don’t want this to ruin things between us, either.” She tilted her head toward the clock hanging beside the pantry door. “You’re going to be late for your softball game.”
He glanced at the clock before bringing his gaze back to her. “Are you still coming to the game?”
She hesitated. “I haven’t decided yet.”
The anger inside him flared. If last night hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have any qualms about coming. In fact, she would have bounced out of her room this morning, excited and eager to attend the game.
The teakettle whistled shrilly, and she turned off the burner with a flip of her wrist. He stood there, watching as she opened the little canister of tea she preferred in the morning.
“I’d like for you to come,” he said.
For some reason, his comment made her laugh. She mumbled something, but he couldn’t hear it.
“What?”
She popped the tea bag into her mug and lifted the kettle from the stove. “I just said, ‘Good luck.’”
“Thanks.” He tossed the remains of his snack in the trash and put the empty plate in the sink. “I’ll see you later.”
“Uh-huh.”
He left the apartment without another word. During the drive to Lindley Meadow, he thought about the conversation with Margo. She had agreed with him, and he should feel relieved. Instead, he felt like a black cloud had settled over him.
When he arrived at the softball field, most of his teammates were already there, including Cal and Jake. Over the past several weeks, he and the two men had become friends. He liked Cal’s raunchy, juvenile sense of humor and Jake’s win-some-lose-some attitude.
Zeke greeted everyone before directing them to the field to warm up. Today, the Rivets were playing a team with a truly cringe-worthy name: We Byte. Unsurprisingly, the players worked for a tech start-up.
Ten minutes before the game was scheduled to begin, Zeke called his teammates back to the bench and ran through the lineup. When he finished, he set his clipboard down on the bench and looked beyond the chain-link fence to the line of bleachers.
He scanned the crowd, but didn’t see Margo. Disappointment swamped him, making his shoulders slump.
“Looking for someone?”
Glancing sideways, Zeke found Cal standing next to him. “What?”
“Are you looking for someone?” Cal asked, tilting his head toward the bleachers.
“Yeah.”
The younger man focused on Zeke, his eyes shaded by a navy blue ball cap. “Who?”
“Margo.”
“Ah, the mysterious Margo.” Cal pursed his lips. “You talk about her all the time, but I’m beginning to think she’s a figment of your imagination.”
Jake joined their conversation. “What are we talking about?”
“Margo,” Cal answered. “I was questioning whether she really exists.”
“She exists,” Zeke snapped. “She’s just not here.”
After checking the field to make sure the umpires had arrived, Zeke clapped his hands together. “It’s go time, people!”
To Zeke’s surprise and consternation, We Byte was a formidable competitor. Despite Norah’s masterful pitches and the team’s excellent fielding, the score was tied at the top of the seventh and final inning.
The Rivets batted first, and Cal managed to score a single run, putting their team ahead. Then it was We Byte’s turn. With two outs, and two strikes, Norah tossed the pitch.
The batter got a piece of it, sending the ball into the infield between second and third base. As she took off, running for first base, Bohai jumped for the ball and missed.
From his position in the outfield, Zeke watched the batter pass second base and sprint for third base. With the ball heading his way, he had no choice but to try to field it.
Praying his prosthetic could handle it, he jogged backward, his eyes on the ball. When he realized it was slightly over his head, he jumped with his glove outstretched behind him.
The ball dropped into it just as he landed hard and fell backward onto the grass. He sat up
He glanced at the clock before bringing his gaze back to her. “Are you still coming to the game?”
She hesitated. “I haven’t decided yet.”
The anger inside him flared. If last night hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have any qualms about coming. In fact, she would have bounced out of her room this morning, excited and eager to attend the game.
The teakettle whistled shrilly, and she turned off the burner with a flip of her wrist. He stood there, watching as she opened the little canister of tea she preferred in the morning.
“I’d like for you to come,” he said.
For some reason, his comment made her laugh. She mumbled something, but he couldn’t hear it.
“What?”
She popped the tea bag into her mug and lifted the kettle from the stove. “I just said, ‘Good luck.’”
“Thanks.” He tossed the remains of his snack in the trash and put the empty plate in the sink. “I’ll see you later.”
“Uh-huh.”
He left the apartment without another word. During the drive to Lindley Meadow, he thought about the conversation with Margo. She had agreed with him, and he should feel relieved. Instead, he felt like a black cloud had settled over him.
When he arrived at the softball field, most of his teammates were already there, including Cal and Jake. Over the past several weeks, he and the two men had become friends. He liked Cal’s raunchy, juvenile sense of humor and Jake’s win-some-lose-some attitude.
Zeke greeted everyone before directing them to the field to warm up. Today, the Rivets were playing a team with a truly cringe-worthy name: We Byte. Unsurprisingly, the players worked for a tech start-up.
Ten minutes before the game was scheduled to begin, Zeke called his teammates back to the bench and ran through the lineup. When he finished, he set his clipboard down on the bench and looked beyond the chain-link fence to the line of bleachers.
He scanned the crowd, but didn’t see Margo. Disappointment swamped him, making his shoulders slump.
“Looking for someone?”
Glancing sideways, Zeke found Cal standing next to him. “What?”
“Are you looking for someone?” Cal asked, tilting his head toward the bleachers.
“Yeah.”
The younger man focused on Zeke, his eyes shaded by a navy blue ball cap. “Who?”
“Margo.”
“Ah, the mysterious Margo.” Cal pursed his lips. “You talk about her all the time, but I’m beginning to think she’s a figment of your imagination.”
Jake joined their conversation. “What are we talking about?”
“Margo,” Cal answered. “I was questioning whether she really exists.”
“She exists,” Zeke snapped. “She’s just not here.”
After checking the field to make sure the umpires had arrived, Zeke clapped his hands together. “It’s go time, people!”
To Zeke’s surprise and consternation, We Byte was a formidable competitor. Despite Norah’s masterful pitches and the team’s excellent fielding, the score was tied at the top of the seventh and final inning.
The Rivets batted first, and Cal managed to score a single run, putting their team ahead. Then it was We Byte’s turn. With two outs, and two strikes, Norah tossed the pitch.
The batter got a piece of it, sending the ball into the infield between second and third base. As she took off, running for first base, Bohai jumped for the ball and missed.
From his position in the outfield, Zeke watched the batter pass second base and sprint for third base. With the ball heading his way, he had no choice but to try to field it.
Praying his prosthetic could handle it, he jogged backward, his eyes on the ball. When he realized it was slightly over his head, he jumped with his glove outstretched behind him.
The ball dropped into it just as he landed hard and fell backward onto the grass. He sat up
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