In keeping with the family gathering, all the dogs attended, so Sadie and Fred raced with their puppies and the children over the rolling lawn. Babies napped in playpens or rocked in swings or charmed their way into willing arms. A few hotel guests wandered over from their own feast provided by The Retreat, drawn by the laughter and raised voices.
Nathaniel passed, reluctantly, on the impromptu softball game, figuring one slide into third would have him down for the count. Instead, he designated himself umpire and had the pleasure of arguing with every batter he called out.
Are you blind or just stupid?
C.C. tossed down her bat in disgust.
A sock in the
eye's no excuse for missing that call. That ball was outside a half a mile.
Nathaniel clamped his cigar in his teeth.
Not from where I'm standing, sugar.
She slapped her hands on her hips.
Then you're standing in the wrong spot.
Jenny
took the opportunity to attempt a cartwheel over home plate, and earned some applause from the infield.
C.C, you've got one of the best-looking strike zones I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. And that was strike three. You're out.
If you weren't already black-and-blue...
She swallowed a laugh, and sneered instead.
You're up, Lilah.
Already?
In a lazy gesture, Lilah brushed her hair away from her face and stepped into the box.
From her position at short, Megan glanced at her second baseman.
She won't run
even if she connects.
Suzanna sighed, shook her head.
She won't have to. Just watch.
Lilah skimmed a hand down her hip, cast a sultry look back at Nathaniel, then faced the pitcher. Sloan went through an elaborate windup that had the children cheering.
Lilah took the first strike with the bat still on her shoulder. Yawned.
We keeping you up?
Nathaniel asked her.
I like to wait for my pitch.
Apparently the second one wasn't the one she was waiting for. She let it breeze by, and earned catcalls from the opposing team.
She stepped out of the box, stretched, smiled at Sloan.
Okay, big guy,
she said as
she took her stance again. She cracked the low curveball and sent it soaring for a home run. Amid the cheers, she turned and handed her bat to Nathaniel.
I always
recognize the right pitch,
she told him, and sauntered around the bases.
When the game broke for the feast, Nathaniel eased down beside Megan.
You've
got a pretty good arm there, sugar.
I coached Kevin's Little League team back in Oklahoma.
Her gaze wandered to her
son, as it had dozens of times during the afternoon.
He doesn't seem any the worse
for wear, does he?
Nope. How about you?
The bats in my stomach have mellowed out to butterflies.
She pressed a hand to
them now, lowered her voice.
I never knew he thought about Baxter. About... any of it. I should have.