Charlotte Stoltzfus stood near home plate in the makeshift baseball diamond on Abram Peachy’s back lawn with the bat inches away from her right shoulder.
“Come on, Charlie!” Joseph shouted. “You can do this, cousin. Keep your eye on the ball and bring Jed and me home.”
Meeting his eyes across the distance, she gave a jerk of her head. She wiggled into her stance. And focused. She breathed deeply as she stared at the pitcher, her cousin Noah, and watched him swing back his arm to let the ball fly.
“Aren’t you tired of playing with boys?” a male voice said behind her just as she swung her bat.
She growled as she missed. Heart beating wildly, she turned to glare at the man who’d spoken. “Nathaniel Peachy, mind your own business and stop trying to distract me.” She was furious. Determined to ignore the one man who got her back up more than anyone on this earth, Charlie breathed to calm herself and got ready for the next pitch.
“Why would I distract you?” Nate said as she swung the bat. She swung and missed again, then she gasped and glared at him.
“Go away,” she snapped.
The way he arched an eyebrow made her bristle. She stiffened and became more determined not to let him rattle her. She’d hit the ball despite his presence.
“It’s oll recht,” Jedidiah called out to her. Her eldest cousin, he stood on third base and gazed at her with a smile of reassurance. “Keep your eye on the ball. You can do this.”
I can do this. She was a decent player. Isn’t that why they first asked her to join the game? Ignore Nate Peachy. Ignore him. Ignore him.
Noah watched for her cue. Charlie gave a little nod, and her cousin pitched the ball. She kept it in her sights and swung. The impact made a loud crack as wood met leather and sent it sailing over the head of her cousin Daniel near third base, past the stand of trees beyond the property. With a whoop of joy, Joseph ran from second to third as Jedidiah sprinted home. Charlie ran to first base and made it to second then to third, as Nate’s younger brother Jacob came out of the bushes with ball in hand. She took a chance, followed Joseph and raced toward home. As the ball headed in her direction, she slid into home plate and grimaced as she felt the sting of a scraped knee.
“Are you oll recht?” a deep voice said. She glanced up and saw concern flicker in Nate Peachy’s blue eyes. She started to get up and the man was there helping her. “Charlie,” he murmured into her ear. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, not wanting him to know how much her knee stung and her hip ached from the jolt against the ground.
“Great job, Charlie!” Jed hollered. She grinned at her teammates, who carried on as if she’d won the lottery. Then she looked over at Nate smugly.
“Yahoo!” Joseph yelled. “We won! You never let us down, cousin!”
She forced herself to grin at them with triumph.
Jacob Peachy grumbled good-naturedly as he threw the ball to Noah, who then grabbed the bat and markers they’d used for bases. Jacob met her gaze. “How did you learn to hit a ball like that?”
She shrugged. “From playing with my cousins.” She’d been playing baseball with them for over a year. She could still recall the day Joseph had asked her to play and the thrill of her teammates’ pleasure when she scored a run.
Jacob shook his head as he smiled. “I should have picked you for my team.”
“Now you’ll know better for next time.” She paused. “If you get the chance,” she added. He laughed, then headed to join his friends.
“Charlie.” Nate came up from behind her and stood close, too close. “You’re bleeding. Come with me.”
She glanced down, saw a trail of blood down her right leg. “I’ll be fine.”
“Ja, you will,” he said, “after I put a bandage on it.”
“I don’t need your help.”
His eyes narrowed and he looked annoyed. He heaved a sigh. “Would you like me to pick you up and throw you over my shoulder?” he murmured for her ears alone.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Wouldn’t I?”
Face flushing, Charlie glanced around and saw that no one found it odd that she and Nate were having a conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause a scene. She’d done enough impulsive things in her life that had given her parents undue worry. “Fine.