Underdog Luke “Single” Singleton is yearning to make a comeback. After getting hit in the neck with a pitch—an injury that nearly cost him his life—he has one last chance to play for his hometown team, the Stockton Beavers. But his mom has Alzheimer’s, and he’s all she has to depend on. How can he pursue his career, much less someone special?
Personal care aide Roberta Bennett is done dating baseball players. Having had her share of heartbreak, she heads to Stockton hoping for a fresh start. But after she finds Luke’s mom outside, lost, and alone, she can’t refuse when he hires her on the spot. Unbeknownst to Luke, Roberta is all too familiar with the violent tendencies of the pitcher who hit him.
Now that they’re living under the same roof, the last thing either of them is looking for is a relationship. But it’s not long before they find themselves drawn to each other. And right when Luke is thinking about finally making a change to his single status, a secret from Roberta’s past emerges with the power to tear them apart.
And just like that, that old aching wound throbs anew within my heart. Dad died of a heart attack last spring. Losing him as unexpectedly as we did changed our lives forever, but Mom, for the most part, doesn’t even remember that terrible day—her Alzheimer’s granting her a reprieve. But I remember. I remember enough for the both of us. When Mom was first diagnosed, Dad swore he’d never put her in some nursing facility—and now that he’s gone, I intend to do everything in my power to honor his promise to her. This is her home. This is where she feels comfortable. And this is where she’s going to stay. It’s what Dad would’ve wanted.
