Page 63 of Play the Field

I nudged Carol’s arm and ignored her. “So, should we get started?”

With that, the three other players and I got to work. We set up a small folding table near the Backstop, draping a cheap tablecloth over the plastic top. Carol pulled out a small box with a slit in the top for cash donations. I could tell Bri had made the piece with some spare wood in her shop.

Once the table was in place, our players started to arrive for warmups. Blue and orange jerseys speckled the renewed field. Some of the women had brought their family to watch the Championship game.

Grabbing my bag from the bleachers, I brought it into the dugout and started to greet my teammates.

“Ready to kick some ass, Cleo?” A booming voice came from the entrance of the dugout while I tied my shoes.

Smirking, I looked up to Bri’s goofy grin. Behind her, I saw Sarah and her kids settling into the small bleachers.

Once my laces were tied, I stood from the bench and hugged Bri. “Only if you are.”

Snapping my fingers, I looked around the dugout and raised my voice. “Hey, y'all. Just a reminder, Cat is only going to pitch in a few innings. So don’t think we’ll just sail through this Championship, cool?”

The team gave a collective nod as they headed out to the field to play some warm-up catch.

“I still think we’ll sail through.” Her raspy voice sent a shiver down my spine, leaning against the dugout wall. And when I turned to meet her green eyes, Cat smiled at me. “Hey, gorgeous.”

I shook my head as a blush took over my face. “Hi.”

She crossed the distance and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek as she set her bag down on the bench. Her teal jersey tucked into her pants, Cat bent over and pulled out her cleats.

“I’m going to start warming up with Bri if you’re going to be a minute.”

“Please,” Cat nodded as she started to change her shoes.

As I walked out of the dugout, I called over my shoulder, “Don’t forget, you’re handing the first pitch and inning.”

Swallowing hard, Cat let the air escape her lungs. “Yep.”

I wanted to give her some space, a little room to find her center. So, with my glove in hand, I walked out onto the grass and threw a softball to Bri. “You brought your girlfriend already? Y'all might as well be married.”

Rolling her eyes, Bri lifted her glove to catch the throw. “You’re a punk.”

As we warmed up, the stands started to fill up. I saw my mom’s figure pull out a folding chair and put it on the grass nearthe chain link fence, wanting to be close to the action. My heart warmed at the support.

But as I parsed through the growing crowd, I searched for Cat’s team representative.What if they don’t show?

39

CAT

There was only so longthat I could hide in the dugout. And when the ref blew his whistle, I knew my time was up.

Swallowing hard, I pulled my old, peeling glove from my bag and gave it a smack. “You better come through for me,” I whispered as I slipped it under my armpit.

Our team – nicknamed the Teal Steel for the purposes of this Championship – took the field, each player finding their position. I tried to keep my head down as I approached the pitcher’s mound, a light clap coming from the stands.

The umpire wiped off the long rubber strip at the top of the sand pile. When I got closer, I held out my hand to shake hers. She wore a navy blue uniform and a matching cap, smiling as she shook my hand. “Good game today. Protect that arm, alright? We don’t like injuries here.”

“Of course, ump. Thanks for being here, it means a lot to the league.” I nodded, placing my other hand over our shake.

Once the umpire walked toward home plate, I felt a warm palm on my formerly-injured shoulder. “You ready?” Their gentle voice calmed my nerves.

Letting out a sigh, I shrugged. “Not quite, but I’ve gotta rip the bandage off at some point.”

“That’s true.” Cleo nodded and looked into my eyes, their endless blues a sea I could’ve been lost in for decades. “Just remember, it’s you and me out there. The rest of it doesn’t matter.”

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