Page 25 of The Pickleball Girl Finds Her Match

They watched points being played, with Brayden serving, then moving forward and hitting a smooth shot over the net. He stayed bent at his knees, his paddle up so when the ball came back to him, he returned it in a fluid move of his arm and wrist. Brayden was clearly the most competent player of all sixty kids across the filled courts.

“I want him,” said Joel. He snapped his fingers then put his index finger and thumb out and pointed at Brayden. “That’s my partner.”

“Of course he is,” replied Endy, drawing a number one next to Brayden’s name, and then again next to Joel’s. “You know, Joel, remember that the Paddle Battle is a fundraiser. We should be playing for fun.”

“It’s called PaddleBattle,” replied Joel. “I play to win.”

Endy groaned. She turned from Joel just as an incredibly handsome, fit brunet gingerly walked toward them. A smile played at her lips—she couldn’t help herself.

“What are you doing here?” asked Joel, crossing his arms over his chest, obviously annoyed. The car alarm continued blaring in the distance.

Sebastian held up his hand in a small wave. “I just left physical therapy at the sports club and was driving by. Saw you two and thought I’d come see if I could help out with whatever you’re doing here.”

Joel plastered a smile on his face and stepped closer to Endy. “Endy and I have things handled.”

A shout came from the middle pickleball court. “Paco, stop it!”

They looked over to where Paco, his mouth full, spun in a circle spewing water like a sprinkler head.

“PAAAACCCCOOOO, stop!”

Sebastian looked from Joel to Endy, a corner of his mouth lifted. “Yep, sure looks like everything’s handled here.”

A whistle came from a car that had just rolled to a stop next to the courts. Through the open window, a woman shouted,“Jorge! Estoy aquí!”

“Sorry, Endy, but I have to leave. We gotta go visit my grandma in the hospital.” A young boy ran past, grabbing a backpack off the table on his way to the parked car.

Endy, Joel, and Sebastian stood rooted. “Um, okay …” Endy mumbled. “Wha—”

“They need another player!” came a shout from the middle court. Endy looked over and saw a player waving his hands above his head. Next to the boy, Paco hit the pickleball at the feet of the two girls waiting next to him, their threesome now missing a fourth.

“Paco, stop!” one of them yelled. But Paco ignored the plea and kept pestering the girls, who continued to yell.

Joel jerked his head, his eyebrows drawn together. “Do something about that, will you?” he said to Endy, running his hand through his hair. “I chose my partner, and now I’m outta here.”

Joel headed for the far court, his eyes focused on Brayden, his steps brisk. Endy glanced around at the other courts, then quickly followed behind Joel.

“Joel, hold up,” she called. “Wait for me so I can introduce you guys.”

After making sure Joel and Brayden had met, and explaining how the fundraiser would work, Endy hurried back to the other kids. By the time her attention returned to them, she saw that Sebastian had made his way onto the middle pickleball court and was holding a paddle.

He towered over Paco, and both wore looks of concentration. Paco gestured with his paddle at the net, then the baseline, then pointed at the ground and Endy heard him say, “Just stay out of the kitchen.”

“What’s the kitchen?”

“Just do what I say,” replied Paco, slapping a palm on his forehead.

“Alright, I guess I’m ready to play,” said Sebastian, nodding. He looked at the girls on the other side of the net.

“Okay,” Paco replied. “Let’s do it, losers.”

Sebastian was on the court with the three kids for the rest of their practice. Being careful of his injured knee, he barely moved from his position, but because of his long arms and obvious comfort with a racquet in his hand, he barely had to. Although he was a quick study, the girls won convincingly, and they skipped off the court with their ponytails swinging and big smiles across their faces.

Paco was obviously disgruntled, but he walked off the court beside Sebastian, both gripping their pickleball paddles tightly.

Endy corralled the kids at the end of practice, making sure they had their belongings, and then she collected all the pickleball gear left on the table and strewn across the grass. Evening was coming on fast, and the country club had turned quiet. Traffic from outside the club kept up a constant murmur, with the occasional deep thrum of a semitruck’s air brakes, the sound deep and low.

As most of the kids were being picked up, Paco leaned against the fence, his leg jiggling, waiting again for his mother. Sebastian approached him, carrying two paddles, and Endy saw them walk back onto the pickleball court.

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