4. 1,000 Names
4
1,000 NAMES
SEAN CURRAN & PHIL WICKHAM
“He wrote you back?!” Sadie asked on their daily phone call. “I mean, you know he is a he right?”
“Who’s a he?” Dakota asked somewhere in the background. “Who wrote back?”
Ginny took a bite of a tea loaf, lowering her voice in Good Start so she wouldn’t be overheard. Mrs. Woodhouse and her husband sat a few tables over and were always up for whatever gossip they could come by for entertainment purposes. “He is a he. And we’ve exchanged a couple of notes now. I don’t know what came over me. I just kind of lost my mind for a second…”
“I know what came over you. And his middle name is Clueless Dummy Boy ,” Sadie said, all sass and attitude. Goodness, Ginny missed her already.
Ginny cleared her throat. “ Clueless Man, Sadie. Ryan is a man.” Unfortunately, a gorgeous, clueless man she could never seem to get out of her head. “And I’m pretty sure his middle name is Andrew.”
“He’s dense as all get out,” her friend huffed.
She and Sadie had spoken the day after the wedding, much to Dakota’s chagrin, when Ginny had recounted her short-lived non-romance with Liam Holder and then her frustration with Ryan. Now, two weeks later, Ginny and Sadie had dissected every one of her mystery penpal’s notes, and Sadie had jumped at the idea of Ginny finding interest, albeit innocent and completely friendly, in Melody Man.
Sadie—and oddly enough, Sadie’s mama—were the only people Ginny had ever confessed her long-held feelings for Ryan to, and they’d only ever encouraged Ginny.
“Know your worth ,” Sadie would say, or “He’ll get a clue or he won’t, but you shouldn’t wait around for him.”
Sadie’s mama, on the other hand, always suggested smacking Ryan with a big wet one and seeing what happened.
Ginny wasn’t sure what advice she should take at this point. She hadn’t been on a date since Danger. Not because she hadn’t been asked, but because she knew what she wanted, and as much as she sometimes wished she could—like with a sweet and handsome Air Force pilot—Ginny wouldn’t settle for less.
“And now you have a mysterious male penpal. It sounds pretty romantic, Gin,” Sadie gushed. “Maybe you can run off with Melody Man and forget all about Mr. Doofus.”
“Oh,” Ginny heard Dakota again, clearly listening to Sadie’s half of the conversation. “Y’all are talkin’ about Ryan again, huh? Don’t listen to my hot wife,” Dakota yelled, earning Sadie’s giggles against her end of the phone.
“My little sister is no quitter! Go get ‘em, Gin… Or not… Ya know, Ms. Independent, Girl Power, and all that. Ya Ya !” He cheered the battle cry he had never been invited to take part in, and Ginny heard the sound of his smacking kiss against Sadie’s cheek. “Tell Gin I love her and that Ryan will wake up eventually. He just needs a little push. Sometimes that’s all it takes.”
“You’re very wise, husband,” Sadie said.
“I know. It’s crazy, right? Now, I’m goin’ for a run.”
“I don’t love that my brother knows,” Ginny admitted, taking another bite of her loaf and looking around the shop. Georgia and Lake were due to meet her any time now.
“What does your brother know, Virginia?” Mrs. Woodhouse called from two tables over, where she’d steadily been leaning further and further away from her husband in an obvious effort to listen in on Ginny’s conversation.
“My personal business, Mrs. Woodhouse,” Ginny answered, raising her eyebrows at the elderly woman.
“I told you to leave that girl alone,” Mr. Woodhouse said, chuckling at his wife. “Ya can’t be a part of all the young people’s business. Ya gotta pace yourself.”
“I know what ya said,” she grumbled at her husband, “but I’ve been waitin’ for that Virginia to show up with somethin’ juicy for years. I’ve earned this. And she’s just mumblin’ over there… Young people don’t know how to talk anymore.”
He patted her hand and brought it up to kiss her knuckles. “I know, dear. Just be patient.”
“I’m not mumbling, Mrs. Woodhouse. I’m having a private conversation.”
