Page 125 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

And then the next pitch was moving toward him. His bat swung back, and he made contact. The crack was loud, and we all jumped to our feet. The ball sailed out into the outfield. We’d never seen a hit like this from anyone on the team.

He dropped the bat and took off running, with his teammates standing on the sidelines, going crazy.

He pumped his arms as he rounded first base and then cleared second. Nash was shouting for him to keep going as his arms swung around. Cutler tapped third base so quickly we were all stunned. He came down the final stretch as the other team threw the ball and raced him to home plate. He slid the way he’d been trained numerous times but never had to do before.

The umpire shouted the word, “Safe!”

You’d think the Ducks won the World Series with the way everyone was shouting and cheering.

“Beefcake pulled out a home fucking run!” Kingston yelled to our group, and we all high-fived one another as we jumped up and down.

“What’s happening over there?” I asked, as I watched Nash drop down to the ground with Cutler, who looked like he was gasping for air.

His teammates stopped cheering and ran over, and before I could comprehend what was happening, King, River, Romeo, and Hayes were all jumping the fence and sprinting toward them.

I took off with Ruby, Demi, and Peyton right behind me as we ran around the fence toward the dugout.

When we got onto the field, the assistant coach was backing the kids up and guiding them toward the dugout to give Nash some space.

Cutler was still gasping, even while Nash was giving him a puff from his inhaler. “Breathe, Cutler,” Nash said, his voice remaining even and calm.

Cutler sucked in and then blinked up at his dad. “I did it, Pops.”

His words were barely audible over his wheezing, and I saw Nash shoot a look to Hayes, who was trained in CPR as a firefighter. He just nodded, as if he understood what he was saying. I noted the way Cutler’s nose was flaring, and his stomach was sucking in and out with every breath he struggled to take.

Hayes dialed the phone and spoke into it, and I knew right away that he was calling 9-1-1.

He’d stepped away because keeping Cutler calm was important.

“Don’t talk right now, buddy,” Nash said, and I heard the way his voice cracked on the last word.

“I’m calling Doc Dolby now, too,” River said to us, as he dialed the phone and stepped away.

King was crouched down beside Cutler. “Just breathe, Beefcake. It’s going to be okay.”

I heard the sirens in the distance as Romeo ran out toward the road, obviously to guide them in as quickly as possible.

“I don’t,” Cutler wheezed, “feel good, Pops.”

“I know.” Nash pulled Cutler between his legs just as the paramedics came hurrying toward us.

We stepped back to make room for them, and they assessed him quickly and had him on a gurney with oxygen over his little face within seconds. Everyone stood there stunned, and as they wheeled him off the field, he held his little arm in the air with a thumb up.

And for whatever reason, that’s what made me lose it. I covered my face as the first sob escaped my mouth.

Ruby wrapped an arm around me, and then Demi and Peyton did the same. The four of us hugged and cried in a huddle.

“Come on. We need to get to the hospital,” Hayes said, and we all started moving.

“Hold up, I’ll be right there.” Kingston started running toward the dugout, and I came to a stop. I saw him talking to the assistant coach before he came jogging toward us with the gigantic trophy in his hands.

I smiled as the tears continued to fall. He reached for my free hand, and we both started running toward the parking lot. We piled into two cars, River’s and Romeo’s, as the rest of us had walked here.

River punched the dashboard of his car as we all got buckled.

“That’s not going to help anything, River. He’s going to be okay. Let’s get to the hospital,” Ruby said, her voice as calm as Nash’s had been.

She had been in situations that were stressful before in her line of work, and she’d always told us that when you faced trauma, it was most important to remain calm.

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