Page 7 of Striking Out In The Mountains

Ryland comes over to talk to me. He looks a little nervous.

What is with this man today?

He’s been calm and cool since I arrived in town. I saw him arrest a big violent biker the other day and he wasn’t phased at all. But this softball game has got him all shaken up? I don’t get it.

“Doug is up first,” he says, whispering into his glove.

“Which one is Doug?”

“The second baseman,” he says. “The one with the big ears and the big mouth.”

I grin as I watch him warming up, cockily saying how he can’t be struck out by a girl.

“He looks like a putz, but he’s pretty good. Maybe try a curveball.”

I’m throwing it right down the fucking middle. I’m going to shatter his ego into a gazillion pieces.

“I got this, Ryland,” I say, trying to calm him down. “What’s the big deal with this game anyway? You have money riding on it or something?”

I thought it was for charity, jeez.

He glances at the fire chief and grits his teeth. “I’m fine,” he says, backing away with his hands up. “Totally cool.”

I fight back a laugh when I realize what’s up. He must have some kind of rivalry with the fire chief. They do look like they’re about the same age, so maybe the rivalry goes back a few decades.

“Don’t worry,” I say, smiling reassuringly. “Enjoy the show.”

“Let’s go!” the umpire shouts.

Doug struts over with a baseball bat slung over his shoulder.

I can’t even with this guy…

“Should I go straight to home?” he asks as he digs his feet into the dirt and squares up. “Save you the embarrassment in front of the whole town?”

Oh, this is going to be good…

I don’t say a word. I let my arm do the talking.

I set up, wind my arm, andlaunchit at the catcher’s mitt. In slow motion, you might see flames traveling behind the ball.

It rips past him before he even has a chance to swing, landing in the catcher’s mitt with a satisfyingthud.

“Strike!” the umpire shouts.

“Whoa,” Ryland says from the bench. I flash him an I-Told-You-So grin.

The cockinessmeltsfrom Doug’s face as he steps back and swings the bat. He looks worried. Really worried.

I’m trying to hold back a laugh as I set up again.

I glance over at the firefighters’ bench and smile shyly when I see the way Graham is watching me with those dark possessive eyes. He has a thick salt and pepper beard that matches his short hair which is shaved on the sides. His shoulders are so broad, which I’ve always been a sucker for. Ilovea broad set of shoulders.

His yellow T-shirt is pulled tight across his massive chest and those short sleeves are hugging his big strong biceps. Everything about this man screams power. He’s tall and thick and just so goddamn manly. It’s like he was made to wander these mountains.

I still don’t know why he keeps looking at me.

I’m not the kind of girl who usually gets a lot of looks. I’m stocky and muscular with broad shoulders of my own. My biceps aren’t as big as the fire chief’s, but I bet I could beat Doug in an arm wrestling competition.

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