Sam blushed to her blond roots and then cleared her throat. “Hey, can you believe Susie broke up with Marlee?”
“Trying to change the subject, eh?”
Sam nodded.
Lisa grinned. “You know, I thought Marlee broke up with Susie that day we visited her after her accident. I mean, geez, Susie looked so devastated when she came flying out of the house. I feel so bad that Jeri and I didn’t go back up to see if she was okay.”
Lisa’s mother opened the screen door and tossed a wet rag onto the table. “Honey, can you wipe the table?”
“Sure, Mom. Hey Lynnie, go inside and read, okay?”
“Okay.” Lynnie got up, still reading, and went inside the house.
Sam tossed a napkin in the trash can. “You weren’t out to Marlee yet, were you?”
“Not then, but we’re out to each other now.” Lisa grinned.
“Yeah, I know. You gotta have somebody to talk to.” Sam sighed. “I hope she takes Susie back. Susie’s miserable.”
“If she’s so miserable, why’d she break up with Marlee in the first place?” Lisa continued to wipe the table. “I mean, c’mon. You break up with someone and then two weeks later beg to come back? That makes no sense. Did you read the letter Susie wrote to Marlee?”
Sam shook her head.
“Me, neither, but Marlee said Susie wants a sign from her at our game tomorrow.”
“I know what the sign is,” Sam said with a grin.
“Ooh! What is it?” Lisa threw the rag on the table and sat down in a heap. “Tell me.”
Sam leaned closer. “She wants Marlee to…”
“Oh, c’mon, what?”
“Nope. Marlee should be the one to tell you. I’ve been too much of a gossip queen already.”
“Oh, you suck.” Lisa smacked Sam playfully on the arm.
“Okay, everybody,” Lisa’s father announced. “It’s time for lawn darts.”
Sam stood up. “Saved by the lawn dart.”
Just as Lisa stuck her tongue out at Sam, her mother came back out for the rag. “Oh, that’s mature, Lisa.”
“I know.”
Lisa’s father called, “Mama, are you in?”
“Nope. You go on ahead. I have to put the food away.”
“Okay, Mama’s out. Lynnie’s at Hogwarts, so it’s me, Bridget, and Samantha against Lisa and Lawrence Jr.”
Lisa grabbed a blue lawn dart. “I think that championship game got started a day early.”
“Bring it on, Lisa Bear. Bring it on.” Sam ran before Lisa could smack her with the business end of the lawn dart.
Lisa and Lawrence Jr. lost the first game, so Lisa quickly challenged the other team to a best two out of three tournament. When they lost again, it quickly turned into the best three out of five. Lisa lost track of the number of games they played and was surprised when her Mom called Bridget and Lawrence Jr. in to get ready for bed.
“Mom,” Lisa called once she and Sam had successfully gotten both Bridget and Lawrence Jr. into their pajamas. “Sam and I are going out for a quick ride, okay?”
Lisa’s mother looked at the kitchen clock. “Okay, but be back by ten. It’s a school night, and Samantha still has a forty-five minute ride home.”
“Okay, Mom.” Lisa took her house key off the hook by the front door. “Ready?” she said to Sam.
“Yep.” Sam turned to Lisa’s parents. “Thanks so much for inviting me over. I had a great time.”
“Any time,” Lisa’s father said. “Hey, are you available on the fourth of July? We have to defend our lawn darts’ championship title.”
Before Sam could answer Lisa said, “Oh, you guys so cheated.”
Sam laughed. “Sore loser much?”
“Go on,” Lisa’s mother said. “Bicker in the car.” She ushered them out the door.
Sam opened the passenger door for Lisa.
Lisa got in. “You’re such a gentleman.”
Sam laughed. “You won’t be saying that later.”
“Promise?”
Sam’s smoldering smile almost melted Lisa’s toes.
Sam pulled into what was becoming their usual spot at the secluded Clarksonville Community College softball field. There were no other signs of life in the dark parking lot.
Lisa took off her seatbelt. She spread her fingers and matched her hand against Sam’s. Her fingers were at least a quarter inch longer. She intertwined their fingers and pulled Sam closer. “Kiss me.”
Lisa welcomed the warm lips against her own. Her pulse quickened. She pulled Sam closer, as if that were even possible and kissed her with a need she’d never felt before. Sam’s arms went around Lisa’s neck. Lisa nibbled her way to Sam’s ear and nuzzled Sam’s neck. She kissed her on the lips one more time and pulled back. She looked at Sam knowing her eyes gave away everything she felt for her.
