Page 49 of The Pickleball Girl Finds Her Match

“Well, okay, yes, Camila doesn’t say that. She’s four years old and an absolute monster. I just made it up.” Maria placed her hand on her heart. “But people do say that, and it’s how we have to think.”

Endy rubbed her chin and tilted her head. “Go on …”

Maria sat tall in her chair and declared, “You and me, Endy, are going to turn our frowns upside down.” She thumped her hand on the table. “You can stay with me at my cousin’s until you find a new place to live. And if they scrap your position here, you can work over at mytio’s restaurant until you find something else. And as for Picklers, well, you hand it over to the school with as much money as you can. If you don’t have the full $25,000, they’ll make do… . Sad as it is, public schools are used to budget shortfalls.”

“What about Sebastian?” asked Endy.

“Sebastian,” repeated Maria. “Well,chica,even though you guys didn’t work out, I guess just be happy it was good while it lasted.”

Endy’s lips pulled up in a sad smile.

Maria took a sip of her iced tea. “We’ll still find a new group of friends to hang out with, so you won’t be lonely when I find some handsome guy who adores me … and then we get married, buy a condo, and get a rescue dog.”

“That’s my dream for you, bestie.” Endy lifted her glass of iced tea and tilted it at Maria in a toast.

“Here’s to a good man, a two-bedroom condo, and a dog who needs us.” Maria clinked her glass against Endy’s.

“Anything can happen, right?” Endy said.

“Anything can happen.”

At Picklers that afternoon, Endy stood with the kids under the shade awning. Mayhem surrounded her, as was the norm, but everyone was in good spirits, and Endy felt lighter than she had for some time.

Endy sent the kids to their various courts, then turned up the volume on a Taylor Swift song playing through the portable speaker on the table. She swayed, singing along with the lyrics.

“Endy, I love this song. Can you turn it up?” a little girl shouted from the pickleball court.

“Yup,” she replied. Blindly reaching behind her to grab her phone on the bench, Endy stepped on a backpack on the ground, stumbled, and tripped back … into strong arms that held her tight in an embrace. She smelled a citrusy, earthy scent, inhaled deeply, and looked up into Sebastian’s eyes.

He quickly released her and stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Sorry.”

“Sebastian …” said Endy. “What are you—”

“Hey, loser, we’re on court five,” said Paco from the edge of the patio. He looked from Sebastian to Endy with a troubled look on his face, sensing the coolness between them. “Endy, it’s okay if he’s here to practice with us, right?”

“Of course, Paco. It’s a great idea since you’re partnering next week.” Her lips pulled into a small smile. “Go ahead. But don’t let him cheat.”

Paco looked stern. “Boss, we don’t cheat. Ever.”

“I know that,” replied Endy. “I was kidding.”

“But we don’t, so don’t joke about it.”

“Okay, I promise.” She crossed her heart and looked up to see Sebastian pulling Paco by the side of his collar toward court five, while Paco took swipes with his pickleball paddle at the back of Sebastian’s legs.

“Miss Andrews, do you allow spectators?” Endy jerked around to see Barbara Tennyson standing just outside the patio, her hands clasped in front of her. What was it with that family that they were constantly sneaking up on her? “May I go watch my grandson on the far court?”

“Yes, of course, Mrs. Tennyson,” Endy stammered. “Feel free to stay as long as you’d like.”

Barbara remained still, then slid a glance at the portable speaker. “Perhaps that is just a bit too loud.”

Endy rushed to the table and lowered the volume. “I’m sorry. We’re just—”

“No, no. It’s fine now. Thank you.” Barbara nodded her head to Endy, then walked to the bench near court five. She sat down, opened her shoulder bag and pulled out sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, then crossed her legs, settling into the seat. Endy thought Barbara looked very at home sitting there on that bench.

Endy spent the next half hour going court to court, reminding the kids that they’d be competing in a week and giving them tips: return the serve deep, try to get to the kitchen, keep the ball low, but if it’s popped high, slam it.

When she arrived at Sebastian and Paco’s court, she heard Paco call out the score. “Ten, one, two.” The first team to reach eleven points won the game, so they only needed one more point. When Paco had called out “two,” the third number of the sequence, Endy knew he was the second server on his and Sebastian’s team, and they would have to win the next point since teams were only awarded points if they were serving. Endy looked over to Barbara Tennyson, wondering if she was able to follow the scoring system, which might be confusing compared to what she was used to in tennis.

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