Illegal Motion: Boys of Fall

by Erin Nicholas

  “I am,” she agreed. “I don’t feel like eating, but I have a lot more energy.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “I’m even feeling up for the game tonight.”

  “Nah.” He turned into the ice cream shop on the edge of town. School would be letting out in about ten minutes and this would be the first stop for a lot of the kids. “I agreed to patrol tonight so you can just stay home and rest.”

  “What about the halftime stuff?” she asked. “You have to be there.”

  She knew how much this meant to him. He’d shared stories with her, not only of the glory days of playing and their amazing senior season, but about how important Coach was to a lot of the kids in town, particularly Carter’s teammates. It warmed him that she understood this was a big deal. In the overall scheme of things, did one high school football coach in one small town in Texas really matter? He did in Carter’s opinion. Coach Carr had influenced so many guys who had gone on to influence other people and so on. The ripple effect was obvious to Carter and the other guys, but they were looking forward to showing it to everyone by surrounding Coach on that football field tonight and thanking him for everything he’d done. Not only would the community see it, but Nolan was writing a piece on the whole thing for the paper in San Antonio that he was confident would get picked up by the Associated Press.

  “I’ll be patrolling at the game,” he told her. “Keeping an eye on the crowd.”

  “Oh, good. Then I’ll still see you.”

  He shook his head even though she couldn’t see it. “Lace, you should stay home and rest.”

  “I feel so much better though,” she protested. “I’d really love to be there.”

  And he wanted her there. He really did. In fact…it would feel strange if she wasn’t there. Which made no sense. Lacey had never been with him at a Quinn football game before. How could it feel weird to not have her there? But he knew.

  He was in love with her.

  Which meant he was at risk for making a huge mess out of everything.

  “Can you go with someone?” he asked. “In case you start not feeling good?”

  “Of course,” she said.

  “Okay,” he conceded. “I’d love to have you there.”

  She gave a little squeal that made him smile.

  “But I won’t be able to sit with you,” he said with some regret. He wanted to sit on his stadium blanket and hold her hand and cheer the team on with her and the rest of his friends. But the patrol was important too.

  “Maybe we can meet up behind the bleachers and make out for a little while,” she teased. “But don’t worry about the game. I’ll be fine with everyone else.”

  Everyone else. His friends. The guys he thought of as brothers, the women who were making those guys better men. She was a part of them. Already. Or finally. Or…something.

  And the more he thought about Lacey being friends with Annabelle and Lela and Randi and Charlene, the better he felt. Those girls were putting up with some of the most hardheaded men he knew. Surely Jackson and Wade and Tucker all fucked up sometimes. But those girls stuck through it. Maybe they could help Lacey stick through it when he fucked up. Because he was going to. For sure.

  And hell, Jackson and Nolan already knew that Carter was on the borderline of crazy obsessive about Lacey. They could keep him sane. Yes, this would be good. These guys had always been his team on and off the field.

  “And if you’re feeling up to it, we’ll hit the after party Lorelie is putting together,” he said.

  “Oh, yes! That would be great.”

  She sounded sincerely excited and Carter smiled again. It would be great. He’d make sure it was.

  “Okay, gotta go. See you soon,” he told her.

  “Okay. Be careful. I love you.”

  Carter froze.

  There was a long—a very long—pause. Carter could almost hear Lacey regretting the slip.

  She’d said it before. She hadn’t been a bit shy about talking about love and what she wanted from him. But she hadn’t said it casually like that, as if it was a normal part of their routine on the phone.

  Carter was shocked by how much he wanted that routine.

  Finally he cleared his throat.

  “Oh my God, Carter, I’m sorry,” she said in a rush. “I’m really not trying to push. It just came out. I—”

  “Lacey,” he said, low and firm.

  She took a breath. “Yeah?”

  “I love you, too.”

  There was another long pause and then he heard her sniff.

  His heart clenched. “Lace—”

  “I’m good,” she said quickly, obviously knowing him well enough to know that her crying on the other end of the phone would be painful for him. She gave a little laugh. “I’m so good.”

  He relaxed. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. And now we will be meeting up behind the bleachers.”

  Her tone was teasing and happy and Carter realized once again what an aphrodisiac her happiness was.

  What a sap.

  But he was grinning as he shut his car off and got out as a carload of teens pulled into the parking lot. “I can’t wait to see you.”

  “Me too.”

  They disconnected and Carter worked to get his mean cop face back into place before the kids saw him grinning like a fool.

  The Titans were pounding their rivals with only two minutes left until halftime.

  Lacey surged to her feet with the rest of the crowd as the Titans quarterback drew his arm back and scanned the field. A moment later he saw his open man four yards from the goal line. He fired the ball in a tight spiral right into the running back’s arms and the stands erupted as the kid sprinted into the end zone.

  She felt Nolan’s arms around her waist and a second later her feet left the ground as he lifted her, cheering loudly. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  She hadn’t been a big football fan…before tonight. But an hour in the stands at Quinn High School and she was already caught up in the excitement and the bond that brought everyone in Quinn together on Friday nights in the fall. She could easily get used to the tailgating ahead of time and everyone gathering together in the stands, the palpable excited tension as the game started and the feeling of camaraderie that swept the crowd as the team succeeded and failed and succeeded again.

