us,” he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and took a glance at it, “ninety minutes,” he said, shoving it back in his pocket.
“Not bad. At this rate, we’ll have at least three things we agree on by the end of the week.”
“We better get a move on it, because I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“Oh?”
“Training camp.”
Her heart sank. She knew he wasn’t staying. It disappointed her more than she expected, but that just emphasized to her that the fun she was having was fun with a friend. Nothing more.
He didn’t notice how his words had affected her, as he said, “I think I’d better hold it, and you’d better wrap it. I’ve never held a pig before, but I’ve never wrapped a gift either, so I’m probably bad at both. I’m guessing you’ve wrapped before at least so that leaves the pig for me.”
“You never wrapped a gift before?”
“Nope.” He swung a leg over the fence which was not very high.
The pig was small, less than twenty pounds, and cute as a button too. She hadn’t been joking about how adorable baby pigs were.
That wasn’t what held her attention, though. With the way Dante was acting, he didn’t want to talk about it, but she could hardly let it slide.
“You’ve never wrapped a single gift?”
“Said I didn’t,” he said, walking toward the pig, leaning over a little, with a hand out.
She felt compelled to say, “Be careful, they’ll bite. Watch your fingers.”
“Really? This tiny little thing will bite?”
“Yeah. You don’t want to have an infected pig bite on your hand. I don’t know if you have anything to do with handling the ball at your position, whatever that is, but you definitely don’t want an infection in your fingers if you do.”
“I do actually.” He looked up, humor in his eyes. “Handle the ball, that is. At my position.” The humor in his eyes said he found her words funny, and she was a little embarrassed. Maybe she’d said something really dumb, but she wouldn’t know.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never played football. So, maybe that’s just as weird as you never wrapping a gift?”
She didn’t really think so. Who didn’t wrap gifts? At least one?
“I don’t know about that, but once I’m able to get my hands on this hog, I should be a little better at keeping hold of it...although typically when I carry the football, it doesn’t move.” He crept a little closer to the pig. “Plus, they’ve never greased it as far as I know. I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules.”
“The ball probably gets slippery in the rain,” Journee said as he crept a little closer, bending down even more.
The pig looked at him, unafraid.
Dante closed the last distance fast. Journee thought for sure he had the animal caught, but the pig squealed and darted away at the last second, slipping through his hands. Dante ended up on his knees with empty hands and a bewildered look on his face.
“I think that might be a two-person job,” Journee said as she set the scissors and tape down and swung a leg over the fence.
“I think you may be right.” Dante looked at his hands before brushing them down his legs and getting to his feet. “They didn’t skimp on the grease either. Just saying.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. I think we should get extra credit, because I don’t think anyone else actually had to catch their gift before they wrapped it.”
“Good point. One we need to point out to the judges.”
“Agreed, because I’m pretty sure we’re not going to make up any time on this.”
“You’re right.” His words sounded muffled like he was concentrating hard on something else. “You calling this play?” he asked as he crept a little closer.
“That’s strategy, right? You’re asking me about strategy?”
“You’re the farm girl.”
“My dad’s a pastor. I’m not a farm girl.”
“You’re closer to it than I am. I live in the city. You know, apartment buildings, cement, skyscrapers? Lots of people, no pens, no pigs.” He looked around her. “We’re on your turf now.”
“Oh my goodness.” She thought he was serious. Like she was going to tell him how to catch the pig. Like she had any experience catching greased hogs.
Right. Well, she’d make something up, she supposed. “I think we need to corner him. And then come at him from both sides, and you stop him, and I’ll grab him. Or vice versa.”
He slowly straightened, putting a hand on his hip. “That’s it.