by Jo Grafford
“I’m fine, coach,” Huck blustered. “I really am.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?” the trainer demanded, waving three digits.
“Three. No headache. No dizziness. I’m fine, and I want back in,” Huck insisted.
“Your eye is swelling, which will impair your vision,” the trainer warned gently.
“Then ice it.” Huck gritted his teeth. “I can put that ball between the goal posts, coach. You know I can.”
“You’re right,” Josh agreed. “I’m just trying to decide if putting you back out there is what’s best for you. Your health and wellbeing means more to me than scoring.”
“Huh!” Huck snorted. “If you give a rip about my wellbeing, you’ll put me back out there.”
Josh raised a brow at the trainer who shrugged. “He’s going to have a black eye before the night’s over. That’s about it.”
“Okay, Huck.” Josh shook his head, full of reservations. “Ice it, and we’ll see.”
Against his better judgement, he put Huck back in the game a few minutes later, but only because the trainer couldn’t give him a medical reason not to. Not because Josh was convinced it was for the best.
He wasn’t wrong. Two plays later, Huck scored their second touchdown. However, he was pummeled by another round of fisticuffs in the end zone. This time Ty ran to his defense and started pulling players off the top of his friend. Though Ty never threw a punch that Josh could see, the refs ousted every kid involved from the remainder of the game.
Deck did a silent dance of agonized disbelief on the sidelines, with his hands clasped atop his head.
The voices in the Heart Lake High stands stuttered into horrified silence as they were forced to watch their star quarterback and running back escorted off the field. There were so many things wrong with the refs’ call that Josh didn’t even know where to begin, so he didn’t try.
He called his last time-out and brought his players in for their final huddle. His backup quarterback was already warmed up, a junior by the name of Cal Jorgenson. He was some sort of distant cousin to Ty, though Josh wasn’t a hundred percent sure of the connection.
“It’s a tie game,” Josh snarled, no longer able to hide his frustration. “I still want a clean game, but I want to win. You hear me?”
“Yeah!” his offensive team shouted.
“I’ll say it again. We owe Ty and Huck this win!” Josh knew he was asking a lot from a less experienced quarterback, but he genuinely felt their team had it in them to pull off a win.
“Oo! Oo! Oo!” the boys chanted.
“All we need to do is to stop their advance one last time, which we’ve proven we are more than able to do. Keep an eye on twenty-seven, and keep the pressure on nineteen. He seems to be running the ball a little more in the second half. After we get the ball back, let’s work it down the line for a field goal. Oh, and let’s be sure to run down the clock.” Josh threw out a hand, and the players piled theirs on top of it.
“Heroes!” they shouted in unison at the top of their lungs.
Josh sent their kicker back out with instructions to plug the ball into the next county. The kid had played soccer his entire life, so he had no trouble sinking it into the end zone. It put the opposing team on the twenty-yard line for their first play, plenty far back.
It was a tense final few minutes, but the Heroes managed to hold the Red Devils at the thirty-seven yard line, forcing them to punt. Josh and Deck sent their offensive team back in, this time with a fresh quarterback and running back. As instructed, they kept the ball close to their chests, not making any long throws.
Josh couldn’t have been prouder of his team, but especially for his rough and ready south side players. They were big strapping farm boys. He imagined the players on the other team felt like they were up against charging bulls. With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, time was literally on their side. The Heart Lake Heroes didn’t need to make any more big plays. All they needed was steady yardage and first downs while the seconds ticked away.
They managed to reach the fifteen yard line with thirty-two seconds to spare. At this point, Josh showed no mercy. He subbed in all of his biggest, beefiest players to form a solid line of defense for Cal Jorgenson to make his final kick.
Cal came through for them again, sailing the ball neatly between the uprights just over the crossbar. The scowling refs reluctantly threw their hands in the air to call a touchdown, and the game was over.
The Heart Lake High students came shrieking onto the field, surrounding their team and jumping up and down in excitement.
