Page 22 of Running Home to You
Abby’s smile faded, but she nodded. “Good night.”
By late February, a few rainless days allowed them to return to the field. They layered sweatshirts and fleece headbands as wind whipped through the gorge. The type of cold that made each grounder sting when it hit their mitts. Kate and Abby switched off at shortstop,huffing clouds into the frost, exchanging side glances and the occasional nod. Until it happened.
Coach Whitley paused infield drills. “Hutchins, move over to second. Cruz, stay at short.”
It plunged an already freezing Kate into ice. She sucked in a sharp gasp. All the hard work meant nothing. Abby had finally won. Kate clenched a fist and shifted to the other side of the infield. She felt Abby’s gaze on her cheek, a sensation she’d become accustomed to, but stared straight ahead.
“Let’s turn two!” Coach Whitley shouted.
While second base wasn’t much different than shortstop, with as much ground to cover, Kate found it uncomfortable, like using your nondominant hand. The crushing fury didn’t help her focus either. She planted her feet on the bag as Abby flipped the ball. Kate fumbled it in her glove.
“Again!” Coach Whitley barked before smacking a rough hopper at Abby.
Abby handled it on the bounce and lobbed it low. Kate caught the toss but struggled to transfer it from her glove to her hand. She at least managed a throw to Jill this time.
“Too slow, Hutchins!”
Kate glared at Abby. “That was a low toss.”
“Just barehand it,” Abby snapped back and spit into the dirt.
The next ball zipped between shortstop and third. Abby dove and snagged it on her stomach. She twisted like a cat, tossing the ball to Kate from the dirt. She caught it as the practice runner slid into the base and clipped her ankles, sending her to the ground with a thud.
Kate clenched her teeth while she lay on her back and stared at the overcast sky.
“I’m so, so sorry. I’m sorry, Hutch. I didn’t mean to.”
The runner, Madison Quong, apologized profusely until Abby nudged her out of the way and hovered over Kate.
“You okay?” she asked, hauling her up.
Kate hated that her stomach swooped at Abby’s concern. At howher hand lingered on hers so that she had to yank it back despite not wanting to. “You’re going to get me killed.”
“I’m not the problem,” Abby scoffed. “Your timing is way off.”
“You put me in the line of the runner.”
Abby threw her head back. “It’s not my fault that you’re not aware of your surroundings.”
“Well, this isn’t my position!” Kate shouted.
“Okay, that’s enough! Enough for today!” Coach Whitley encouraged the rest of the team to disperse as she joined them at second base. “Kate, we’re just trying things out.”
“No. I know what this is.” Kate ripped off her glove and charged for the dugout.
Mick, Jill, and T.K. knew better than to go near her as she packed her things, but Abby didn’t hesitate. Her heavy feet plodded down the dugout steps.
“I’m sorry,” Abby said.
Kate refused to turn from her bat bag. “No, you’re not.”
Abby groaned. “Fuck it then. I’ll play second.”
“What?” Kate jerked her head up.
“I don’t care. I’ll do it if it means that much to you.” Abby shrugged.
“Are you serious?”
