Free Playing the Field: A Diamonds and Dugouts Novel by Jennifer Seasons

I let Kelly play with Vader? He’s trying to get her to play with him and keeps dropping a flat soccer ball at her feet.” Janie’s voice came from just outside the door.
    “Of course.” Sonny called back over her shoulder. “He’s bored with Charlie gone. If she kicks it for him, he’ll chase it down and dribble it between his paws.”
    Janie sounded impressed. “Really? Since when did he get so trick-savvy?”
    “Since Charlie taught him to do it about a month ago.” It was pretty impressive, actually. Vader looked just like one of those super well-trained dogs in the movies. No one would guess by looking at him that last week he’d eaten an entire apple pie off the counter.
    Sonny found the tray she’d been looking for and pulled it down. She turned as the brunette head of her friend came into view. “I’m assuming silver is good enough for this thing, right?”
    Gratitude made Janie’s aqua-blue eyes bright and watery. Or maybe it was the hormones. “That’s perfect, hon. Thanks again for doing this. I was so mad at Ben this morning when he dropped this bomb on me.”
    Sonny was all sympathy. “I bet.”
    Taking a knife in hand, she made quick work of the cheese and arranged pieces artfully on the tray. After she was finished and the rest of the cheese was back in the fridge, Sonny handed the tray to her girlfriend and gave her a quick hug.
    Janie sniffled against her shoulder. “I hate being pregnant. I get so moody and hormonal. I mean, I love Ben with everything I have. But some days I want to wring his neck, you know?”
    She couldn’t imagine why. It wasn’t like Janie had a lot going on or anything. Deciding that work could wait, Sonny patted Janie’s back and said, “I know, sweetie.” Stepping outside just as Vader dashed past after a ball and Kelly’s laughter split the air, Sonny continued, “I was just thinking this morning about the time when that college kid shoved his tongue down your throat. Do you remember that?”
    Her friend snorted and grinned, the memory effectively soothing the hormonal tide. “God, I haven’t thought about that in years.”
    Sonny snagged the ball from Vader and tossed it in Kelly’s direction. The chubby toddler squealed with delight and clapped her hands. “That was only a few weeks before you met Ben, wasn’t it?”
    Janie placed her hands on her hips and nodded, her eyes on her daughter. “Yeah. I’d just finished my degree at CU and was doing data entry from home so I could be with the kids for the summer. That kid shocked me back into the world of the living, that’s for sure. It was like being awakened from a sexual coma.”
    She could relate.
    A goat bleated in the distance and the breeze picked up, stirring the aspen leaves into a delicate dance. Janie speared a look at her, her eyes narrowed. “Why were you thinking about that?”
    Suddenly uncomfortable, Sonny hedged, “No particular reason.”
    Janie’s eyes narrowed further. “Really.”
    Well, hell. She should have known better than to hide anything from Janie. The woman was like a bloodhound once she caught scent of something. Still, she gave it another try anyway. “It just popped into my head is all.”
    Her friend was silent for a moment and then gasped. “Somebody kissed you!”
    Denial was instantaneous. “Nuh-uh.”
    “Don’t you lie to me, Sonny Luanne Miller.”
    God, she sounded like a mother. It was effective, too. “All right, fine. Somebody did kiss me.”
    Triumph lit Janie’s face. “I knew it! Was it good?”
    Sonny looked at her friend and caved. She needed to tell someone. “It was so good.”
    Janie called out to her daughter, “Kelly sweetie, don’t do that. I don’t think Vader wants to wear your headband right now, darling.” Then she looked back at Sonny. “When did this happen?”
    She thought back and replied, “The first time was about two weeks ago.”
    “There was more than one?” Janie’s eyes were round as snow globes. “Why have you