Page 49 of Big Pitch Energy

The batter dug in, trying to time me better on the next pitch. I mixed in a changeup, slow and sneaky, and the batter swung early, missing by a mile. Strike two.

For the third pitch, Leo went back to a fastball, right down the middle this time. The guy swung hard, too hard, and sent a lazy grounder to second. Oskar Marquez scooped it up and fired to first for the second out.

The third batter went after the first pitch and lined it right into Jack Reagan’s glove for the third out. Kicking off my first game back with a quick three up, three down inning felt pretty damn good.

I stepped into the dugout and dropped onto the bench, my heart pounding like I’d just sprinted a double. Adrenaline still surged through me, and honestly, I didn’t want it to fade. The scars on my arm were a reminder that I was still here, still fighting—and I wasn’t the same pitcher who’d blown out his arm. I was sharper, smarter, and hungrier than ever.

And now that my career’s finally moving in the right direction, it’s time to figure things out with Hope and get my personal life on track too. No question, that’s going to be tougher than coming back from surgery.

But I was ready for it.

Hope

I followed Hannah Reagan through the stadium corridors, my heart hammering against my ribs. Two weeks. Ava had insisted I take two full weeks to visit Sam. She’s even using some of her vacation time from her day job to cover my classes. And before I left, we'd already started planning how to revamp the studio schedule when I get back and maybe even hire another instructor so I'd have more flexibility during baseball season.

Hannah glanced back at me with a knowing smile.

“Nervous?”

“Terrified,” I admitted, clutching my purse tighter.

Thankfully she'd given me her number at Leo and Anjanette's wedding and said to call if I ever needed anything. When I reached out about surprising Sam, she'd immediately offered to help pull it off.

“Here we are.” Hannah opened the door to a private suite. “Normally we sit in the regular seats, but we don't want Sam spotting you and getting thrown off his game. And with the sun reflecting off the glass, he won't be able to see you in here.”

Her caution made sense, considering this was his first game back after surgery.

“The other ladies will be up in a minute,” Hannah said.

The last word had barely left her mouth when Ivy, Chloe, and Abby filed in, all warm hugs and excited chatter about my surprise visit. They told me that Karen and Sabrina would arrive later, but Nori wasn't in St. Pete yet but would be here in two days.

“Oh, he’s back on the mound,” Ivy said.

I found myself completely captivated despite knowing almost nothing about baseball. But even I know that the fact that no one reached base is a good thing.

“He looks good,” Abby said as the Waves headed off the field. “Like the old Sam. Totally locked in.”

“I take it that’s a good thing.” They all laughed at my cluelessness. “Obviously I have a lot to learn about baseball.”

“You’ll learn,” Ivy said. “I didn’t know a thing when Rusty and I first started dating and now I can tell the difference between breaking balls.”

I watched the game, sometimes talking with the other women about everything and nothing, sometimes falling completely silent as Sam faced challenging batters. I was completely invested in every pitch and totally disappointed when another pitcher walked out to the mound in the fifth inning.

“Why are they taking him out?” I asked. “I thought he was doing well.”

“Actually, I'm surprised they kept him for four full innings,” Hannah said. “It's his first outing since surgery so they'll be careful with his arm.”

With Sam off the mound, my attention drifted away from the game. Instead, I split my time between chatting with the ladies and searching the dugout for glimpses of Sam. Every time I spotted him, my heart skipped a beat.

Before I knew it, the game was over. The Waves won, 3-0.

“You ready?” Hannah asked, as she stood and adjusted her lanyard.

I nodded and followed her down the steps through the quiet interior of the stadium. She led me past security and down toward the dugout.

“Wait here,” she said, then slipped inside.

I stood alone for a moment, the noise of the world muffled around me. And then Sam appeared. He stopped short the moment he saw me then climbed the shallow steps like he couldn’t do it fast enough. I barely had time to breathe before his arms wrapped around me, and his lips pressed against mine.

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