Page 120 of This Heart Of Mine (Chicago Stars 5)

Once again Kevin stepped in, trying to help Hannah out by pointing toward the oldest of the O’Brian boys. “I was watching Scott toss the football around earlier. He’s a pretty good athlete.”

“Save your breath,” Dan muttered, and sure enough, Kevin saw Hannah’s third choice coming the minute he noticed Andrew’s lower lip sticking out.

“I choose Andrew. See, Andrew, just because you’re only five doesn’t mean nobody wants you on their team.”

“I’ll take Tess,” Cody countered, right on the mark.

“And I’ll take Aunt Molly!” Hannah beamed.

Kevin sighed. So far Cody had one current NFL quarterback on his team, one former NFL quarterback, and one of the most athletic little girls in northern Illinois. Hannah, on the other hand, had her mother, the worst softball player in history; her little brother, who had a lot of heart but, at five, not much skill; and Molly, who was… well, Molly—the lady who tipped canoes, tried to drown herself, and in general hated sports.

Cody’s next choices included the teenage girls who’d been kicking a soccer ball earlier with Tess, the middle O’Brian—who was built like a tank—and both his physically fit parents.

Hannah chose the six-year-old O’Brian, a kid Kevin was fairly certain he’d seen hiding his security blanket in the shrubs. She redeemed herself by picking her sister Julie, who at least was a dancer and coordinated, and then Liam Jenner, although her reasoning wasn’t too sound. “Because he drew a beautiful picture of Kanga and Roo for me.” While Cody filled in the rest of his team with the younger adults, Hannah chose every oldster who wanted to play.

It was going to be a bloodbath.

The boys ran to their cottages to get the equipment, Mr. Canfield—whose arthritis had been acting up—volunteered to umpire, and everybody soon settled into place.

Hannah’s team was up at bat first, and Kevin found himself on the pitcher’s mound facing the six-year-old who’d tucked his security blanket in the forsythia. Kevin made the mistake of glancing over at Molly and wasn’t surprised to see her give him a look that clearly said, If you’re the kind of man who can strike out Linus, then you’re n

ot the man I thought you were, and you can forget all about getting me naked anytime in the foreseeable future, comprenez-vous?

He walked the kid.

Hannah sent up Andrew next, and Kevin put a soft one over the plate. Andrew missed, but he had a great swing for a little kid, and as Kevin watched an expression of mulish determination settle over his face, he knew he’d just caught a glimpse of what Dan Calebow had looked like at the age of five. Because of that, his next pitch was harder than he intended, but Andrew was game, and he gave it his best.

Molly, on the other hand, shot him a look that had “dick-head” written all over it. He’s five, you idiot! Just a little boy! Is winning so important that you’re going to strike out a five-year-old? You’re definitely not ever, ever going to see another pair of bunny panties for the rest of your life! No way, no how. Adiós, muchacho!

Kevin gave him another soft one, and Andrew banged it into short right. The oldest O’Brian kid didn’t know how dangerous even a kindergarten Calebow could be, and he was caught napping. As a result, Linus made it to third, and Andrew settled in with his dad on second.

Dan ruffled his hair.

“Kevin?” Hannah called out politely. “Mr. McMullen’s up next. He wants to know if it’s okay if he uses his walker?”

And didn’t that just say it all.

Finally it was Cody’s team’s turn to bat, and Kevin was up. Near the pitcher’s mound he saw Little Hannah Goodheart huddled with the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse: Molly, Phoebe, Lilly, and Julie. Finally the females dispersed, leaving their pitcher on the mound.

Molly, the bunny lady.

Kevin couldn’t contain his grin. Now, this was more like it. And guess what, boys and girls? Benny the Badger was showing little Daphne no mercy.

Molly tried to stare him down, but he could tell she was nervous. Damn right. All-American. MVP. Heisman candidate. All-Pro. Good reason to be nervous.

He stepped up to the plate and smiled at her. “Just try to keep the ball away from my head, sweetheart. I like my good-looking nose right where it is.”

“That,” Dan said from behind him, “was a mistake.”

Yeah, right…

Molly went through a few gyrations that were supposed to pass for a warm-up. Kevin tapped his bat to the ground and waited for the pitch, thinking how cute she looked. Better than cute. Her lips were all rosy where she’d bitten them, and her breasts pressed against her purple top the same way they’d pressed against his chest the night before. As she released the ball, her sweet little rear end wiggled inside those tight pink jeans the same way it had wiggled against—

The ball sailed past him while he was distracted. Whoa… what was that about?

“Strike one!” Mr. Canfield called out.

A fluke, that’s all. A lapse in concentration brought on by too little eye on the ball and too much eye on the doll. He stepped away from the plate.

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