  Nolan set her down and high-fived someone over her head while she scanned the crowd on the sidelines for Carter.

  She saw him a second before he turned, also looking for her. Their eyes met and Lacey felt her grin spread as he pumped a fist into the air.

  God he looked good happy.

  Lacey had to admit that she’d seen his smile more and more over the past three weeks, but she’d been working to not get her hopes up. She’d love to think that she was a part of that, but it was happening fast and, frankly, she’d been pushy. She’d come to Quinn unannounced and more or less forced him to take her in. She knew there were a lot of things about having her here that he liked. The almost constant sex-fest they had going on for one. He also liked her cooking and seemed to like just having her there at the end of the day. And in the morning. And when he managed to make it home for lunch in the middle of a shift.

  Still, it had only been three weeks and he’d been honest and adamant about not being able to give her everything she wanted.

  She felt a pang of sadness go through her followed swiftly by relief.

  Earlier that day, for three minutes, she’d been going over and over everything Carter had said to her about forever and relationships and his father and what he did and didn’t want. She’d also shifted over every touch, every smile, every sweet word he’d said.

  She’d been almost convinced that it would all be okay, that Carter felt more than he was letting on. She knew he was scared but she knew he would come around and everything would be fine.

  Then the timer had gone off and she’d looked at the pregnancy test. It had been negative. And none of the rest o
f it mattered.

  “Hey, what’s going on?”

  Lacey blinked and looked around. She’d somehow reclaimed her seat next to Nolan without realizing it and she’d completely tuned out the game, the crowd and, evidently, whatever Nolan had just been saying.

  The first half was over and the guys from the previous championship team had all started clearing out of the stands and making their way to the sidelines for the halftime ceremony.

  She again searched for Carter and found him standing next to Jackson and Tucker on the edge of the field.

  “Lacey, are you okay?” Nolan asked, concern wrinkling his forehead.

  She made herself smile and nod. “Yes, of course. Sorry. Spaced out for a second.”

  Just like she had for thirty minutes after seeing the confirmation that she was not pregnant. She’d sat on the bathroom floor, legs crisscrossed, the plastic stick with the one pink stripe on the tile in front of her, torn between relief—because really, that would have been a disaster—and sadness—because really, a child with Carter would have been…

  “Maybe I should take you home,” Nolan said, saving her from going down that particularly convoluted path.

  Nolan knew she’d been sick. He’d brought her soup one day and he’d hung out and watched an NCIS: Los Angeles marathon with her one night while Carter worked. She knew Carter had sent him to check on her, but it had been sweet.

  “I’m fine, really,” she said. Okay, she was a little sick…evidently. She’d truly had herself talked into thinking it was morning sickness for a while. But it was obviously only a routine stomach bug instead. Big deal. That was a relief. She didn’t want to feel that way for nine months. “I’m really feeling better,” she told Nolan. And that was true. She’d started feeling better yesterday in fact. And had been disappointed about that.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid. Being pregnant right now would have been so…complicated. She knew Carter was just now dealing with his feelings for her and just now coming around to thinking that maybe having her here permanently wasn’t the end of the world.

  She couldn’t throw a baby in on top of that. Knowing what she did about Carter’s past and his feelings about relationships, having him in a relationship with her because of a baby should have been the last thing she wanted. She totally understood where he was coming from when he said that he only wanted a relationship where everyone could walk away freely and easily and stayed because that was what they chose.

  But she’d cried about the stupid pregnancy test anyway.

  “Whoa, you’re zoning out again,” Nolan said, still frowning. “Come on.” He took her elbow and pulled her to her feet.

  “No, I want to stay,” she insisted. “I’m sorry. I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.”

  He studied her eyes, obviously not fully convinced. “Want to talk about it?”

  “No, I—”

  “Lacey, when I ask if you want to talk about it, what I really mean is you’re going to talk about it or I’m taking you home. And then you’re going to talk about it.”

  She opened her mouth to argue and then realized it was pointless. Nolan might seem like a laid-back guy but there was an alpha streak in him. Maybe it wasn’t obvious on the surface, but she saw it in his eyes and heard it in his tone of voice. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you about it.”

  The moment the words left her mouth she realized she wanted to talk about it. She would love to bounce all of this off of someone else and for some reason she felt completely comfortable with Nolan.

  “But you have to go down to the field and get your story first,” she said, nudging him toward the steps that would lead them out of the stands. “Go do your thing and then we can talk after.”

  He let her push him to the steps but before he descended he turned. “Promise.”

  “Promise.”

  He took her hand and they left the bleachers together. Lacey went to the fence that separated the crowd from the field and Nolan made his way to the sidelines.