“If ya wanted it to be private, Virginia, ya could’ve talked in your private home upstairs, not down here, torturin’ the rest of us. I need to have somethin’ to talk about at my bridge game this week. That Mary Kay Trainer always has the best gossip. I’m sick of it!” Mrs. Woodhouse scooted all the closer and leaned with her cup of tea in hand, completely at ease with her blatant intrusion. Her husband merely chuckled, his eyes wrinkling in the corners, and watched his wife with a look of pure adoration.
Ginny returned her attention back to her conversation. “Livin’ in this town is like havin’ a whole herd of well-meaning aunties who always know far too much about folks’ lives. I love them, but it’s somewhat humiliating to be their newest target.”
“You’re the chosen one,” Sadie said. “We’ve all had our turns.”
“And yet,” she whispered, “the mortification of Dakota’s knowledge of my little crush is somehow worse.”
“Hey! I didn’t tell him. Dakota figured it out for himself. He’s emotionally intelligent, that one. And you know he’ll never say anything. He loves you. We both do.” Sadie’s voice softened, “I know you’re not a quitter Ginny, but I don’t want you hung up on someone who refuses to see you for what an incredible woman you are. I know we talked about this before, but why not go on a date? See who else is out there?”
“Did you go on dates while you were pining for Dakota for three years?”
“Rude.”
A tea kettle whistled on Sadie’s end. Ginny smiled, knowing Sadie was likely making Dakota a cup for after his run.
“I’m content, Sadie. Really, I am. My joy isn’t in who I’m dating… and I barely run into Ryan anymore anyways. I’m just a little…”
She questioned whether she should admit the full truth to her friend—that she was lonely in this new season of life. That she felt behind, somehow, when it came to her siblings. “I’m just a little off, that's all. Melody Man is a nice distraction, though.”
A small truth. She honestly couldn’t wait to go back to the record store to see if he’d responded to her last message.
“If that’s all it is… A distraction does sound promisin’.”
“Yup. I’m properly preoccupied.” Ginny thought she might even make her way back to the store that afternoon to drop off a note if her meeting with Georgia went quickly.
With perfect timing, the bell over the shop door rang, welcoming Georgia and Lake, hand-in-hand and gazing at their daughter who tottered straight to the glass case where the treats were held. She greeted the new manager, Chloe, with a smile that Ginny knew meant Davey would be getting a cookie on the house.
Ryan glided in behind them, likely coming straight there from after work, still dressed in sweats and a well-worn, gray Sugartree Elementary sweatshirt. He was quite possibly the only person who didn’t look foolish with the school’s mascot, a purple armadillo, across his chest.
“Hey, Sadie girl. Georgie just got here with, um… the whole crew. I gotta go,” she said, waving at them to join her.
“The whole crew?” Sadie asked, suspiciously.
Ginny released a hurried sigh, “A couple significant members, yes.”
“Alright. Keep me updated on Melody Man, alright? You’re a strong and brave and beautiful, intelligent unicorn. Ryan’s a dummy. And I love you endlessly.”
Ginny smiled. “Love you back. Pinch Kota for me.”
She hung up the phone and scooted out her chair just in time to scoop Davey into her arms and bury her nose in her niece’s neck until she giggled wildly, filling Good Start with the perfect sound of her squeals.
“Nooooo, Aunt Gin,” Davey screeched, arching her back and legs away from Ginny to no avail. “It tickies.”
“Oh?” Ginny barely pulled back, a pro at this game. “It tickies, huh?”
Davey nodded, her curly blonde hair tossing with the exaggerated movement.
“What if I do this?!” She launched herself back into Davey’s neck and relished the sounds of her deep laugh. When she’d had her fill, Ginny kissed Davey’s cheek and set her on her lap, straddling Davey’s legs over her waist. “Okay, girl chat, Davey Baby. What kinda cookie did ya get today?”
Davey held up the cookie she’d clung to for dear life. “Marshemewwo.”
“Yummy. Looks tasty. Ya gonna share that with your favorite Aunt Gin?
Davey looked at the cookie, a spark of adoration in her eyes. Then her bright baby blues turned back to Ginny as she shook her head back and forth. “No, fank you.” She shoved a fistful into her mouth and smiled wide, marshmallow and chocolate covering her lips.
Ginny gasped. “Brutal, Davey Baby.”
“She’s never not gonna be the cutest,” Ryan said, approaching the table with a mug in his hand. “Even when she eats like an animal. She came by that cookie with a fluttering of her eye lashes and that classic Remillard smile. Poor Chloe didn’t stand a chance.”
