Page 8 of The Umpire Strikes Back

“My day was fine,” I say, drying my hands. “We got through practice, Juniper had a blast, and that’s that.”

“Uh-huh.” Hattie stirs a pot of sauce on the stove. “You told me you ‘wanted nothing to do with Kali’ just yesterday. So how’d that go, Mr. I’m-So-Over-It?”

I clench my jaw, tossing a few pasta noodles into the pot. “I still want nothing to do with her. She’s my daughter’s coach, not my friend. End of story.”

Juniper giggles. “But Daddy, you were totally staring at her?—”

“Juniper!” I nearly drop the handful of noodles. “What are you talking about?”

She shrugs, giggling again. “I saw you, Daddy. You were watching her teach. And you had that look.”

“What look?” Hattie pounces, eyes sparkling.

I shoot Juniper a playful glare. “I didn’t have a ‘look.’ I was just making sure she was doing her job right. You’re my kid, I’m allowed to supervise.”

Hattie snorts. “Sounds awfully protective for a guy who wants ‘nothing to do with her.’”

“Can we drop it?” I mutter, feeling my cheeks heat. It’s infuriating how easily they gang up on me, but I can’t blame them for reading between the lines. The fact is, Iamdrawn to Kali in some bizarre way. I can’t stand her, yet I want to see her again. Makes no sense.

We chat about random stuff as we cook—Juniper’s new dance moves, Hattie’s latest painting project—until dinner is almost ready. While Juniper sets the table, Hattie sidles up next to me, lowering her voice.

“Look, I’m not trying to pry,” she says gently, “but you and Kali? There’s something there, isn’t there?”

I scoff, shaking my head. “There’snothing.She’s stubborn, rule-obsessed, infuriating… She cost me a run with that balk call.”

Hattie gives me a knowing look. “And yet, somehow, you’re excited to see her at tomorrow’s game. Right?”

My stomach does a weird flip, and I hate how easily she can read me. “I just want to make sure she doesn’t pull another stunt like that.”

“Mm-hmm,” Hattie hums, patting my arm. “Sure, that’s theonlyreason. I know that face, Riptide. You’re intrigued. And maybe a little…?”

I sigh. There’s no point lying to my sister. “Fine, maybe a tiny bit. But I shouldn’t be. I mean, come on. We clash like crazy. And Juniper?—”

“What about Juniper?” Hattie prods.

“She’s getting attached,” I admit quietly. “I’m not sure how to handle it. I don’t want her to get let down.”

Hattie’s expression softens. She knows how protective I am of Juniper. “You’re a good dad, Rip. If Juniper enjoys Kali’s class, that’s a positive, no matter what you two have going on.”

“What we have going on is nothing,” I insist, even though a little voice in my head calls me a liar. “Now can we eat? I’m starving.”

Hattie shakes her head with a wry smile, and we gather at the table. Over bowls of pasta and sauce, we feast and talk about tomorrow’s game—my schedule, the team we’re up against. But in the back of my mind, I’m already imagining Kali, standing behind home plate in all her gear, unwavering in her calls. The idea of her eyes on me again makes my heart pound in a way I can’t quite name. Annoyance? Thrill? Both?

As we finish dinner and Juniper heads off to brush her teeth, I grab a dish towel and help Hattie clean up. She bumps her shoulder against mine. “You’d tell me if something changed, right?”

I shrug. “Sure. But nothing’s gonna change. This is just baseball. She’s the ump, I’m the pitcher, and that’s it.”

Hattie doesn’t push it further. Once the dishes are put away, we head home.

I tuck Juniper into bed, reading her a quick story about a puppy who finds its way home. She babbles for another minute about next week’s practice—Kali said something about practicing bunts and grounders. Then she dozes off with a smile on her face. As I watch her breathing softly, I can’t shake the image of Kali high-fiving my kid, telling her she has a good arm.

I head to my own bed, lying awake for a bit, replaying the day in my mind. I keep telling myself that I don’t want anything to do with Kali, that she’s infuriating. But there’s a part of me that’s itching to face her again.

Tomorrow,I think, closing my eyes.Tomorrow, I’ll show her that she can’t rattle me.But if I’m being honest with myself, I’m already rattled—and maybe a little more intrigued by the fiery umpire than I’d ever want to admit.

5

Kali

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