Page 125 of Off the Mark
I tossed the ball, aiming right for the center of her bat. I delivered it sweet and easy, waiting for that sound. That glorious, goldenthwackof connection.
Charlie swung and hit.
I ducked and just barely managed to avoid getting hit. It sailed smoothly between second and third base and struck the back fence.
I yelled out a triumphant“Holy shit,” and ran toward the back fence. There wasn’t anything much better than this, that thrum of muscles locking back into place, rememberingexactlyhow to scoop up a ground ball with one eye on a runner.
Though in this case, there was no one to throw to when I scooped it up. But the runner—a gorgeous badass who enjoyed ruining me on a daily basis—was making a break for second base.
I jogged toward her. “Are you trying for a triple?”
“There’s notryingabout it,” she taunted. “I’m running home.”
And then she was—half running, half laughing as we chased each other around the bases and the long stretch to home plate.
She crossed, arms raised in victory, and I was there a second later, snatching her up.
“Baby’s first home run,” she cheered.
We tumbled into the soft grass together, and I pressed my back to the sun-warmed earth. Propped my head up with one hand behind me and stared up at Charlie in wonder. Her hat was crooked, the field lights a golden halo around her head.
“I couldn’t have done it without you, coach,” she sang.
I kissed her, sliding my fingers through her hair and knocking the hat off. “Just remember me when you’re famous? The humble baseball player you once pretended to date?”
She hummed. “More like the man that I’m madly in love with.”
“I like the sound of that.” I nudged my nose against hers.
Charlie smiled down at me, her fingers moving my hat so they could drift across my forehead. She pressed on the line between my brows, smoothing it away. “What’s got you so deep in sudden contemplation?”
I shifted onto my back, not sure how she'd receive what I'd been mulling over all day. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about your dad and his financial situation.”
“What about it?”
“How complicated it is when family and money intersect,” I admitted. “I would do anything for my grandmother.Anything.So I fully get wanting to protect your dad and save your home. But I also know…” I rubbed a strand of her hair between my fingers. “He put you in a tough spot, making a teenager feel responsible for every unpaid bill. No wonder you feel like it’s your job to fix everything on your own. But maybe…maybe, it’s not your job.”
Her eyes closed, but she eventually nodded, cheeks turning pink.
She didn't say anything, so I kept going. “You talk a lot about how your dad felt back then. Charlie, how didyoufeel?”
She cast her gaze out over the field before finally turning back to me. “Um…really scared. Exhausted. Worried that we’d end up out on the street and it would be my fault. I had horrible nightmares around this time, and I wasn’t sleeping that great.”
She swiped at a single tear. “I was pretty lonely.”
“It wasn’t your fault. It really wasn’t,” I said softly.
She laughed, wiping her cheeks again. “I’m starting to learn that my independent, stubborn streak can go too far. “
“Hey, I love that stubborn streak,” I said. “I just hate seeing you continue to shoulder this responsibility when your dad is a grown man who also needs to do his part. Listen, until I became the director, having conversations about money was part of my job. Building trust, meeting people where they are. You’ve met Eddie and Dean. I hired them because they understand someone like your dad. Theyareyour dad, in a whole lot of ways. Folks with not a lot of money but who are way too proud, who refuse to be a burden—”
“Their pride can be a burden for others though,” Charlie said. “I've felt that with my dad. Angry when he won't let himself be helped, but then a lot of times, I’m the one cleaning up the mess.”
I let her sit with that for a moment, chewing on her thumbnail. Staring out at the field. Finally, she said, “Bettencourt officially cut me this morning. So even if I wanted to give my dad the money, I couldn’t. I don't have it.”
I exhaled sharply through my nose. “I'm so sorry. What happened?”
“Their rep kindly advised me that the general public prefers women who are quiet and palatable. Since I am neither, I'm no longer a fit for them.”
