A Better Place

by Jennifer Van Wyk

  It doesn’t mean that just the sight of him playing with all the kids in my class, talking with them and paying attention to everything they said, letting them know every word that came out of their mouths mattered, laughing with them, making jokes and accepting the offered cookie from Samuel, made my heart beat triple time.

  When I saw him standing outside the school office, I tripped. Again. Over nothing! Just the sight of him has me tripping over myself. I had to lock myself in my classroom during lunch and recess, begging one of the other teachers to take my spot today, claiming I was having cramps because I’m apparently a seventeen-year-old trying to get out of running the mile in P.E. class, and I couldn’t come up with a better excuse.

  Thank goodness, she didn’t question it. Just nodded her head and said to feel better. I thought I was doing pretty good, then I glanced out the window in my classroom that looks out into the playground. James was playing soccer with about thirty first graders. Laughing with them and giving them his undivided attention. At one point, I think he had about six kids hanging off him as he tried to run down the makeshift soccer field.

  Not that I was watching the entire time.

  I’m climbing the bleachers, my thick blue and white woven Mexican blanket in hand, a mustard yellow knitted stocking hat on my head. I’m in my traditional Friday night football gear: skinny jeans, a red Liberty High School football hoodie with a long sleeve underneath, and tall brown boots. Hardly a fashion statement, but it’s Michigan, and it’s basically layering season. I see Christine, one of my closest friends, who I met when she started coming to my yoga class, and take a seat next to her. Her daughter, Bri, is close with Grady, Harper’s older brother. Close, as in, I’m pretty sure they’re dating but don’t realize it or admit it to anyone. Also close, as in, she was being assaulted at a party a few weeks ago, and Grady damn-near beat the shit out of the kid who was at fault.

  “Hey girl!” she says as I lay my blanket down to sit and take my seat next to her.

  I lean over and give her a side hug. “Hey there. How was your day?”

  “Good. Busy. This cooler weather has people coming in more than usual,” she tells me. She owns Dreamin’ Beans, the best little coffee shop ever. The way I understand it, it was always her dream to own and run a coffee shop. Her husband had been preparing to fulfill her dream, then cancer hit their family and didn’t release its hold. A few months after Christine’s husband passed away, she found out about the money he had set aside. “How was your day?”

  “Ugh, weird.”

  She leans down and picks up a travel coffee cup and hands it to me with a wink. “Better?”

  “Goodness, yes,” I say as I lift the coffee cup close to my face and inhale the rich aroma. “Thank you,” I mumble as I blow on the coffee through the tiny sipping hole.

  “Of course. So why was it weird? Were the kids crazy?”

  “No. It wasn’t the kids. Although, did you hear about what happened to Harper Ryan?”

  She nods her head. “I did. Bri told me, of course. But I also had to take Maggie home from volleyball practice last night and stayed to help a little bit. They had a house full of kids, and they weren’t even there.”

  I sit up a little straighter. “You were at the Ryan’s house last night?”

  “Yeah,” she confirms as she glances over and waves at Bri sporting Grady’s jersey. Christine waves obnoxiously, probably hoping to embarrass her slightly, but all she gets is a smile in return. They look like they could be twins, both with long dark silky hair, except Christine has this gorgeous red streak through hers and a tiny diamond stud in her nose. Their olive skin and bright green eyes make them look like they belong on an Italian island rather than Michigan. If they both weren’t two of the nicest individuals I’d ever come across, I’d probably hate them.

  “I bet it was busy there last night,” I say, hoping she’ll give me a little more information about the person I’m trying not to think about, but failing miserably.

  “It was. Jack was there, I’m sure you know that though. Grady’s friends were all pretty worried over little Harper. It was pretty cute. She was eating it all up, as you can imagine. I think she even put the back of her hand to her forehead and sighed at one point.”

  We both giggle as I imagine how dramatic Harper would have been in front of the football team.

