Ben made room for him at the table, and David greeted everyone. “You talking about the game? I heard that one of the Dartmouth baseball stars can’t make it.”
“Yeah, I heard that, too,” said Ben. “But they have plenty of other excellent players. We’ll still struggle, but we’ll be all right.”
“Yeah, we’ve got a lot of determination on our side,” said Ross. “That’ll count for something.” He put his arm around Melissa. “And don’t forget we have an excellent player right here.”
Melissa laughed. “We’ll see. I’m going to try my best not to run into anyone.”
“It’ll be great to play on the new baseball field,” said David.
“I’ve arranged for a couple of food trucks to come to the game,” said Crystal. “That should add to the fun.”
###
Gray clouds filled the sky on Saturday morning when Misty awoke. Worried, she went to her window and peered out. She couldn’t see any signs of a storm, just gray skies. Hopefully, it would stay that way, even though an afternoon storm was predicted. Cooler nights had reminded her of early signs of upcoming fall weather with the recent heat wave over. Now, they could play their benefit game in comfort.
For their last fundraiser, Ross had coached members of his team ahead of game time. Even though he’d offered to do it again, nobody, including Misty, had taken him up on it. Feeling her nerves kick in, she wished she had.
###
The rest of the team was there when she arrived. She waved, parked her car, and walked over to them. Melissa came over and handed her a baseball glove. “Great to see you. The Dartmouth team is here, and they look like real pros.”
The women from Dartmouth wore white uniforms with green trim, dark green knee socks, and green visors. Seeing how professional they looked, Misty felt intimidated.
Melissa put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We have a few surprise moves planned.”
The game began with the toss of a coin. Dartmouth won and opted to bat first. Misty suspected they just wanted to test how bad their opponents were. With Ben playing first base and Melissa in center field, they’d have a stronger defense than she’d thought. She was pleasantly surprised when Mike took the position of pitcher.
After a few tense moments, the first half of the first inning ended with Dartmouth scoring just one run.
Dirk was up first when it was time for her team to bat. He hit a ground ball and was called out at first. Next, Melissa hit a fly ball that was easily caught, and Misty, feeling the pressure, struck out.
They were in the fifth inning of the game when the storm clouds hovering in the sky broke loose with thunder and lightning. With a score of four to one, Dartmouth was declared the winner as everyone scattered after Taylor announced she’d move the picnic to another day.
Crystal huddled in Misty’s car as raindrops smacked the windshield with angry slaps. “Luckily, the food trucks did a fantastic lunch business before the storm,” she said. “I’m testing their use for Ross and Mike’s sports center.”
“It was a fun game,” said Misty. “And having food here was a great idea. I feel that the sports center is going to be a huge success. It’ll be very versatile.”
Misty dropped Crystal off at her house and went home to change out of her damp clothes. The thought of curling up on the couch with a book was enticing. Tomorrow, she’d have dinner with David and his family. She was already nervous.
###
As part of her Sunday routine, Misty did laundry and prepared a list of groceries for meals for the following week. She’d learned it helped to have things organized both at home and at school when she was teaching.
But her thoughts never strayed too far from the upcoming dinner with David and his family. She wondered if his mother would tell her about knowing the woman who’d given Misty birth. Her memories of her mother weren’t pleasant, though she could recall a few occasions when she’d paid attention to her. But even then, she’d known something was wrong with her mother’s behavior.
Misty was more than ready when David came to pick her up. She’d dressed in a pretty sundress and had shampooed her dark hair, leaving it shiny and straight. Her facial features were a blend of Crystal’s and those of a man she didn’t know and never had. Another reason Misty was anxious to hear David’s mother’s story.
“Wow! You look beautiful!” said David, seeing her. His look of delight lit his blue eyes, drawing her attention. A flush of heat warmed her cheeks. After her experience with Vince, she was always surprised when someone mentioned her appearance positively.
“Ready?” David asked her.
“Yes. Just let me grab my purse,” she replied, taking hold of it and heading to the door. Outside, she paused and carefully locked the front door.
David held the car door for her before going around the truck and sliding behind the wheel. “My parents’ house is across the lake from the Inn. It’s a little quieter on our side of the lake.”
“You told me you lived at home to be with your sister. Do you still live there?”
“No, I have a small place on the land we own behind the cottage. We have acreage on the opposite side of the lake road that we use for a nursery to grow a lot of our plants. We originally built a place for a manager to oversee it, but I’ve taken over the job and the space.”
