<B>Sometimes it takes hurt to open your heart...,</B><P>At twenty-two, Thane Wells is the highest-paid pitcher in Major League Baseball-and he owes it all to his adoptive Mama, "Queen" Elizabeth Sommerville, a wise, beautiful, entrepreneurial African-American woman who always encouraged him and his two white brothers to reach for the stars...the woman Thane still talks to daily. He never dreamed their most recent conversation would be their last. With his beloved supporter suddenly gone, Thane is grief-stricken, shaken, and vulnerable-especially to a woman like Kari Meyers. <P>Kari's had her eye on Thane for a while, but strictly for business. As a junior sports agent, she's hungry to sign him, especially when she hears his current agent will be retiring soon. When she finally locates Thane, she's shocked to discover he's attending his mother's funeral-and he's shocked to find Kari in his hotel room. Assuming she's an escort is just the beginning of their misunderstandings. But one thing that's clear is their mutual attraction. As a single mom with an NBA ex, Kari has a rule against dating athletes. Yet as circumstances bring the two closer together, they just might find they're on the same team, heart and soul...