Always Right: Diamond Brides, #9

By Mindy Klasky

Opposites attract when a high-strung lady lawyer blackmails a superstitious, cocky baseball player in this sexy stand-alone baseball romance!

 

Logical lawyer Amanda Carter is on the brink of financial disaster and professional humiliation. She's juggling her family's crippling medical bills and a huge payment to make partner—nearly impossible burdens after her father stole her identity.

 

Easy-going right fielder Kyle Norton is mired in the worst hitting slump of his career, until a black-haired beauty in the stands offers him her sunglasses. Slump broken, superstitious Kyle wants Amanda at every game.

 

Desperate Amanda agrees, but she attaches some hefty strings—some might call her ultimatum blackmail. Soon, Amanda and Kyle are locked in battle, united by need, and consumed by passion.

 

How far are they willing to go, with a legal career and the World Series hanging in the balance?

 

The Diamond Brides Baseball Series:

 

Each volume can be read on its own, and the series can be read in any order.

 

Perfect Pitch (DJ Thomas and Samantha Winger)
Catching Hell (Zach Ormond and Anna Benson)
Reaching First (Tyler Brock and Emily Holt)
Second Thoughts (Nick Durban and Jamie Martin)
Third Degree (Josh Cantor and Ashley Harris)
Stopping Short (Drew Marshall and Jessica Barnes)
From Left Field (Adam Sartain and Haley Thurman)
Center Stage (Ryan Green and Lindsey Ormond)
Always Right (Kyle Norton and Amanda Carter)

 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Book View Cafe
• Release date: Feb 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781611384574

Mindy Klasky

Mindy Klasky learned to read when her parents shoved a book in her hands and told her that she could travel anywhere in the world through stories. She never forgot that advice. When Mindy isn't "traveling" through writing books, she quilts, cooks and tries to tame the endless to-be-read shelf in her home library. You can visit Mindy at her Web site, www.mindyklasky.com.

Book preview

1

It was a beautiful day for a baseball game—right up to the moment Kyle Norton heard the crunch of titanium and plastic under his right cleat.

Batting practice was in full swing, with the Rockets’ power hitters behind the plate. Kyle was shagging fly balls in right field, keeping an eye on the practice pitcher throwing strike after strike. Tyler Brock had just soared three in a row over the fence at center field, making it look easy.

Kyle never hit fly balls like that—he’d always hit for average, not for power. He was in a batting slump now, had been for almost a month. Not a single hit, no matter who was pitching—righty or lefty, men who came on with heat, or crafty bastards who knew just where to put the ball. It didn’t make any difference to Kyle—he just wasn’t seeing the pitches, wasn’t getting his bat through the zone in time.

Brock hit another high fly toward the fence, and Kyle broke into a dead run. He got to the warning track, got to the wall. He whirled and found the ball, soaring straight toward him, like a magnet drawn to an iron column. He tensed his legs and extended his arm for the catch. He snagged the ball in the web of his glove, automatically snapping his fingers closed to keep it safe in the leather pocket.

And he tumbled into the wall, hard enough to jar his neck forward, to send his sunglasses tumbling onto the warning track. He didn’t have a chance of finding them before he came crashing down, mangling the frames and shattering the lenses.

As the crowd above him applauded his effort, Kyle glanced at the scoreboard clock. Only fifteen minutes left in batting practice. Not enough time to head back to the locker room, to scare up another pair of glasses and get back to right field, rounding out the practice. But there was no way he could play without something to cut the glare.

He turned toward the fence and the fans who were cheering right above him. With a shrug and a grin, he tossed the ball up there, making sure it landed in the long fingers of the woman who was centered at the front of the crowd.

She looked astonished that she’d ended up with the ball. She was there with a group, if the bright green T-shirts meant anything, the ones that shouted Link, Oster, Vogel, and East PLLC in bold letters. Her friends toasted her with their beers, slapping her free hand for high fives. One of the guys looked down toward Kyle and hollered, Thanks, buddy!

Kyle made a show of tipping the brim of his cap. That was the good thing about BP; it was warm-up time, sure, and there was a lot of work to be done, both behind the plate and out in the field. But it was also a chance to reach out to fans, to build the team’s reputation. And Mr. Benson, the team’s owner, was always happy to hear that his fans were satisfied.

