Aprons For Gayle Ch. 14

"It is, but if it is hit too hard and lands in the ditch, it's out of play. And if you hit the jack it is allowed, changing the score in an instant. After all four bowls, the number of the same color closest to the jack scores a point. So, our green right there has two black bowls as opposed to the three yellow bowls. The yellow wins that round."

"Hmm. So how many rounds?"

"Until the first player hits twenty-one." He scrutinized her face to see if she understood.

"Hmm, easy enough. I think I got it," she said confidently. "It's a cross between curling and bowling."

"Youhave been paying attention. Ready to give it a go?" he asked as he stood.

"Sure. But since I can't have a twenty-five pin lead, I want a ten-pin lead."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but they were playful. "Who's the boss here?"

Sighing overdramatically, she put the back of her hand over her forehead and whined, "Oh, woe is me! I'm just a weak female, Sire. Won't you give a poor girl –"

He laughed. "Alright, alright. Stop, will you?"

Once the players were off the green, Hamish set the bowls up by the mat and explained the different weights of each of her four bowls, which she tested out while he explained the strength and the direction to throw them.

"I'll set the jack into play and give you some test shots. This is how you hold it to take advantage of the curve you want."

After he placed the jack, she took the lightest bowl and said, "Okay, let's see."

She checked the distance visually, gauged the range and location of where to start the throw, threw back her arm and rolled hard toward the right. She put so much power behind it that it rolled right past jack into the far left ditch.

Seriously, Hamish said, "Well, uh, alright. Next time you throw it don't throw so hard or at such an angle. Watch me. I'll use the same weight."

Gayle, on the other hand, tried her damnedest not to burst out laughing, but she just nodded and watched him. When he threw it, he followed right behind it about ten feet in a slow, steady jog. The bowl lay perfectly a few inches from the white ball.

"Hmm. Okay," she said. "So, I want to follow the bowl to the jack. Got it."

"Noooo," he stammered and ran his hand through his hair. "There's a momentum to it, and that's how the pros follow through."

"Oh. My bad." Again she could barely hide a smile from playing stupid.

The second bowl she threw landed six feet from the jack. "At least it's on the green," he chuffed.

She shot him a nasty look, but when she saw his grin she smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It really wasn't a compliment, Gayle," he retorted, his hands on his hips.

"Hey! Be nice! I'm a newbie here!" she said seriously as she grabbed another bowl.

When she turned around and stepped on the mat, he said, "Oh, Ms. Boyce, I may not be able to spank your arse here, but I will be more than happy to start counting for when we do get home."

"'Nuf said. Alright, alright. Watch this."

Trying to be as serious as possible, she threw the bowl and followed it a few steps. Watching it intently, it rolled right to the jack and flopped down a foot away.

"Brilliant! Youdo have the hang of it. But try not to look like a chicken with its head cut off as you run."

"Hamish!" she sniffed playfully and wiped under an eye. "You're gonna make me cry."

Laughing, he replied, "I'll give you something to cry about, lass."

As he quickly jogged down the green to retrieve the bowls, she watched him ... his tush, actually. She'd been there over three weeks, and she'd never checked out his ass. Well, she had, but not in such tight jeans he was wearing. And with Beginner's Luck behind her, she knew exactly what she would do as her reward.

When he came back, he whispered, "See something you like?"

She blushed wildly because she hadn't realized he caught her staring. "Not really. I was calculating my first shot."

Shaking his head, he said, "Two."

Her eyes and mouth flew open, but she stopped in time from making it any higher. "So, what lead will you give me?"

"I'll give you ten. But I've told you how competitive I am, so I hope you're not a sore loser."

"Nah. I'm on a learning curve, so I will take it like a lady."

"That you do, Gayle. That you do."

She gave him a quick wink, stood on the mat and threw the bowl like she knew what she was doing. Watching it as she trotted, it stopped fairly close to the jack, but she wanted it to be closer.

"Nice shot. Next time ..." he started to say, but she tuned him out.

Stepping back as he got on the mat, she watched him throw his bowl, which rested between hers and the jack.

"Hmm. I'm in trouble, aren't I?" she asked, feigning fear in her voice.

"Yes, you are. Your shot, m'lady."

Her second bowl knocked right into his and knocked it out of play. Knowing exactly what she was doing, she tried really, really hard not to smile. Turning to him, she asked, "What shot do you call that?"

"It's a drive." He then narrowed his eyes at her. "Gayle, have you played before?"

"What? No! It's mainly played by old retired fogies in Florida."

"I don't believe you," he replied skeptically as he made his next throw.

By the time the first round was over, Gayle was up one while Hamish was up three. Then they played several more games, with Gayle leading seventeen to fourteen. He hadn't said anything – not a word – since the start of the third game, when he knew he'd been had. She was playing like she played for years. It irked him to no end that she'd been able to anticipate his next moves.

"You are an awful liar. And I'm tacking on twenty-one spankings just because ... because I can," he said curtly after he threw his last bowl. "I guess you know there isone play you can make to get the four points you need to win. With my guard, it'll be tricky. The question is: Are you as good as you think you are?"

"Hamish, Sir, really. It's all beginner's luck. I'm just a quick learner!" But she knew he wasn't buying it.

Standing on the mat, she determined the strength to throw the bowl, where to drop it and which prayer to recite before she released it. Sure enough, the bowl first knocked one of his bowls which tapped the jack, giving her the four points to win the match.

"Unfucking believable," he sputtered as he walked down the green to retrieve the bowls.

She heard him mumbling under his breath the entire way and couldn't hold back any longer. Starting with a giggle, by the time Hamish returned she was in full-blown rolling laughter, so much so tears were filling her eyes.

"Oh, oh. I'm ... sorry. It's just ... I should have ..."

"Oh, shut up!" he hissed then laughed right back.

"I ... so wanted to call the jack sweetie and ... use blooter when I knocked your bowl out of the way." Trying to catch her breath, she said, "My grandparents retired to Florida when I was smaller, and they taught me to play. Oh, my god. I can't believe ... You were pissed, weren't you?"

"Most definitely not."

"I couldn't help myself. I was the summer champion for two years in the youth league at their country club. Granny and Granpa were so proud of me. I've missed playing. That was fun."

"Well, fuck. So," he started as he put the bowls in the sack. "What's my naivety going to cost me?"

"I don't know yet. When I do I'll let you know ... Sir." She knewexactly what she was going to have him pay.

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he said, "Let's get some coffee. But just so you know, I don't appreciate you cheating."

"Cheating?! I beg to differ."

"Keep on begging, little dove."

A few minutes later, they were sitting in the small restaurant, sipping coffee. She was telling him about St. Athernase Church in town, and how she wanted to visit it one weekend and a few castles, but she hadn't found any excavating sights locally.

"Hamish?" A woman asked as she approached their table. "I wasn't expecting to see you here today."

The red-haired woman bent over and kissed Hamish on the cheek. "Bri," he said as he stood, seeming to be a little embarrassed. "I'd like you to meet Gayle. She's been keeping my home nice and tidy."

When Bri looked down at Gayle, she didn't seem to recognize her. But Gayle sure knew this woman. It was same one that practically ran her over, and the same one that was seeing Hamish simply for his money.

Well, shit a brick! Fuck! Do I tell him?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I think I got the rules of lawn bowling down and kept it short. If I blew it, please forgive me! Also, check lawn bowling matches on youtube. I got addicted to watching it quick! It definitely is something I wished I'd done when I was there!