Page 35 of The Cannon
I tap the arrow and watch the clip of the game the reporters mentioned the next day. Atticus and I were in the zone.
Lucinda pulls back a chair and sits next to me with her breakfast.
“You’ve got something special, Sawyer. And I’m not talking about your pitching talent alone. You’ve got humility. And if you can hold on to it as fame takes hold, then you’ll be a star. It’s going to be what sets you apart.”
Boone comes behind his wife and kisses her on top of the head.
“Lucinda is our family’s greatest baseball fan. And that’s saying something. She knows what she’s talking about.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your words, Lucinda. How good are you at helping a man make a good impression on a lady?”
Now I have everyone’s attention, but especially Lucinda’s.
“The very fact you’re not certain of yourself is charming enough.”
“Here we go,” Atticus says. “You already have my mother and Grandmother in your corner. Bristol doesn’t have a chance.”
“Did I hear my name?” Grandma Birdie says entering the kitchen.
“Morning, Mama. Let me bring you a plate,” Boone says.
“Thanks, darlin’. What are we discussing?”
“Bristol and I will be coming to the Summer Nights party together. It’s our first real date and I want to make a good impression. I’m asking for tips from the women who know her best.”
The women look pleased at my ask. They know I’m serious.
“Don’t step on her feet when you dance,” Brick says.
“Don’t try too hard,” Atticus adds.
Lucinda waves their words away. “Hush. What does that even mean? Of course he should try hard.”
Grandma weighs in. “I think she’d love it if you bring her a little something. You know, just a trinket to mark the occasion.”
“I can do that. What does she like?”
“No. Give her something that you like. A little piece of you, honey.”
“No! That’s too much,” says Brick. “She’s not like other women. She can spook easily.”
“You’re going to do fine,” Lucinda says smiling.
Grandma takes her seat between her grandsons. Boone serves her breakfast and a glass of orange juice.
“It’s dancing under the moon. All you have to do is show up, there’ll be magic in the air,” he adds.
“Atticus currently holds the record for impressing a woman on Swift property. He proposed in the forest,” Grandpa says.
He’s come in from the back patio, brushing off his shoes at the door. Obviously listening to our conversation.
“Among other things,” Atticus adds chuckling.
“The forest?”
“The trees on the edge of the property,” Brick says.
“It goes deep. You can almost get lost in there,” Lucinda adds.