At the urging of her friends, the woman who’d caught the ball leaned forward. Her long black hair was done up in two braids, like she was a kid. But there wasn’t anything childish about her. Her T-shirt was knotted above her waist, tight enough to show off her chest. Her legs, emphasized by her neatly cuffed shorts, were long and tanned; she looked like some sort of beach volleyball queen. Or maybe he only thought that because of the way she leaned over the railing, sticking her ass in the air as she blew him a kiss.

Sunshine glinted off the glasses she was using as a hairband, the titanium frames, the high-end lenses. Hey, sweetheart, he called. If you really want to thank me, let me wear your glasses!

He watched her shake her head in disbelief, curving her hand to point at her chest like she couldn’t believe he was talking to her. He was not going to think about that chest. He was not going to speculate about what she had on under that knotted tee. Instead, he pointed toward the shattered remains of his own glasses.

Go on, one of the guys urged her, an older man who looked like he was in charge of the office outing.

The woman slipped off her glasses and looked down at Kyle doubtfully. Go ahead, he shouted, taking off his glove and tucking it under his right arm. I’ll catch them.

Sure, she called, and she glanced at the ruined frames beside him.

"It’s my job," he said.

Go on, Amanda, one of the other guys urged her. Don’t impugn his manhood.

Kyle hadn’t meant to call attention to his manhood, one way or another. Maybe the jeering embarrassed Amanda, because she started to back away from the fence. At the last minute, though, she turned back and held her glasses over the railing. He reached high, cupping his hands to receive them. She let go, and he made the easy catch.

They were top-of-the-line glasses—polarized lenses, lightweight frames, a neutral design that could be worn by men or women. Hell, they were probably as good as the ones he’d just pulverized into the warning track. He shouldn’t take them—at least not without getting her phone number, so he could return them after the game.

But balls still cracked off bats behind him. The other outfielders and relief pitchers still scrambled to catch the shots that got past the infield. The grounds crew still lay in wait on the warning track, ready to roll away the cage that kept the pitcher safe, to groom the diamond and get the show on the road. It was time to get back to work. He’d worry about getting the glasses back to Amanda later.

So work he did—through the rest of batting practice. Through the familiar routine of settling into the dugout as the announcers went through the ceremonial first pitch, the congratulation of game sponsors, the recognition of military veterans. He took his place on the field for the singing of the national anthem, and then he trotted out to right for a few last-minute tosses, long balls to Green over in center.

The game started, and Hart sat down the Milwaukee batters, one, two, three, with eleven easy pitches. And then it was time for Kyle to trot in from right, to step over the chalk that marked the first base line, taking care not to smudge it with even the tip of his shoe.

Traditions—that’s what mattered in baseball.

He exchanged his regular red cap for his batting helmet. Pine tar nearly obscured the Rockets logo on the front, the accumulation of hundreds of at-bats. That was more tradition—never clean a batting helmet mid-season.

He stepped to the plate, taking his time to dig in. In the past, he’d loved batting lead-off. He knew all the statistics, all the numbers the coaches tossed around. Getting the first batter on base was the single most important thing his team needed if they were going to score in the inning. It didn’t matter if Kyle hit a single or walked on balls, he just had to get ninety feet away, to first base.

Those rules were etched in his bones. He knew them without thinking. That was why he needed to step out of the batter’s box, why he had to check the straps on his batting gloves, to tap the bat first on his right shoulder, then on his left. He touched the shoulder of his uniform the way he always did, a little tug on the jersey like when he’d played Little League, when he’d played college ball, when he’d come up through double-A down in Chester Beach.

Habit. Ritual. Superstition. It calmed him, let him concentrate on the game.

He swung the bat over his shoulder and looked out at the Milwaukee pitcher. He sensed the catcher shifting behind him, flashing signs out to the mound. He saw the pitcher nod once, twice. It would be a fastball, then. Kyle couldn’t be certain where the ball would be targeted, inside, outside, high, low. That shouldn’t matter. Knowing a fastball was coming, he should be able to catch up to the pitch.

He glared through Amanda’s sunglasses, willing himself to concentrate. The pitcher wound up. Kyle watched the ball emerge from the other man’s glove, saw it leave the guy’s fingers. He knew where it was going to be when it crossed the plate, and he swung his bat, connecting with the clear, sharp sound of trademarked maple on leather.

Kyle knew it was a home run before he completed his swing—the sound, the feel of the ball coming off the bat, the graceful line as it jetted toward the deepest part of the park, over the center-field fence. His third home run of the season, and the crowd roared the entire time as Kyle trotted around the bases.

