Terrible stance or not, the guy hit the ball pretty hard, and it sailed between Tristan and Kyle. They raced for it, and Kyle waved Tristan off, throwing himself out Superman-style to catch it. He landed on his chest and slid several feet before stopping and holding up his mitt, showing the ball to the umpire.
Kyle stood up and dusted himself off. There was a grass stain on his white jersey, but he was grinning when he went to give Tristan a fist bump. Faith stood and applauded, and that caught his eye. He blew her a kiss before moving back into position for the next batter.
“But the guy hit it,” Vi protested. “He hit the stinking ball. Why’s he out?”
“Because the Midway guy had a terrible stance,” Alyssa said, as if that explained everything. “And because Faith’s boyfriend is a badass.”
Faith couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, he was, but Kyle wasn’t only a badass baseball player. He was kind, funny, and everything in between.
And most of all…he was hers.
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Acknowledgments
This book fell onto the page—Faith and Kyle wanted their story told, and I loved every minute of telling it. That’s a rare thing, as many stories require more effort than Faith’s back yard. But every book requires more than just the author, and I have a lot of people to thank for helping it cross the finish line:
Heather Howland, my editor-extraordinaire, and the incredible staff at Entangled Teen for their advice, support, and general awesomeness.
Rodgers and Hammerstein for writing a musical about my home state—Oklahoma! is one of my favorites.
Sawyer Fredericks, whose song “Please” was the initial impetus for this story and for Kyle’s character (Heather deserves all the credit for drawing it out), and Imagine Dragons’s “The Fall” for helping me hear Faith for the first time.
My daughter Alex, to whom this book is dedicated, for all her help with voice. Having a built-in expert on the case was great. And to my son, Tanner, for teaching me how to use Snapchat, and actually friending me, too. I’m not sure how I got so lucky to have two incredible kids like you.
Finally, my husband, Ryan, for making sure I have space, time, and M&Ms for the journey. I couldn’t do it without you.
About the Author
Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most critical job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories, and the restorative powers of dark chocolate.