Page 94 of November

“How far, Maisie?” India asked.

Maisie moved around behind her, placed her hands on India’s hips, and tapped the left one until India moved her leg a bit. Then, she just stood there and held on, even though she didn’t need to.

“Elbows up,” she instructed.

When India held the bat up, Maisie helped her put her arms in position.

“Okay. Now, eyes on the ball.”

“How fast is that thing going to be coming?”

“Not fast. I’ll set it for slow-pitch. That’s what I play anyway.”

“Okay. And it’s calibrated to only throw the ball in front of me, notatme?”

“Yes, India,” she replied, laughing as she walked to the box attached to the chain-link fence that separated them fromthe outside and pressed the button. “Okay. Get ready.”

Maisie then moved to the gate, opened it, and closed it behind herself.

“Wait. You’reout there? Why aren’t you in here with me?”

India was looking at her when the first yellow softball flung out of the machine, so she screamed, despite the fact that the ball hit the fence and was nowhere near hitting her.

Maisie laughed and told her, “Turn around. Stand how I showed you.”

India turned back around and held on to the bat in a way that would not allow her to hit the ball at all. When the next pitch came her way, she gave a concerted effort to hit it but missed it by a mile. Maisie laughed because it really was adorable. Then, she sobered when she realized it.

India swung, missing again, but she was laughing, too, now, and she was doing this for Maisie.

“I cannot hit this thing. Are you sure it’s on slow mode?”

“Any slower, and the ball would just roll to you.”

“Yes. Isthatan option? I wantthat.”

Maisie laughed and said, “Six more pitches, and then I’ll go in and show you.”

“We should’ve done that first,” India said and tried to hit the next pitch.

She got a piece of it, but the ball just rolled slowly off to the right.

“Hey, you hit it!” Maisie said excitedly.

“I thinkithit my bat. Not the other way around.”

Maisie watched India try again and again to connect with the balls that came her way, and she looked happy. India was smiling, and she didn’t give up, either. When the tenth pitch released, India swung hard, and while the ball didn’t go far after she had hit it, it would’ve been a solid hit to first base.

“Hey! I did it!” India jumped happily a few times, and the bat, which was still in her hand, smacked her in the helmet. “Ouch!”

“Andthat’swhy you wear the helmet,” Maisie joked.

CHAPTER 24

“You should’ve shown me first. You’re really good,” she said, looking at Maisie’s ass as Maisie swung and connected with another ball.

“I played in college,” Maisie shared and got herself ready for the next pitch.

“You played softball in college?”