They’d finished eating when Heath’s phone rang. Surprised, he took it out of his pocket and swiped the screen to answer it. “Hello. This is Heath.”
“Hey there, Shaw.”
There was no missing that commanding voice, even if this was the last person he’d expected to hear from tonight. “Hey, Coach.” He noticed Pop sitting up straighter in his seat, his eyes focused on his son.
“Dr. Drover said you got the all clear to get back to work and start training again. We pushed the transfer through with your insurance. Any chance you could get back to town Monday?”
This was all he’d wanted when he first came back to Clearwater. At that time, being away from the team made him feel disconnected. But now… Now the thought of leaving again gave him an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was his job, though. And that look his father was giving him was a reminder of exactly that. A thousand thoughts swirled in his head as the sound of his pulse echoed in his ears. “I’m sure I can arrange that. Yes, sir. I’ll see you then.” He hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Pop clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Aha! I knew they’d welcome you back with open arms. Training on the field on top of physical therapy there will get you where you need to be in no time.”
Mom’s reaction was nearly the opposite. She seemed happy for Heath, but there was a sadness in her eyes as well. No matter what happened, he’d make a point of coming back for Christmas. Too much time had already passed; he wasn’t going to let that happen again.
His father was still talking about Heath’s return to Cleveland. “I bet you’ll be out on the field during games before the end of the season.”
Heath had started out with that same level of enthusiasm, but now he wasn’t so sure. He wasn’t sure of anything. “I hope so, Pop. But I’m going into this realistically. You know only two thirds of players with a ruptured Achilles go back, and those that do rarely play on the same level as they did before.”
“It’s all attitude. If you put the work in, you’ll be fine. Keep your head in the game, Heath. What happens is up to you.”
Heath suppressed a wave of sadness as Mom stood, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “I’ll take these dishes into the kitchen and get dessert ready.” She didn’t want to hear any more about it, and Heath didn’t blame her.
He considered saying nothing, but after she left, he couldn’t help himself. “Would it be so bad if I retired early, Pop?”
“You’ll do no such thing. What’s wrong with you? Are you willing to take your entire career and flush it down the toilet?” He threw the napkin he was holding onto the table as if he were throwing a ball to the ground for a touchdown. “I will not allow you to make that mistake. There’s no reason why you can’t get back on that field if you put your mind to it.” His father was so angry that his face had turned red as his hands clenched.
“It’s been a dream come true to play for the NFL. But I’ve always known it wouldn’t be forever. It never is. I’ve saved my money, invested in several businesses here in Clearwater, and I’ve set myself up a fund for retirement.”
His father shook his head as though at a loss for words. “If you do that, you’ll never be happy. You’ll regret that decision for the rest of your life.” He stood and left the room. A moment later, the front door opened and closed again.
Heath placed his palms on the edge of the table. He ought to be angry at Pop, but all he felt was sorry for him. Mom came back in then with two plates, a piece of chocolate cake on each of them. Wordlessly, she handed one to Heath and sat down with the other.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“This is all your father.” She frowned as she lifted a bite of cake and chewed thoughtfully. “He spends so much time looking backward, he misses everything he’s going through now. One day he will realize that. I hope it won’t be too late.”
The sadness on her face pulled at Heath’s heartstrings. “You’re a saint, Mom. I hope Pop sees that one day, too.” He lifted a forkful of cake. “Not to mention you make the best cake in Clearwater. I appreciate dinner, it was great.”
“You’re welcome.” She reached under the table and tapped his foot with her own. “So you going back on Monday?”
“Yeah, probably so. But coming back for Christmas, Mom. I promise.”
She smiled then, tears in her eyes. “I’ll hold you to that.”
There were a million things he needed to accomplish over the next couple of days. None of them occupied his thoughts like the worry of how he was going to tell Raven.
Chapter Sixteen
Raven checked the weather first thing Friday morning. There had been a small chance of rain the night before, but thankfully that had disappeared. With the parade taking place at one in the afternoon, rain would’ve put a huge damper on the festivities. Raven only remembered the parade being canceled once or twice in the last decade. While she hadn’t intended to go anyway, many members of the community had been disappointed. After the amount of work they’d put into the float, she could understand that more now.
She finished work at noon and hurried home to change. She ditched her scrubs for a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved dark green blouse. With the walking she knew they’d do at the parade and later the game, she chose to wear her tennis shoes.
Heath arrived at her house at exactly twelve-thirty. She answered the door with a smile. “You’re right on time.”
“I try.” He grinned. “You ready to go? I figured we could pick up something for lunch at one of the food trucks on the square and eat while we watch the parade.”
“That sounds great.” Raven locked the door behind her and glanced up at the sky. Even the clouds were clearing, giving way to blue sky and sunshine. “I’m anxious to see how that float looks going down Main Street. Hopefully it stays together. Goodness knows we used enough glue.” They got into his truck. “I’m surprised the team didn’t ask you to join them on the float.”
“They did, but I told them I had other plans.” He gave her a wink as he pulled away from the curb.
