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She turns around and narrows her eyes. Wiggling her ass, she gets ready in the batter’s box. The first pitch comes in, and she hits a ground ball that moves Bennett to third, where he slides. The ball gets thrown to first base before Scarlett makes it there.
“You don’t have to slide every time!” Jude yells at his cousin.
“They almost got me,” he shouts back, and we all laugh.
Scarlett walks back toward the dugout, and Walker steps up to the fence, linking his fingers through the openings. “I’m available for private lessons.”
“Go to hell,” she says and disappears into the dugout.
He finally leaves.
Plain Daisy Ranch ends up beating Horses Haven twenty-four to nothing. After the game, the Noughton family and Brooks collect all their things while we sit in the bleachers and gossip.
“I’ve heard so many people are coming back for the reunion,” Laurel says. “Are you excited?”
Let’s be honest, most people we graduated with still live in Willowbrook or a nearby town, but a few live outside Nebraska.
“Funny you say that. Melody just messaged me during the game to get together while she’s here,” I say.
“Oh really? I figured she’d never come back. I saw that documentary the other day where she was the lawyer. Seems she’s doing really well for herself,” Gillian says.
Melody really did make it big.
The boys all come join us, Jude walking right over to me and Ben going to Gillian. Emmett hovers, his gaze bouncing to Briar every few seconds. I’ve never seen him this quiet.
“What about you, Jude?” Laurel asks. “Excited for the reunion?”
He grunts and puts his arm around me. “I wasn’t planning on going.”
I place my hand on his stomach and look up at him. “You weren’t?”
“I think you’re going now.” Ben laughs.
Jude frowns. “You really want to go? We already see everyone.”
“Not everyone, and Melody is coming back.”
A look crosses his face that I can’t figure out the meaning of.
“I hate her. Remember when she was the hall monitor or whatever? Now she defends criminals. How does that make sense?” Emmett finally says something, but he’s still more subdued than normal.
“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.” Briar crosses her arms and juts out her hip.
“What’s up, Briar?” Emmett nods, his cockiness slowly returning.
“Not much, little Noughton.”
We all share a look, wondering if we’re missing something.
“Let’s go home.” Jude ushers me toward his truck.
“No drinks at The Hidden Cave?” Ben shouts.
“I think he’s got his own entertainment now,” Emmett says.
We ignore them and walk to Jude’s truck. I’ll never get used to that word when it comes to Jude and me. Home. Maybe dreams do come true.
Chapter Twenty-Five
