until I finish my at bat.”
She stepped back, trying to disengage herself. “I have to go.”
“One at bat,” he pressed. “Five minutes.” He stepped forward, staying with her, keeping his hands in place. “What do you say?”
“Abbott, you’re up!”
“Hey, Nest, take your shoulders out from under his hands!” shouted Robert Heppler suddenly. “You’re making him nervous!”
Danny Abbott blinked, but kept his dark eyes fixed on Nest. His gaze was so intense, so filled with purpose, that it was all Nest Freemark could do to keep from wilting under its heat. But she was just angry enough by now that she refused to give him the satisfaction.
“I have to go,” she repeated, keeping her eyes locked on his.
His hands tightened on her shoulders. “I won’t let you,” he said. He smiled, but the warmth was missing from his eyes.
“Take your hands away,” she told him.
A couple of the boys who had been standing around the backstop started to drift over, curious to see what was happening.
“You’re not so hot,” he said quietly, so that only she could hear. “Not half as hot as you think.”
She tried to twist away, but his grip was too strong.
“Hey, Danny, pick on someone your own size!” shouted Robert, coming forward a few steps.
One thing about Robert, he wasn’t afraid of anyone. He’d been in so many fights in grade school that his parents had taken him to a psychiatrist. He’d been suspended more times than Nest could remember. His problem was that he wasn’t very careful about choosing his opponents, and today was no exception. Danny Abbott looked over at him with undisguised contempt. Danny was bigger, stronger, quicker, and meaner than Robert, and he was looking for an excuse to slug someone.
“What did you say, Heppler?”
Robert held his ground and shrugged. “Nothing.”
“That’s what I thought, you little creep.”
Robert threw up his hands in exaggerated dismay. “Oh, great! I’m being called a creep by a guy who wrestles with girls!”
Half-a-dozen ballplayers had congregated, and a few snickered at the remark. Danny Abbott dropped his hands from Nest’s shoulders. His hands knotted into fists, and he turned toward Robert. Robert gave him a very deliberate smirk, but there was a shadow of doubt in his eyes now.
“Robert,” Cass called in a low, warning voice.
“I’m going to wipe up the park with you,” Danny Abbott said, and started forward.
Nest Freemark darted in front of him, bringing him to a stop. She stood there shaking, her arms at her sides. “Leave him alone, Danny. I’m the one you’re angry at.”
Danny shook his head. “Not anymore.”
“You’re twice his size!”
“Guess he should have thought of that before he opened his big mouth.”
“Punch him out, Danny,” one of his friends muttered, and a few others quickly echoed the sentiment.
Nest felt the late-afternoon heat scorch her throat as she breathed it in. “Look, forget about this, Danny,” she insisted, still blocking his path to Robert. “I’ll stay to watch you bat,okay?” She hated herself for saying the words, but she was frightened now. “Leave Robert alone.”
He looked at her, and there was undisguised contempt in his eyes. He was enjoying this. “You should have thought about that before. You should have paid a little better attention to your mouth.”
He started forward again, and she moved back quickly, still blocking his way. She could feel her control slipping, and her breath came more rapidly. She had promised herself! She had promised Gran! “Danny, don’t do this!” she snapped at him.
“Danny, don’t do this!” he sneered, mimicking her, and the boys with him laughed.
“Danny, please!”
“Get out of my way,” he growled.
He reached for her, their eyes locked, and her magic slammed into him. In an instant he lay sprawled on the ground, his legs and arms tangled, a look of utter shock on his handsome face. The eager shouts of his
She stepped back, trying to disengage herself. “I have to go.”
“One at bat,” he pressed. “Five minutes.” He stepped forward, staying with her, keeping his hands in place. “What do you say?”
“Abbott, you’re up!”
“Hey, Nest, take your shoulders out from under his hands!” shouted Robert Heppler suddenly. “You’re making him nervous!”
Danny Abbott blinked, but kept his dark eyes fixed on Nest. His gaze was so intense, so filled with purpose, that it was all Nest Freemark could do to keep from wilting under its heat. But she was just angry enough by now that she refused to give him the satisfaction.
“I have to go,” she repeated, keeping her eyes locked on his.
His hands tightened on her shoulders. “I won’t let you,” he said. He smiled, but the warmth was missing from his eyes.
“Take your hands away,” she told him.
A couple of the boys who had been standing around the backstop started to drift over, curious to see what was happening.
“You’re not so hot,” he said quietly, so that only she could hear. “Not half as hot as you think.”
She tried to twist away, but his grip was too strong.
“Hey, Danny, pick on someone your own size!” shouted Robert, coming forward a few steps.
One thing about Robert, he wasn’t afraid of anyone. He’d been in so many fights in grade school that his parents had taken him to a psychiatrist. He’d been suspended more times than Nest could remember. His problem was that he wasn’t very careful about choosing his opponents, and today was no exception. Danny Abbott looked over at him with undisguised contempt. Danny was bigger, stronger, quicker, and meaner than Robert, and he was looking for an excuse to slug someone.
“What did you say, Heppler?”
Robert held his ground and shrugged. “Nothing.”
“That’s what I thought, you little creep.”
Robert threw up his hands in exaggerated dismay. “Oh, great! I’m being called a creep by a guy who wrestles with girls!”
Half-a-dozen ballplayers had congregated, and a few snickered at the remark. Danny Abbott dropped his hands from Nest’s shoulders. His hands knotted into fists, and he turned toward Robert. Robert gave him a very deliberate smirk, but there was a shadow of doubt in his eyes now.
“Robert,” Cass called in a low, warning voice.
“I’m going to wipe up the park with you,” Danny Abbott said, and started forward.
Nest Freemark darted in front of him, bringing him to a stop. She stood there shaking, her arms at her sides. “Leave him alone, Danny. I’m the one you’re angry at.”
Danny shook his head. “Not anymore.”
“You’re twice his size!”
“Guess he should have thought of that before he opened his big mouth.”
“Punch him out, Danny,” one of his friends muttered, and a few others quickly echoed the sentiment.
Nest felt the late-afternoon heat scorch her throat as she breathed it in. “Look, forget about this, Danny,” she insisted, still blocking his path to Robert. “I’ll stay to watch you bat,okay?” She hated herself for saying the words, but she was frightened now. “Leave Robert alone.”
He looked at her, and there was undisguised contempt in his eyes. He was enjoying this. “You should have thought about that before. You should have paid a little better attention to your mouth.”
He started forward again, and she moved back quickly, still blocking his way. She could feel her control slipping, and her breath came more rapidly. She had promised herself! She had promised Gran! “Danny, don’t do this!” she snapped at him.
“Danny, don’t do this!” he sneered, mimicking her, and the boys with him laughed.
“Danny, please!”
“Get out of my way,” he growled.
He reached for her, their eyes locked, and her magic slammed into him. In an instant he lay sprawled on the ground, his legs and arms tangled, a look of utter shock on his handsome face. The eager shouts of his
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