Coach George Kirk refused to line up his team for the final handshake. Instead, he allowed them to storm off the field, while making no move to call them back.
He alone stalked up to Josh. “This isn’t over yet, cowboy.”
Josh went toe-to-toe with him. “Are you threatening me?”
“Nope. Just stating facts.” Curling his lip in derision, the visiting coach turned away.
Hope met their team outside the locker room. “Congratulations,” she said simply. “You looked, sounded, and acted like real heroes out there this evening. You’re definitely my heroes right now.” She pressed a hand to her heart. “Thanks for the win. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The players emitted another enormous cheer. Then they let her lead them in their last chant for the evening, throwing their hands together and yelling, “Heroes!”
Josh briefly pulled her aside afterward. “I have to stay here until the last parent arrives to pick up their player, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d use the buddy system on the way to your car. It’s been a strange night.”
She nodded. “Principal Lighthorse has already offered to escort me to the parking lot.”
“Roger that,” he returned in relief. “See you on Monday,” he lied, fully intending to call her the moment he was back in his vehicle.
Her answering smile was so full of promise that it made his chest swell.
A full hour passed before Josh was finally able to head to his SUV. His phone was already ringing when he climbed into the driver’s seat. To his surprise, however, it wasn’t Hope calling. It was Daisy Peterson.
“How did you get my number?” He scowled in the darkness, as he backed out of his reserved spot. By now, the parking lot was nearly empty.
Instead of answering his question, Daisy started sobbing. “I’m so sorry,” she cried piteously. “I didn’t know who else to call. This guy… He came out of nowhere and attacked me from behind, and now I don’t think I can get up.”
Wait! What? Josh’s security guy instincts kicked into high gear. “Where are you?”
“Not too far. Just past the entrance ramp on 118…” Her voice grew fainter.
“I’m on my way.” He hit the gas pedal, squealing his wheels and leaving rubber as he exited the parking lot. As soon as he reached the straight away, he gunned his motor to full throttle. “Hang in there,” he called tersely into the phone. “You still with me, Daisy?”
There was no answer. He slowed his speed, scanning both sides of the road as he neared the interchange for Highway 118. It was a bit overcast, so the stars weren’t much help tonight. Wishing the county would invest in more streetlights, he cruised up the exit lane.
Before he could merge onto the highway, however, a shot sounded from somewhere nearby. A hole popped through the center of his windshield and sank into the back seat of his SUV. A second shot followed on the heels of the first. This one was closer, nicking his right shoulder.
It felt like a line of fire burning across his bicep. It was as if he’d driven into a freaking ambush. Was Daisy a part of it? Was she somehow connected to the threat her ex-husband had made at the end of tonight’s game?
He didn’t have long to ponder his concerns before the third shot was fired. Even though he was already jamming his brakes and steering to the left to curve away from his assailant, the bullet sank home, rendering his right shoulder useless.
>
He must have yanked the steering wheel in the process, because he found himself heading straight for the embankment built to support the overpass. His SUV went air born for an extended moment that felt like an entire lifetime. Then it tumbled against the hillside and started to roll.
Chapter 9: Hallway Patrols
Hope
Hope was immensely disappointed when Josh didn’t call her on his drive home from the game. She arrived at her empty townhome, showered, and changed. Then she settled back against the pillows to read a book. Or tried to. She ended up glumly staring at the clock on her nightstand. Good gracious! What was taking him so long? Surely, it wasn’t taking the Heart Lake parents this long to pick up their players! Unless, of course, something had gone wrong…
She curled her bare legs and feet beneath her and shifted herself higher against the headboard of her bed, anxious to tell Josh how proud she was of his coaching this evening. The guy seriously had the patience of a saint. She’d watched the Red Devils and their coach push Josh’s last nerve for nearly three hours straight, yet he’d somehow managed to keep his cool.