“I love your hair.” Lisa stroked Sam’s ponytail.
Sam smiled.
“But,” Lisa said, “let’s get rid of this.” She pulled the hair band off of Sam’s ponytail. Sam shook her head to let her hair flow free. Lisa ran her fingers through the long blond tresses. “God, you are so…” Lisa bit her lip.
“What?”
Lisa felt her face get hot. “Sexy.”
“So are you.” Sam’s grin made Lisa’s heart pound. “Can I undo your braid?”
Lisa nodded.
“Turn around.”
“Okay,” Lisa whispered. Hot tingles settled low in her belly as she presented her braid to Sam.
Sam took the hair band off the bottom and untwisted the three separate strands. Using her fingers, she raked Lisa’s long hair smooth.
Lisa moaned. “God, that feels so good.”
Sam gathered Lisa’s long black hair into a bundle and moved it to one side. She then kissed Lisa on the back of the neck.
Lisa shivered. “I can’t believe the way you make me feel.”
Sam kissed her way around Lisa’s neck. She nudged Lisa’s shoulder in request for Lisa to turn back around and face her.
Lisa obliged, and let Sam kiss her on the lips again. Lisa sighed when the kisses moved to the base of her throat.
Sam tugged at Lisa’s shirt. “Can I take this off you?” Her voice was husky.
Lisa’s stomach clenched as she registered Sam’s request. Her face got warmer as she took a quick look out the windows. Not a single soul was in sight. She leaned away from Sam and lifted her T-shirt up with shaking hands. Sam helped her take the shirt off the rest of the way. Lisa was glad she had chosen to wear a lace bra instead of a sports bra.
“So pretty.” Sam traced the outline of Lisa’s lace bra with her fingers, reaching further still to trace the cleavage. Lisa melted when Sam’s lips replaced the fingers.
Lisa lost herself in Sam’s kisses, but soon demanded equal time and unbuttoned Sam’s shirt. Her heart clenched when she saw the loveliness of Sam’s body hidden only by her silk bra.
It wasn’t long before both bras found their way to the floor of the Sebring. The girls embraced and pressed their softness against each other. Lisa couldn’t believe how amazing Sam’s soft skin felt against hers.
Sam stroked Lisa’s face. “You are so damn gorgeous. I wish this stupid center console wasn’t in the way.”
“I know, but I don’t care. I’m with you, so I don’t care.” She pulled Sam closer and kissed her again.
The town clock began chiming. “Oh, geez.” Lisa scrambled for her shirt. “It’s ten o’clock. I’m dead meat.” She handed Sam her shirt. “You gotta take me home.”
Sam frantically searched for the bras and finally found them nestled together under the brake pedal.
They tried to dress in a hurry and kept knocking elbows. Lisa burst out laughing. “I’m gonna pull a muscle.”
Sam laughed and got her own shirt situated and properly buttoned. She started the car engine. She sped all the way back to Lisa’s house and pulled the Sebring in front of the driveway at ten minutes past ten.
Sam stroked Lisa’s cheek. “I had a great day.”
“Me, too. I had no idea I’d let you get to second base today.” Lisa grinned.
“Hey, I am a second baseman, you know, but I think if that stupid town clock hadn’t rung, I’d be a third baseman about now.”
Lisa smacked Sam playfully on the arm. She sighed. “I have to go in. Do I look okay?”
“You look amazing, but you’d better stop smiling.”
“I can’t help it.” Lisa smiled even bigger and then leaned over to kiss Sam again.
The front porch lights flickered off then on again.
“Oh, geez.” Lisa squeezed Sam’s hand. “I hope we didn’t just get caught. Oh, God. I don’t care.” She opened the car door and stepped out. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Definitely.”
Lisa took a few steps up the driveway and realized her braid was still undone. She gulped when she noticed her mother watching through the front window.
Chapter Eight
Win-Win
LISA SAT ON the Cougars’ team bench with Jeri on one side and Marlee on the other. The championship game against the East Valley Panthers was set to get underway in under an hour. The Panthers hadn’t arrived yet, but as soon as their bus pulled in, Lisa knew it would be hard not to run over to Sam. Marlee would probably have an even harder time ignoring Susie because, as far as Lisa knew, she hadn’t decided whether to take Susie back or not.
Coach Spears laid her scorebook on the team bench. “You’ve worked hard all year, ladies, and now it’s time to show East Valley,” she pointed to the empty visitors’ bench, “that you are the better team. This is the one game you’ve worked for all season.” She gestured toward the team’s two seniors, Jeri and Paula, and said, “I’m sure our seniors would appreciate a trophy and a shot at States. It’s time to put up or shut up, ladies.” She looked at her watch. “Okay, go take your warm up laps as a team.”
