Page 69 of Mom Ball

“Where’s that?”

He leads me to a trunk in the garage and opens the lid.

“Thanks.” I drop everything inside.

Andrew calls “bye” out the back window, and I lift a hand to wave. Timothy leaves my side to tell him something before they drive away.

I circle the house to make sure we didn’t miss anything and run into Brooke.

“Hey.”

She straightens and sprays my shirt with a water hose in her hand.

“Oh no.”

I laugh. “It’s okay.”

“Sorry.” She wipes her hand down my chest as if it would dry the soaked cotton. “I was watering the daffodils.” Her voice trails and her hand rests on my stomach.

I want so badly to kiss her, but it’s not the right time. She has to make the first move.

We’ve gained so much ground this past week, but we’re not there yet. I can’t steal home. She has to give me the base. That’s the way it’s got to be. She has way more to lose than me.

“Thanks for tonight,” I say. Then I lean down and kiss her gently on the cheek. I step back, letting her hand fall from my stomach, and smile.

She blushes and smiles in return. “See you soon.”

I walk backward a few steps. “Coffee sometime soon.”

“Coffee,” she agrees.

I turn and get in my truck. If I don’t go home now, I’ll be tempted to stay until her dad flashes the porch lights at me.

Just like the good old days.

CHAPTER 15

Nate

It’s nice playing a home game without Jeffrey around.

The Red Armadillos are on the road tonight in Moonshine County, leaving the Gray Armadillos at home to face the Wisteria Mud Cats.

That should make for a fun game.

The Apple Cart Armadillos and Wisteria Mud Cats are the two high school teams in the county and have a heated rivalry dating back to long before I came around. Legend has it that the Mud Cats feed their football players rattlesnake each year before the big game against Apple Cart.

The hatred trickles down to Toy Bowl and Little League too, which is why Bradley is here.

Bradley Manning grew up in Wisteria, but now lives in Apple Cart and has been the county sheriff for a while. Long enough that I think he’s coming up for reelection.

“Hey, big dog.” Bradley nods to me, then straps on a pair of leg guards.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m not just here to patrol for potential fights. I’m helping ump to keep all these crazy coaches and parents straight too.”

“I didn’t know you were an umpire.”

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