Before leaving the game, she and Principal Lighthorse had already contacted the parents of Ty Remington and Huck Standing Deer to discuss what had happened to their boys. They’d gone ahead and set up official parent conferences for Monday, so they could properly document everything. Naturally, Ty’s parents were threatening a lawsuit. For what, Hope had no idea, since she wasn’t planning on administering punishment to either of the boys for the incident. However, since Ty’s parents were lawyers, she fully intended to plead their assistance in filing an official complaint against the referee organization. Maybe, by some miracle, she could convince them to work with her instead of against her. She was going to give it the ol’ college try, at any rate.
Glancing again at the clock, Hope fisted a hand in one of the many lavender and white decorative pillows piled in the center of her bed. “Please call, Josh,” she murmured, reaching for her phone. “Or I will.”
As if on cue, the phone buzzed with an incoming call.
“Finally!” She snatched it up, thrilled to see his name flash across the screen. “Hey, sweetie!”
“Uh, Dr. Remington?” It wasn’t the voice she’d been expecting.
“Yes.” She sat up in bed, mouth going dry. “Who is this?” And why do you have Josh’s phone?
“This is Coach Deck Kingston. I’m afraid there’s been an accident.”
Her insides turned to ice. “Where’s Josh? Is he okay?”
“He’s stable, ma’am. They took him by ambulance to the Heart Lake Medical Center a while ago. He’s about to head into surgery, so they can remove the bullet—”
“A bullet!” she gasped, feeling faint. “You mean he was shot?” By whom? And why? She threw her legs over the side of the bed, but she couldn’t immediately bring herself to stand on them.
“Yeah. Looks like he drove straight into some sort of ambush. Don’t have any details yet. All we know is he was on the phone when it happened. The sheriff’s office is working on tracing the number, as we speak.”
“I’m on my way.” Her voice shook.
“Uh, about that. I’m going to need you to wait until I get there.” He paused and awkwardly added, “Please. I’m headed your way now. Just keep your doors locked, alright?”
“Okay,” she whispered, unsure of what was going on.
“Mind if I keep you on the phone until I get there?”
“Not at all. Am I in any danger?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’d prefer to err on the side of caution. I’m sure it’s what Josh would want. You mean the world to him, Dr. Remington.”
So you know about us. In a daze, Hope stumbled across her room to yank on a pair of jeans and tug a pale pink sweatshirt over her tank top. Without looking down, she slid her feet along the floor until they came in contact with her flip-flops.
“He means everything to me, too, Mr. Kingston.” She bit down on her lower lip, trying not to sob.
“He’s tough, ma’am. He’ll pull through. They don’t put sissies in the Bull Rider Hall of Fame.”
Decker Kingston arrived only a handful of minutes later. When Hope opened the front door of her townhome to him, he stayed alarmingly close while she locked up.
“You’re hovering,” she muttered.
“You bet your boots I am, lady.” There was a hint of a smile in his voice. “I’ll have to face Josh when he wakes up from surgery. It’s crucial to my own survival that I get you there in one piece.” He used his body as a shield to lead her to the vehicle awaiting them at the curb.
She almost smiled when she noticed he’d driven the Tank to fetch her. Her smile disappeared when she realized what it meant, in terms of how concerned Decker Kingston truly must be about her safety.
As she buckled herself into the passenger seat, she noted he was back in his security uniform. Not the Hope Lake High version, but his official Lonestar Security one. It was an all black ensemble that included a bullet-proof vest over cargo pants.
“Are you going to tell me what’s really going on, Mr. Kingston?” she asked quietly.
His jaw tightened as he started the motor and glided away from the curb. “The sheriff’s office traced the number Josh was connected to at the time of his accident. It was a cell phone number that belongs to a teacher at Heart Lake High. Does the name Daisy Peterson mean anything to you?”
