“Not at all, girl. Not at all.” Sadie sighed. “Kota has been on night exercises all week, so I’m lookin’ for all the entertainment I can get. What’s goin’ on with Ryan? Did y’all hang out again? And when I sayhang out, what I really mean is, have you swapped spit?”
“Ew! Sadie!” Ginny paid for her corn dog and took a bite, talkin’ through it, “You are so crass sometimes. You’ve been hangin’ out with Kota too long. You should probably come home now.”
“And you’re cranky, so I’m guessin’ you haven’t kissed Ryan again.”
“Don’t you think I would have told you if I had?” She took another bite, looking around the crowd for anyone carrying a record, since Melody Man mentioned he’d be bringing one. “Like I told you before, I really feel like the Lord is telling me to hit pause, ya know? I wanna show Ryan that he means more to me thanjusta kiss. I want to show up for him without expecting anything in return. And we actually had coffee this mornin’. It was nice. He had to go get ready for a thing tonight. And I’m focused on givin’ it time. Patience. Friendship. Unconditional love… Lovin’ him like Jesus, ya know?”
“Proud of you, Gin.”
Ginny waved her feelings off, took the final bite of her corn dog, and threw the stick in a trash can. “Anyways, it was reallynice hanging out. We had a good, normal time. It was all very friendly.”
“Friendly,” Sadie mocked. “Sure, sure. I know how that goes. One minute you’re insistin’ you’re just friends, and the next thing ya know, you’re declarin’ your love for each other in a thunderstorm.”
“Sounds risky. I’ll take my love declarations dry, and preferably, with no lightning involved.”
“To each their own, I guess. Listen, I gotta go, but call me the second you leave your hot date with Melody Man, okay? I wanna know every detail! Especially if it’s Danger!”
“It’s not Danger!” Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’ll call you later. I’m headin’ over to the gazebo now.”
“You’re a strong and wise, corn dog queen, and no one could ever deserve you. Byyyyyyeeee,” Sadie sang before ending the call.
Ginny laughed again to herself and took a fortifying breath, rubbing her thumb along the friendship bracelet Melody Man had left for her. The gesture had a surprising, wooing effect on Ginny. One she’d been reminded of each time she’d seen it laying on her bedside table and then, today, when she’d decided to wear it around her wrist. Her bundled nerves took flight, a fluttering of butterflies dancing in her belly.
She was going to meet Melody Man.
With so much uncertainty surrounding Ryan, and her determination to love him as a friend and sister in Christ would, Ginny was glad for the welcome and sweet distraction of her friendship with Melody Man. For how his friendship hadn’t made her feel like she needed to be anything but herself.
The sound of Jan’s eclectic playlist blared across the festival, just as Melody Man had predicted. The song list ranged anywhere from The Beatles to Hootie and the Blowfish. Ginny smiled to herself and took her first steps towards the small,white gazebo on the other end of the street. The music grew softer with every step she took, but the sound of the crowd, kids cheering at various booths, and laughter in the air, settled Ginny’s nerves as she neared her destination.
“Hey, y’all!” She waved at Blaire, Evan, and her sisters who were cheering on Lake and Griffin at the apple bobbing booth, shouting, “Bob! Bob! Bob!”
Both her brothers-in-law whipped their heads out of the giant wooden tub, having successfully retrieved their prizes, and shook their wet hair at Georgia, Caroline, and the kids. Ginny laughed but didn’t stop, anxious for her own festival excitement.
She wiggled her way through another small crowd and stopped near the steps of Good Start, discreetly standing around the corner of the building like the lowkey stalker Sadie had implied she was, hoping she might get a peek of her mystery man.
For three breaths, Ginny watched, waiting for the crowd to disperse. She hadn’t seen anyone near the gazebo, aside from a few teenagers she was relieved to see walk away and a stray dog circling the area.
The crowd seemed to part, just for her, but among the movement, she spotted Ryan. It was only a glimpse, but she’d know that head of strawberry blonde hair anywhere, whether her fingers had been tangled up in it the week before or not.
Ginny visually followed the path Ryan took as he followed the pup, leading them both to the gazebo.
“No, no, no, no, no,” she whispered to herself, with a satisfactory, “oatmeal raisin cookies…” gritted out through her teeth.
Ryan could not be in the gazebo when she met Melody Man. She may be a strong and wise, corn dog queen focused on loving her very attractive friend as a brother in Christ, but Ginny could not handle the peacocking that would take place if Ryan heardor, heaven forbid, witnessed what she was up to. Her feelings revolving around both men were confusing enough. She decided to march her way over and gently ask Ryan to take a hike.
But when she got to the gazebo, the scene she found was too much for Ginny’s mind and heart to handle. Ryan hunched over the puppy, rubbing its swollen belly like he had all the time in the world.
He was so mindful of his task, mewing and ministrating over the adorable specimen, he didn’t hear her approach or see her as she took in every detail. The strong hand giving that belly rub was attached to a notably attractive wrist—she wasn’t sure when that piece of anatomy became interesting—but it had a very familiar, very significant friendship bracelet attached. And on the seat at Ryan's side rested a pristine record with a giantI’m your mysterious pen palred bow wrapped around it. The album featuring Adele’s,Hello,mocked her where she stood.
If she weren’t on the brink of tears, Ginny would’ve laughed. All their conversations. Melody Man playing guitar. Learning from his grandparents. His love for music… for Jesus… for his closest friends. Christmas Cookies ice cream…
She brought her shaking hand to her mouth, as if doing so would eliminate the wild array of emotions she was experiencing or the very real screams she wanted to release. She used her free hand to cover the bracelet and then realized she was wearing the shirt she promised Melody Man—RYAN!!!!—she’d be wearing.
Ryan is Melody Man.Ryan… your friend… is Melody Man.
Ryan Hood, who she’d soundly kissed and confessed feelings to within the past week was also the man she’d shared secrets with and shamed for his inattention to her superior organization skills.
The very same man who’d rejected her because he didn’t trust his own feelings, was the man who’d wooed her with friendship bracelets and perfect playlists.
