“Damn. Should we be worried?” Dylan questioned with a slight chuckle.
“No. You two have nothing to worry about.” She tilted her head. “I wouldn’t do that to my guys.”
“That’s a relief.” I winked at the screen.
Faye’s smile shifted. “Are you two ready for tomorrow?”
Dylan nodded. “We’re ready.”
Were we? It was going to be strange to play against each other.
“Yeah, we’re ready,” I echoed. Pointing at Dylan, I added, “He’s going to try to show off, though.”
He scoffed. “I’m going to try to win.”
“And probably try to take the extra ninety feet every chance you get.”
Dylan shot me a look. “If you give it to me, I’m taking it.”
“Perfect,” I replied. “I’ve been waiting to turn two on you.”
Faye blinked. “I hate that I understood none of that.”
Dylan’s mouth twitched. “It means he’s already planning to ruin my day.”
“Only if you want to test my arm.”
Dylan held my gaze. “We’ll see.”
I took a grounder from Palmer, then watched as Dylan stepped onto the field and into the on-deck circle. Our gazes locked for a few seconds, and I moved over to second base. The Sox catcher, Westcott fired the ball to me for the mock tag.
The Crushers’ leadoff hitter dug in, and Cline came set.
Cruz looked over. “In.”
I shaded a step toward the hole between short and third, locking on the hitter’s hands.
First pitch caught the edge for strike one.
Second pitch missed low. Westcott framed it, and the ump kept his arms down.
Cline came back with another fastball, and the leadoff guy chopped it hard to the left, right at me.
My feet moved on instinct. I got behind the hop, fielded it cleanly, and fired to first.
Palmer caught it at his chest, with his foot on the bag for the out.
Dylan stepped into the box next.
I tried to tell myself he was just another player on the other team, but I knew better. I also knew where he liked his pitches, high and inside, so he could get a good piece of the ball.
Cline got the sign. He threw a fastball inside, and even though Dylan liked it inside, he took it for a strike.
The second pitch came in again, and Dylan stayed back and hit it toward the hole between me and third base. I dove too late, and the ball shot past me and rolled into the grass for a single.I knew right away he wasn’t going to let me live it down that he had gotten one past me.
Glancing over to him at first, I saw him chatting with Palmer, but I couldn’t hear what was being said. The grin on his face told me I was right; their conversation was absolutely about him hitting it past hisstepbrother.
The next batter, a lefty, stepped into the box. Cline glanced over at Dylan, and he took a lead that was a little bigger than it needed to be.
