They burst into hoots and cheers.
“YOLO, Anna. YOLO.” He grinned. My hands were convulsing and I was about to start sobbing right there in front of everyone. He must’ve noticed because he pulled me against him. “No worries, you got this. You sang it beautifully in the car.”
Another collective sigh.
Then he smiled up at the crowd. “Y’all, not only is she gorgeous but she has an amazing voice too. Just wait.”
More applause and catcalling.
He handed me the mic, which I clutched with both hands for dear life. Then he dropped his hand from my back and gripped his guitar, getting it situated. He strummed the first chord. I blew out my breath and forced a smile.
He gave me an encouraging nod and we started to sing. My voice shook but then he sang a little louder to cover me and I pulled it together. As the song went on, one note after the other, one word at a time, my voice got stronger. It turned out okay. Probably better than okay. I’d been in choir all through high school. I could sing. But it wasn’t Ford-level singing. It wasn’t make women cry or make men request your song on the radio when they’re in the doghouse level singing. Still, from the cheers, and the crowd joining in on the chorus, it was passable.
The second it was over, I took a step forward trying to get myself the heck out of there. But Ford grabbed me by the elbow. “Hold up. We gotta do one more thing.”
I exhaled, eyes on the ground, at least grateful the singing was over.
But then Ford whispered in my ear, “Well, looky there.”
My head came up and I let out a little gasp.
Because Blue was twenty feet away, jogging straight for us with a bouquet of orange roses in his hands.
CHAPTER 7
blue
Istood on the sideline watching Ford jog to the fifty like it was no big deal. But being that close to someone who shared Anna’s DNA made my pulse tick up a notch. Or thirty. At least. Once the national anthem was over, I shook my hands out and jogged in place, trying to stay warm. The last thing I needed was a cold arm when this game started.
“Aaannaaa?” Ford called. “Aaaannaaa Baanaanaaa?”
I stood straight up, my heart slamming into my ribs.
Madden stepped over to me. “Anna’s here?TheAnna?”
I ignored the question, turning in the direction that Ford had come from, searching the crowd. But it was impossible to find her. Exactly like looking for a needle in a haystack. Ford called her name again and suddenly her face was on the Jumbotron. It felt like someone had vacuumed all the air out of my lungs. My hands flew up, gripping my hair. She was here!
Madden pointed. I turned and there she was, stone-faced, coming down the stairs, her eyes narrowed on Ford. Oh, she was not happy. But my word, she was beautiful. Breathtakingly. Her hair was shorter, hitting the tops of her shoulders in big voluminous waves. She looked the same, but different too. Even prettier than before, if that was possible. Curvier. Which was just torture. She’d been kinda skinny in high school. But I guess that’s what happens when you’ve lost your mom. She said she was never hungry. Looked like her appetite had finally come back—and it was nothing but glorious to behold.
“She’s beautiful,” Madden said in a reverential hush.
I grunted. It was all I could do.
“Deep breaths.” Madden chuckled.
When she hit the grass, I took a step toward her without realizing it. Madden’s hand shot out, pulling me backward by my jersey. My hands were still on my head when she walked past. Close enough that I could smell her perfume. I closed my eyes and inhaled. Honeysuckle. She smelled like the honeysuckle that grew in droves on Silas and Lemon’s farm, Firefly Fields. Then she was gone, hurrying to center field.
“She’s hot,” Tyson hooted. “Somebody get me her number!”
“That’s Blue’s ex, moron,” Madden said.
“You never said your ex is Ford Dupree’s niece!” Tyson whooped.
But I couldn’t care about any of them. Anna was here. Holy crap. It took all my effort, but I pulled myself together, propping my hands on my hips.
“I’m gonna kill you when this is over,” she whispered and the mic picked it up. I grinned so wide at that. Man, I’d missed that voice.
“Dude, you’ve been barking up the wrong trees,” Madden said. “Lacy, who?”
