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E ndy drove slowly around the perimeter of the racquet club, the golf cart making an occasional scraping noise as she rolled over the speed bumps in the road.

Picklers weren’t scheduled for practice, so she could take her time and enjoy the end of the day.

The air smelled of heat, and the club was quiet, with most people settling down to their first cocktail of the evening.

In the quiet of the approaching dusk, the noise coming from the two pickleball courts at the far end of the racquet club sounded raucous, with the usual music and loud whoops filling the air.

Endy smiled to herself as the golf cart rounded the farthest point of the property and the pro shop came into view over the manicured grass of the croquet courts.

The LED lights mounted on the tall poles over the sports courts had not yet blinked on, but night was just minutes away.

The paths in between the courts were deserted with the exception of an elegantly dressed, older woman holding the leash to a black-and-white cocker spaniel that had stopped to sniff at the base of a nearby bougainvillea bush.

A loud cheer came from the pickleball courts causing the dog to startle. He pulled his leash from the woman’s hand, then darted off.

“Ollie, come back this instant! Ollie!”

From the safety beneath the bougainvillea bushes, a black-and-white tail trembled. The woman clicked her tongue, and a muscle in her jaw twitched as she knelt to pick up the leash that had dragged across the path.

Endy slowed the cart and rolled to a stop. “Good evening, Mrs. Tennyson.” Endy remembered their last interaction, just a few days ago during the community meeting, when Barbara had given her an icy stare and questioned whether a full-time employee was needed to run the pickleball program.

The attractive older woman glanced up. “The same to you, Miss …”

“Andrews. Endy Andrews, from the racquet club pro shop.”

“Ah yes,” replied Barbara Tennyson. “The pickleball girl.”

Endy reddened and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, I’m not just the—”

Another boisterous roar erupted from the pickleball courts, the players screaming and laughing.

Barbara’s lips pursed. “No, no … you are,” she said softly over her shoulder as she turned her back to Endy and, pulling at the dog’s leash, stepped away.