Page 29

I glanced toward the stands to see Liv shaking her head at me as that dog lay beside her on the bleachers.

I only shrugged.

“You girls want to win the league championship? We gotta be fast! We gotta be strong!”

Maya fell to her knees by home base, theatrically saying, “We gotta take a break.”

All the other girls finishing their laps stopped beside her, laughing despite their red faces.

I blew my whistle. I was having way too damn much fun with this thing. “Maya Madigan, I have a deal for you.”

She peeled herself up from the ground and looked at me. “Anything.”

“Anything?”

She nodded. I smirked.

“No more running this practice if you can beat me around the bases,” I said.

Maya put her hands on her hips. “You’re wearing cowboy boots.”

“And?” I said.

Mags giggled from where she stood at the water cooler, pulling out waters to pass out.

“Anything to add, Coach?” I asked her.

Maggie nodded. “Kick his butt, Maya.”

Maya let out a battle cry, and soon all the girls were shouting, “KICK HIS BUTT. KICK HIS BUTT.”

I swear to God, some parents were joining in, Ms. Rhonda cheering louder than anyone else.

Maya wore a smug smirk as she said, “Put your money where your mouth is, Uncle Rhett.”

I laughed, loving her feisty spirit. “Let’s go. Mags, can you call it?”

She nodded, and the two of us went to home plate while everyone continued cheering for Maya. She waved her hands, making everyone yell louder. I gave Liv an incredulous look where she sat up front in the stands. This girl was going to rule the world or burn it down one day; there was no in-between.

Liv arched an eyebrow like I should know exactly where Maya learned to act like this.

Mags came up, lifting one hand, then another, and when she waved her hands down, Maya and I took off around the bases. I usually worked out in my tennis shoes, but my boots were just fine since I worked in them all day long.

I let her get a little ahead of me after we rounded first, and the cheers from her teammates got exponentially louder.

As we rounded second, I let the lead get wider, but at third base, I picked up speed, pumping my arms and getting even with her. She glanced my way, and I met her gaze as we got closer to home.

A look of pure determination in her face, she leapt forward, sliding to home base and crossing it with her fingers in a cloud of dust.

She got up, cheering, shouting, pumping her fist. “I BEAT YOU, UNCLE RHETT!”

I hung my head, pretending to be all tore up as her teammates rushed her and picked her up, carrying her and celebrating.

Mags came and patted my shoulder. “Think you’ll survive the defeat, Coach?”

I sent her a wink. “I still got her to run the extra lap. And now the girls are bonding as a team. Far as I’m concerned, I won.”

She smiled at me, the late evening sun catching in her pretty blue eyes.