Page 59 of Game Changer

As I am about to get things out to make Mom’s recipe for homemade electrolyte, my phone rings, and as I reach over to hitaccept, I see it’s a FaceTime call from Beau Boone.

I hitacceptand see he in his vehicle and in what appears to be a parking garage.

“Am I playing offense or defense, Coach?”

“That’s up to you, player, but before we get into all that, tell me: does Lily like orange or lemon better? I’m going to whip up some electrolyte drink for her and want her to like it.”

“Just whip her up some Pedialyte?” He smiles a gentle, tired smile.

“Our grandparents were making all the stuff they sell now in their kitchen without preservatives and additives so they could sit on a shelf.”

“Convenience comes at a cost, I suppose.”

“We got lazy.” I shrug.

“Overworked.” He nods.

I rest my elbows on the counter and set my chin on my clasped fingers. “ Sixteen ounces of water, three tablespoons of lemon juice, an eighth teaspoon of unrefined salt, and two tablespoons of honey. The orange is the same water and salt, one teaspoon of honey, and one cup of orange juice.”

“Guessing she’ll like the orange better.”

“Sweeter,” I agree.

“I appreciate the hell out of this, Sydney.”

“Sydney? Not Cupcake or sugar tits?” I ask, opening a bottle of water and pouring about half a cup into a glass.

He scrubs a hand over his face, trying to hide a smirk.

I arch a brow as I dump the rest of the ingredients in the bottle using a funnel so as not to spill any then put the top back on the water bottle and shake it up.

“And just like that, you made a five-dollar sports drink with things you have lying around in your kitchen, which is cute as fuck, might I add, just like you.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Boone.” I smirk as I grab three quart-sized jars and set to mix up a batch of lemon, whichI prefer, and two batches of the orange to put in the fridge for later.

“I like your glassware. Looks a lot like home.”

“Let me guess, your sweet-tea-sippin’-out-of-Mason-jars, sitting-on-the-porch kind of guy when you’re back home during the off-season.”

“Part of that’s right. Willowridge isn’t the only place that feels like home now. I can’t imagine a Christmas without snow or not being on the lake for the Fourth of July outside of Blue Valley.”

“Lily’s gonna love the fourth.” I smile as I continue mixing ingredients. When he doesn’t say anything, I look to where I have my phone propped up and see his head is somewhere else. “Where you at, Boone?”

“Hospital. I’m gonna try to get some info on some shit I have rattling around in my head, and then see if I can’t talk some sense into her brother, Mitchell, who they said was here. Kind of hoping Lily wakes up so she can say prayers with Lindsey before all that shit happens tomorrow.”

“Beau, you do know that if she can’t breathe on her own right now, they will put it back in, right?”

“Yeah, but …” He shakes his head. “Her family … Fuck, Syd, they just ain’t right, you know?”

“I got a good sense of that, yes.”

“Fuck.” He smashes his eyes shut. “There are a million things going on. Shit about your ex I haven’t even told you, and the tires, her mental health, and?—”

“Beau,” I say, trying to remain calm, and he looks at the screen. “You with me?”

His lips curve up in the corner. “Yeah, Sugar Tits, I’m with you.”

“You’ll get a free pass for that right now, but probably not again.”

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