Home > Downed (Gridiron #3)(14)

Downed (Gridiron #3)(14)
Author: Jen Frederick

No one really expected her to. The curse of low expectations resulted in her wafting around the house looking like a frail twig. Daddy’s response to Ginny’s death was to feed me. I think he bought into Gamma’s theory that Ginny’s thinness was the reason she couldn’t handle her heartbreak, even though anyone with sense knew it had to do with Thaddeus Larson. That boy grabbed Ginny’s nineteen-year-old heart in his cruel hand and squeezed it until she couldn’t bear the pain one moment longer.

I believe that Southern U’s three-year losing streak is due to my daddy’s grief. The football season is a long one. It starts officially in September and runs through January, if you're lucky, but the real season is year-round because a college coach’s success is only as good as his last recruiting class.

Daddy has to be on the road quite a bit, visiting homes and promising other mommas that he's gonna take good care of their sons. There was a time there, after Ginny died, he felt like he couldn't make that promise. After all, he couldn't protect his own daughter so how could he be trusted to take care of anyone else’s child?

Curly James Myers’ momma is the one who snapped Daddy out of his funk. She came up to him after last year’s heartbreaking loss to Auburn and told him that he couldn’t give up on Southern because of what happened to Ginny. That he owed it to all of the other kids in his life to keep on fighting. That was when he made the offer for Ace.

It was a risky, unusual move for Daddy, but one that’s going to pay off. I just know it.

“Dinner was delicious, as always. Thank you, ladies.” He wipes his mouth with the cloth napkin and lays it carefully next to his knife.

“It’s our pleasure,” Momma says. “How is the team looking this year?”

“Fantastic. I’m real pleased with this group of men. They’re coming together as a team, and I think they’re going to do great things. I hope you come and see a few games.”

“Perhaps I will,” she says.

But we all know she won't.

“I’ll be there, Daddy,” I chirp, trying to put a smile back on his face.

“I sure hope so,” he says and gives me that smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Did the charity sale go well?” Momma asks, clearly done with football.

“Yup. We were a little short, though. The goal was five thousand dollars, but Dawn Markowitz dropped ten pies. She had these brand-new Stuart Weitzman wedges on and rolled her ankle about two steps away from the tent.”

“Ten of them?” Daddy asks with hilarity lurking in his words. Even my mother hides a smile behind her napkin.

I grin back. If my family is happy, I’m happy. “Yeah. It was sort of hilarious, but Dawn felt terrible. I told them you would cover the difference.”

He nods. “You write out the check, Cub, and I’ll sign it.”

Daddy’s called me Cub since I was a baby. Baby Bear. Get it?

“Will we be having any of the new pledges here this fall?” Momma sets her napkin down. Marni, our housekeeper, bustles in the moment the snowy cloth hits the table. She must’ve been watching from the kitchen door.

I scoot back so Marni has easy access to my plate. “Sure, I was thinking a viewing party for the Clemson and Florida matchup on Friday night since we’re going to play the Saturday night game.”

The corners of Momma’s mouth turn down. “Maybe those girls don’t like football like you, Bryant. How about we do a pre-Halloween event? The girls can decorate special trick or treat baskets that we can fill and drop off at the children’s hospital.”

Daddy clears his throat when I don’t immediately agree. Hiding my disappointment, I nod obediently. “That sounds great. I’ll stop and pick up some of those plastic pumpkins this week. I’m sure we’ve got enough other stuff around the house.”

She smiles approvingly, but before I can breathe a sigh of relief, she brings up another concern of hers. “Louise Cottrell called and said you turned down the little sister program for the Sigmas.”

I grimace. “I’m too busy. Besides, I only did it my sophomore year because I was dating Cooper Smythe, so it made sense. Since we’ve both moved on, someone else is better suited for that position.” Being a little sister to a fraternity house is a lot of hard work. Cooper was my second-semester sophomore project, and while he was a tough nut to crack, he ended up in good shape. One of my sorority sisters is currently dating him. She says he's the best boyfriend she's ever had. I give myself a mental pat on the back.

“I don't know why you broke up with that nice boy,” Momma chides. “His father is the mayor. He could've hooked you up with a nice job at City Hall.”

“I suppose.”

“If you would just hold on to one of these boys, Bryant. Your sister—”

“She has a new man.” Daddy jumps in to save me.

“Oh? Who is it this time?” Momma swings her gorgeous hazel eyes in my direction.

I pin on my brightest smile. “Oh, Momma, you would just love him. He's a northern boy and has that clipped Yankee accent, but he’s just gorgeous. Green eyes. Light brown hair. About six feet five.” I slide a sly glance toward Daddy. “Well, the program states he’s six-five, but I’m thinking he’s about an inch shorter.”

Daddy smiles benignly. “We don't lie about stuff like that in our program.”

I hoot. “Ha. That’s a whopper. You listed Travarius Daly as five-eleven and anyone with eyes knows he’s not much more than a couple inches taller than me. In fact, when I’ve got my hair pinned up, he’s not much taller than my bun.”

   
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