Page 32 of The Perfect Catch

Bree came to the door, and as we walked back to the car, she practically bounced until she got into her seat, chatting about everything that happened during the day.

I glanced up and saw Dax staring in my direction. I smiled at him, knowing I was in more trouble with my heart than I should be.

Cheer class went by faster than usual, and it helped that all the dancers were actually listening instead of playing around and doing whatever they wanted. I dropped Bree back off and headed home to change my clothes and do my best to look casual but good.

When I drove to Groveton Park, I wondered what in the world I was doing there. It had been a long time since I’d gone to something at that complex, but the fact that I knew the guys playing made it more fun to attend—and my crush for the catcher was both exciting and scary.

I kept replaying my mother’s words in my head, about how she wished she’d been more prepared for life without my dad. But people went to college and had relationships at the same time. Why couldn’t I do that?

Then again, did Dax even think of me like that?

I found Penny and Serena sitting in the stands on the top bench, and they each slid over, opening up a spot for me in the packed stands.

“Wow, I didn’t realize this many people would be here.” I glanced out at the field, staring at the back of the catcher and trying to hold back a grin.

“We’re playing Groveton,” Serena said, laughing. “Our cross-town rivals are sure to bring a big crowd.”

I shrugged. “True. I hadn’t really thought of that.” I hadn’t thought much through clearly over the past week, and I wished I could figure out what I should do about Dax. Then there was still the possibility of finding the Masked Kisser, which had a renewed hope filling me.

We cheered and laughed, making the evening one of the best moments I’d had in a long time, aside from my time with Dax. I hadn’t had any extra activities forced on me by my mother, and being free like this was something I needed to do more often.

After the game ended, the three of us waited outside the dugout for the guys to appear. Penny ran up and hugged Jake, the two of them talking about the plays, using words that flew right over my head. That’s what you get when a softball player dates a shortstop.

Serena and I just glanced at each other and laughed, not understanding a word of it.

She walked up to Ben a little more casually, and they shared a quick kiss before she wrapped her arms around his middle, looking a lot like I would with Dax if I were to go up and hug him.

I felt the pressure as Dax finally came around the dugout, focused on shifting things around in his bag as his equipment stuck out in all directions. I glanced in the direction of my friends to see them engrossed in their significant others, and I knew I had to do something. But instead, I pulled out my phone, scrolling mindlessly through my Quickstagram account as I watched every movement out of my periphery.

When he finally stood, opening his water bottle, his gaze bouncing around the small crowd, I was pretty sure I stopped breathing. Sure, I couldn’t see the sparkle in his eyes when he looked at me from this distance, but I liked him a whole lot more than I should have.

Then those feelings were overshadowed by the way my mom had described getting through life unprepared, and I suddenly wanted to run to give myself more time to sort through my feelings.

“Hey,” Dax said, strolling up to me while he took a swig from his water bottle. “I’m so glad you came.”

I glanced up and smiled, pretending I hadn’t noticed every move he’d made since he came into sight.

“Good game. It was fun to see you all play.” I gestured over to the other two couples and bounced on the balls of my feet a couple of times. “You had some great hits.”

He shrugged. “Not really great, but they did the job.” His eyes stared through me, and he tucked his right hand into the back pocket of his baseball pants, looking more relaxed than I’d seen him in a while.

From his level of play on the field, he was really good and able to handle just about everything Ben threw at him, especially all the balls in the dirt that game. Serena had been shaking her head throughout the whole game, mumbling something about having to get Ben out of his head after the game. I guess perfection was still a hurdle for them sometimes, but Serena did a good job of helping him through it.

“Do you have another game tonight?” I asked, trying to find something else to say. Why was it that when he first walked into Ms. Shiels’s room after getting into that fight, I was able to talk to him, even flirt a little, like I didn’t have a care in the world? And now I liked him, and it seemed as though my tongue was still numb from the stuff the dentist uses to do cavities.

He nodded. “Yeah, we have one of the night games. It’s always kind of fun to play under the lights. Almost like we’re in the big leagues.”

I grinned and nodded, understanding that a bit. Dancing in the bright lights on stage used to bring me the same kind of thrill. “I wish I could stay. But I want to hear all about how the next game goes.” I pointed a finger at him, trying to ensure he got my meaning. I was already dancing in some hot water when it came to all this, but the pull I felt toward Dax tended to cloud my rational judgment sometimes.

“I’ll let you know. If it’s too late tonight, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

He took a step forward, reaching his hands around me and holding on to me for several moments. The mixture of his cologne with sweat and dirt made me smile. It wasn’t like I’d ever dated someone who was semi-athletic, and something about this drew me to him even more.

“We’re going to head out,” Penny said, tapping my shoulder when Dax pulled away.

I nodded in her direction and then turned my gaze to Dax’s face again. “I’ll let you get back to games, but I can’t wait to hear more about this.” I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down a bit closer to my height. I kissed his cheek softly, the light stubble there tickling my lips.

“Thanks again for coming. I’ll see you later.” He stood back and waved a bit as I walked away, stealing a glance again here and there.

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