Page 38 of The Perfect Game

I chewed on the side of my lip. The food industry wasn’t my first choice of places to work, but maybe a job would help with my boredom. And then I’d have something to do.

“You think I need a job?” I asked, teasing her.

Penny laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “It wouldn’t hurt. You might find something you’re good at. I know you’ve taken an interest in being a nurse, but you still have a while before you can go to school for that. Having some other jobs to add to a resume might help when it comes time to find a job.”

I didn’t like the fact that she was right, mostly because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Hopefully, people were willing to hire an almost-seventeen-year-old, but I preferred not to smell like grease for the rest of my life.

“You can always help at a nursing home,” Brynn said, popping out of the water closest to Serena. “My great-grandmother’s nursing home has a girl about our age who helps out around the place, wheeling the residents to the places they need to go, visiting them, that kind of thing. It might be a good start.” She grabbed a towel and dried off.

The day wore on, and I headed home, hoping to hear something from Ben. I showered and started looking up jobs in Pecan Flatts, hoping something would spark my interest. I didn’t have the skills or the desire to change oil in cars, and I’d never mowed a lawn or babysat before. But it could be fun working in a mall.

I spent the next thirty minutes filling out applications for different openings at nursing homes and a few of the hospitals, throwing in a few for clothing stores as a backup. I checked my email in between each one, just in case I got a response back from the previous ones. Why I was suddenly excited to work, I wasn’t sure. It felt like a step I needed to take, and if it got me out of the house and doing something for a few more hours, I’d take it.

I checked my phone at seven, but there was still no message or call from Ben. Maybe I’d just swing by and see if he was home. I dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, not bothering to take my hair out of the top knot it was in. Looking in the cabinet, I found several treats and snacks. Liza must have done the grocery shopping.

After grabbing a few of the packages of gummies and chocolate, I strolled out to my car. It didn’t take long to get to Ben’s house. His truck was sitting outside, and I wondered why he hadn’t called.

I blew out a breath before knocking on the front door, hoping Ben’s dad wouldn’t open it. I’d only met him a couple of times, but each time I got the vibe he wasn’t a big fan of me hanging out with his son.

“Serena!” Daniel said, grinning at me as he swung the door open. “You brought treats. You’re my favorite person.”

Ben’s mom came up behind him with a smile on her face. “Oh, hi, Serena. Ben didn’t tell me you were coming over. He’s out in the backyard. Come on in.”

I wondered if I’d done the right thing and hesitated. Maybe it would be better to wait for him to call me. But we’d established the relationship. We were boyfriend/girlfriend so it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

“Thanks. We’d talked about doing something, but I didn’t hear from him. I thought I’d come over and bring a few treats.”

Mrs. Gates laughed. “Calm down, Daniel. I’m sure Ben will share some with you. Let’s go find him.”

Daniel took off, bounding for the back door, his voice shouting before I’d even crossed the kitchen. “Serena’s here, Ben! And she brought treats. Can I have some, please?”

I’d reached the door by then, gazing through the screen door. Ben rubbed his hand through Daniel’s hair and turned, smiling up at me. I walked onto the porch steps and returned the smile.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were going to stop by.” He strode over and gave me a quick hug. It felt more like something a brother would give to a sister. I had to relax. His mom and brother were around. Maybe it was awkward for him.

My brain replayed the words he’d said in our conversation the night before, and I was sure I wasn’t crazy. “Oh, you said we’d do something tonight. I was bored at home, so I thought I’d come by and see if you still wanted to watch a movie or something.”

“Uh, yeah. That would be fun. Do you mind if I finish this bucket of balls first? I haven’t been as consistent hitting the corners, and I need to throw a few more.”

“Can I have some of your candy, Ben?” Daniel asked, waving one of the packages I’d brought.

“Yeah, but you better ask Mom first.”

Daniel turned and ran back inside, calling out for his mom.

I shrugged, glancing around the backyard. I’d never been out here, but I was impressed with the beauty of it. In one corner stood a swing next to a big sandbox. Beautiful trees lined the back fence, and flowers grew along the base of the house. At the other end of the yard were several large nets and mats. Ben stood on what looked to be a removable mound. It seemed like the perfect setup to help him practice at home. So why had he gone to the park the day I’d sprained my ankle?

“Wow, I didn’t realize you’d need all of that for pitching,” I said, gesturing to the nets at the other end.

“It’s kind of my own design. I’ve had to piece things together as I’ve gotten money from work. What would be awesome would be to have a real mound and a net down the rest of the backyard as a batting-cage type thing, but my dad has said no more times than I can remember. This is better than having to go somewhere every time.”

I found a bucket with a lid sitting on the grass a few feet away from the one Ben was grabbing balls out of, and I dragged it over. He threw a pitch, missing the hole on the inside corner by about an inch.

He groaned, leaning over to grab another ball. He set up his feet on the mound, bringing the ball into his glove before striding toward home plate and letting go of the ball.

I grabbed a ball and tossed it up to him so he didn’t have to bend over every time.

“Thanks,” he said with a small smile. He turned back to the mats at the other end, striding forward again. This time he missed high by about two inches.

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