Page 52 of Saving Her Heart
"That's not an actual rule!" Declan protests.
"It should be!" Grace argues back.
The Walking Ladies switch sides every inning, their cheers getting increasingly creative and inappropriate.
"Nice buns, Hudson!" Florence shouts when he bends to field a ball. "Kate's a lucky woman!"
"My turn to kick!" Mia announces, approaching the plate with determination.
Jax is pitching now, and I try not to notice how good he looks—relaxed, laughing, nothing like the by-the-book officer from a week ago. He rolls the ball to Mia, who kicks it directly at him. He catches it easily.
"Out!" he calls.
"That's profiling!" Mia protests. "I was aiming for your pretty face to distract you!"
"That's definitely not in the rulebook," Jax laughs.
"We don't need rulebooks where we're going!" Gladys shouts, then pauses. "Wait, where are we going?"
"Hooplas, after this game!" someone yells.
"Perfect! I need to collect my winnings!"
When it's Jax's turn to kick, I find myself holding my breath. Charli's pitching for us now, and she's got her game face on.
"Remember when you left her for Dallas?" Charli calls out sweetly, tossing the ball from hand to hand.
“Yeah,” Jax answers. “Not one of my finer moments, I know.”
"Well, this is payback!"
"That was ten years ago!" Jax protests.
"I hold grudges! Don’t forget that." She rolls the ball hard and fast.
He kicks it straight up—a perfect pop fly. I'm closest to it, positioning myself underneath, but the sun's in my eyes and?—
Jax crashes into me, catching me before I hit the ground, the ball bouncing off his shoulder.
"Interference!" Grace shouts. "That's an automatic out!"
"He saved her from falling to the ground!" Hudson argues. "That's chivalry!"
"Still against the rules!" Riley chimes in.
We're tangled together on the ground, his arms around me, both of us laughing and ignoring our friends arguing.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his face inches from mine.
"Better than okay," I admit.
"KISS HER! KISS HER! KISS HER!" all four Walking Ladies chant in unison.
"This is a family sporting event!" Captain Ramirez calls out from where he's been watching in the stands, trying to sound stern but clearly fighting a smile.
Jax helps me up, his hand lingering on my waist. The game continues, but the competitive edge is gone, replaced by pure fun. Even when the Guys score the winning run—Declan sliding home while we're all arguing about whether Hudson's last kick was fair or foul—no one really cares about the score.
"Rematch next week!" Kate announces. "Losers buy the first round!"
