Page 7 of The Umpire Strikes Back

Stop it,I tell myself.Kali’s just the umpire who nearly cost you the game.But I can’t ignore how my pulse picks up when I glimpse that confident grin of hers, or the way her ponytail swishes against her shoulders. She’s in athletic shorts and a tank top, and if I catch myself looking a little too long, well, that’s my problem to deal with, right?

“Nice throw, Juniper!” Kali shouts, and my daughter’s face lights up like the Fourth of July. A pang hits my chest. Juniper’s always been a pretty happy kid—Hattie and I do everything we can to keep her that way. Still, seeing her soaking up praise from someone she admires stirs up all sorts of emotions. She hasn’t had a consistent maternal figure in her life. Sometimes I worry she’s missing out.

I sigh, crossing my arms. We had a little disagreement this morning—Kali and I—about whether Juniper should even be in this class. I’m still not thrilled she’s the coach, but Juniper’s already attached to her, so what am I supposed to do? Pull her out because I have a grudge against the new ump? That wouldn’t be fair to Juniper. And the kid’s right. Kali clearly knows the rules. If I’m honest with myself, I know Juniper’s in good hands. Doesn’t mean I have tolikeit.

Finally, the session winds down. Kali gathers the kids in a circle, handing out high-fives and little pep talks. Juniper practically glows when it’s her turn to receive a fist bump. I swallow the odd mixture of jealousy and pride that wells up in me. I hate that I’m jealous of Kali, but it’s there—she’s given Juniper something new, something she clearly loves.

I see Kali glance my way, and for a heartbeat, our eyes lock. There’s a flicker in her expression—surprise, maybe, or acknowledgement. I tug my cap lower, determined not to give anything away. When the kids all scatter toward their parents, Juniper bounds over to me, face flushed and bright.

“That wasamazing, Dad!” she chirps. “Coach Kali said I have a real good arm! Can we go buy a glove? I want a pink one with sparkles.”

I can’t help smiling. “Sparkles, huh? We’ll see. Come on, let’s go. We gotta get to Hattie’s for dinner.”

“You know what else?” Juniper’s big eyes blink at me.

“What?”

“She loves Star Wars. She called me her little padawan.” Juniper beams with pride.

“She did?” AStar Warsfan, huh?

Juniper hops along next to me, but not before tossing a loud “Bye, Coach Kali!” over her shoulder. My eyes flick to Kali, who waves enthusiastically at Juniper. Then she crosses her arms and quirks an eyebrow at me, as if waiting for some kind of acknowledgment. I give her a small nod, which is about all I can muster without my chest doing that weird twisty thing again.

* * *

All the way home,Juniper cannot stop talking about Kali.Kali this… Kali that.

“And then she showed me how to line up my feet, and it made the ball go faster, and then she said ‘Great job, Juniper,’ and she gave me a high five, and?—”

I’m half-laughing, half-wincing at every mention of Kali’s name. “Okay, kiddo, I get it. She’s the best coach ever. Just don’t forget your dad’s apretty decentballplayer too.”

Juniper giggles. “I know, Daddy, but you’re always so serious when you play. Coach Kali makes it look fun.”

That stings a bit, but I force a chuckle. “I’m serious because it’s my job, you goof. You’ll see the difference when you start playing in games.”

We pull into the driveway of Hattie’s house. We live not far away in a nice little bungalow on the edge of town, overlooking the water. Hattie’s got the bigger kitchen,andshe offered to host dinner tonight. So, of course I hopped on the plan. I’m still chewing on Juniper’s words when we step inside.

“Hey!” Hattie calls from the living room, flipping through a magazine. “How was practice? Anyone break an arm yet?”

Juniper races over, bouncing on her toes. “No, but guess what, Aunt Hattie? My coach istheKali! The one Daddy was talking about!” She giggles. “And she lovesStar Warstoo, just like Daddy.”

Hattie’s eyebrows shoot up. “TheKali? As in, the new umpire who gave your dad a hard time?” She glances at me with a wicked grin. “Must have been fun.”

I drop my keys onto the counter, then loosen my shoulders. “Oh, it was a real blast,” I say dryly. “Turns out she’s pretty good with kids.”

Juniper nods vigorously. “She’s the best! She said my throw was awesome. And she showed me how to hold the bat just right. Look!” She mimics the stance, nearly knocking a lamp off the end table.

“Watch it!” I steady the lamp before it crashes. “We’ll practice outside after dinner, all right?”

She beams at me. “Yes, please!”

Hattie stands up and motions me into the kitchen. “Come on, let’s get started on dinner. Juniper, want to help me chop veggies?”

“Sure!” Juniper’s already tugging a stool over to the counter.

I slip off my jacket and wash my hands at the sink, doing my best to ignore Hattie’s smug look. She’s up to something, I can tell. I toss her a suspicious glance. “Stop looking at me like that.”

She grins, handing a plastic knife to Juniper for the veggies. “What do you mean? I’m just curious about your day.”

---