  “Oh!” she says with a bright smile. She wiggles her eyebrows at me before saying, “Tess’s brother, James, was there since Barrett and Tess were at the cabin. He made dinner for everyone. Oh my word, the man can cook. He made huge pans of lasagna and this garlic bread that I’m pretty sure he made from scratch. Seriously, so good. Have you met him?”

  “Um, yeah.” I shift awkwardly in my place on the bench. “I met him today, actually,” I tell her and lift the coffee cup to my lips then look toward the football field, hoping she doesn’t read more into it.

  “Oh, rea-ally.” Her voice goes up and down.

  Drat. She read into it.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Oh, don’t mm-hmm me. I know that look.”

  “There’s no look.” I try to defend.

  “Oh, there’s a look. Look me in the eyes and tell me there’s not a look. I know a look when I see a look.”

  “Why don’t you say the word look one more time? It’s not sounding weird or anything.”

  “Don’t try to change the subject. So-o-o, tell me.”

  “Nothing to tell. He dropped off Harper at school, then he came back and had lunch with her. Simple as that.”

  “Not buying it.”

  “Ugh, you’re so annoying!” I whine and drop my face into my hands.

  She giggles, obviously not caring at all that I’m already embarrassed. She nudges me in the shoulder to gain my attention. “Tell me. Come on. You know you want to,” she teases.

  “Fine. Okay, you know how I can be a tad bit klutzy at times?”

  “A tad?” she asks with one eyebrow raised in that cool way that most of us try to do and practice in the mirror but never achieve.

  “Maybe more than a tad,” I tell her and wave her off. “Anyway, I kind of fell ass-over-elbow into him.”

  She stares at me, as if this isn’t shocking, and I realize I didn’t tell her the worst part.

  “Oh, right into his crotch,” I finish. There, that shocked her. Her hand stalls with her coffee cup midway to her mouth. Her eyes are wide, and her lip is twitching.

  She bursts out laughing. “Oh girl. Seriously, only you! How in the world did you fall into his crotch?” Her voice is insanely loud and immediately gains the attention of everyone around us.

  I smile uncomfortably at everyone who has turned toward us with weird looks on their faces.

  “Shush! Do you have to be so loud?” I ask her.

  “Well pardon me, I was a little shocked!” she says then shoos everyone from staring at us.

  “Imagine how he and I felt!”

  “Oh, I imagine you wanted to crawl in a hole.”

  “Yeah, the thought crossed my mind.”

  “So, take me through this. How did you happen to fall into his… crotch?” she asks in a quieter voice. Thank goodness.

  “Well, you know me. I basically fell over my own two feet. I was wearing TOMS! TOMS, Christine! I tripped over a carpet square!” And then something horrifying happens. I literally can’t stop the words from spilling out of my mouth. “It’s his fault, really. I mean, you’ve seen him! He’s just… holy crap. I almost passed out. I wasn’t expecting Captain Frickin’ America to walk into my classroom! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as hot as he is in real life.

  “I made such an ass out of myself, too. Just being near him made me all tongue-tied and idiotic. Then I acted like a chirpy little high school girl. I had to hide in my classroom and ask another teacher to cover the lunchroom for me when he had lunch with Harper so I wouldn’t trip all over him again… or try to feel him up, apparently.”

  I notice, much, much too late, tha
t her eyes have widened, and she’s no longer looking at me, but behind me. My stomach bottoms out, and I wish I could just slither between the benches and fall below the bleachers.

  “Oh my gosh.” I groan as I drop my face into my hands knowing exactly who she’s looking at behind me. “He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

  She nods her head to confirm my fears.

  “A little heads up would have been nice!” I whisper shout to her.

  “I didn’t know you were going to have verbal diarrhea!” she whispers back.

  “Well, how was I supposed to know that he would be standing right behind me!?”

  “Maybe don’t spill your guts on how frickin’ hot Hotty McHotPants is in public!”

  “It’s not my fault he’s like some sort of gorgeous freak of nature! With those stupid muscles and scruff and those damn eyes that scream…”

  I hear someone snort, and that’s when I realize too late, once again that we’re not really whispering at all. And everyone seated around us can hear every little thing we’re saying.

