Out of Her League Read Online Free

real problems. Joe ’ s dilemma was that he saw a “ problem ” wherever he looked.
    “ What do you want to do this summer? ” he blurted to keep himself from another round of silent questions and guilt.
    Toni popped a piece of the sandwich into her mouth, leaned her chin on one hand and chewed as she thought. Then with a shy smile she said, “ I ’ d like to play baseball. ”
    “ Huh? ” Joe hadn ’ t expected that.
    “ I ’ m pretty good. I was on the team at home. ” Flushing, she sat up straighter, putting her hands into her lap. “ I mean, where I used to live. I saw in the paper that Big League practices begin this weekend. I ’ d like to go. ”
    “ Your mother never said you played. ”
    Toni took another bite. “ She traveled a lot. ”
    “ Yeah. We both did. ” He tried to look into his daughter ’ s eyes, but her attention was occupied with pushing her food around on her plate. Once again, he didn ’ t know what to say except that he was sorry—and he figured she ’ d heard that enough from him already.
    “ I ’ ll drive you to practice. I ’ d love to see you play. ”
    Toni eyed him and grinned. It was the first real smile Joe had seen on her face since he ’ d taken her away with him. Joe smiled back.
    Maybe, just maybe, they could make this work.
     
     
    The morning of league practice arrived with the threat of a downpour heavy on the air. But by ten o ’ clock the sky had filled with sunshine—an ideal Iowa spring morning—and the baseball diamonds behind the high school had filled with kids.
    Evie arrived precisely at ten. She ’ d wanted to be at the field at least half an hour early to watch the players warm up, but Danny had lost his shoes, then Benji had found them but neglected to tell the rest of the family. She ’ d spent a frantic fifteen minutes with her head under every piece of furniture in the house, before Adam had pried the shoes loose from behind his brother ’ s back.
    She dropped the twins off at the T-ball practice for seven-year-olds, waved at the father who was brave enough to referee, and hurried over to where the Big League hopefuls awaited her on the field.
    In small-town Oak Grove, Little League, Senior League and Big League baseball dominated the spring and summer months. Boys and girls ages six through eighteen could participate. The games were as much a social event as an athletic activity, and when a team had the potential of going to the ch am pionship—the way Evie ’ s did—interest skyrocketed. Already a majority of the onlookers had gathered to watch her players.
    Evie drew in a deep breath. She ’ d been virtually assured of the boys ’ baseball varsity coaching po sition next spring if she could take her team to the Big League state championship. The coaches of the boys ’ teams received higher salaries because of the larger number of participants and the larger number of fans at the games. Evie wanted that money for her sons. College was expensive these days.
    Last year her team had missed the championship by one paltry game. They would go this year if her luck held—and if she could find a decent pitcher.
    Evie squinted against the morning sunshine and surveyed the boys waiting for her attention. How was she to find a new star player in a town where all the kids on her team this year had played for her the year before? Sure, she had younger players she ’ d drafted last month, but she knew what she had—and no one could pitch.
    Sighing, she walked forward. Too bad she couldn ’ t entice some of the girls she ’d coached dur ing their junior high years back into the game. Though Big League was open to both sexes, by the time the kids were juniors and seniors, the girls had gone on to other interests. She would just have to train a younger player, mold him into what she needed and pray for the best. She was a coach—a darn good one. She could conquer this obstacle. She would. Her dream of sending her sons to college depended upon