The notebook was so I could observe the players during the game and in between plays so I could note their interactions with each other, and the coaches, and just basically get ideas for new quirks and mannerisms for future characters.
Luckily, since teenagers, and my nephew, surrounded us, Gabe was not playing in the game. He was coaching.
Even though I had no idea what was going on, I enjoyed watching them play. The easy banter, the competitiveness, the constant slapping. It moved fast and the evening sky was filled with shouts and laughter.
I was struck by what a great thing Gabe had done here. He’d obviously put a lot of thought and hard work into making this dream of his a reality. Some may argue that it was easy for him, since he’d made a lot of money playing football and had the funds to do it. Although I would agree that was definitely an advantage, the fact that he had chosen to do something that was positive and fulfilling, not just for him, but for teenage kids who shared his passion, was a beautiful thing.
I watched the boys waiting patiently on the bench for their turn on the field, the coaches yelling out corrections and encouragement, and when I saw Georgia running as fast as lightning toward one end of the field, her hands thrown in the air when she reached her goal untouched, I stood up and cheered.
I had no idea what happened, but it sure was exciting.
I made a mental note to give her, and the other girls in my cabin, a gift of some sort for being such badass examples for teenaged girls everywhere.
By the time I got to the barbecue, the kids were happily eating their burgers and dogs as they went over the highlights of the game.
I saw Gabe and Reardon standing off to the side, their heads together as they talked. I was about to give them privacy while I grabbed a plate, when Gabe spotted me and waved me over.
“What’s up, Zoey?” Reardon asked when I reached them. “We were just going over tomorrow’s ropes course. Will you be joining us again?”
I gave a dry laugh in response and shook my head.
“I think I’ll pass.”
“You sure?” Gabe asked with a grin, then threw his arm over my shoulder when I gave him a dirty look. “Just kidding. We’ll be busy with the kids for most of the day. It should give you a lot of alone time to get some work done.”
“I’m looking forward to that, actually. Chris asked if I wanted to come watch him on the course, but I think I’d be more nervous watching him up there than when I was up there myself. I trust you guys to take care of him,” I added with a meaningful look for both of them.
“Of course,” Gabe replied.
“Your boy is safe with us,” Reardon promised. Then looked around and said, “I’ll be sad to leave day after tomorrow.”
“Me too,” I said, trying to keep the sadness out of my voice so Reardon didn’t think I was some crazy, clingy woman who’d attached myself to his cousin.
Obviously Gabe wasn’t worried about that because he said, “I’m trying to get her to come for Labor Day.”
Surprise was evident on Reardon’s face when he asked, “Really?”
“Yup, I think she’ll love Cherry Springs.”
Reardon looked at Gabe for a minute, then must have made the decision to just go with it, because he said, “You will, Zoey. It’s a great town, filled with wonderful people. Although, I have to warn you, when the whole family is together, we can be quite a handful.”
“Well, I hope it works out, because that sounds amazing.”
Reardon’s face relaxed and I knew I’d said the right thing. Cherry Springs, and his family, obviously meant the world to Gabe’s Viking cousin. His initial reaction made me wonder if he’d had a problem getting the women he’d dated to embrace small-town life.
We grabbed some plates and food, the men piling theirs high, while I stuck with a cheeseburger, potato salad, and baked beans.
Reardon and Gabe talked about Cherry Springs while we ate. About Reardon’s law office downtown, Gabe’s parents’ bar right on the outskirts, and the family business that Dillon and Jasmine had mentioned they both worked.
“Lewis Sporting Goods is a small chain, mostly in the Midwest, and that’s due mostly to Dillon and Jasmine. They’ve really turned that place around since they took over.”
“Wow, I had no idea, that’s wonderful,” I gushed, excited at the thought of seeing all of the places they described. “What about Serena?”
“Well, as you know, she’s an artist. She also works in an art studio in Chicago, to help pay the bills. We all keep telling her that she needs to move back and open her own studio in Cherry Springs, but she hasn’t succumbed to the pressure yet.”
“I think she will,” Reardon said. “She was talking about how much she missed living by family before she left.”
“I hope so,” Gabe said. “It w