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“You’ll get it next time,” Leo said, ever the optimist. “Put that anger behind your swing and knock the ball right out of the stadium.”
He patted my shoulder as he got up and headed back onto the field.
I settled back against the bench and watched Trey Youngman strike out the first batter, my temper mostly in check. It might seem silly to get so riled up over a couple bad calls, but after having a shitty month at the plate, I’m working hard to bring my batting average up to where it should be and every at-bat counts. Any other year, it wouldn’t be as big an issue, but I’m thirty-eight years old and my contract is up at the end of the season. I’m hoping to get signed on for at least another year or three.
A couple innings later, the Waves started a little bit of a rally so I found myself at the plate again, this time with the bases loaded and just one out. I stepped in the batter’s box and got into my stance. Anger bubbled to the surface when the fastball at my ankles was called strike one. Stepping out of the box, I tightened my batting gloves and sucked in a calming breath before getting back in.
The next pitch bounced across the plate and was called a ball. Since he’d thrown two fastballs, I got back into the box expecting a breaking ball and wasn’t disappointed. I waited for the curve to break before whipping my bat around. Unfortunately, I was just a little ahead and while I hit a frozen rope, it was on the wrong side of the first-base line.
I watched the ball zip past the first baseman, then blinked when the ball girl seemed to leap out of nowhere and catch the line drive. Standing there with my mouth hanging open, I blinked then just stared as she casually took the ball out of her glove and handed it to a little girl in the third row.
Looking up at the Jumbotron, I watched the replay, still shocked that the woman had snagged that ball. I’m not being conceited when I say that ball was hit hard. Some professional athletes would have missed it, so the fact that she’d nonchalantly grabbed it is pretty impressive.
Shaking my head, I got back into the box. After an outside changeup and a high fastball, the count was full. The catcher called time and ran out to the mound. I stepped back and tightened my batting gloves again, taking time to look over at the woman sitting over by the wall just beyond first base. I’m not on a first-name basis with the ball girls, but I do know what they look like and this one is definitely new.
The catcher jogged back behind home plate and I stepped back into the box. I saw the ball as soon as it left the pitcher’s hand, and knew it was going to be my idea of perfect, waist-high slightly off the center of the plate.
I stepped and whipped my bat around, putting my hips and shoulders into it. The solid contact vibrated into my hands and through my arms. I ran toward first base and watched the ball sail deep into left field and settled into a trot as it cleared the outfield wall.
***
Chloe
“Aunt Chloe, I still can’t believe you’re on ESPN and the MLB network,” Jeremy said.
“She deserves it,” Dale said. “That was some catch.”
“It really was.” This from Jeremy. “You just came out of nowhere and grabbed it.”
He stood and mimicked what I did. Sort of.
“Even Riddle was impressed,” Dale said. “Did you see his interview after the game?”
“I did.”
I may have recorded it and watched it a few times, but I’m not telling him that.
“So are you sad to be giving up your illustrious career as a ball girl?” he asked.
“No, I’m ready to retire and embark on my baking career. I have to retire sometime so I might as well go out on a high note.”
I’m glad I saved Hannah the extra work of interviewing new candidates for ball girl, because I only ended up working three games. Like she said, the Waves were on the road for one of the weeks and the other woman filled in so I wasn’t needed too much.
“Riddle was asking about you,” Dale said.
“When?”
“Ever since it happened. He kept talking about it, then someone told him I know you.”
“What did he want to know?”
“He was interested in talking to you.”
I glanced over at Karen and raised my brow. She shook her head letting me know she hadn’t told Dale about our conversation.
“And?”
“I told him I wouldn’t give him your number without asking you first.”
