Out of the Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page A

catcher. The girl was good but she didn’t have a whole lot of power. She just had Ally totally stumped.
    “ Don’t worry about it,” Lisa said as she handed Ally a paper cup of green sports drink. She sat down and followed Ally’s gaze to the pitcher’s mound. “You’ll get your timing fixed and that girl won’t know what hit her.”
    “ I hope you’re right,” Ally mumbled, wondering where James was. He hadn’t been in the stands for her first at bat and she really needed his eye. He’d be able to see what she was doing wrong and correct her.
    She hoped that some pretty girl had caught his attention and nothing bad had happened. She forced her mind from those thoughts. If something bad had happened, her parents wouldn’t still be sitting in the stands with Nate and Stacy and Mark and Gretchen.
    She turned her attention back to the game.
 
    ***
    “ Dude,” RJ said, tugging on Cole’s sleeve. “I think they’re right in the middle.”
    Cole squinted against the harsh field lights and followed RJ’s pointed finger. He smirked as his eyes fell on his father and his stepmother. “Where’s James?”
    “ Here, you morons,” Jamie said.
    “ James!” RJ greeted, yanking Jamie into a bear hug. “I thought you were going to meet us by the gates?”
    “ I was looking for you,” he explained. “But you must have come in the wrong gate.”
    “ Does Ally know we’re here?” Parker asked, shaking Jamie’s hand.
    “ Nope, I don’t think so. I didn’t tell her,” Jamie said. “How’s it going, Ren?”
    “ Tired,” Ren said with a grin. He punched Jamie in the arm. “How was football camp?”
    “ Piece of cake,” Jamie said as Ally’s name came over the speakers. “Oh, damn. I was supposed to watch her first at bat and tell her what she was doing wrong.”
    They all crowded at the fence that separated the stands from the field and watched as Ally approached the plate. She dug her cleats in the dirt and took a couple of practice swings as the pitcher pranced around the mound, tossing the rosin bag in the air and catching it deftly.
    “ What happened her first time up to bat?” Cole asked as Ally took a ball low and outside.
    “ I don’t know,” Jamie admitted. “I was standing by the gates waiting for you clowns.”
    Cole nodded, a smile toying with his lips as Ally swung and missed the next pitch.
    “ Her timing is way off,” Jamie said. He rolled to his toes and shouted: “Slow down, Ally! Too quick.”
    He saw her curt nod as she stepped out of the batter’s box and adjusted her batting gloves. He knew she was taking his words and applying it to the situation. When she was comfortably ensconced in the box, the pitcher fired a bullet over the plate and Ally promptly crushed it straight back.
    “ Better,” Jamie mumbled with a nod of approval. “She’ll hit the next one, watch.”
    Cole wrapped his fingers around the links in the fence and concentrated solely on Ally, ignoring the runner on third who was taking a huge lead, counting on Ally to bring her home.
    The pitcher glared at Ally as she wound up and shot the ball straight down the middle of the plate – had it had a chance to cross. Ally connected with a thunk, dropped her bat, and ran all out for first. The base runner crossed the plate as the ball rolled toward the wall, causing the centerfielder to scramble after it. Ally cut the corner of first and charged for second, sliding in before the ball made it to the second baseman’s glove. She called for time and stood, brushing the dirt off her uniform as the crowd roared.
    “ Told you,” Jamie beamed.
    The next batter hit her home and after she crossed the plate, she headed to the dugout.
    “ Great hit, Al,” Cole called and grinned when her head snapped up and her eyes widened. Her face broke into a wide smile as he winked at her before she took the steps to the dugout.
    “ Let’s go grab a seat,” RJ suggested. He turned and surveyed the crowd.
    They turned away