“It’s true. I’m pretty sure she gets something from Chloe every time she's in here nowadays. Though I’m sure Sadie did the same.” Ginny had liked reconnecting with Chloe over the past couple of weeks. Chloe, though more shy than her sisters, was easy to talk to. Ginny had learned she'd been working her way through culinary school at the Art Institute of Atlanta and was hoping to get a job as a personal chef.
But seeing Chloe behind Good Start’s counter rather than Sadie gave Ginny just the slightest prickle of sadness. She felt homesick for her old normal.
Ginny turned Davey around on her lap and shrugged playfully. “Pretty sure Davey Baby, here, got all her more cute qualities from me.”
“She’s the spitting image,” he retorted, pulling out the chair opposite of Ginny and taking a seat. “Hope you don’t mind, but Georgia invited me here for your meeting.”
Hope you don’t mind if I just drool on the floor at the sight of you swooning over my niece.
“So, Georgie roped you into something, didn’t she?” Ginny said, with surprising aplomb and an all too knowing grin.
Georgia had taken over as Sugartree’s Town Director after Lana Peter’s retirement in early spring. Lana and her husband now spent half their time in a camper, roaming up and down the east coast, while Georgia managed to be a kick-butt wife and mother, successful small-business owner of her own private marketing company, and now, Town Director. She was currently planning Sugartree’s Bicentennial Celebration and had asked Ginny to sign on to help.
Once upon a time, Ginny would have made every excuse not to be held accountable to one of Georgia’s many tasks. But now, Ginny couldn’t help but admire her eldest sister. She balanced her life and commitments with so much grace and humility. It was hard not to want to be just like her.
“Of course she did.” Ryan sipped his drink and smiled up at Georgia and Lake as they joined the table. “I never can seem to say no to a Remillard girl.”
Georgia’s eyes flicked to Ginny’s, overtly aware of Ryan’s blunder, and passed on to Lake who wore a sympathetic smile. Confirming again that her siblings probably weren’t quite as ignorant about Ginny’s tiny—monumental—crush as she had once believed.
Georgia swooped into a chair and took over the conversation. “We are a difficult bunch to resist.” She bit her lip and winked at her husband before diving into her sales pitch. “Okay, I’ve invited you guys here because I need help. So, y’all know I’m planning the Bicentennial. I’ve decided to go with a Homecoming theme with a time capsule and alumni celebrations—the whole shebang. And we’re gonna have a festival.”
“Of course,” Ginny interrupted. “Our small town simply would not function properly without a festival for every seasonal occasion.”
To her surprise, Ryan snickered, then sipped his drink to cover it up. His green eyes sparkled at her over the rim of his mug. “Bet there’s a parade too.”
“With golf carts,” Ginny chimed.
Ryan’s tilted grin sent a flush of energy through her. “And those tap dancers with the dresses… What are they called again, Ginny?”
“Cloggers…”
He knew what they were called. Ginny had clogged for half her life, dancing at every local town festival in Sugartree and the local area. Festivals and parades where Ryan had been in attendance. Ginny had loved every minute of dancing—minus the white square dance dresses she was forced to wear in the Georgia heat, complete with a petticoat, bloomers, and pantyhose. It was hard to forget how humiliating the costume had felt the older she’d gotten. She’d hung up her clogging shoes—so to speak—when she’d gone to college.
Ryan sipped his drink again and leaned back. “Yeah. That’s it. Cloggers… Maybe you could lead the pack, Gin. I seem to remember you in one of those frou-frou dresses in the Fourth of July parade one year.”
She lifted her eyebrows, and her smile followed suit. “And I seem to remember you, Coach Hood, with a sparkly pair of white gloves as the marching band drum major, leading some of those same parades. You always looked so handsome in that purple suit. Still wear it on the weekends?”
“Nah.” Ryan shook his head, but she didn’t miss the blush creeping up his neck. “I save it for special occasions.”
“Y’all finished?” Georgia swatted Ryan and pointed an all too knowing glare at Ginny.
Ginny shrugged. “I suppose so. Tell us all about your festival, Georgie.”
