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I’m not sure what’s going on but as soon as this game is done, I’m flying down to Wyoming and if my mind doesn’t change, I’m stripping her down in the middle of town and spanking her ass for every last person in Pine Ridge to see.
“Right,” Green breathes. “Jesus, I’m too old for this shit. Dealing with my mom is easier than getting you assholes to listen.”
I watch him stomp off and step back up to the plate. I watch as the pitcher lines up and my fingers clench on the bat. He releases and I swing…
“Strike! You’re outta’ here!” he yells.
I throw the bat down in disgust. I stomp off the field toward the dugout, head down and seething. I’m not watching where I’m going. I’m too angry and paying attention is beyond me, but my entire body jerks and a hiss escapes my lips when a baseball bounces off my stomach.
What the actual fuck?
“You asshole!”
I look across from me to see Tillie standing there angry as hell—butnotas angry as me. She’s got two more balls in her hands and her hair is whipping around her face with the wind.
“Buttons, what the fu—” The word ends in a groan as she hits me with another ball. This one lands too close to my balls and will probably bruise my thighs.Damn.
“Don’t call me that!” she screams. “Don’t ever call me that again!” Her voice is full of fury and something else…pain.What. The. Fuck.
That seems to be the only three words that keep repeating in my head at the moment. She takes aim with another ball, and I shake my head.
“Damn it, Bu—Tillie, what are you doing?”
“I knew you weren’t good for me, Ryder. I knew it. I let you in and you destroyed me all over again. You’re a liar and an asshole and I hate you! I hate myself for ever letting you back into my life.”
Jesus.
“You don’t mean that, Buttons.” That was the wrong thing to say because she lets another ball loose and I jerk, thankfully dodging it because it probably would have taken my head off. “Damn it, stop this shit!” I bark.
“Somebody give me a ball!” she screams. I shake my head when I see Slater give her two more.
“What the fuck, Slater?” Yep, that seems to be the only question I can form right now.
Slater shrugs. “Seems you screwed up. Mary would never forgive me if I didn’t help out her girl. Besides, you lost the game for us. You kind of deserve it.”
“Fuck you,” I bitch. “Tillie, what’s going on.”
“Why, Ryder. Just tell me why.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Since I have no fucking clue what I did wrong here, I’m going to need you to be a bit more specific.”
“Okay, let’s start with something simple. Why didn’t you tell me that Emily had been calling you?”
That stops all thought.Emily?
What. The. Fuck.
Maybe I should try to trademark those words. “What are you talking about? I haven’t heard from Emily.”
She looks at me and the pain I see on her face right then makes my heart stop. “Don’t lie to me!” she screams, but the scream gives away to tears as she starts to crumble. She throws another ball at me, this one bounces off my stomach, but I ignore it and the one that half-heartedly follows it. I get to her, and she begins slapping at my chest, hitting me over and over with one word breaking from her lips. “Why?”
I finally grab her arms and hold her still, needing her to listen to me.
“Baby, I haven’t spoken to Emily in years, and I don’t want to hear her voice ever again.”
“I bet,” she laughs bitterly—clearly not believing me. “I guess I should be glad you’re not a complete liar because I know you haven’t spoken to her. Emily said you won’t pick up when she calls.”
My head jerks back? “She’s been calling me?”