He’d chosen to spend time with her instead of waving to his adoring fans. The realization warmed her. “I’m glad.”
“They asked me to sit on the sidelines with them at the game, though. I didn’t feel like I could turn them down twice. I hope that’s okay.” He glanced at her as though nervous about her response.
“That’s fine. I wouldn’t dream of keeping Clearwater’s own football star in the stands during the homecoming game.”
He reached for her hand and kissed her wrist before releasing it again. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
She shrugged, not sure what to say. She smiled to herself as they maneuvered through the crowded streets and finally found a parking spot several blocks away from the town square. As they strolled down the sidewalk, Heath again reached for her hand. This time he laced their fingers together, seemingly in no hurry to let go again. Neither was Raven. She enjoyed the physical connection as they browsed the food trucks and decided on chicken street tacos.
With their plates of food in hand, they found a spot on Main Street near where the parade was supposed to begin and ate while they waited.
Music started up long before the parade turned the corner and came into view. The crowd cheered as the mayor and his family drove by in an antique car, waving. Behind them, a variety of businesses with colorful floats and fun music strolled down the street.
People on the floats cheered and threw candy as they went, which was a highlight for the kids in the crowd. They swarmed the curbs to pick up the bright orbs of sugar and add them to the bags they’d brought.
The local 4H group came through on a variety of beautiful horses. Raven leaned closer to Heath. “I wish I’d learned how to ride.”
He turned toward her, inches away, surprise on his face. “You? On a horse?”
Raven planted a hand on her hip. “Yes. What’s so weird about that?”
His lips
lifted in a grin. “I’m sorry, I can’t picture it.” Then he chuckled. “Okay, yes, I can.”
“Hey!” She used her shoulder to hit his and was surprised by how much solid muscle she encountered. She rubbed her arm. “Ouch.” That only had him laughing harder. She couldn’t keep a straight face and soon was covering her own smile with a palm. “Okay, fine. Maybe becoming a world-known horseback rider is not in my future.”
“Yeah, I’m not thinking it is.”
“Thanks for that.” She wasn’t the least bit offended, though. Especially when he put an arm around her waist and tugged her close as they continued to watch the parade.
At one point, someone tossed out wrapped pieces of chocolate. Heath stooped and retrieved one, handing it to Raven with a smile and a flourish. She unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth, thinking it may be one of the sweetest pieces of chocolate she’d ever had.
She caught sight of the clock at the top of their float as it rounded the corner. “Oh, here it comes!” Raven bounced on her toes to get a better look. She had to admit it looked pretty good out there.
The football team stood on the float in their uniforms while the cheerleaders led the way with flips and twirls to engage the crowd. Behind the float, the high school band played as they kept in perfect step together.
Raven scanned the surrounding people, recognizing more than a handful of them. Mrs. Giles from the corner market caught her eye and waved with a smile. Raven waved back. This was what she loved about Clearwater and living in a town her whole life. You couldn’t find this kind of community spirit just anywhere.
What did Heath think about all of this? Had he missed it? Or was he content in the moment, but would be as happy to go back to Cleveland again? Her runaway train of thought was putting a serious damper on her spirits.
Whether Heath sensed her change in mood, or the timing was right, Raven didn’t know. He put a hand on each of her shoulders and massaged them gently before leaning her back against his chest. With his arms around her waist, he rested his cheek against hers, and they finished watching the rest of the parade.
Being held by Heath didn’t fix their situation, and Cleveland didn’t magically disappear. Still, it made Raven daydream that they could somehow make things work. She was probably fooling herself, but it was a lot better than reality.
The moment the last vehicle ended, the crowd began to disperse. Those going to the football game afterward would head that way shortly. Everyone else was hoping to get to their cars and home again before too much traffic clogged the downtown roads.
“I guess we should get going.” Heath’s soft words were spoken next to Raven’s ear and sent electricity dancing down her spine.
“I guess we should.”
Neither of them moved for several moments. The crowd of people pushing past them got them moving. They walked hand in hand back to Heath’s truck. Their slow progress through traffic led them to the large parking lot outside of the busy high school football stadium.
They took their time walking along the path that led around the stadium. Heath squeezed her hand. “I wish I hadn’t agreed to sit on the field with the team now.”
Yeah, so did she. But the boys were counting on Heath to be there. Besides, they were going to the dance together later, so she pushed her disappointment aside. “It’s okay. I’ll find you when the game’s over.”
Heath glanced over his shoulder. With a mischievous grin on his face, he tugged her hand and led her off the path to a tree not far away. Once they’d skirted the large trunk and paused on the other side, Heath turned to face her. With one hand on the bark behind her shoulder, he leaned close. “It’ll be a while before I see you again. I may go through withdrawals. Any idea what might help with that?”
Raven shook her head, a smile on her face. “You’re so full of it, you know that?”
“You objecting?”
“No.” Her voice sounded breathless and then Heath was kissing her. She placed her hand flat against his chest as he deepened the kiss. The moment didn’t last nearly long enough. Her cheeks burned when he broke their connection and gave her a smile that made her pulse race.
