about the pranks he and Austin used to pull as
kids. I've asked him about his family, but he changes the subject.
Austin's quiet about it too."
Sara sighed and watched Jack take his
position behind home plate. When he looked up at the sky, she
followed his gaze. Beyond the outfield fence, dark clouds rolled
and thundered, slowly moving closer.
"You could Google him."
"Oh. No, I don't want to do that. Jack told
me I could trust him. I want to give him the chance to prove
it."
She turned her attention back to the game,
which she actually knew little about. Somehow a runner made it all
the way to third base, shaking his body loose as he inched closer
to home. To the casual observer, Jack didn't seem to be paying
attention to the eager base runner, but she knew better. The batter
swung hard and hit the ball toward the outfield, but just as it
sailed over Austin's head, he leaped up and snagged it, then fired
it right back home.
Jack caught the ball and planted his legs
over the plate. The runner had no choice but to run him over. Bad
idea. Jack threw his shoulder into the guy's chest and knocked him
flat on his back. Tagged. The umpire called the runner out, and
Jack flashed him such a vicious smile that Sara sat back a
little.
Jane gasped. "I think Jack forgot he's not
playing football."
A strong gust of wind blew in from the
outfield and Sara shivered. That had gone beyond the ordinary play
of an aggressive athlete.
The next two batters struck out to end the
half inning, and the Bayfield Bears were about to step up to the
plate.
***
"Storm's coming." Jack watched the sky turn
black.
"No shit." Austin plunked down on the bench.
Thunder crashed right above his head and he jumped. "Oh, you mean
literally."
"What did you think I meant?"
"Seriously?" Austin pulled on his batting
gloves, shoving them down on his fingers. "You know you gotta tell
Sara about your past if you want to have a future with her."
He shrugged, still watching the sky. "What
she doesn't know won't hurt her." Especially now that Prentiss
is dead.
"But it might hurt you."
"I can take it."
Austin shook his head. He moved closer and
lowered his voice. "I know it's been a long time since your
father—"
Jack cut him off with just a look.
"Sorry. It's been a long time since he...
since it happened." He took a careful step forward. "But if Sara's
important to you, she should know."
"She doesn't need to know anything."
"You're gonna drive her away if you keep this
from her."
"Sinclair, you're on deck," the batting coach
shouted.
Austin picked up his bat. "Think about it,
man. You need her."
Jack scowled and kicked his glove off the
bench. The past is behind me. It had taken a long time to
let it go, and he refused to bring it all back now. Why did Sara
need to know about it? Austin only knew because he'd been there for
the whole horrible scene. What good could come from telling
Sara?
"Wheeler!"
He nodded and trotted to the on-deck circle,
where he took a few practice swings, trying to flex the ache out of
his shoulders. Why was he so stiff?
The crowd roared and when he looked up,
Austin hovered over second base. A shadow passed over Jack as he
stepped into the batter's box and waited for the pitch. I'm
gonna knock the stuffing right out of that ball.
Lightning split the sky and rain poured down
onto the field. He groaned and tipped his head back, shoving his
helmet off and letting the rain soak through him—but it couldn't
soften his hardened heart.
"Game's over, man." Austin smacked him on the
shoulder as he ran by.
In the bleachers, Sara and Jane scrambled for
cover. He felt the sudden need to protect Sara—from the rain, from
the cold. Maybe even from him.
No , I can't tell her. Not if I want
to keep her.
***
Sara ran all the way back to the parking lot,
but still, by the time she got to the car, her shirt stuck to her
skin, and her shorts dripped into her shoes. She turned the
defroster on high and waited for the windshield to
kids. I've asked him about his family, but he changes the subject.
Austin's quiet about it too."
Sara sighed and watched Jack take his
position behind home plate. When he looked up at the sky, she
followed his gaze. Beyond the outfield fence, dark clouds rolled
and thundered, slowly moving closer.
"You could Google him."
"Oh. No, I don't want to do that. Jack told
me I could trust him. I want to give him the chance to prove
it."
She turned her attention back to the game,
which she actually knew little about. Somehow a runner made it all
the way to third base, shaking his body loose as he inched closer
to home. To the casual observer, Jack didn't seem to be paying
attention to the eager base runner, but she knew better. The batter
swung hard and hit the ball toward the outfield, but just as it
sailed over Austin's head, he leaped up and snagged it, then fired
it right back home.
Jack caught the ball and planted his legs
over the plate. The runner had no choice but to run him over. Bad
idea. Jack threw his shoulder into the guy's chest and knocked him
flat on his back. Tagged. The umpire called the runner out, and
Jack flashed him such a vicious smile that Sara sat back a
little.
Jane gasped. "I think Jack forgot he's not
playing football."
A strong gust of wind blew in from the
outfield and Sara shivered. That had gone beyond the ordinary play
of an aggressive athlete.
The next two batters struck out to end the
half inning, and the Bayfield Bears were about to step up to the
plate.
***
"Storm's coming." Jack watched the sky turn
black.
"No shit." Austin plunked down on the bench.
Thunder crashed right above his head and he jumped. "Oh, you mean
literally."
"What did you think I meant?"
"Seriously?" Austin pulled on his batting
gloves, shoving them down on his fingers. "You know you gotta tell
Sara about your past if you want to have a future with her."
He shrugged, still watching the sky. "What
she doesn't know won't hurt her." Especially now that Prentiss
is dead.
"But it might hurt you."
"I can take it."
Austin shook his head. He moved closer and
lowered his voice. "I know it's been a long time since your
father—"
Jack cut him off with just a look.
"Sorry. It's been a long time since he...
since it happened." He took a careful step forward. "But if Sara's
important to you, she should know."
"She doesn't need to know anything."
"You're gonna drive her away if you keep this
from her."
"Sinclair, you're on deck," the batting coach
shouted.
Austin picked up his bat. "Think about it,
man. You need her."
Jack scowled and kicked his glove off the
bench. The past is behind me. It had taken a long time to
let it go, and he refused to bring it all back now. Why did Sara
need to know about it? Austin only knew because he'd been there for
the whole horrible scene. What good could come from telling
Sara?
"Wheeler!"
He nodded and trotted to the on-deck circle,
where he took a few practice swings, trying to flex the ache out of
his shoulders. Why was he so stiff?
The crowd roared and when he looked up,
Austin hovered over second base. A shadow passed over Jack as he
stepped into the batter's box and waited for the pitch. I'm
gonna knock the stuffing right out of that ball.
Lightning split the sky and rain poured down
onto the field. He groaned and tipped his head back, shoving his
helmet off and letting the rain soak through him—but it couldn't
soften his hardened heart.
"Game's over, man." Austin smacked him on the
shoulder as he ran by.
In the bleachers, Sara and Jane scrambled for
cover. He felt the sudden need to protect Sara—from the rain, from
the cold. Maybe even from him.
No , I can't tell her. Not if I want
to keep her.
***
Sara ran all the way back to the parking lot,
but still, by the time she got to the car, her shirt stuck to her
skin, and her shorts dripped into her shoes. She turned the
defroster on high and waited for the windshield to
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