His long dry spell was over.

For the rest of the game, Amanda’s glasses worked like a charm—even better than the ones he’d ruined. As the team poured onto the field for its post-game celebration, he glanced toward the right-field fence. The cluster of green shirts was moving up the aisle, toward the exit and home. It was too late to thank Amanda. Too late to tell her the glasses had made all the difference.

Amanda Carter sat at her desk, rubbing the back of her neck and hoping the aspirin would kick in soon. She glanced at her computer screen, and the clock seemed to pulse in time with her throbbing headache. It was just past eight.

She should have skipped the game that afternoon. She didn’t have time for baseball, not with the trial of her life coming up in two and a half months. She should have stayed at the office all afternoon, writing her briefs, arguing the intricacies of patent law to the court.

But as the firm’s newest partner, there’d been no way to refuse going to the Rockets game. Harvey Link—whose name was first on the letterhead—was all about team spirit. And whatever Harvey wanted, Harvey got. That was the habit that had guaranteed Amanda made partner. Harvey liked hummingbird cake, so Amanda baked a hummingbird cake for Harvey’s birthday, every freaking year. Harvey liked Christmas carols, so Amanda organized the Christmas Chorale, every freaking year.

Harvey liked baseball, so Amanda had wasted five hours of her life when she could least afford to lose them, all with a headache pounding hard behind her eyes. Why the hell had she tossed her sunglasses to Kyle Norton? Her reaction had been completely illogical—she’d been egged on by Harvey, by everyone from the office hooting and hollering around her. That was her only excuse for leaning over the fence, for blowing a kiss to that ballplayer.

She wasn’t usually such a sucker. She didn’t roll over and do whatever a guy asked her to do—even if he did have an incredible smile. And rippling forearms that made her toes curl inside her shoes. And blue eyes that seemed to look past her silly group T-shirt, that seemed to see straight into her soul.

She shook her head. She’d given the guy her glasses because Harvey had told her to. And those had been her best sunglasses, too, a gift from a client after a hard-fought case down in Miami.

Her cell phone shrilled, setting off an echoing shriek behind her eyes. She almost decided not to answer, but habits were habits, and this was Sunday night. She forced herself to smile as she said, Mom!

How has your week been?

Amanda reached for a pad of paper and started writing out the Fibonacci numbers. Their cool, predictable logic always calmed her when she was itching to do something else, to be somewhere else. 0. 1. 1. Fine, she said to her mother. And yours?

Busy. Barbara Anne came and sat with me today.

How nice, Amanda said automatically. 2. 3. 5.

She says she’ll drive me to the doctor’s office next week. I’m getting a second opinion on my back. On whether surgery is an option.

8. 13. Amanda made sympathetic noises. Her mother was in constant agony from a variety of lower back problems. She’d had to give up work a few years ago, barely able to walk after decades of working two waitressing jobs, day in, day out.

There may be tests, her mother said. Things that aren’t covered by Medicaid.

Anxiety ignited in Amanda’s belly, coating her throat with a sour taste. She didn’t have extra money to cover tests. She didn’t have extra money for anything. As it was, she’d memorized her expense spreadsheets, all her careful charts of income and expenses. She knew exactly when her rent was due, when she had to pay for electricity, gas, and water. She knew her mother’s payment schedule as well, because that was Amanda’s duty, her obligation, to help out the woman who had raised her. It wasn’t like her brother Alex could. Warren, either.

21. 34. 55. 89. Amanda managed to sound calm as she said, Don’t worry about it. Just have them send the bills to me.

Thank you, Mandy. You know, if there was any other way…

Amanda took a deep breath. The Fibonacci numbers weren’t soothing the way

Reviews for Always Right

[hellonicole_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite story line of Klasky's Diamond Brides series. The whole blackmail thing really turned me off of the characters.

[kaytebennett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Always Right is a nice and easy read. I personally started this short story before I went to bed and found it to be so engaging I couldn't sleep until I finished it. The two main characters, one a lawyer and the other a baseball player are both captivating in their story lines that its impossible not to feel empathy for these two. Mindy Klasky shapes the story in a romantic yet thrilling way, each page leaves you with curiosity about what shall happen for the main characters tangled in with an abundance of conflicting emotions about each characters personal lives which are enriched with secrets.

