Page 88 of Karma's Kiss

“Hey, y’all. Listen up!” Sawyer hollers, getting everyone’s attention.

I’m all too happy to give him mine. He’s over near the dugout door, looking oh so perfect. I don’t even feel bad about checking him out. Sure, we’ve been in a relationship a long time now and I get to lay eyes on him any ol’ time I wish. Even this morning, we woke up together in bed and enjoyed a quickie before we heard cries over the baby monitor, but I just can’t get enough. The way he looks right now…well, I feel like Lindsey. I love Sawyer in his Heatwave captain’s shirt and backward hat—andwith that assertive tone?Oo la la.

He looks my way, and I have to hide my devious smile behind the rim of my margarita. Still, he knows exactly where my thoughts have gone, i.e. straight to the gutter. I don’t miss the fact that he stalls and looks down at his clipboard for a second, totally blanking on what he was about to announce to the team. I’ve successfully distracted him, and I’m not even alittlesorry about it.

Lindsey nudges me with her elbow. “Knock it off or we’ll lose this game.”

“Okay.I’ll behave.” I hold up a three-fingered scout sign. “I swear.”

Just as Sawyer picks up his train of thought, a pink puffball, aka Charlotte, comes barreling into the dugout with a glittery pink bag slung over her shoulder and her keys jingling against her signature pink Stanley cup. I wonder how much whipped cream she’s swirled into her coffee today.

“I’m here! I’m here!Sorry, everyone!” Charlotte apologizes profusely, dabbing at the pink glitter she’s applied to the outside of her eyes. “I completely overslept!”

“It’s all good,” Sawyer assures her. “I was just going over the lineup.”

She hurries to hang her bag up alongside everyone else’s and then sips from her Stanley. She scans the crowd and spots me, her eyes widening before she looks away quickly.

I’ve seen Charlotte out and about around town in recent months. I’ve even said hello to her a few times and we’ve pretended everything is A-OK between us, but as Sawyer reads the lineup and I take my seat toward the end of the dugout bench alongside her, I realize this is the first time we’ve been face to face for longer than a few seconds since that fateful day in the coffee shop, the day she made it very clear she thought I was a villain and totally undeserving of Sawyer, my now fiancé…

I glance down at the sparkling oval diamond on my left hand then fidget on the bench, cursing Lindsey for picking this moment—of all moments—to have a conversation with Pam. There’s no one to distract from the fact that Charlotte and I are sitting hip to hip in total silence. It’s so awkward I’m glad for my margarita because I need something to do with myself. I take a sip and pretend to look at my phone. Meanwhile, Charlotte clears her throat beside me.

“Great weather, yeah?” she offers vaguely.

I set down my phone. It’s almost a hundred degrees out here. This is not good weather, this is barely tolerable weather.

I look over and see she’s wringing her hands. Suddenly, I can’t take it.

I reach out and put my hand on her shoulder. “Listen, hey. Let’s rewind, okay? Fresh start?”

Her eyes light up as she turns to look at me. I swear she might cry. “Would you be willing? Really? I was such a jerk and I know I owe you an apology. I just feel like…like I was so nasty that day in the coffee shop. To be honest, I had a little crush on Sawyer and I let it cloud my judgment. I feel real shame about the things I said to you. I tell my students to treat others the way they want to be treated and there I was, acting all high and mighty when I should have tried to be your friend.”

Just as suspected, Charlotte is filled with ooey-gooey goodness. I can’t hate the girl.

I smile. “Well I appreciate that, Charlotte. Don’t worry about it. It’s all good.”

She beams. “And can I just say, y’all’s baby issocute!”

Now I’m theonebeaming because yes, he is.

“Hey Madison, come here for a second,” Sawyer calls, waving me over. Uh-oh, am I in trouble with the captain?Wink.

I smile once more at Charlotte to let her know things are all good between us and then I head over to Sawyer. He’s still standing at the door of the dugout, reviewing his clipboard and making sure everything’s game ready.

“What have I done this time,captain?”

He looks at me with a straight face, trying to act like he can’t stand my antics when we both know he loves them.

“Listen, when we take the field, I need you to play catcher. Jimmy is out sick.”

I immediately panic and clench my hand, preempting the pain that will come my way if I shimmy into all that catcher’s gear again. “No way! Pick someone else.Anyone!”

He tucks his clipboard under his arm, drops his hands on my shoulders, and turns to face me fully. “Listen, I’ll go easy on you, I swear. It won’t be like last time.” His eyebrows pinch together in remorse. “I’m still sorry about that.”

I shoot him a warning scowl. “Yeah well even still, I’m not doing it…”

He sighs and bends down, lowering his voice. “I swear you’ll be fine. And if somehow one of my pitches hits your glove a little too hard, I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”

Oh.Now we’re talking.

---