Four months of silence. Two careers on the line. One last chance to choose love over pride.

Ethan Cole is the golden boy of Major League Baseball-a Cy Young-caliber ace with a fastball that breaks records and a heart that's been shattered since the night he ended things with the only person who ever saw through his perfect façade. Now, in the final year of his contract, the Empire City Titans' franchise pitcher is going through the motions: gym, mound, empty apartment, repeat.

Nate Reyes won a World Series ring and lost the man he loved in the same week. The Iron Harbor Steelheads' All-Star center fielder has buried his grief in charity work and on-field dominance, but every highlight reel reminds him of the rivalry that was always more than a rivalry. When trade rumors start swirling-rumors that could send Nate three thousand miles away-the distance that already separates them threatens to become permanent.

Then Ethan's estranged father reaches out to Nate with an offer that changes everything.

Forced together at the All-Star Game, Ethan and Nate discover that four months apart hasn't dulled anything-not the anger, not the want, and not the terrifying truth that they're better together than they ever were alone. But reconciliation means risking everything they've built: careers, reputations, and the carefully constructed walls keeping them functional.

The trade deadline is ticking. The contracts are on the table. And this time, walking away might mean losing each other forever.

The Trade Rumor is Book 4 in the Wild Pitch series-a steamy MM sports romance about second chances, choosing partnership over pride, and discovering that the hardest pitch to throw is the one where you ask someone to stay.