Page 60 of The Pickleball Girl Finds Her Match

Maria nodded.

“Sorry, but I need you the rest of the day because the fundraiser is tomorrow.” Endy slid a box of peanut M&M’S to the edge of her desk and tipped it over, spilling the packets next to Maria. “Oops, looks like this box got accidentally torn open. Maybe if you have a pack or two, you’ll get your energy back.”

Maria’s eyes popped open, and she sat straight up. She grabbed a yellow bag, tore it open, and slipped three M&M’S into her mouth.

“Okay, I’ll stay.” She fluttered her eyelashes at Endy. “Hey, you know how it’s always so busy at Costco? Well, their parking lot was packed full, and I had to park my car across the side street where that big empty storefront was. You know the one I’m talking about?”

“Yeah, wasn’t that a Bed Bath & Beyond or something like that? But it’s empty now.”

“Maybe not anymore. I saw a bunch of construction trucks parked in front.”

“Huh. Someone must have leased it out.” Endy looked down and moved the multipack box of M&M’S off the sign-up sheet she’d left on her desk the previous evening. Her eyebrows drew together, and she blinked quickly.

“Maria, did you fill these in?” Endy picked up the paper and turned it toward Maria. “All the adult slots have names in them—it’s full.”

Maria popped three more M&M’S in her mouth and stood up. “I guess I forgot to tell you because I was so exhausted from the Costco run. But yeah, when I was unloading all this stuff, your phone rang so I answered it. Someone named Inez said she and four others wanted to sign up for the Paddle Battle, so I got her info and told her that they could pay the entry fee tomorrow morning when they register and meet their youth partner.”

“But we had ten empty spots …”

“Yeah, so after Inez called, the phone rang again right after. And it was somebody else who said they wanted to sign up.” Maria shrugged. “There were five of them too.”

“You’re kidding!” exclaimed Endy, jumping up and down. “We’re full! We’re full! We’re full!”

“I know. Why do you think I’m so exhausted?”

Endy pulled Maria into a hug then spun her away. Delirious with happiness, Endy laughed loudly and raised her arms over her head, bumping her hip against Maria’s.

“Who’s the one with big dink energy now?” she whooped.

Endy was ecstatic. They had all their tournament day supplies ready. The weather forecast for the next day was beautiful and sunny.

And all sixty of her kids would be partnered up at the Whisper Hills Country Club Paddle Battle.

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The morning dawned just as predicted with the California desert sun shining brightly. The scent of cut grass hung in the air, and families of ducks paddled in the club ponds. In a great mood, Endy admired the sign propped in front of the folding table they were using for registration.

Whisper Hills Country Club

2023 PADDLE BATTLE

Picklers Youth Pickleball fundraiser

Thank you for joining us!

White tents already bookended the table, where parents of the youth players set up drink stations—one with beer, wine, and hard seltzers, the other with nonalcoholic lemonade, iced tea, and bottled water. A ping-pong table waited steps away, across from groups of Adirondack chairs circled around portable propane fire pits. Navy-blue canvas patio umbrellas provided shade, and a sound system with two huge speakers on stands already blared upbeat pop music.

“Where should I put these?” asked Valentina, holding an armload of T-shirts.

“You can bring them over to the registration table,” answered Endy. “While you’re there, go ahead and check Paco in because we’ll be starting matches soon.”

“Oh, we checked him in already. He’s so excited for this—it’s the first Saturday that he actually got himself out of bed and ready to go. He even got me up a half hour early because he said he wouldn’t be late because of me.”

“He knows us well,” Endy replied with a wry smile.

Valentina put her hand on Endy’s arm. “Thank you for this … for Picklers. I don’t know what we would have done with Paco if he didn’t have this group.”

Endy pulled Valentina into her arms and hugged her hard. “And for me, too. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have Picklers.”

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