  The dignity train that I got kicked off this morning? It just ran me over.

  I take in a deep breath and turn my head to look up into James’s smiling face. “Hi,” I say with a grimace as my eyelids shutter. My elbow rests on my knee, hand to my cheek, and my lips press together.

  I bite the corner of my mouth again, a nervous habit that I find myself doing around him far more than any other time. His smile is blinding, and bright blue eyes are twinkling. Shit. He looks good. He shouldn’t. It’s not like his outfit is anything that would normally scream sexy. But it works for him. Really well.

  His worn jeans hug his thighs, and even though he’s in a hoodie, I can still see the definition of his strong upper body. He’s swapped out his ball cap for a simple black beanie. My eyes meet his and once again, I’m caught checking him out.

  “Hi,” he says and doesn’t hesitate to sit next to me, nudging me slightly with his knee.

  I have a brief flash of wishing he would lean over and kiss my cheek. And damn if he doesn’t smell good, too. I have to tell my body not to press into his.

  Finally getting my bearings, I look around him and see Barrett and Tess. Barrett isn’t even trying to hide the fact that he finds the entire situation amusing and gives me a big toothy grin.

  And… if I’m not mistaken, I believe he just either recorded that or snapped a pic of the two of us.

  “Well, hi, Ms. Hanson. I hear you’ve met my brother-in-law, Captain James Cole,” he says proudly.

  “Barrett!” Tess shouts and hits him in the shoulder at the same time that James reaches around and hits him in the back of the head.

  “Ow! Damn, you two! What? I just wanted to make sure they were properly introduced!”

  “I’m sorry, Carly. He was dropped on his head as a kid,” Tess says smiling apologetically.

  Barrett scoffs next to her and inclines to say something to James.

  I smile gratefully at her, desperately trying to ignore the level of heat that I feel coming off James’s thigh that just happens to be pressed against mine.

  “Hey, Christine.” Tess says, leaning over James to get her attention.

  “Hey there.”

  “Thanks for picking up Maggie last night from practice.”

  “No sweat, girl. I was there anyway for Bri. Besides, I got some of this guy’s cooking, so it was far from a burden,” she says, pointing toward James with her thumb while nudging my knee. It’s as if we’re in high school.

  “He mentioned that he made supper for whoever stopped over, which explains why there’s no leftovers for us,” she says, grinning.

  “Pretty sure the guys ate well after practice. How was your trip? Get recouped? Sleep better without Miss Harper around?”

  “It was good. And yup. Lots of sleep. Just what we needed,” she tells us and blushes slightly.

  “Good?” Barrett asks with his eyebrows raised. “I think it was better than good. Outstanding. Tremendous. Mind-blowing. Unforgettable. Those are all adjectives I would use. And sleep? Not so much,” he says waggling his eyebrows at James who wrinkles his nose, shakes his head, and mutters, “Dude. Gross.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Okay, fine. Yes, it was all those things. We didn’t realize how much we needed the time away.”

  “I’m glad you had that time together.”

  “Us too. If it weren’t for James staying with the kids, it wouldn’t have been nearly as relaxing. I mean, aside from him letting her break her arm, of course.”

  “Hey!” James shouts, offended. “Accident!”

  She smiles. “Calm down. We know. Just teasing you.”

  “How’s Harper? Was she too tired after school today?” I ask, redirecting where the conversation seems to be heading.

  “Clearly,” she says pointing down to where she’s sitting with Maggie and several other high school students who all seem to be signing her cast, “she’s doing very well.”

  “Ha, ha! I can’t say as I’m surprised. She seemed to be getting along quite well today. Didn’t slow her down any, that’s for sure.”

  “Doesn’t seem to have. I don’t think she even would have cared if we hadn’t come home early. She was just worried that James was going to leave.”

  “Uncle James for the win! I knew I was her favorite!” James says and throws a fist in the air.

  In the very short time I’ve known him, he’s seemed playful, funny and a generally happy and optimistic guy. It’s refreshing to be around.

  “Don’t let Dean hear you say that,” Tess snorts.

