Out of Her League (33 page)

She dropped the subject of their parents with Adam. She had a better idea for
a helper, anyway. Someone who liked her dad almost as much as Toni liked Mrs. Vaughn.

Her plan involved the Oak Grove Founder
’
s Day Celebration, which would take place next week, near the end of July. There would be a carnival, picnic, all-star games for every level of the league and fireworks. Mrs. Vaughn had made a point of saying how much she loved fireworks and never missed them. Toni was counting on that.

In the meantime, the end of the baseball season approached. Her dad
’
s team was in first place in his
division, and Toni
’
s team was in first place in theirs. The interest remained high because of the bet, and the games continued to be packed. Toni no longer worried about her performance. She did her best and that was enough for the team, her coach—even her
self, for a change.

She discovered that when she relaxed and let things happen, they turned out for the best most of the time. Having an encouraging smile and a face she adored peeking through the wires of the catcher
’
s mask didn
’
t hurt, either.

One night the team was far enough ahead that Coach Vaughn took Toni out early and let Todd pitch. Toni and
Coach Vaughn had had a few dis
cussions on winning and losing and what those things really meant in life. How had Adam
’
s mom gotten so smart?

Though Toni was supposed to sit on the bench and cheer the team, she saw her quarry playing in the dirt underneath the bleachers, and she slipped out of the dugout.

A whisper, a wink, a few giggles, some noogies to seal the deal, and Toni
’
s plan was in motion. Her dad and Coach Mom would never know what hit them.

* * *

“Adam
,
where
did
you say you
’
d be tonight?
”
Evie loaded blankets, folding chairs and a cooler into the station wagon. Luckily, she had already dropped the twins at the pre-parade lineup, so she didn
’
t have to trip over them while she loaded the day
’
s necessities.

“
Tommy
’
s,
”
Adam answered.
“
He
’
s having a pool party after the all-star game.
”

Since the temperature had already climbed into the eighties, and the clock had yet to hit ten a.m., the concept of a pool party appealed to Evie a lot. Unfortunately, she hadn
’
t been invited.

“
What about the fireworks?
”

“
His house is right behind the park. We watch them from the pool. It
’
s awesome.
”

Now that Adam described it, Evie recalled Tommy
’
s party as an annual do.
“
What about Toni?
”

“
She didn
’
t want to go.
”

Evie got into the car and glanced at him.
“
Is that a problem?
”

“
No. She said she
’
d feel funny being the only girl at a pool party.
”

“
I can see her point. Did she want you to skip it, too?
”

“
No.
”
He put the car in reverse, glanced over his shoulder and backed out of the drive.
“
She
’
s not like that.
”

“
Good. You
are
going to college next year.
”

“
So?
”

“
Well, she
’
ll still be here for another year after that.
”

“
Get to the issue, Mom.
”

“
I don
’
t want her to make you feel bad about leaving.
”

“
Why don
’
t you just say it? You don
’
t want her to keep me from going.
”

Adam
’
s new, and not entirely appealing, attitude was wearing thin. Had she been the one who
’
d hoped her son would show some healthy teenage rebellion?
Somebody slap me
.

“
All right,
”
Evie snapped.
“
I don
’
t want her to keep you from going.
”

“
She
’
d never do that.
”

“
Great.
”
Evie folded her arms over her chest and looked out the window, away from her son.

Since their first big argument, relations remained strained between her and Adam. He wanted to be a kid, but he didn
’
t want Evie to be a mom. The two ideas did not compute, so Evie was on shaky ground with just about everything she said and did lately. She wasn
’
t enjoying it.

She
’
d tried to talk to Adam again since the night he
’
d locked his door to her, but he had not wanted
to listen. For a mot
her who prided herself on excel
lent communication with her children, Evie was pretty frustrated.

She had no idea what to say to him to make him understand that without her kids, her life would have been nothing. Certainly, both her pregnancies had been disasters—but that didn
’
t make the children disasters, too. No matter how hard you tried with kids, somehow you always came up short.

The silence between them lasted a few heartbeats too long for comfort, but Evie kept looking outside. They passed the school block. The band stood in position at the front of the parade. Brightly colored jerseys mixed and mingled, as Little and Big League players not participating in the all-star games would march in the parade, wave and throw candy.

