Page 95 of Where I Found You
She tried to shove aside the wondering and fell into step beside Noah as they headed across the parking lot toward the bleachers peppered with pre-game fans. A handful of kids rushed past them clutching snow cones, and the scent of hot dogs hung heavy near the already-buzzing concession stand.
“The missing key worked out, and we’ve come this far. We’ll think of something.” She forced brightness into her words that she wasn’t feeling. One of them had to stay positive, though, and of the two of them, she was the most equipped at faking it.
“If anyone can figure it out, you can.” Noah navigated them past the row of concrete bathrooms and the announcer’s stand, where Mayor Landry was putting on a wireless mic. “I believe in you.”
No pressure. She smiled even as her stomach flipped. His pronoun choice was clear.You. Not us. She appreciated the vote of confidence, but she felt off her game lately.
And too much was riding on this deadline for her to be less than sharp.
Elisa stepped through the field gate Noah held open for her, glancing up as he stopped and adjusted the brim of his hat. His motions were jerky as his gaze flicked over the growing crowd.
He was definitely stressing over more than the final clue.
Elisa shifted her bag to her other arm. “Maybe a fun break will help us reset. Get the mental juices flowing again.” Across the field, Cade stood in the dugout with a clipboard while Linc took a few practice swings with a bat.
Noah didn’t seem to be in a hurry to join them as he slid on a pair of dark sunglasses. “Maybe.” A muscle in his jaw tensed as he looked over his shoulder to the dugout. Owen and his brother Sawyer had joined the players packed inside, along with Zoey, Pastor Dubois, and Trish. “Not too sure about the fun part. Like I tried telling Cade earlier—I haven’t played since I was a kid.”
“No one will judge you if you’re rusty.” Elisa nudged him with her elbow, hating the strain in his expression. “They’ll be too amazed at my skills in the outfield to notice, trust me.”
He didn’t smile like she’d hoped.
“Hey.” She frowned, catching his sleeve. “You okay?”
He lowered his glasses, looked at the filling bleachers, then positioned himself so his back was to the stands. “It’s going to sound stupid.”
“Not any more than me bragging about my fielding ability from fifteen years ago.”
That got a tiny smile from him. “It’s just…bad memories. I quit baseball right before—” He swallowed.
Elisa turned to face him, shading her eyes from the sun now shooting crimson and violet hues across the sky. “Before what?”
Several seconds passed. Then he slid the shades back on. “Before my dad quit on us.”
Ahh.
Elisa nibbled on her lower lip. There was so much she wanted to say, but he probably didn’t want a sermon—or a psychologist. Still, he needed truth. “You know…” She touched his arm. “…just because you stop doing something doesn’t mean you’re a quitter.”
“That’s not what I was told.”
She couldn’t read his eyes behind the glasses. “By who?”
“Teachers, my mom. Pretty much anyone who knew my dad.” Noah crossed his arms over his chest, spreading his feet wide. “I refuse to be like my father.”
“Your father?” Elisa reeled back. “You couldn’t be more different than him.”
“I’d like to think that.”
“Whether you believe me or not, you don’t have to play softball against your will.” She raised her eyebrows at him. “Both of those things can be true, you know. You can have noble goalsandnot play a sport you don’t like.”
“I never said I didn’t like it.” Noah’s phone chimed from his pocket, and he pulled it free. He glanced down at the screen, then over at the dugout. “We’re being paged.”
Elisa followed his gaze across the field to where Cade waved the clipboard and pointed dramatically to the dugout, then his watch. “Better keep him happy. His dadisthe mayor, you know.”
Finally, a full smile from Noah. Mission accomplished.
Elisa started to head toward the others when Noah touched her shoulder, halting her progress. “Hey.”
She turned to face him, glad he’d taken the glasses off again.
