want to make any promises to the woman.
As she and Greta headed to the field, her grandmother’s
neighbor pointed out different people and families they passed. Explaining to
Rena what business they ran or how many offspring they had. Kids were running
everywhere through the fairgrounds. No one appeared concerned and it seemed to
her that they all pitched in to keep an eye on the children and elderly. Rena
liked this county, with its friendliness and fairs. There seemed to be more
camaraderie and support in this town then she’d seen in any city she’d ever
lived in.
“There’s the field.” Greta pointed to the large field
coming into view with groups of people gathered around.
“Is it over?” Rena lifted her hand over her eyes,
shielding them as she started off in the distance about a hundred yards away.
“I hope not.” Greta picked up her pace.
“Greta, perfect. We need another player.” A tall man
with dark brown hair waved them over.
Greta turned her fast walk into a jog.
Rena followed suit. She’d never considered how much
energy she would expend when she decided to come out to the festival. This was
the most exercise she had gotten in a very long time. She was happy that she
didn’t feel weak or exhausted yet.
“Great, Tim. I was hoping to join in.” Greta explained
to the brown haired man.
One of the things Rena had come to realize was that
every man in Den County over the age of twenty was both extremely tall and just
as bulky as Cord. She wondered what was in the water of the town to grow their
men so big. She would like to bottle it and take it back to North Carolina with
her.
Rena didn’t miss all the men checking her out and the
women eyeing her, not negatively but more out of curiosity.
“We need someone else because Shayna is breeding again
so she can’t play.” A man standing beside the one Greta had called Tim nodded
his head toward a set of bleachers where people sat watching the picking of
teams happen.
“Congrats, Gordon.” Greta told him then yelled a
greeting in the direction of the stands.
Rena spotted a pretty dark-skinned black woman in the
stands appearing to be in the middle stages of pregnancy holding her hand up
and giving a finger wave.
“You all have room for one more?” Greta asked. “This is
Rena, Genma’s granddaughter. She’s staying there for a little while. Rena this
is Kaley, Natasha, Blake, Gordon, Stephen, Lacey, Marcella, John, Chris, Rand
and Tim Bjorn, Cord’s cousin.” Greta ticked off each person in the large group.
Rena could see the family resemblance in Tim’s features
even though his hair was dark and Cord’s was wheat blonde. The women gave her a
friendly nod, but each of the men came to her and took her hand, she thought
they would shake it, but instead they all seemed to bow their heads slightly
and sniff it. She wasn’t even going to attempt to decipher the odd
custom.
“I don’t mind at all if she joins in,” Rand, a café au
lait complexioned black man, announced still holding her hand.
With a tug, Rena pulled it away and took a small step
back. Realizing that Greta was referring to her as the extra, Rena chimed in,
“Uh, that’s not necessary. Seems like you all already have an equal number with
Greta, I can sit on the bench.”
“Come on, Rena, you will have fun.”
Shaking her head, Rena began, “I’ll be fin—”
“If you don’t play, Rena, then I’ll have to sit out.”
Cold chills of shock ran up her spine that turned into
hot sparks as the sensation spread into the rest of her body. Rena didn’t have
to turn around to see that the deep, husky voice belonged to Cord. The man she
thought she’d escaped hours ago.
“Cord!” The petite Asian woman named Marcella’s eyes
became extremely bright and the smile on her face almost made it from one ear
to the other as she turned and saw him.
Rena almost expected the woman to start clapping and
jumping up and down in a cheer of Cord’s unexpected presence.
As she and Greta headed to the field, her grandmother’s
neighbor pointed out different people and families they passed. Explaining to
Rena what business they ran or how many offspring they had. Kids were running
everywhere through the fairgrounds. No one appeared concerned and it seemed to
her that they all pitched in to keep an eye on the children and elderly. Rena
liked this county, with its friendliness and fairs. There seemed to be more
camaraderie and support in this town then she’d seen in any city she’d ever
lived in.
“There’s the field.” Greta pointed to the large field
coming into view with groups of people gathered around.
“Is it over?” Rena lifted her hand over her eyes,
shielding them as she started off in the distance about a hundred yards away.
“I hope not.” Greta picked up her pace.
“Greta, perfect. We need another player.” A tall man
with dark brown hair waved them over.
Greta turned her fast walk into a jog.
Rena followed suit. She’d never considered how much
energy she would expend when she decided to come out to the festival. This was
the most exercise she had gotten in a very long time. She was happy that she
didn’t feel weak or exhausted yet.
“Great, Tim. I was hoping to join in.” Greta explained
to the brown haired man.
One of the things Rena had come to realize was that
every man in Den County over the age of twenty was both extremely tall and just
as bulky as Cord. She wondered what was in the water of the town to grow their
men so big. She would like to bottle it and take it back to North Carolina with
her.
Rena didn’t miss all the men checking her out and the
women eyeing her, not negatively but more out of curiosity.
“We need someone else because Shayna is breeding again
so she can’t play.” A man standing beside the one Greta had called Tim nodded
his head toward a set of bleachers where people sat watching the picking of
teams happen.
“Congrats, Gordon.” Greta told him then yelled a
greeting in the direction of the stands.
Rena spotted a pretty dark-skinned black woman in the
stands appearing to be in the middle stages of pregnancy holding her hand up
and giving a finger wave.
“You all have room for one more?” Greta asked. “This is
Rena, Genma’s granddaughter. She’s staying there for a little while. Rena this
is Kaley, Natasha, Blake, Gordon, Stephen, Lacey, Marcella, John, Chris, Rand
and Tim Bjorn, Cord’s cousin.” Greta ticked off each person in the large group.
Rena could see the family resemblance in Tim’s features
even though his hair was dark and Cord’s was wheat blonde. The women gave her a
friendly nod, but each of the men came to her and took her hand, she thought
they would shake it, but instead they all seemed to bow their heads slightly
and sniff it. She wasn’t even going to attempt to decipher the odd
custom.
“I don’t mind at all if she joins in,” Rand, a café au
lait complexioned black man, announced still holding her hand.
With a tug, Rena pulled it away and took a small step
back. Realizing that Greta was referring to her as the extra, Rena chimed in,
“Uh, that’s not necessary. Seems like you all already have an equal number with
Greta, I can sit on the bench.”
“Come on, Rena, you will have fun.”
Shaking her head, Rena began, “I’ll be fin—”
“If you don’t play, Rena, then I’ll have to sit out.”
Cold chills of shock ran up her spine that turned into
hot sparks as the sensation spread into the rest of her body. Rena didn’t have
to turn around to see that the deep, husky voice belonged to Cord. The man she
thought she’d escaped hours ago.
“Cord!” The petite Asian woman named Marcella’s eyes
became extremely bright and the smile on her face almost made it from one ear
to the other as she turned and saw him.
Rena almost expected the woman to start clapping and
jumping up and down in a cheer of Cord’s unexpected presence.
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