  “Whatever. Boring old Dean’s got nothing on me. He knows the truth,” he says, sitting up straighter.

  “Who’s Dean?” I find myself asking.

  He turns to me, his beautiful blue eyes dancing. “Our older brother. Older and boring,” he repeats. “No way is there even competition.”

  “Whatever lets you sleep at night,” Tess says, patting him on the shoulder.

  “No way. I’m her favorite. She told me today! Right, Carly?” he turns glaring eyes at his sister then looks directly at me again. It’s the first time he’s used my given name, and I can’t say that it doesn’t do something to my insides. But even more than that, I love how he just casually included me into the conversation. As if I hadn’t spewed some incredibly telling information about what I think of him just moments ago.

  “Yeah, all the way to Pluto and back,” I say while rolling my eyes.

  “See?”

  “James. Of course she’s going to say that!”

  “You take a mean pill this morning?”

  “Oh stop. I just meant because Dean’s already taken the Milky Way.”

  He gasps. “She wouldn’t!”

  “Oh, trust me…” Tess starts to say.

  He sticks two fingers into his mouth and whistles loudly, causing everyone around us to once again turn our direction. “Harper Elizabeth Ryan! Get your cute butt up here!” he yells over three sets of bleachers in front of everyone when the whistle doesn’t get her attention.

  She turns her head, scrunches up her nose, and shakes her head at him before going back to being the center of attention around Maggie and Grady’s friends.

  He gasps again. “Why that little swindling turd! She just totally snubbed me!”

  We all laugh at how offended he seems to be over a six-year-old brushing him off.

  I reach my hand up and rub his arm before I think twice about it. “Aww, is Uncle James feeling a little rejected?”

  He furrows his brow and pouts a little bit and shrugs his shoulders. He looks down at my hand that’s still on his arm and reaches up and pats it. “It’s okay. Just so long as that’s the only rejection I feel tonight,” he says, looking directly at me.

  My breathing picks up. I can’t look away from him. He winks and gives me a smoldering smile before turning his attention toward the football field.

  I’m in so much trouble.

  Even with the distract
ion that is James Cole’s body so close to mine through the game, I am still watching Jack closely. He’s playing well, but I can’t help but notice that his eyes shift to the stands whenever he is on the sidelines. And he’s definitely not looking for me.

  After a particularly long look shared between he and Maggie Ryan, James leans down and says, “They won’t be easy on him.”

  “What? Who?” I turn to him, our faces close.

  “Grady. Brandon. Basically, the rest of the team. They won’t make it easy on him.”

  “On…”

  “Oh, don’t play coy with me. I know you see Jack staring at Maggie every chance he can get.”

  I roll my eyes and huff. “Oh fine. I saw it.”

  He grins at my act of annoyance. “And he better be up for a challenge.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because Grady’s protective. Brandon, too.”

  “Who’s Brandon?”

  “Tess and Barrett’s best friends since childhood, their son. He’s known Maggie since she was born. The family is close.”

  “Does Brandon…” I hesitate, not wanting to speak further.

  “What?”

  “Well, does he… have feelings for her?”

  His eyes widen, and he barks out a laugh, his shoulders shaking against me. “Are you for real?”

  “Well, yeah. I mean. It’s like one of my favorite romance genres to read about. Brother’s best friend.”

  “I’m not really sure what a genre is, but the whole idea of Brandon and Maggie? No way. Not the case.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m positive. It’s not that way,” he assures me.

  Part of me wants to push further because this was my son’s heart on the line, and he may only be sixteen years old, but I’ve never seen him look at or talk about a girl the way he talks about Maggie. But a bigger part of me? The part that is growing increasingly more confused every single minute of this bizarre day? Doesn’t give a flying monkey because that part trusts James. I should probably feel entirely freaked out by this, but for whatever reason I’m not. And for once in my life, I’m not going to question it.

  Liberty won, which means we’re going to the playoffs. When the buzzer sounds through the football stadium, indicating the end of the fourth quarter and another win for our boys in red and black, everyone stands and cheers wildly.