Read Online Pinch Hit by Tim Green - Free Book Online

was relieved when Sam’s dad put the car into gear and pulled out of the driveway. Trevor added some excitement to his voice and began to describe the pool, the gardens, the cook, and the maid.
    â€œWow,” Sam’s dad said. “Nice.”
    â€œSpeaking of food.” Trevor pointed to an In and Out Burger place at the corner ahead. “How about we stop and you get something to eat. Did you eat?”
    Sam’s dad rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I forgot.”
    â€œDad.”
    â€œI know. I know. But you already ate.”
    â€œI can always go for a chocolate shake. You know that.”
    â€œâ€˜He hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his.’” Sam’s dad gave Trevor a questioning look. “Well?”
    â€œWell, what?” Trevor asked, afraid he was blowing it, but able to think of nothing else.
    Sam’s dad sighed. “Come on, you can’t say I haven’t used this one on you before. Henry the Fourth, remember?”
    â€œSure. Oh yeah.” Trevor realized Sam’s father had given him a quote from Shakespeare. At least the next time, he’d know to guess Othello or something.
    Sam’s dad didn’t seem upset, though. He patted Trevor on the shoulder and smiled. Trevor felt a warm glow inside him. The toughest part was over. All he had to do was hang in there until tomorrow morning and he’d be practicing baseball at a real practice with a real team, getting ready for a real game coming up on Saturday.

19
SAM
    Sam watched the car disappear down McKenna’s street. He let the curtain fall back into place.
    â€œWell, he must have done it.” McKenna grinned.
    â€œSo far,” Sam said, rubbing bristles on the top of his head.
    â€œIt won’t get any tougher than the shock of seeing you with that haircut.”
    â€œYou don’t know my dad,” Sam said.
    â€œYou don’t know Trevor. He said he’s not bad as an actor, but that’s not true. He’s not just ‘not bad,’ he’s excellent. He’ll be you. I’ve seen him do it. It’s pretty amazing.”
    McKenna led Sam back through the house and outside to the pool, where they sat down in the lounge chairs. Even though the summer sun had dropped behind the trees, lowering the temperature, it was still quite light out.
    Sam chuckled, feeling a bit uncomfortable. “He can’t just be me.”
    McKenna’s face was serious. “He can. Really. Did you see him listening to you when you told him about your life? Did you watch his eyes, studying you like that, not only what you said but how you said it? It’s like he can open his brain and suck in who you are.”
    â€œYou like him a lot.”
    McKenna studied him, then put a finger under her chin and tilted her head. “Not like you think.”
    â€œWhat do I think?”
    â€œLike a boyfriend. Not like that. He’s great, though. Nice. Smart.”
    Sam let his head hang, and he ran a finger along the lines of his other palm. “If he can be me, you think I can be him?”
    â€œI don’t think you should.” McKenna gently poked his shoulder. “I think you should be you.”
    Sam felt his face catch fire. When he looked at her, she didn’t blink but only smiled, and it seemed to him like a dream. He couldn’t speak.
    â€œCome on.” McKenna got up and walked over to a hot tub sunken into the garden at the other end of the pool.
    â€œCan I?” Sam looked at his newly tanned arms.
    â€œIt’s waterproof,” she said. “The Sharpie, too. Both should last three or four days easy.”
    McKenna turned the bubbles on and slipped in with her T-shirt still on, then tilted her head back, looking up at the sky. “I like the clouds, and the way the sky is so many different colors of blue and then sometimes yellow and pink, purple, even green. Do you ever look