A fresh wave of coldness swept over Hope. “Of course. She teaches twelfth trade English. We’ve known each other most of our lives.” But why would Josh be talking to her so late in the evening, especially while Hope had been so anxiously waiting for him to call? Did the two of them have history? It wouldn’t be surprising, everything considered. Hope had been gone for ten straight years, after all. Then again, it was something she could worry about another day. Right now, Josh’s wellbeing was all that mattered.
Forcing her personal feelings aside, she fought to control the trembling in her voice. “Do you have any idea if they dated in the past?”
Decker gripped the wheel more tightly. “Not that I’m aware of. All I know is that her call led Josh to the shooting. And now she’s missing.”
“Missing!” Hope spluttered. “What do you mean by missing?”
He shrugged helplessly. “The sheriff has an APB out for her vehicle. One of his deputies is out searching for it. So far, all they’ve been able to determine is that she didn’t make it home after the game.” He looked grim. “Hopefully, we’ll know more soon.”
Hope bit her lower lip, still not wanting to consider the possibility of anything intimate going on between Josh and Daisy. “Has anyone contacted her ex-husband?”
“And that would be?”
“George Kirk, the real sweet fella who coached such a dirty game for the Red Devils tonight.”
“You’re kidding!” Decker fisted one hand and pounded the steering wheel. “How did I not know this? I mean, I knew she was divorced, but…”
“Maybe because you’re from out of town?” Hope was surprised by the vehemence in his voice. “She changed back to her maiden name after the divorce. There’s no way you couldn’t know that.” Unless they were friends. Or dating. She cast a curious glance in his direction, sensing undercurrents of emotion he wasn’t voicing.
He pressed a button on the steering wheel, and the sound of ringing filled the vehicle over the bluetooth speaker system.
Sheriff Remington picked up right away. “Is that you, Deck?”
“Yeah. I have yet another reason to believe Coach Peterson might be involved. Not only did he issue a veiled threat to Josh after the game, he’s apparently Daisy’s ex-husband.”
“I am aware. Two of my deputies are headed to his place in Fairfax, as we speak.”
“You sure that’s enough backup?” Decker growled. “What if he’s holding her hostage? What if she’s hurt?”
Hope blinked at the barely suppressed rage in his voice. There was fear there, too.
“I hear you, but they’re all I have available, at the moment. My nephew’s in Dallas for a month of training at the Disaster City Search and Rescue Academy. We’re operating on a skeleton crew here.”
“I can have a security team with boots on the ground in thirty minutes.” Decker pulled into the brightly lit parking lot of the Heart Lake Medical Center. “Heck, I can head there shortly, myself. I just need to handle something real quick.”
Hope could only presume she was the something he was referring to.
“Thanks for the offer, Deck. If you’ll remain on standby, that would be great.” The sheriff disconnected the line.
“Nothing like being kicked back to the bench,” Josh’s business partner seethed. “Man! I’m not trying to tell the sheriff how to run his department, but a skeleton crew isn’t exactly the kind of greeting party I would send to face a rogue sniper.”
Hope certainly couldn’t fault his sentiments. Not knowing what to say, though, she waited in silence until he parked and jogged around to open her door.
Just like before, he hovered protectively while he led her inside the hospital. “Right this way, doc.”
“Hope,” she corrected quietly. “I think we’re well past formalities here.”
“Thanks.” He shot her a quick grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Flashing his security badge at the front desk, he ushered her toward the elevators. “While we’re on the subject, I prefer to be called Deck.”
She stepped ahead of him inside the elevator. “I take it you know about Josh and me?”
He pressed the button to the third floor. “It was kind of hard to miss the drastic change in him.”
“Drastic, huh?” she murmured.
“Yeah. Overnight, he went from a brooding, snarling bear to a…never mind. I probably shouldn’t be talking trash about a guy in surgery.” Deck’s voice turned rough with emotion.
He sounded to distressed that Hope reached out to squeeze his arm. “Hey. Like you said, he’s pretty tough.” But her eyes dimmed with anxious tears as she braced for whatever they would be facing next.