Great!
Next up to bat was Sheriff Cryer. He took a couple practice swings then popped the ball high into the air near centerfield. I watched as the player tried to hustle to catch the ball, but he was nowhere near fast enough. The ball landed ten feet behind him.
I took off as fast as I could for third base. Gilda’s arm was flapping in the wind, letting me know I needed to keep going. Straight ahead in our dugout, Mom and Ingrid were jumping up and down yelling for me to run faster, and I honestly tried. But I was also running out of steam. Having to pick up the walker with every step I took on top of trying to run was double the effort.
“Slide!”
“Slide!”
“Hit the deck!”
I was vaguely aware of the screams, and once again I tried to figure out the best way to slide when only going two miles per hour. I was a couple feet from the plate when I looked over my shoulder and saw the second baseman scoop up the ball, turn, and throw.
What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion—or maybe because I was going so slow it felt that way—but I swear when the second baseman threw the ball, she curled her lip at me and aimed for my head.
Fearing for my life, I tossed the walker aside and leaped forward in the air. I saw the ball whiz past me as gravity took hold and I plummeted down. The eighty-year-old catcher who just moments before thought I was an easy out stood directly on home plate.
“Move!” I screamed, right before my head plowed into her stomach, my right leg dragging the ground.
We both went tumbling to the dirt.
I held my breath to see what the call would be when I saw the ball roll out of her glove. I barely had time to register what that meant.
“Safe!”
Grinning, I jumped up and was about to help the older lady up when I felt myself being hauled backward and slapped on the back.
“We’d lift you on our shoulders,” Mimi said, “but we’d probably break our backs. You’re a little heavier than you need to be.”
I opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind until I caught a grinning Jacob jogging my way. All thoughts of killing Mimi fled.
“That was amazing!” he laughed.
I tugged self-consciously on my t-shirt and laughed with him. “Thanks. Not bad for my first time ever playing.”
His face settled into a grin. “Not bad at all.”
“Hey, Monica,” Daniel said as he sidled up next to Jacob. “Awesome dive.”
“I’ll probably be sore tonight,” I said, “but it was worth it.”
“You better hope you ain’t too sore,” Mimi grumbled as she walked past us. “You got a date tonight.”
Chapter 7
“What dress are you wearing?” Mom asked.
I turned on the speaker to my phone and set it down on the countertop so I could fluff my hair. A difficult task considering now that the adrenaline had worn off, my body was screaming. The simple act of lifting my hands to my head hurt.
“I’m wearing the long black sheath with the dark blue cover.”
Mom groaned. “That old thing? That doesn’t exactly scream sexy.”
“Are you even trying?” Mimi’s voice rang out from the phone.
I rolled my eyes and gave my hair a good spray. “I’m not going for sexy. In fact, I don’t even want to go at all.” I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I didn’t want to get in a fight with Mom and the girls before my date. “I gotta run. Roger should be here in about twenty minutes, and I still have to put on my makeup.”
“At least you’re putting on makeup,” Mom said.