“
I thought you liked her.
”

Evie sighed and returned her attention to the prob
lem child of the week.
“
I
do
like her.
”

“
So why the third degree?
”

“
I love you. I want what
’
s best for you.
”

“
Toni
’
s what
’
s best for me.
”

God, I hope so
, Evie thought, but she kept her lip zipped.

The weather was perfect to Evie
’
s mind—sunny, hot and dry—and all her troubles and tensions faded as enjoyment of Oak Grove, friends and family took their place. Founder
’
s Day equaled fun and fireworks. What could be better? Though people did bring up the bet here and there, and the fact that both Evie
’
s team and Joe
’
s occupied first place in
opposing leagues, the ribbing was good-natured, and folks seemed more excited about baseball than they
’
d been in years, which was saying a lot.

The all-star games drew huge crowds. Although the most talented
players from each team were cho
sen to play, the kids did not play together until that day, which made the games interesting to watch.

Evie didn
’
t have to coach, so she sat in the stands, drank her Coke, ate her peanuts and cheered. The twins got dirty under the bleachers; Adam and Toni won their game. A harbinger, she hoped, of things to come.

Adam took off with a wave for Mom and a kiss for Toni. Evie sighed. Times had changed. She
’
d best get used to them.

She called for the twins, needing a hug however dirty she
’
d get from it, but they were gone. Her heart banged a bit harder and faster. Kids didn
’
t up and disappear in Oak
Grove, but then, you could prob
ably say that abou
t the other places kids had dis
appeared from. Evie preferred to have her kids in sight at all times. Label her paranoid—she didn
’
t mind.

“
They
’
re with Dad.
”

Toni
’
s voice at her elbow set Evie
’
s mind to rest. She turned to smile at the girl at the same instant what Toni had called her father registered. Evie
’
s smile turned into a great big grin.
“‘
Dad,
’
huh?
”

Toni shrugged and looked at the ground. Evie let the subject dro
p. Something good must have hap
pened between Toni and Joe. Evie was just glad it
had. The way the twins worshiped Toni, Evie had figured they
’
d be calling her
“
Evelyn
”
before too long. She needed to spend time curing them of a new bad habit the way she needed another hot dream about Joe Scalotta.

“
Where are they?
”

Toni pointed to the grass in left field. Joe was on the ground, and both boys tumbled over him. For some reason the
twins thought Joe was their per
sonal wrestling trainer. Whenever and wherever they could, the two pulled him to the ground.

“
What is that all about?
”
Evie asked.

Toni shrugged.
“
They like to jump on him. Maybe they know they can
’
t hurt him.
”

“
Do they do that with you?
”

“
Nope.
”

“
Me, either.
”

“
Must be a guy thing,
”
Toni observed solemnly.

Evie nodded, enjoying the camaraderie with Toni they
’
d shared from the first day. Being the only woman in a houseful of men sometimes made Evie feel like the only female on Planet Testosterone.

Benji straddled Joe
’
s chest and Danny his belly. They started bouncing up and down.

Evie put her arm around Toni
’
s shoulders.
“
Should we save him?
”

“
Nah. He likes it.
”

“
Go figure.
”

“
Yeah.
”
Toni sighed and shook her head, her attitude so clearly saying
“
Men!
”
that Evie laughed and gave her a little squeeze.

Together they crossed the infield and stood sh
ak
ing their heads at all three of them.

“
Boys, get off Mr. Scalotta.
”

“
He says his name is Joe.
”

“
Fine. Get off Joe.
”

In a sudden and agile move, Joe dumped both of them onto the ground, came up on his hands and knees with a roar and tickled them until Evie feared there would be an accident. Then he climbed to his feet and brushed the grass from his legs.

In khaki shorts and a red tank top, with his hair full of dandelion fuzz and his face flushed from laughter and the sun, Joe was something to see. Evie
’
s breath caught.

Toni went over and started whispering to the twins.

Evie and Joe had not spoken beyond a casual word since the night at his house. Remembering both the truth and her fantasies made Evie blush.

“
You look nice,
”
Joe ventured.

She glanced at him in surprise. Her red-white
-
and-blue short set was worn two days of the year—Fourth of July and Oak Grove Founder
’s Day. Per
sonally, she figured her star-spangled red shorts might be a bit much, but she
’
d learned long ago to please herself first, since there was virtually no pleasing everyone.