63. Baileys vs Cooks
SIXTY-THREE
Baileys vs Cooks
TARA
After they put away the leftovers and cleaned the dishes, the family shifted to the large backyard for some fresh air. Emily chatted with Helen and Ken on the deck while Tara and Tristan took on Steve and Nick in a friendly game of corn hole. Theo stood by for the color commentary.
Tara lobbed her fourth beanbag up in the air, where it hung for a few seconds before landing twenty-seven feet away with a loud thud on top of the rectangular, scarlet and gray Ohio State University-colored, corn hole board. “YES!” She thrust her hands up in the air as Tristan cheered her on from the opposite board. Hers was the only beanbag still on the board.
Standing next to her, Nick was ready to take his turn. He tossed his fourth beanbag in the air. It came down on the board and slid enough to push Tara’s off the board but keep his on.
Tara’s smile disappeared as she stared at Nick, who smiled back at her, albeit less shyly than usual.
At the other board, Steve yelled out a cheer. “Way to go, Nicky!”
Tara liked that Nick’s smile filled out upon hearing his brother’s praise.
“One point to the Cook family,” Theo announced from the side. “Come on, Tara and Tristan. You’re giving the Bailey family a bad name.”
Tara and Tristan shot dry glares at their younger brother.
“What’s the score?” Steve asked while gathering the beanbags Tara and Nick had just tossed.
“Twenty to eighteen,” Theo responded. “Cook family in the lead. Steve? You’re up first.”
Steve bounced his beanbag in his hand a time or two before lobbing it to the far board on the ground between Nick and Tara.
It slid right off the edge.
“Ha!” Tara laughed out, earning a stern look from Steve and a sideways glance from Nick.
She shrugged. “What?”
Tristan lobbed his first beanbag, and it went right in the hole. “Yes!” He pumped his fist.
“Three points.” Tara clapped her hands, happy that her brother’s next throw didn’t even have to hit the board. “You can throw off now.” Her eyes followed Steve’s next throw up in the air and right into the hole, canceling out her and Tristan’s three point gain.
“Nothin’ but net.”
Nick’s shoulders shook in silent laughter.
Tristan tossed another bag, which slid right off the board and onto the grass.
Steve’s next beanbag landed on the board with a loud thud. Tara cocked a brow and gave Nick a sideways glance.
He met her gaze without a word, but his lip curled up on one side.
She shook her head. “Yep. You’re definitely brothers.”
Tristan’s next toss slid onto the ground again.
Taking a risk, Steve threw his last beanbag off. If he and Nick went over twenty-one points, their score would drop back down to thirteen and they’d have to keep playing. They had to hit twenty-one exactly to win. If Tristan missed, they would; but if his beanbag landed on the board, he’d either cancel out Steve and Nick’s point, or gain two points by dropping it in the hole.
With eager anticipation, Tara cheered her brother on. “Come on, Tris. You’ve got this.”
He took a step and lobbed his final beanbag up in the air with a slight spin. It came in and slid just past Steve’s beanbag, teetering for a second on the edge, then falling off onto the grass.
Tara’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Tristan put his hands on his hips and stared at the grass which he kicked.
“Yes!” Steve jogged up to his brother and gave him a victory high five.
“Final score of the Bailey Family Thanksgiving Corn Hole Invitational: Cook family twenty one. Utterly disgracing the Bailey family name are the not-so-super twins, Tara and Tristan Bailey, with a meager eighteen points. Live from Grant’s Crossing, Ohio, this is Theo Bailey signing off.”
Theo gave his siblings a mock look of disappointment until Tristan gave him a friendly smack on the back of his head. “Ouch.”
Tristan pulled him into a friendly headlock and laughed. “I think your announcing days are over.”