[romwrit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a home run for me, but definitely a triple.I enjoyed reading about Amanda and Kyle. I liked Amanda's quirky habit of jotting down numbers when she became stressed, as well as her overall connection to numbers and math in general. Although not a superstitous person myself, I found Kyle's habits adorable. I've heard of baseball players having superstitions, and I was pleased to see that the author expanded on that. I'm all for family helping family, but I found Amanda's family rather bothersome. I felt as if they took advantage of her. Althought they didn't mean to, I felt they should've known better. I'm sure somebody visited her apartment at some time or another - since they were all so close- so they shouldn've been able to tell that she wasn't a rich attorney by any means. On that same note, she should've just been honest instead of taking on all that responsibility. I also think Kyle should've been stronger and given her more of a challenge. But hey, I guess without that there wouldn't have been as much of a story.I think it was well worth the time I spent reading it, and I look forward to reading about the other diamond brides.

[eleasha-8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a quick nice read. It had a nice build up for a short story and I enjoyed the characters and the little more descriptive romantic scenes.

[astridusher-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A light read. I felt irritated with Amanda, who as a lawyer should have known better. It tended to make a mockery of her relationship with Kyle who seemed to be a bit naive. I don't know baseball and could not understand the superstition he was so wrapped up in.The book didn't have any surprises with a happy ever after finish.

[krow134 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So sad to see this series end, but what a great book to end it with. I truly liked this one. You really need to start from the beginning and read the whole series. It was very well written and likeable. Ms. Klasky is a wonderful writer and can tell a story where it can feel like your right there. I have enjoyed everyone of these Diamond Brides books!

[tammikroeger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked Kyle but was annoyed at the whole blackmail plot. It just didn't make sense and I found myself getting irritated with Amanda's choices. If the author would have used a different reason to keep Amanda involved I would have given it a higher rating. By the end I liked Amanda more, but just couldn't get past her using Kyle that way. He may have been superstitious, but he wasn't malicious.

[crazy4reading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Here we meet Kyle Norton and Amanda. Kyle plays for the Rockets. Amanda is a lawyer. They meet at an afternoon pre-baseball game batting practice. Kyle has busted his sunglasses and sees Amanda in the stands and asks her for her glasses. She reluctantly gives them to her.Amanda does research on Kyle and learns something about his past. She decides to blackmail him. Kyle goes along with it by using her for his superstition. He begs her to come to all morning/afternoon home games for the rest of the season.They start to fall in love as they discover more about each other. This story was cute and I was pulling for them to stop the shenanigans with each other. Another typical romance book yet enjoyable.

[lms8esmith · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Always Right was just ok. I was hoping for a sensational ending to this series, but I just did not believe the story line between the characters. While there was minimal chemistry and a few steamy scenes, I just could not buy in to their love. I was glad to finish this book, but I'll be sad to see this series end.

[thicks-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Secrets Lies Blackmail Love Deceit Anger Confusion Forgiveness! Did I miss something? Well Mindy didn't. She included all of these emotions and more in this delightful book that had you crying laughing mad happy overcome confused and then just relieved that it was finally over. Great book get your emotions ready to tangle cause they will.

[stacey68-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was my least favorite book in this series. But overall would recommend this series.

[labrat35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review. I have enjoyed this series and am sorry to see it end. A quick, fun read.

[cathygeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is another fun story with a baseball theme written by Mindy Klasky. I liked the lead into the need for the superstitious use of sunglasses provided by Amanda, a lawyer on a group outing to a baseball game with her colleagues, and the ensuing routine superstitious Kyle required of her. I was NOT so happy that when Kyle, the baseball main throb, was blackmailed by Amanda. It all works out in the end with some major ups and downs, but I think I would have preferred to see a bit stronger relationship between the two based on something other than money and superstition. Since I have not read all of the other books in this series I wonder if since this was the end of the series it went out with a sputter instead of a bang. It was definitely a fun read and I thank LibraryThing and Ms Klasky for the opportunity to read this story.

[lulu150 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the last of the Diamond Brides Series and it was okay. I wish that there had been a little more to this one. I did really enjoy the whole series and would recommend them to anyone looking for a good romance series, you do not even need to like baseball to enjoy the books!!! I do suggest reading them in order.

