?”

Jack wrapped his arms around my waist. “I had her freeze some sauce and then overnight it to us. She’s been freaking out the whole time. ”

“That is awesome. ” I dipped my spoon in again and Jack swatted my hand.

“Get outta there. Wait for dinner. ”

I turned to eye him. “What are you up to, mister?”

“Nothing. ” He let out a breath. “Can’t a guy just cook dinner for his girlfriend?”

“Sure. ” I nodded. “Can I do anything?” I glanced around, noticing a vase of red roses on the table.

“Nope. ” He smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

Jack

I wanted to do this right. That’s why I reached out to her father and asked for his blessing days ago.

I knew I didn’t have to do that. Cassie would have insisted it wasn’t necessary, but Gran would probably have me killed if she found out I hadn’t. I figured it was the right thing to do, which should have pointed me in the opposite direction given my past, but I followed my gut anyway.

The phone rang as my heart thumped in my ears. “Hello,” a soft voice answered.

“Mrs. Andrews?”

“Yes. ”

“Hi, it’s Jack Carter. I was wondering if your husband was home, and if I could speak to him,” I asked as politely as I could.

“Oh hi, Jack. Is everything OK? Is Cassie alright?” she asked nervously.

“Cassie’s fine. Everything is OK. ”

“Oh, OK. That’s good to hear. Hold on a second and I’ll grab her father. ”

“Thank you,” I exhaled, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

The phone clanked on the other end and a male throat cleared. “Hello? Jack?”

“Hi, Mr. Andrews. How are you, sir?” I hated being respectful when he’d let Cassie down so many times over the years.

“I can’t complain. What can I do for you?”

“Well, sir,” I stalled, clearing my throat before continuing. “First of all, I want you to know how much I love your daughter. She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life. ”

“Uh-huh,” he said.