“Go, Daddy!” Wren shouts.
“Go, go, go!” Leia chimes in.
Their faces are plastered to the fence, and Delaney gives me a big smile and claps as if she thinks I’ve got this.
I so do not. Baseball was never my sport. I played football like the rest of my family. I can catch a ball and run, but hitting a softball is harder than it looks.
I get set up as the girls continue screaming for me.
I take a strike, two balls, and foul off the other one.
Jude’s clapping and trying to be encouraging, but I can see his face from over here, like he’s saying, hit the damn ball and get me in for the winning run.
Another ball, and I’m even more anxious than when I first walked up to bat.
I foul another one, and everyone is chanting, mostly my girls.
The next pitch comes in, and there’s a huge lump in my throat. I swing, and the ball sails high and long. I’m running to first, legs and arms pumping. Jude runs home as everyone rushes out of the dugout.
I fear it’s going to be caught, but the ball sails over the fence, and someone shouts home run.
Holy shit, I did it.
I run the bases, and my family comes out to congratulate me, but it’s the two little faces in the mix that make my heart pinch.
I touch home plate and grab each of them, swinging them around.
The home run was great, but holding both of my girls is the real win.
Chapter Forty-Six
Delaney
Bennett drives us over to the stables and parks. The girls cheer in the back seat, both taking off their seat belts and going for the car handles.
“Whoa, hold up,” Bennett says, giving his stern dad expression.
I’ve been taking note of all his parent looks. The stern one like now, the worried one when one of them says they fell, the happy one when they show him attention. He is a great dad, which I knew he would be.
Leia is becoming more relaxed around him, and I’m pretty sure the day is coming when she’ll seek him out over me.
“You’re not riding Biscuits or Sparkles. You’re riding with us,” Bennett says.
The girls look at each other, then get out of the truck.
“Why can’t I ride Biscuits?” Wren asks.
“You’re not ready to go on the trail yet, but you can ride with Delaney or me,” Bennett tells her.
She looks at Leia, and the two of them walk to the barn. I glance at Bennett, unsure if he would like to experience this with Leia and have Wren ride with me, but he only takes my hand, allowing the girls to walk ahead of us.
“So, you want to tell me about why you learned to ride?” He knocks his shoulder into mine.
We actually haven’t talked about it.
“Nash is a snitch,” I say.
“Hey, why didn’t you tell me? I’m proud of you.”
