Page 30 of How to Write a Rom-Com

“Oh, that sounds great,” I say. My mind flashes back to almosteverysmall-town romance I’ve read, and I have to keep myself from smiling. Every single one includes some sort of community event or function. This place is uncanny.

“Fab! I’ll see you there?” she asks eagerly.

“Well, I’m not much of a softball player, if I’m honest,” I say, thinking back to the time Elle forced me to play in Heartwarming’s summer league. The memory makes me shudder.

“You don’t have to play. We can use some fans! Just as long as you’re cheering formyteam, that is,” she says, and I can’t tell if she’s teasing me or not.

I laugh. “You got it. I’ll be there.” This is exactly what I need right now. Anne will eat this up. A town picnic? All the locals coming out together? It’s the perfect opportunity to meet some more kooky characters—the one thing I’m really missing.

*

I follow the instructions May provided down to a sandy beach along the lake shore, where a small cabin and a patch of grass has been set up as a makeshift softball field. I spot Liam almost immediately, he’s setup on the other side of the grass beneath a tent and a steaming grill. He’s talking to Brett, who is dressed in a matching green T-shirt.

I make my way over and they both smile when they see me.

“Hey, new girl, you look nice,” Brett says, his tone jovial. “Doesn’t she look nice, Liam?” Brett nudges him and Liam’s eyes meet mine. I quickly look down at the denim sundress and sandals Elle helped me pick out over FaceTime.

“She does, er, you do, Lucy,” he says softly.

“Thank you.” I feel heat flood my cheeks as I divert my gaze. I scan the nearby crowd and notice there are two distinct groups of people, some in green and others in red. May is among them, talking to a man who appears to be setting up a portable DJ booth.

“Is that a DJ?” I ask dubiously.

“Yup. The only one within thirty miles, I think,” Liam chuckles.

“A DJ during a softball game, that’s a new one,” I muse. Liam smiles sheepishly.

“We only play a few innings. The main attraction is the buffet and the dancing,” Brett explains.

“Dancing? Boy, this really is some small-town stuff,” I say, unable to help myself.

“Is that bad?” Liam looks up from the grill.

“No, it’s just kind of crazy the whole town shuts down for this.”

“What? You don’t have softball games in the city? Or do people not talk to each other enough to organize something like this?” Brett teases. He crosses his incredibly huge arms.

“We definitely don’t have events quite like this,” I say with an uneasy laugh. Liam shakes his head, the same look of disbelief on his face that I’m sure is on mine.

“Well, Lucy, prepare yourself for some serious action,” Brett says, and he exchanges a look with Liam. “Wish me luck!”

“Good luck,” I say, waving him off as he jogs toward the other players.

I jump when I hear the shrill sound of a whistle. May stands at the center of the diamond holding a megaphone. She clearly takes her council jobveryseriously.

“Five minutes!” she drills. Almost everyone in the crowd covers their ears, including me.

“Jill and the twins are here, over by the picnic tables,” Liam says, pointing to a handful of tables. “You should join them.” He smiles.

“Okay, okay, I’ll leave you to work your magic,” I throw my hands up in mock surrender. He rolls his eyes at me, smirking.

I edge around the field and the players warming up. There are several other families picnicking nearby, they offer kind smiles as I pass by. Just as I hoped, a cast of characters to populate Ruby’s town with.

“Lucy!” The twins squeal in perfect unison. They leap off the bench to greet me, Mia wraps her arms around one of my legs.

“Ah, Lucy,” Jill turns and beams up at me. “This one hasn’t stopped talking about you,” she says, making room for me on the bench beside her.

“All good things I hope.” I ruffle Mia’s head affectionately.

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