“I ordered the temporary tattoo of your face,” Lola says.
“No one wants to know where you’re putting it,” Bridget calls. “Are we playing snowshoe baseball, or are we being old-lady gossips?”
“We’re playing baseball,” Teague tells her.
Bridget lifts a brow. “You’re not gonna chew me out for sassing the grown-ups and insulting old ladies?”
“I’m worn down, Bridget. I amworn down.”
“Phoebe’s keeping you up too late at night?”
“I’m not worn down, andshush your mouth,” Ridhi says. “Don’t talk to grown-ups like that.”
She and Anya are setting up a refreshments table next to Estelle and Niles’s refreshments table. Selling out of baked goods for local charitable foundations like the animal shelters and food banks is one of the bonus perks of snowshoe baseball games. Even when we don’t have extra attention from the Lightlys being here, people come out in droves from the surrounding areas to watch the players fall on their faces.
It’s awesome.
Most nights.
“Tavi,put your shoes on,” Bridget says. “I need you at shortstop. Lola, how’s your arm?”
“Bridge, it’sDeer Drop,” Teague says.
Bridget grins. “Yeah, and they don’t have celebrities.”
Andrew coughs.
Sounds like he’s covering for the wordpathetic.
Like I said.
I don’t call people assholes lightly, and he is an asshole.
“We’re not handing Deer Drop a win just so you can put Lola on the team,” Teague says. “Next game, fine. This game? No.”
“Dad. Next game isnext season, and Lola won’t be here then. Would you pleasetrust me?” Bridget doesn’t wait for an answer before turning to snap at Lola. “Second base. Don’t mess it up, or I’ll pull you. And you better be as good of a batter as you told Willie Wayne you were.”
Teague’s eye twitches.
Phoebe’s eye twitches.
Hell, my eye’s twitching too.
“Phoebe, you’re catching,” Bridget says. “Dad. Pitching. Dylan, take third. Jane, first. Willie Wayne, Gibson, and Carter, outfield. Don’t fight over who’s where out there, or I’ll bench all of you for real.”
“Where am I?” Michael Lightly asks.
“You’re designated hitter and our fill-in for Lola if she doesn’t quit blowing kisses to the stands.”
We all look at Lola again.
She pauses with her fingers smushed to her lips. “What? I, like, know to pay attention to the game when I’mplaying.”
She does not, in fact, pay attention to the game.
That’s obvious before the end of the first inning.
Good news is, we make it through the top of the third inning with the score tied at zero.