“Thank you.” Georgia nodded. “Yes. We need a festival. And… obviously there will be a parade. I refuse to be shamed by the two of you over it. We’ve also decided to rebrand the entire town. Gin, that’s where you come in.”
“Me?” Ginny took a sip of her americano with one perfect pump of pistachio. “You want me to do the rebrand?”
“Of course I do. I’ve seen your designs, Ginny. They’re amazing. I can’t think of a better person for the job. Will you do it for me?”
Ginny beamed under her praise and felt the weight and excitement of the responsibility. She’d been doing surprisingly well with freelance graphic design jobs since graduating and had considered going back for her master’s degree in marketing. Just like Georgia. She didn’t realize her sister had even taken notice. “Thanks, Georgie. I’ll definitely do it.”
“Lakeland has some ideas for slogans and ways to incorporate all of Sugartree’s residents into the process, some voting on designs through financial donations that will go to aid the local community fundraisers we do throughout the year.”
“Sounds great,” Ginny agreed.
“Okay. I need samples by the end of next week. I know it’s tight, but we’ve got to move quickly on everything so we can order banners, shirts, and swag.” Ginny nodded, feeling a tumultuous amount of nerves hit her all at once but would do everything she could not to let Georgia down. Satisfied, her sister turned to Ryan. “And you.”
He pointed at himself. “Me?”
“You, Coach Hood, are gonna coach the alumni flag football team.” Georgia grinned ear to ear, earning an affectionate peck on her temple from Lake, who just couldn’t seem to resist her.
“Of course I am…” Ryan muttered, resigned to his lot in life and role as Georgia’s unquestioning, long-time friend.
“Of course you are,” she echoed.
“You’re such a babe, Peaches,” Lake whispered, appreciatively.
“Thank you.” She blew him a kiss and carried on. “Sign-ups start right now. Thanks to Lake, I have teens littering the streets with QR codes for registration, as we speak. Your team should be ready for their first practice this Friday. We’ll be playin’ a team the highschool is setting up.”
Ryan let out a long-suffering sigh. “That’s two days from now, Georgia.”
“Yes it is, Coach.” She slapped him on the back.
“Aren’t there some legal ramifications for alumni playing against minors?” he asked, eyes closed and face pointed to the heavens as he released a deep sigh. Ginny fought hard not to giggle.
Georgia didn’t seem to mind at all. “Yeah, but we worked it all out with the school’s lawyers. Everyone is signing liability waivers. Plus, it’s flag football. How dangerous can it be?”
Ryan opened his eyes, raising a single eyebrow, and glared at Georgia. “Are the Remillard clan involved?”
“Yes!” she said and clapped her hands together. “Oh, and Chloe is in, too.” She waved at Chloe, who’d seemed as if she’d been waiting for her cue at the bar and offered an excited wave in return. “And here come some more of your players.”
Caroline and Griffin blazed through the doors of the coffee shop with perfect timing, followed closely by the oldest Lovett brother, Evan, and Blaire. Once everyone had hugged, shaken hands, and caught up with one another, Georgia called the meeting to order again.
“Listen y’all. This whole Sugartree Homecoming is gonna be a behemoth of a project. Blaire, since you’re obviously unable to play football in your condition...” Georgia waved her hands in the general direction of Blaire’s giant, swollen belly, and they both released identical squeals of excitement. Aside from husbands and babies, little had changed since their time squealing their way through high school. “You’ll be helping me on plannin’ and coordinating food and vendors, but most importantly, you will be resting as much as possible.”
“Cookin’ two babies at once is no joke, y’all. And they’re Lovett boys so you just know they’re gonna come out taller than me,” Blaire said, putting her feet up on a spare wooden chair. “I’m bakin’ giants.”
Evan pulled her chair right next to his and kissed her temple before making sure she was properly settled again. “That’s not hard to do, babe. You’re teeny.”
“Rude. I’m a proper size,” she huffed, out of breath just sitting.
“A proper size for a flashmob in munchkinland,” Ryan said and promptly received a flying white chocolate chip to his face from Blaire. “Ow!”
She cackled, but then grew deadly serious. “It’s honestly a compliment, though. You know how much I love Judy Garland.”