  Carter and the other guys waited along the sideline as the announcer read their names one by one. Each one got cheers and applause and they were all grinning like they were sixteen again and obviously in their glory. When Carter’s name was read, Lacey felt a surge of pride go through her and she clapped and yelled with the rest, watching him go down the line of former teammates and friends, fist bumping them and even guy-hugging a couple. At the end of the line stood Coach Carr, and Carter didn’t hesitate before wrapping his arms around the man in a true hug…a father-son type of hug.

  Lacey wished she could see his face. She felt tears sting her eyes.

  Carter did know about family and about being there for people. Maybe his dad had made a mess of his relationships, but Carter had been surrounded by people who knew what it meant to love and support someone. Coach Carr had been there for all of the guys he coached. Even after he was done coaching them. And he’d taught them a lot more than just football. It was why they were all here tonight in the first place—to honor a man who had been not just a pillar of the community and the football program, but who had given his players something every kid needed. Unconditional love.

  Carter did know how to do that, how to be there for someone. He just had to stop being scared.

  When all of the players had been introduced and Coach had greeted each of them individually, his daughter, Lorelie, walked with him to the center of the field where the superintendent and high school principal waited.

  The announcer read the long list of Coach’s accomplishments and then they directed everyone’s attention to the press box. A large white sheet was hanging over the concession stand and, at the principal’s command, the sheet fell away to reveal a new sign.

  The stadium would now be known as the Nicholas Carr Stadium.

  Lacey blinked against the tears that threatened when she saw Coach Carr’s face, and then when she looked at Carter and saw the same emotion in his expression, she felt a tear slip down her cheek.

  She’d never met Coach Carr in person but she was grateful to him for loving Carter.

  The rest of the ceremony went quickly as the halftime clock ticked down and soon all of the guys were leaving the field. Carter came past and caught her up in a big hug and spun her around.

  “Is it time to make out behind the bleachers?” she asked, laughing. God, she loved seeing him happy.

  “I wish.” Carter set her back on her feet. “I gotta go flush the parking lot of underage drinkers and then there are some Riverbend alums down at Pitchers. I need to go be sure no one starts running their mouth as the game winds down.”

  She lifted onto tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Okay. I’ll see you at the party?”

  He grimaced.

  “No?” Dang, she’d been looking forward to relaxing with him. Maybe dancing a bit. Maybe sneaking off to a quiet corner.

  “Eventually, yes,” he said. “But it might take some time to get everything settled down after the game.”

  “Hey guys.”

  Lacey glanced over at Nolan. She grinned. “You looked as excited as the rest of them out there.”

  “Just thinking of the website hits I’m going to get on my story. Readers eat this stuff up,” he said with a wink.

  “Hey, Nolan, can you take Lacey to the after party?” Carter asked. “I can meet you guys there.”

  “Yeah. You up to it?” Nolan asked Lacey.

  She rolled her eyes but not before Carter jumped on the question.

  “You’re not feeling good again? Maybe you should go home and rest.”

  “I’m fine,” she told them both. “I promise I will tell you if that changes.”

  “Well, you also promised to tell me what was going on earlier in the stands. You ready to talk?” Nolan asked.

  Lacey wanted to slug him. He should know better than to bring something like that up in front of Carter, because Carter would—

  “What happened in the stands?” Carter moved in closer to her, cupping her face and se
arching her eyes.

  She sighed. “Nothing.”

  “She’s just a little out of it tonight,” Nolan said.

  Damn him.

  She frowned at him and then gave Carter a big, reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”

  But Carter was focused on Nolan. “What does ‘out of it’ mean?”

  “She’s a little spacey or something.”

  “I’m right here,” she reminded them. She grasped Carter’s hand. “I’m fine. It’s nothing. Still resting up from being sick. But I’m fine.”

  “Maybe you should—”

  She grabbed Nolan’s hand too. “Nolan will be right with me all night. If I’m not fine, I promise to tell him and let him take me home, okay?”

  Carter gritted his teeth and looked at the other man. “You’ll take care of her?”

  “Of course.”

  He sighed, clearly not entirely happy, but he couldn’t make her go home. “Okay. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

  Thank God. She breathed and smiled. “I can’t wait.”

  Carter leaned in and kissed her cheek, gave Nolan one last pointed look and then turned to head for the parking lot.

  Nolan waited until Carter was out of sight, then he grasped her elbow and steered her behind the bleachers.

  This wasn’t exactly how she’d envisioned the stolen moments behind the stands during the game.

  Nolan let go of her and crossed his arms. “Okay, spill.”

  Fine. If he was going to be insistent and stubborn and bossy, she’d tell him.

  “I took a pregnancy test today.”

  His arms dropped. “Oh.”

  She smiled at the fact that it was obvious he had no idea what to say. “It was negative.”

  Nolan nodded. “Oh.”

  “And I’m bouncing between being glad and realizing that would have been a huge complication, and feeling…sad.”

  Nolan hesitated for a moment, then reached out and put his hand against her cheek. “Sorry.”

  She felt the stupid sadness drift over her but shook her head. “No, it’s good. I mean, God, Carter would freak out.”

  Nolan pressed his lips together and she felt her chest tighten. Nolan agreed that it would be a bad thing for her and Carter. Damn.