Slugger's Surprise

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Slugger’s Surprise by Victoria Pitts-Caine

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. Slugger’s Surprise COPYRIGHT © 2008 by Victoria Pitts-Caine All rights reserved. This is an "unedited" as is title. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Contact Information: [email protected] Cover Art by The Wild Rose Press The Wild Rose Press PO Box 706 Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706 Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com Publishing History First White Rose Edition, 2008 Free Read Published in the United States of America

As I pulled into the parking lot at Creekside Church, I maneuvered my brand new Mustang carefully into the spot marked, “Secretary." Ashley, you’re too proud of your new car, almost too much, I told myself. Being single, it stretched my budget to make the purchase, but when my old Chevy sputtered and died for the last time, I decided I needed something reliable. I wasn’t ten feet from my car when I heard the sickening sound of a baseball smashing a window. I was in hopes it wouldn’t be my car, but luck wasn’t with me. Looking out onto the field, I saw a young boy peer around the backstop, then drop his bat and start running. Close on his heals was Josh, the coach of the church’s afternoon recreation little league team. I went back and surveyed the damage. “It’s only a broken window.” I sighed. I’d just have to figure out how to pay for it. I knew the church didn’t have the type of insurance to cover the damage. Since the little boy was most likely from one of the families in the low income neighborhood where our facility was located, his parents wouldn’t be able to pay for it, either. I had just reached my desk when Josh came in with a very nervous ten-year-old. Wrenching his baseball cap in his hands, he said, “I’m sorry Miss Marvins. I didn’t mean to break your window.” “What’s your name?” I said, hoping I wasn’t too stern. “Billy Simpson.” Then he blurted out, “Please 1

Victoria Pitts Caine don’t tell my mom.” “I think your mom needs to know.” I put my arm around Billy’s shoulders and felt his thin body shake. “Will you be willing to work for me a few hours a week after school to help fix my window?” “Yes, Miss Marvins, but what about baseball?” “I’ll work something out with Josh and your mom. It will turn out fine.” The little boy finally managed a smile and left the room while Josh, lingered stirring cream into a cup of coffee he’d poured himself. “Ashley. That was a great thing you just did.” Josh moved his chair closer to my desk and placed his elbow on the corner. He flashed a smile in my direction before he rested his chin on his hand. “I know his parents don’t have the money. I’ll just have to come up with the $200 deductible somehow.” I studied Josh’s eyes for a moment, then finished my thought, “If he works for me a little each day after school, he’ll feel like he’s helping. Doesn’t practice start at 4:00?” “Yes.” Josh stood from his chair and adjusted his baseball cap. “I think he gets out of school at three. He’s one of the better kids in my latest recruitment.” “Good. I can have him work here in the office for thirty minutes each day and send him out your way.” “Okay.” Josh stood and moved to look out the window. “Well then, I have to get back out there with the kids. Maybe it won’t be as difficult as you think to raise the money.” I liked Josh but we never had the opportunity for anything but small talk. I guessed he was close to my own age, twenty-seven or so. He was cute in his baseball uniform, like a larger version of the boys on the team. His blond hair always uncombed and his cap cocked slightly to the right. Just so you could get a clear look at those soulful brown eyes. He wasn’t very practicable, $200 was hard to 2

Slugger’s Surprise come by, but I smiled at the thought and dialed the number to the glass repair shop. He was almost as nervous as Billy when they’d come into my office. I probably scared him off being so stern and practical. About a week later, early in the afternoon, I needed to run a few errands for the pastor and when I returned to my office, I noticed a list of several events to add to the monthly calendar placed gently on top of my program schedule for Vacation Bible School. A bake sale, a walk-a-thon and a car wash. All listed for the little league. Josh was certainly going to keep them busy this month. Every Saturday for the next few weeks the parking lot bustled with little boys under Josh’s watchful eye. He’d be a good catch for someone. I waved at him as I left the building on Friday evenings and occasionally watched him as he arranged tables and chairs for a bake sale or buckets and hoses for a car wash, Billy always right by his side. I felt there was something secretive in their activities but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. When I asked them why they were raising money, they would just shrug and smile. The last Saturday of the month was the annual children’s carnival. I worked that particular Saturday every year as cashier. The annual fundraiser was the largest for the youth center and would help buy uniforms and equipment for the teams and craft supplies for some of the other activities and Sunday School classes. It was a great neighborhood get together and most of the parents showed up who had kids in the programs. I took the opportunity to find Billy’s mother. “Your son is doing a wonderful job in the office, Mrs. Simpson.” She shook my hand and smiled. I thought I caught a little bit of secretiveness in her eyes, too. When the day was almost over, Billy and Josh popped into my office with a big chocolate cake. “We need to celebrate,” Josh winked. 3

Victoria Pitts Caine “What are we celebrating?” “Billy won this in the cake walk, and we want to share it with you. Billy has something else he wants to tell with you, too.” I went to the break room and came back with plates and forks. I cut the cake and watched Josh and Billy gobble it down. Josh looked over at Billy and nodded his head as if to give him a nudge. Billy stood up and walked toward me. He reached with his chocolate covered fingers into the bottom of his pants pocket, and pulled out ten, crisp twenty dollar bills. “Is this what your booth made today at the carnival, Billy? That’s awesome. I’ll put it with the rest of the money.” “No. The money is for your car window,” Billy smiled. “It was Josh’s idea.” “Billy, how sweet of you, I can’t take this, though. It’s for all the children not for my window.” “Josh and I and the rest of the team raised the money with the bake sale and all the other events for the church.” Billy grinned at Josh. “But Josh had a special jar with a sign on it for donations to fix your window.” “Shhh,” Josh admonished him. “You weren’t supposed to tell her that part.” I smiled at them both and suddenly realized Josh had recruited my heart.

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