Page 148 of The Trouble with Flings

As if on cue, Archer hits a dip in the grass, and the doll launches into the air.

Everyone gasps.

Archer catches it one-handed without breaking his stride and shoves it into the stroller as the men cheer like maniacs.

“That’s my boy!” Steve bellows.

“You snapped the baby’s spine!” Leni shouts.

“I’ll rub some dirt on it!” Archer yells back as he flies around me so fast I feel a breeze.

Victory’s stroller wheels are barely touching the ground when Wells lunges sideways again. She shoulder-checks him hard enough to spin him halfway around. The women explode into cheers.

“Girl power!” Jules screams.

Wells and Archer round Fitz, handing off their strollers to Jace and Rush as Victory and Indi hand off their strollers to Jules and Daphne. They fly across the lawn laughing so hard they can barely steer, while Jace and Rush plow around me, too focused to crack a joke. Daphne manages to circle me cleanly before Jules rear-ends her stroller, sending the plastic babies flying.

“Oh my God!” I shout, doubled over with laughter in my chair as they trip over each other trying to save the baby dolls. “None of you are fit to parent!”

“We’re doing great!” Jules argues as she shoves the doll into the stroller and sprints toward Fitz.

The mayhem continues as Kyleigh takes her turn with fierce determination, carefully pushing the stroller while Thane runs beside her making race-car noises.

“Varoom! Varoom!”

“He’s distracting the driver!” Mia yells.

“She’s got this,” Jayla shouts. “Just watch.”

Thane circles his sister, and they both end up varooming.

Everyone cheers them on, and then Jock and Jamison are on the field with Jayla and Keira.

“Where’d you learn to run like that?” Jock hollers.

“This isn’t running,” Jamison says. “This is.” He bolts ahead, circling me lightning fast.

The guys roar with laughter as Jock struggles to catch up. Everyone is cheering, even the parents. Roddy is shouting instructions, Shelley is laughing so hard she has tears streaming down her face, and Margot and Gail are yelling, “Go, go, go!” at nobody in particular.

Jayla and Keira crack up the whole way around.

Jock is charging toward Fitz when Harrison wanders into the middle of the course in front of him. Daphne shrieks as Jock barely avoids steamrolling him, sending the doll flying.

Without slowing down, Jock scoops Harrison up under one arm, grabs the abandoned doll with the other hand, shoves it back into the stroller, and keeps running.

Cheers erupt. Harrison cackles wildly, bouncing under Jock’s arm.

“He’s carrying him like a football!” Mia cries.

“That kid’s going to need therapy!” Lenore hollers, and we all crack up.

Grant and Levi charge out of the gate, trying to pass each other as they near me.

“Inside lane!” Grant shouts.

“There is no lane!” Levi bellows back.

Their strollers collide, and the dolls are ejected. They fly through the air, directly into Margot’s hydrangeas.