Page 14 of Play Like a Girl

“I love you, too.”

“Come on.” I let her go and opened my door. “You’ve got a flight to catch.”

I stepped out of the car and jogged around the back then opened Penny’s door. She placed her hand in mine and I pulled her into my arms. I gave her a quick kiss and stepped back before things could get out of hand again. The woman erodes every ounce of self-control I possess.

“Call me when you land.”

Rolling her lips inward, she nodded, and blinked back tears.

“I will.”

She stepped onto the sidewalk and I closed the passenger door and watched as she walked toward the entrance. The door swooshed open and she glanced over her shoulder and blew me a kiss before stepping inside.

I took a deep breath in and walked around the front of the car and slipped back behind the wheel, blinking back my own tears.

“Four weeks,” I said to the windshield as I started the car and shifted it into drive. “We’ll be back together again in four weeks.”

Pulling away from the curb, I drove away from the airport and headed toward First Allegiant Bank Park.

6

Penny

“You okay?You’ve been awfully quiet all day,” Nadia said. “Plus Mari probably has a deep bone bruise on her hand from those throws you were making to first base today.”

After spending a week in Arizona and five days in Nevada, we’re in Texas for a four-day tournament. And yeah, I’ve been taking out my Kenny-related frustrations during the games and at practice.

Nadia’s words remind me of what Billy Chapel said to Gus Sinski in the movieFor Love

of the Game.

“I’m gonna throw a little harder than usual today.”

My swings are definitely harder too. But at least like Billy, I’m managing to channel my wayward emotions so they work for me instead of totally losing my composure.

“How have you done this for so many years?”

“Done what?”

She nibbled on the end of a French fry before shoving the whole thing into her mouth.

“Juggled a relationship and a softball career.” While she chewed, I added, “I realize I’m Penny-come-lately to this long-distance thing, but it’s truly awful.”

“It helps that Greg and I live in Florida so we’re together when I play at home. Plus his work schedule is semi-flexible so he gets to travel with me sometimes, as you know.” She shrugged. “We’ve been living this schedule for our whole relationship so it’s really all we know.”

“This is the way I’ve lived for a long time too, but after last year, it’s bothering me. Not to sound corny, but I’ve lived alone for years and never felt lonely. Now, once I leave the field, that’s exactly how I feel. And it’s not only that I miss Kenny, Karen and Jeremy are in the picture now too. I really enjoyed being home and part of their daily lives. If I didn’t love the game so much...” I shook my head, clearing that last thought.

Nadia took a drink of water, her eyes seeming to study me. She set her glass down and rested her elbows on the table, leaning closer.

“If I tell you something, do you swear it doesn’t leave this table?”

“I swear.”

“I’m thinking about retiring after this season.” Before I could respond, she continued. “Greg and I want to have kids and now that I’m thirty-one, I hear my biological clock ticking.”

“You know, if you’d told me that last year, I would have been supportive, but I wouldn’t have understood.”

“And now you do?” Her eyes widened when I nodded. “Oh my God, are you thinking about it too?”

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