[stacejb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I found this better than the previous book in the series, it was not my favorite. We have Amanda, using Kyle's past to blackmail him multiple times. We have Kyle, who just hands over the money as long as she comes to the games.Only once did she explain why she needed money. The other times she didn't reveal her reasons. Kyle asks for them but when she refuses to tell him, he doesn't push for answers.Amanda came across as greedy, only looking out for herself and her family. And why doesn't she just come clean with her family and admit she can't afford to help them instead of going after Kyle? Speaking of Kyle, he came across as weak and needy. He acted like a child when Amanda couldn't get away from work to go to one of his games. I prefer my heroes to have a little more backbone and maturity.There was nothing realistic about this story. No one in their right mind would let Amanda get away with what she was doing without reporting her, let alone wanting to be in a relationship with such a person.There was very little mention of the characters from the previous books so it could be read as a standalone. It would have been nice to have them around more, especially since they were playing in the World Series.If this is the last book in the series, I'm sad to say it didn't go out on a high note.**A free copy was provided via LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review**

[iadam-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

received an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is another short, light, interesting read about baseball by Mindy Klasky. The superstitious repetitions of ball players is an interesting scenario and under certain circumstances could be very expensive to maintain. Each of the main characters is flawed and has secrets. Even though some of the story is a little unrealistic this is still an interesting and enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

[conkie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a difficult book to review as I equally liked and disliked its storyline. Since I'm not one to let out details, I can say this tug-o-war exists because the Heroine repeatedly makes the same HUGH mistake, involving the Hero. Meanwhile, I don't understand how the Hero is allowing himself to be duped. He gets angry and frustrated, then allows it to happen anyway. I don't believe real people would allow this to happen 3 times! One of them would surely stop it sooner. However, the possible reasons for why each character would do what they did were interesting and compelling. Maybe if more time had been spent on each character's reasoning, I could at least "see" how something like this story's scenario could happen. I believe this is the last book in the Diamond Brides' series. Of the two I read, I will say the author is talented and developed unique storylines. I could see reading additional future books written by Ms. Klasky.

[loribivens · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really like the Diamond Brides series, but I feel like they have dropped back off after Left Field. They have become shallow and repetitive again, which is sad because some of the installments have been really great. This was definitely not a favorite.

[kmt01_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have read the whole series about a baseball team, its players and their various lives and romances. This is the last book in the series, and, by far, my least favorite. The story was a bit more involved and different from the others. In this one, lawyer Amanda Carter, one step away from going down financially thanks to her family’s needs and wants, casually tosses her sunglasses to Rockets player Kyle Norton, currently in a no-hit slump, bad for a baseball player at any time. After this encounter, Amanda discovers Kyle’s hidden, and potentially destructive secret and convinces him to let her act as his lawyer to prevent the story from getting out—for a nice, tidy sum, which will help her through her bad financial woes. As the story progresses, the couple spend time going over the secret between them, meeting for quick, intimate dinners and chats, and trying to fight the growing attraction between them. Amanda regrets, almost immediately, her actions regarding Kyle and the “job” she has coerced him into giving her. Kyle meanwhile continues to try to put the whole episode she discovered behind him. Amanda attends the team’s home game, going through the same scenario she did the first game she attended, helping Kyle, a superstitious man about such things, keep up his solid batting average and great team playing. The story provides a great picture of the romance that emerges and grows between Amanda and Kyle. However, I did not think the basic premise of Amanda, a patent lawyer, stooping to the criminal act of blackmail fit into the picture the author provided of her or of him. In the story, Amanda routinely bemoans the way her father squandered the family fortune, though not very large. Yet, at the same time, every family member comes to her for money to fund/cover some big unforeseen expense. It seemed as if no one really had much of a job or was really willing to accept responsibility for his/her actions, and Amanda kept enabling this behavior, though it definitely jeopardized her position as a lawyer in the firm. I wondered if others in her position would have acted the same way. The fact that this led her to do something that was illegal, contradicted the persona the author portrayed. I am also not sure about the relationship between her and Kyle—whether if really would have emerged and/or grown in these circumstances. In honesty, I had difficulty continuing the book, since I disliked the basic plot so much and found the characters so difficult to accept. I guess, by thin time, the author needs something different, and most of the other books had already used up the basic plots we all know and love so well. However, this plot is really just too much for me to take. I received this from Library Thing to read and provide an honest review.

[ash_p-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I am sad that this series has ended but, I am also glad that it ended with dreams being fulfilled. A great finale installment to an overall great series. Mindy Klasky's heros and heroines are all "human" which is the best part of her stories. They all have their quirks and weaknesses, their life histories and secrets. Now I am wondering.... should I continue with the As You Wish series or pick up the Jane Madison or Glasswrights Series. Hmmmmmmmm?