Page 14 of The Pickleball Girl Finds Her Match

He turned to Endy. “Sorry for the trouble, Endy.” He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Can George Jacobs help it if his overhead slams are flawless?”

Endy returned to Sebastian sitting in the back seat of the golf cart, his leg propped up with the bag of ice melting around his knee. He looked like he was trying to fight back a smile. Endy couldn’t help herself and she bit at her lips trying to hide her grin too, but when their eyes locked, they both burst out laughing.

“That George is a feisty old dude,” remarked Sebastian. “But you know he’s wrong. I mean, if I were serving for the match and I lost because a ball interrupted me, I’d be pissed.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” Endy nodded, remembering the day before when she’d seen Sebastian playing with Collin Park. “But you know what? I’m never going to understand why there is such big hate between tennis players and pickleball players.”

She tilted her head and studied Sebastian. A loud beeping came from a delivery van backing up in the parking lot.

“So,” she asked, “which side are you on?”

Sebastian pursed his lips, his eyes appraising Endy. “Sebastian Hall. Tennis.”

He raised his chin. “You?”

Endy raised one eyebrow. “Endy Andrews. Pickleball.” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the golf cart.

Sebastian grinned, then raised both hands and slowly flipped up his middle fingers at Endy. And with that, they both dissolved into laughter.

9

After Endy brought Sebastian to the parking lot, she helped him limp to his car. She couldn’t help but feel like he was faking the need for her assistance a little. But in all honesty, she didn’t mind one single bit and was maybe taking her time getting him settled into the driver’s seat.

She held on to the door and roof while Sebastian used her shoulder for support in sliding into the car. His handprint burned through the strap of her Dri-FIT tank top, and Endy felt she might go up in flames.

After Sebastian adjusted his seat, Endy stepped back and started swinging the door shut, but Sebastian held it open with an arm, his biceps bulging from his T-shirt sleeve. “So … what do assistant directors of racquet sports do after work?” he asked with a slow smile.

Endy felt the blood rise up her neck to her face and her heart pounded again. “Oh, well, I need to put some time into the Picklers fundraiser, and I have about fifty unanswered emails, and—”

“I saidafterwork. And I didn’t mean for the rest of the year.” Sebastian grinned. “I was kind of wondering about, like, tonight.”

“Tonight?” stammered Endy.

“Yeah, I’m just here visiting for a while, and I don’t really know very many people,” replied Sebastian. “I’m kind of bored of my own company.”

“You know Joel,” Endy asserted.

Sebastian laughed. “I’m notthatbored of my own company.”

Endy bit her bottom lip.

“I mean, we’ve bumped into each other four times. That’s either random or you’re some kind of creepy stalker.”

“I’m not a creepy stalker!” Endy exclaimed. The butterflies in her stomach went berserk. Sebastian was keeping track of how many times they’d met? Did he also feel the connection and attraction between them?

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Sebastian chuckled. “Come on. I’ll swing by here at five o’clock,” he said.

And then he looked at her so earnestly, so intensely with those extraordinary light blue eyes that Endy couldn’t refuse.

“See you at five,” she said, smiling, looking at Sebastian, and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Sebastian waited outside the pro shop, in the driver’s seat of his own golf cart, his knee wrapped tightly in a supportive brace. Endy felt her face light up as she approached the cart, and she spied two folding lounge chairs and a small cooler in the back.

This was her favorite time of the day, when the sun was lowering behind the San Jacinto Mountains, the clouds were glowing pink and purple, and thesssssssh-chk-chk-chkof the sprinklers could be heard watering the grass tennis courts.

“Since I can’t really walk anywhere, I thought we could just take a drive.”

“Sounds wonderful.” Endy smiled as she climbed into the passenger seat. “Do you have a place in mind, or can I suggest one?”

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