Page 61 (1/2)
Her reputation was the exact opposite of mine She was captain of the safety patrol in elementary school, a student council rep inqueen She was currently in line for valedictorian of our senior class She always had an extra pencil, and it was always sharp Girls like that and guys likecourt order
"It’s too bad we couldn’t get the barn repaired in tiuilt, somewhere below ellation I doubted it would help I gestured to the confederate flag and the mini-cannon, which were shoved into a corner "How exactly did you guys end up … here?"
I didn’t say Rebel Yell, because I couldn’t without wincing at the Civil War–as-entertainment reference
Gracie pursed her lips "We ended up here thanks to Richard Baron"
Father of Shelby
"He owns this franchise," she said, not ht his son a Mini Cooper Obviously, sound judgh in that faet things running in tieant It’s the only place around here that’s big enough"
"I’d say" It had stadiu our own territory has been hard" She shook her head "But I guess you’d know about that"
The job paraa the churchprops that I hadn’t set ablaze to serving as a stagehand for the actual production Sorting out what belonged to whoh an eclectic mix of Confederate memorabilia, oversized scrolls, and shepherd’s staffs I still didn’t know if the trulers or a heavenly host of angels
"I’m surprised your father didn’t cancel it," I said
"It would’ve been easier, but this is the pageant’s twentieth anniversary Soforward to it that Dad didn’t feel like he could turn down Mr Baron, especially after he offered to pay for all the new materials we needed"
Put another jewel in the Baron fa Joseph"
"Gotcha"
Just then, Gracie’s father rushed to the center of the stage, holding a clipboard and an enoration of five hundred people Like, boy-reporter young Gracie shared his dark hair but not his eyes They looked older than the rest of hi the set "Okay, let’s finish blocking these scenes so we can do a run through I’m sorry, but that horse--when it’s replaced by a donkey--will have to take a left, behind the Wise Men, after they approach the Holy Family Can you move that bale of hay to make it easier? Donkeys don’t ju outcomes, I had to ask the obvious question "What happens if that horse poops?"
As if it had been cued, the horse lifted his tail and took his evening constitutional