The Boy of Summer

2 - Batting Practice

Batting Practice (BP): The period, often before a game, when players warm up or practice their hitting technique.

Present day...

Kenzie propped up on her elbow to watch as Brandon pulled his shirt over his head. His lean body disappeared as the cotton slid down his abdomen. For a guy who worked in an office all day, he looked alright. Kenzie was spoiled having gone through adolescence surrounded by ballplayers. Hell, there were some on the academy's current team that were more developed than grown men like Brandon.

He continued their discussion. "Velocity is the most important thing. The rest is technique and that can be taught. I bet your father agrees with me."

Speed was only part of a great pitch. There was also control and command. "Some pitchers can't learn good technique no matter how good the coach is. That's what my father will tell you."

Brandon worked for the Boston organization. He was a research and development analyst which was a fancy title for someone who ran computer programs and looked at data. Baseball was run on statistics. More and more the managers used numbers to determine their moves in the game. It was a science.

Brandon may know the science, but Kenzie knew the game. It was in her blood. She was raised on the ball field. She couldn't remember a family meal that didn't involve talk of baseball.

She countered, "I remember this kid, Davy. He threw ninety consistently but had shit for command. He got a college scholarship but nothing more. He's probably teaching gym someplace dreaming about what might have been."

She hadn't thought about her first kiss in years. The only significance of that lip fumble was her father's tirade. When he said, 'until the day I die', he meant it.

Brandon just shrugged not willing to argue with her. She imagined he was convinced he was right and there was no point. Just once she'd like him to engage in a real debate. She'd also like him to admit she was right.

Fully dressed, he leaned over her and kissed her forehead. She should get up and walk him to the door, but she'd have to find her robe. Just her luck her neighbor would be there as her door opened if she went without a robe.

"So are we meeting before the game?"

"I don't know Dad and I are planning to catch BP. So we'll be there early."

Loving the game meant rushing straight from work and arriving three hours early to watch batting practice. Her brother was coming to town for a three-game series. She was certain her father would find some suggestions for Ben's swing even though he was hitting almost three hundred. Baseball was the only sport that thirty percent was considered good. Batting three hundred or three out of every ten plate appearances was something to brag about.

The day Ben called to tell their father he'd been called up to the big club, was the happiest day of Sean Lynch's life. Kenzie imagined that the days of her and Ben's births were a close second. They called Ben up because the regular first baseman was injured, but he had proved his worth and the position was his. Her brother had managed to do what their father couldn't.

"I'll just text you."

"Ben only got us two seats, but he wants to take us to dinner after the game. He doesn't understand some people have to work in the morning."

Brandon waved and left. She got up and locked the door behind him. She stopped herself from looking to see if he waited for the click. He never did. Climbing back in bed, she willed sleep to come before her alarm, because she'd get very little the next night. She considered taking the next day off, but making sub plans was harder than fumbling through the day tired.

The sun was bright for a mid-May late afternoon. She sat in her seat right by the visitor dugout. Reluctantly, she wore the jersey her brother had given her. She would cheer for him, but she always wanted Boston to win. Her father was at the protective netting talking to Ben. He was coaching his son while his assistant was coaching the NHA team that afternoon.

She laughed as Ben looked her way and rolled his eyes. He was still her brother even though he made more in a year than she'll make in ten years teaching. She watched as the visiting team finished their batting practice and her team started to trickle onto the field for theirs.

Kenzie rarely went to games. When she did, she hid within the crowd in the grandstands or even the bleachers. This year would be different since her boyfriend could get her tickets. She had avoided his invitation, but wondered if her excuse that she 'preferred to watch on TV' would work once she was off for the summer.

Kenzie slumped down in her seat and pulled her cap lower as she watched Jett approach her brother and father. She imagined there was a camera catching the embrace between opposing players. She could hear the popular television color commentator, talking about the best friends during the broadcast.

She gave a weak wave as the three turned toward her. Even though she was looking down, she felt his eyes burning into her. She looked out under the rim of her cap to get a good look at him. She had seen close ups on the TV, but this was the closest she had been to him in person in years. His brown eyes were like a pool of chocolate and his pink lips were turned up in a smirk. His cap hid if his eyebrows still lifted when he smirked in an amusing arch. She sunk lower to end her self-inflicted torture.

Ben left the field, but Sean stayed where he was until Jett took his BP. Kenzie watched although she told herself not to. The man hit for power and sent balls flying for home runs. He could also pull the ball as he littered the balls on the outfield.

Once he was done, he walked back toward his old coach who would have at least one comment for the all-star catcher. Again his eyes found her and for a brief instant, she met his gaze. Just as quickly, she looked away because it hurt too much.

When her father took his seat, he said, "Jett is joining us for dinner." Chuckling he added, "He joked saying as long as Ben was paying."

Everyone knew that after being traded to Boston Jett's contract was sizable. One year was more than Kenzie would make between now and retirement as a gray-haired cross teacher.

Kenzie was too busy thinking of an excuse to get out of dinner to notice when Brandon approached. He was smiling as if he didn't have a care in the world. Oh right, he didn't. He'd be excited to sit through a dinner with the popular catcher.

He shook her father's hand. "Good to see you, coach."

Almost everyone called him coach. She was the exception, because he was her dad, although Ben even opted for Coach. She argued with Brandon that he wasn't his coach. He hadn't even played past high school.

He responded nonchalantly. "He asked me to, but also I played ball."

Kenzie who was itching for a challenge countered. "You think I didn't? I'll challenge you in any batting cage anytime."

Brandon just laughed like she was kidding him, but she most definitely was not joking.

He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. "Are you excited about seeing your brother?"

The teams were on the field doing warmups. Jett was looking her way during Brandon's brief kiss. She felt the heat rise into her cheeks. After his quick visit, Brandon walked off mumbling something about not sitting with her in that jersey.

She hollered. "See you after the game."