“I know you do, Blaire Bear.” Ryan grinned wide. He always seemed to come to life when he was with Georgia and Blaire. It was probably why they’d been friends since early highschool and why Ginny had always felt a little like she was on the outside looking in when it came to their friendship.
“Don’t Blaire Bear me,” Blaire said, “but can I have that chocolate chip back? I really wanted it.”
Ryan tossed it into the air and caught it in his mouth, earning Blaire’s growls and cheers from the men. Georgia clapped her hands, gaining everyone’s attention again. “Alright, alright. No more food fights, please.”
“Amen!” Caroline raised her hands in the air, looking very much like their mama.
“Now, Mama and the Colonel already volunteered for kid duty, so we’re all on your team, Ryan. But, Gin, I need you ready! I know Kota spent all that time teachin’ you to throw a perfect spiral for a purpose. Now’s your time to shine, Baby Girl. A female QB gets an extra point with every touchdown pass, so you’re gonna be our QB.”
The classic Remillard family competitive spirit shone across Georgia’s ferocious face.
Lake took Davey from Ginny’s arms, where she’d been doing a happy wiggle as she finished the remnants of her cookie. “Mama’s got that look in her eyes, Davey Grace. I love it. She means business.”
“Am I the coach or not?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms. Ginny did not appreciate the way his biceps filled out that sweatshirt of his. “I think I’ll have the final say in who our quarterback is, and it isn’t going to be your little sister.”
Ginny all but growled into her coffee. If she’d been wearing her clogging shoes, she’d stomp on his feet.
“I’m just gonna tell ya right now, Ry. You want her,” Caroline said, prompting Lake to choke on the hot cocoa he’d just sipped.
You want her.
Ginny felt her whole body heat and the desperate need to fan her face.
Griffin and Davey both teamed up, patting Lake’s back as Caroline fumbled for better words. “What I mean to say is that Ginny’s perfect… I mean… she’s a catch… wait—no—she can catch… the ball. And throw it. She’s great at throwing. She’s…” Caroline looked at her husband and mouthed, “ Help me .”
So her siblings and their spouses definitely all knew.
“I’ve seen her chuck a football, man. Ginny’s your girl,” Griffin said, emphasizing significant words, running a hand over his beard, and doing a terrible job of hiding the grin on his face.
Ginny blew out a breath, but had to laugh. Her family was nothing but a bunch of loons. And she adored them.
When she caught Ryan’s eyes, though, he looked as if the mere idea of spending extra time with her was causing him physical pain. Something Ginny couldn’t quite reconcile to the man who’d led worship at her side with passion and confidence that past Sunday.
She thought they’d reached an unspoken truce. One where they forgot about how Ryan stared daggers at Liam for dancing with her. Or how he’d started a silent, half-naked war with Danger during a pie-eating contest two years before. Or… how she’d tracked him down in a quiet alley and had been ready to finally air out all the tension between them—once and for all—before he ran away. Scared.
He just needs a push… She heard Dakota’s words again.
She wouldn’t go chasing after Ryan Hood again, but she certainly wasn’t going to back down. Because, like Dakota and Sadie had said, Virginia Maple Remillard was no quitter. She’d had enough of Ryan’s evasions from long-standing traditions, family events, and years of gatherings. If he wanted to shrink away from her, he could try, but Ginny was done allowing it.
She bucked up, sitting upright in her seat, ready to take the challenge head on. This was about the town, Sugartree’s legacy… and winning.
Ginny loved Georgia. So, of course, she wanted to make her proud. But, like the rest of her wacky, competitive family, she also loved to win.
If her too cute presence on Ryan’s team made him just a little uncomfortable, then so be it. She was gonna crowd that man’s personal space like an over-filled, hot elevator. She might even relish it a bit. If she could leave passive-aggressive notes for complete strangers, she could hang out with Ryan Hood without giving in to the warm and fuzzies. It wouldn’t be hard to do if he insisted on continuing to use words like cute and little sister to describe her.
Ginny used the pink scrunchie she always kept on her wrist to pull her hair into a quick ponytail and resettled herself, waiting to speak until Ryan’s eyes flicked back to hers.
“They’re right, Ry. Dakota taught me everything he knows. It looks like you’re stuck with me. Sorry,” she said, smirking with a new found confidence and echoing his words from the Sunday before. “You need a QB, and I’m your woman .”