Page 13 of Mended Hearts

Hot on my trail, she places her hand on the door before I can open it. Annoyed, I avoid looking at her, waiting for her to bedone with this dramatic burst. “Dustin.” Her voice is low, almost a whisper.

I shift my gaze to her, seeing a look of desperation. The tension in my body eases without my approval.

“Don’t forget about your future.” She pleads with a softness I’ve never seen.

I want to tell her to calm down, that I’m just going to play catch, but I don’t want to prolong this moment any longer than necessary.

“Okay, Ma.” I nod, holding her gaze. She slowly pulls her hand away from the door and I quickly turn the knob before she tries to trap me again. “Bye, love ya,” I say, getting the hell outta Dodge.

I don’t look back as I jog down the concrete stairs of our porch, landing on the cracked sidewalk. I look over at my Blazer parked on the street and curse, realizing I left my keys on my dresser. My shoes begin slapping the pavement as I take off jogging toward the school. I’d much rather take the six-block journey by foot instead of going back inside and chance seeing my mom.

“COULD YA USE a catcher?” I ask, patting my glove as I take the crouching catcher’s position behind home plate.

“It’d be highly appreciated,” Echo replies somewhat breathlessly, making her way back to the pitcher’s mound from gathering up her practice balls.

Her face fills with determination, shutting everything else out. She whips her arm around and slides her foot together in unison. The ball slaps into my glove with a loud thud, tingling my hand.

“Damn,” I mutter, shaking my hand as I throw the ball back. I expect her to pop off a joke, but she quickly resumes herposition, staying in the zone. We continue this back and forth for about thirty minutes.

“You’re pretty badass,” I admit as she makes her way toward me.

“Thanks,” she replies, looking down, a light blush forming on her cheekbones.

“Ahem.”

I hear the clearing of a throat. I turn around to see Echo’s dad. A bubble of worry seeps in as I try reading his stoic features. He doesn’t seem happy to see me, and I start to pray I didn’t just get her in trouble.

“Hello, Mr. Price,” I say with a wave. I want to walk up to him and properly greet him, maybe even indulge in some small talk, but the stern look across his face tells me I should think otherwise.

“Thanks for your help, Dustin.” Echo smiles, trying to play cool.

“Anytime.” I grin. “Oh, hey. You forgot one.” I toss her the softball I had set aside when I first got here. She catches it with ease. I watch as she follows her dad, finally looking down at the ball in her hands. She glances back my way, and with a huge smile on her beautiful face, she gives me a nod.

Lord have mercy… I’m a goner.

Chapter Seven

ECHO

Ihate that I’m made to feel guilty for something completely innocent. My dad most likely thinks I had this whole scheme orchestrated when I had no clue Dustin was going to show up. But no matter the ramifications, I’m thankful he did.

“What’s he doing here?” my dad asks, looking back at Dustin, who stands with one hand in his shorts pocket and gives a small wave bye to the both of us. My dad nods, and I watch Dustin a little longer. Long enough for him to give me his signature grin that shows off his adorable dimple. That little indentation mixed with his pale green eyes makes my heart go pitter-patter.

“Honestly, he showed up all on his own just to spot me.” My words are true. I just hope he believes them. Just because I have a crush on the boy doesn’t change the status of what he is to me. I begin turning the ball in my hand. My heart goes from pitter-pattering to beating record fast. The wordsBe My Girlare scribbled across the ball. When my dad isn’t looking, I glance back at an eagerly waiting Dustin and give him a quick nod as I hold the softball snug against my chest.

Excitement and dread fill my senses. My dad pops open the trunk, and I sit my bucket of softballs inside. I tuck the ball Dustin gave me in my glove, then place it in the bucket withthe other balls. I close the trunk, then look at my dad, who’s standing next to the open driver’s side door. He’s probably waiting for me to ask to drive because normally, I would. I have my license, but who knows when I’ll have my own car. Probably never.

“Umm.” I look down and rub my sweaty hands on the bottom of my shirt, suddenly feeling anxious. “Is it okay if I jog home?” I glance back up, chancing a look at my dad. He rests his hands on the roof of the car, looking at me and then out at the field where Dustin no longer resides.

“Is there a reason you’re wanting to?” His eyes narrow, discerning my words.

“Well, I just need to start conditioning myself and think it’d be a good way to do so.” I shrug, hoping it sounds believable. It’s not a lie…fully. I can’t tell him that my heart is overstimulated right now, and I can’t sit still in the car with him. I can’t tell him that the guy I just claimed to be ‘a friend’ is now more than ‘a friend’. I can’t tell him that I hate that I can’t be excited about things like this and feel I have to hide it from him. How can something that feels so right feel wrong just because someone else disapproves?

“Fine,” he says with a slight smile. “I’ll give you a head start.” He nods, urging me to take off. And I do, knowing he’s going to beat me home no matter what because I plan on taking the long way. I have a lot of excitement I need to burn off before walking through the front door. I jog around town, exploring the outskirts I haven’t really seen yet. Houses are a bit more spaced out, with larger yards to maintain. I come to a dead end that leads to the cemetery. I pause, taking in the rocky entrance with tall metal beams framing it. Cut-out letters spelling cemetery fill the space between the two beams, connecting them. I debate on venturing in but think better of it. I slowly walk backward before turning around and running back toward where I just camefrom. Having to backtrack is a disadvantage of not fully knowing the town, but I’m okay with it extending the time of my jog.

I make my way downtown to fully see what it has to offer. Passing the post office, I take notice of the pharmacy across the way. I slow myself to a walk to read the signs of the buildings that are tightly packed together. Old brick and rock forming most of the two-story shops. There’s something whimsical about every small town’s Main St. So much history that the town and its people seem dead set on preserving. And I see why. A flooring store, thrift store, bakery, and bar line the side I walk on. A bank, hair salon, and hardware store across from me. I stop and take in all the moving parts around me. Children laughing, cars passing by with music blaring, and car horns followed by people waving prove this small town is a lively one.

I’m about to continue my way home when a voice catches my attention. My head snaps across the street, where I see Dustin help load some items into an older woman’s car. I smile, watching him sit her items inside with care before telling her to have a great day. I look both ways and jog across the street once the road is clear. I push open the glass door and the bell chimes.

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