Like a gentleman, he led her to the stands and didn’t leave again until she was settled. She watched him go back down the steps to disappear in the crowd. Only then did she allow herself to sag against her seat and process the emotions racing through her.
Everything about the day had been perfect from the street tacos, to the parade, to that amazing kiss they’d just shared. It felt right, as if they’d somehow picked up where they left off years ago. It was amazing and scary all at the same time.
Raven was more in love with Heath now than she ever was before. Where did that leave them?
Several people Raven knew stopped to say hi, bringing with them a welcome break from her rambling thoughts. She visited with them for a while until they moved to their seats, making way for someone else she recognized.
Raven visited with people as much as she watched the game for the first hour. When she found herself alone again, she decided a snack was in order before halftime when the concession stand would become flooded. She picked her way through the crowd. She was feet away from the end of the line when Heath’s father stopped her.
“Oh! Hi, Mr. Shaw. Are you enjoying the game?”
“I am.” Mr. Shaw nodded, his gaze moving past her and resting on the field beyond. “It was great for the team to invite Heath down to sit with them.”
“Yes, it was.” There was something about the way Mr. Shaw avoided eye contact that put Raven on alert. She motioned toward the line that was moving forward without her. “Were you on your way to get a snack?”
“Actually, I was hoping to chat with you a moment.” He motioned toward an area off to the side where it wasn’t as crowded. He waited for Raven to precede him.
Once there, Mr. Shaw studied her with a frown that accentuated the lines next to his mouth and eyes. “Is something wrong, Mr. Shaw?” She scanned the crowd nearby, hoping to see someone she knew who might stop by and rescue her. For once, there was no one.
“I saw you and my son arrived together. I hope you realize how talented a ball player he is.” He tipped his head toward the field. “Heath deserves more than anything Clearwater can give him. When he heads back to Cleveland on Monday, he needs to leave with a clear conscience and put everything about this town behind him.”
Raven stared at him, no longer comprehending anything he said. Heath was going back on Monday? Since when? That was less than two days away! She tried to process the news. Surely Mr. Shaw was trying to scare her. Heath would’ve told her himself, wouldn’t he? “I’m sure if he was leaving, he’d have…” The words died on her lips as she focused on Mr. Shaw to find, for the first time, that he was smiling.
“He didn’t tell you.” It wasn’t a question, but rather a statement with a hint of satisfaction attached to it. “I know Heath’s enjoyed getting caught up with you while he’s been here, but he has a big future ahead of him. He can’t afford to have anyone holding him back. He was probably planning on leaving Monday and avoiding any unnecessarily messy goodbyes.”
Raven’s breath caught, and a pain settled over her chest. No. “I’m sure he was planning on telling me. Things have been so busy today, he hasn’t had the chance.” Not true. He had plenty of opportunities to tell her something this important.
“Maybe that’s true. Well, if you see my son before I do, let him know I was looking for him. Enjoy the rest of the game.”
She watched, her hands numb, as he turned and disappeared into the crowd. The sun had warmed her earlier, but now she felt chilled to the bone.
She didn’t want to believe Heath would leave on Monday without saying a word. Not after this last week. After today. Did what they have stand a chance compared to the years he’d dedicated to his career?
This had to be more than just a distraction to help pass the time.
The concession stand forgotten, Raven wrapped he
r arms around her middle and, as if in a trance, somehow made it back to her seat.
Chapter Seventeen
Heath took in the large crowd as they watched the final play of the homecoming game. The Homecoming King and Queen were announced at halftime. As if that weren’t enough for the crowd to cheer about, the Raptors were about to win the game.
He watched in satisfaction as Carl congratulated the team on a job well done. The boys’ faces lit up with pride as they pounded each other on the back. There was nothing like the thrill of a win.
Heath looked to the stands, though there was no way he could see Raven through all these people. He waited long enough to congratulate each member of the Raptors, shake Carl’s hand, and then he took off to find her. When Heath got to her seat, it was empty.
After scanning the crowd and seeing no signs of Raven, he pulled his phone out to find he’d received a text from her a half hour ago. He tapped on it.
“Rosie headed home early. I caught a ride home with her, so I could change. I’ll see you later at the dance.”
Heath fought a wave of disappointment. He’d be taking her home himself otherwise, so it’s not like their plans had changed all that much. But considering he had to go back to Cleveland on Monday, every minute with Raven counted.
People thanking him or asking for his autograph hindered Heath’s trip back to his truck. Fans congratulated him and the team, as though his presence had had an impact on their win. He breathed a sigh of relief when he slid into the seat behind the wheel. Hints of lavender still lingered in the cabin as he drove home and changed.
He’d texted Raven once, asking if Rosie was feeling okay, but didn’t hear back. By the time he arrived at the dance, he was getting worried about her. Afraid he’d miss her when she arrived, he stayed near the entrance. That’s where Carl found him.
Marrying Raven (Brides of Clearwater Book 2) Page 13