Lisa ran her laps with Marlee, and then they warmed up in the pitching area behind the bleachers. Once she was satisfied that Marlee was properly warmed up, they walked back toward the bench. Lisa waved to her family in the bleachers as she went by.
“Play well, honey,” her mother called.
“Do your papa proud,” her father said.
“I’ll try, Papa, I’ll try.” She laughed when she saw Bridget and Lawrence Jr. already covered with dirt playing Tonka trucks. Lynnie sat reading one of her new Harry Potter books.
Lisa and Marlee joined Jeri on the team bench. Jeri leaned over Lisa and said to Marlee, “She wants you to give her a sign?”
Apparently Jeri the straight girl was just as intrigued by Marlee’s love life as Lisa was.
Marlee nodded. “She said that if I took off my hat today and nodded my head yes that’ll mean I’ll give her another chance. Otherwise, if I don’t give her a sign, she’ll just stay in East Valley and leave me alone.”
“What are you gonna do?” Lisa and Jeri asked at the same time. Lisa smacked Jeri on the leg.
“Oh, c’mon, you guys. Honestly, I really don’t know.”
“Fine,” Jeri grumbled. “Don’t tell us. But I think…nah, it’s your decision.” Jeri ran off to catch pops with Paula and some of the other outfielders.
The big luxury bus from East Valley pulled in.
“Breathe, Marlee, breathe.” Lisa took a deep breath of her own. She desperately wanted to look for Sam, but didn’t for Marlee’s sake.
A perfect day for softball had been delivered. The skies were crystal blue with puffy white clouds. It was the perfect day to take Sam to Lake Birch, or better yet, to take a ride on the back roads outside of town and find a secluded spot far, far away from people.
Even though she promised herself she wouldn’t, she snuck a peek at the red and black East Valley team making its way toward the visitors’ side of the field. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Sam, hair loose, black softball bag slung over her shoulder, eyes bright. Lisa smiled. Her heart sped up when Sam smiled back at her.
“Hi,” Sam mouthed from across the field and waved.
Lisa waved back. “Good luck,” she mouthed.
Sam wiggled the fingers on both hands as if sending bad luck whammies. Lisa stood up, mouth open in disbelief. She put both hands on her hips and shook her head slowly. She couldn’t hold the pose and laughed.
Sam laughed, too, and yelled over, “I’ll talk to you after.”
“After. Okay.” Lisa turned away from the East Valley team and pulled out her chest protector and mask.
The Cougars took their pre-game warm-ups on the field, and then let the East Valley team have theirs. Lisa busied herself adjusting the straps on her shin guards, so she wouldn’t watch Sam. She snuck a peek, though, when Sam ran off the field, blond ponytail bouncing with every step.
The umpire gestured to the Cougars’ bench. “Home team, take the field.”
Lisa grabbed her mitt. “We can do this Marlee, c’mon.” They ran onto the field to start the game that would decide the North Country League championship.
During the first inning, Lisa settled Marlee into their usual routine of fastballs and change-ups. Later in the game, they’d introduce the rise, curve, and drop. If all went well, they’d even try the new screwball. Maybe. The fastball-change-up combination worked so well that the East Valley Panthers didn’t score in the top half of the inning. They didn’t even get a runner on base.
The Cougars got up to bat in the bottom half of the inning and quickly put two runners on base. With one out, Lisa headed toward the batter’s box.
“C’mon, all-county batter,” Marlee called from the on-deck circle. “Smack it out there.”
Lisa had been named to the All-County First Team in batting, but she was about to step into the batter’s box against Christy, the First Team pitcher for Clarksonville County, so she couldn’t rest on her laurels.
Lisa dug her heels in and tried to find a hole in the East Valley outfield. The right-center field gap looked good. If Christy threw her an outside pitch, she’d aim for it. She waited for the first pitch. It was in the dirt. Ball one. The next was way too high. Ball two. The next two pitches were so far outside, there was no way she could have reached them, so she walked to load the bases. Marlee was up next.
Lisa took a deep breath. This was Marlee’s first at bat against the pitcher that had slammed her into the hospital. No one really knew if Christy had done it on purpose, except for Christy herself, but Lisa mentally crossed her fingers that Marlee would find the nerve to stand in the batter’s box.
Christy released the pitch. Lisa exploded off the base and took a larger lead than usual.