Page 46 of Rescued Heart

Bianca offered a half smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

Eddie stood in the middle of the dugout and kept his attention on the boys in the field. Then he swiped something down under the bench. A matching team hat. “Here. You’re right on time. Neither of my other coaches are here tonight.”

Bianca pulled on the hat and straightened one of the magnetic batting names on the lineup hooked to the dugouts inside the protective fence. “Where do you need me?”

“Tank! Pay attention to the ball, not the cameras.” Eddie sighed. “If you’re willing”—he sent a glare toward the cameraman and the mayor—“you have more experience with all that nonsense.”

Bianca lowered her baseball cap. “Cameras aren’t nonsense. They help people smile.” She sent a wink to Scarlette. “Or that’s what I told my father when I explained to him why I wanted to be an actress.”

Of course, her words hadn’t helped her case that night.

Scarlette tilted her head. “Guess they kind of do make people smile, don’t they?”

Bianca took a seat beside her on the bench. “Sometimes. Though I guess some movies are made to make you think or?—”

“Cry.” Scarlette shook her head. “I don’t like sad movies.”

“Me neither. But sometimes they help you process things. Life isn’t always happy. My dad wasn’t happy when he learned I didn’t want to go to college. That I wanted to act instead.”

Scarlette scooted closer, and the dimming sunlight highlighted her widened eyes. “But you’re a good actress, right?”

Bianca pressed her hand to her chest. “You mean you haven’t watched me?”

Scarlette hung her head. “Grandma said that I can only watch those movies when I’m older.”

Eddie glanced over his shoulder at Bianca before turning away.

Heat ran up her cheeks. Had Eddie watched her movies? “That’s a good idea. Most of my movies have been for adults. Not all of them have been very God-honoring. But this next movie, you can watch.”

She pointed at the cameraman. “He’s part of a news crew, not paparazzi. They shouldn’t bother the team.” Though tonight might be the perfect time to arrange Eddie’s talk with the mayor.

Bianca pushed back her shoulders. “Where do you want me to coach?”

Eddie pulled out a piece of gum from his pocket and unwrapped it. “You want first or third?”

He was letting her pick? “I’d rather have first base this game.”

“This game. You hear that, Coach E?” Scarlette beamed her grin at Bianca, her left front tooth wiggling as she pressed her smile wider. “Sounds like Coach B means to be coming to all of our games. About time. I could really use another girl?—”

“One day at a time, Scarlette.” Eddie put his fingers through the chain fence and leaned up against it. “Will, slide over to the left. A little more. One more…whoa.”

One day at a time. She was a short-term coach. Temporarily in their lives. She knew that.

Bianca crossed her arms over her chest. Then why did it sting?

Scarlette stepped closer. “He’s only grouchy because the mayor’s here and he said no to our grant.”

Eddie whipped around. “How do you know that?”

Scarlette popped her hands on her hips. “Why else would you have given him the glare that I give Scout when he won’t share his candy?”

This girl was smart.

Eddie gave Bianca a look that proved he thought the same thing. He stuck out his finger toward Scarlette. “He had said no, but he’s going to take another look at our paperwork. I’ll break all that information to the boysafterthe game. Not a word before.”

Scarlette made a zipping motion with her fingers.

Bianca pressed her lips together. No wonder he’d changed his mind about helping her.

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