“Oh. Well, that makes sense, I guess. What I want to know though, Nataleigh, are you going to stop taking care of rich people’s animals when your family doesn’t need your help anymore?”
“I—”
“Want to know how I see it?” Leena interrupted. “Coach Robinson is going to continue to live poor in the hood when he doesn’t have to. You’re going to stay elbow to elbow with people that aren’t your own long past when you need to. You and Coach are both living a life that you shouldn’t. Sure is going to be tough for the two of you to get together and have yourself a cute little baby of your own. That’s a shame. It truly is.”
“But—”
The buzzer sounded again and the two teams rushed back out onto the field.
Nataleigh didn’t jump at the sound this time, but only because her brain was on overload. Was Lena a wise-beyond-her-years young woman, or just a nonsense-filled teenager?
Had she, Nataleigh Brown, stepped into a world far removed from her roots with the subconscious knowledge that she never intended to leave? Was she guilty of going too far in the wrong direction as Keelan was? So many questions that she didn’t have the answers to.
Keelan caught her gaze with his own and flashed her another smile, which earned her a poke in the side from Leena.
And there was another question that wiggled its way into Nataleigh’s mind as Keelan took his spot on the sideline. What was she going to do about the emotional and erotic spell that Keelan was slowly, but surely, weaving around her?
Chapter Six
The third quarter of the football game began and the noise n the stadium was almost deafening. The crowd from both schools realized that their teams had come to play, and play tough. The tension and excitement rose with every snap of the ball.
Nataleigh could feel the vibration of the bleachers beneath her seat cushion as the fans pounded their feet on the metal benches while shouting at the top of their lungs, each side of the stadium attempting to outdo the other, with energetic cheerleader urging them on.
It was mayhem.
And Nataleigh was having a great time. She participated in the cheers she remembered from her own days in high school and tried to catch on to those that were new. She shouted at the referees for blatant calls they missed—most should have been in favor of the Carter Cowboys—and spent more time on her feet than sitting down like the mature adult she’d promise Germaine and Leena she’d be.
The score seesawed back and forth. Carter would go up by one touchdown. Hillcrest would come back and tie it up. Then Hillcrest would take the lead. When the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the third quarter, Nataleigh sat back down on the bench and fanned her face with her hand.
The game was tied at thirty-four all.
“Nataleigh,” Leena said.
“Whew! Watching football is exhausting, isn’t it, Leena? I can’t remember when I’ve had this much fun. Keelan is an excellent coach, no doubt about it. He calls the right play for any given situation and…”
“Nataleigh,” Leena whispered frantically, tugging on her sleeve.
“Yes?” Nataleigh responded, looking at the teenager. “Are you having a good time as well?”
“Not anymore. Germaine didn’t come back after he went to the bathroom and concession stand at halftime.”
Nataleigh glanced quickly at the empty spot next to Leena, then stared wide-eyed at the young lady. “I didn’t even realize he didn’t come back. I was so caught up in the game that—you’re worried. I can tell from the expression on your face.”
“Yes, I am,” Leena retorted, fighting back tears. “There’s a big rivalry between Hillcrest and Carter. We don’t like them, they don’t like us. I’ve got to go and find Germaine, make sure nothing has happened to him”
The buzzer sounded again, marking the beginning of the fourth quarter of the game began.
“You shouldn’t go by yourself. I’ll go with you. Let’s go.”
The two of them stood and made their way slowly along the bleachers, mumbling Excuse me as they squeezed past the excited fans. Finally making their way to the bottom level, they hurried toward the steps that would lead behind the bleachers to the concession stand.
* * * *
Keelan caught the attention of the referee nearest him and made a T with his hands calling for a time-out. The referee caught the signal and blew his whistle, pointing to the Carter sideline.
As Keelan waited for his boys to hustle toward him, he allowed himself another quick glance in Nataleigh’s direction, having thoroughly enjoyed observing her loud and delightful enthusiasm as she cheered on his team when he could. But the spot Nataleigh had occupied was empty. She was gone, and so were Leena and Germaine.
Damn it.
He scanned the bleachers. Where was Nataleigh? What the hell was going on?
“What’s the plan, Coach?” one of the players asked, breathing heavily.
“What? Oh. Yes. Okay. Listen up. With their starting center being hurt, defense, you might able to get the replacement center to false start or jump offside. It we can, get a fumble lay on the ball. Offense will do the rest of the work to make sure we win.”
“Got it, Coach,” the boys said in unison.
“Good,” Keelan replied, patting the nearest boy on the shoulder. “We can win this game. Stay focused. Stay tough. Don’t get any penalties.”
The game resumed and Keelan swept his gaze over the bleachers once more before turning back to focus on the game.
Where the hell was Nataleigh?
* * * *
The instant that Nataleigh and Leena stepped under the bleachers, Leena grabbed Nataleigh’s hand and Nataleigh’s heart began to race with fear. Two police cars were parked at odd angles right outside the gates, red and blue lights whirling. A group of teenagers were kept huddled back by two of the officers, while two others were standing between the vehicles, blocking the full view of the two boys they were speaking to.
Nataleigh and Leena moved to the exit instead of the concession stand, then Leena gasped, as she tightened her grasp on Nataleigh’s hand.
“Oh, God, Nataleigh, look,” she whispered, her voice shaky, “the police have Germaine. He has blood on his shirt and…his face… Oh, his face is bleeding. He’s been in a fight. They’re going to take him to jail.” She burst into tears. “Oh, my poor, Germaine. What are we going to do?”
“Stay calm,” Nataleigh murmured, her voice barely steadier than Leena’s. She pried her hand loose from Leena’s hold. “You wait right here and don’t say one single word. Understand?”
Leena sniffled and nodded. Nataleigh shifted the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder, handed her seat cushion to Leena, lifted her chin and marched toward the duo of cops standing between the cruisers.
“Good evening, Officers,” she called out, managing to produce a smile. “What seems to be the problem here?” She slid a quick glare at Germaine, then glanced at the other boy, who held a bloody towel to his nose.
“We have a couple of troublemakers on our hands,” one of the policemen replied. “We’re taking them down to the precinct. Who are you?”
“Ms. Nataleigh Brown. Now then, both of these young men are obviously juveniles, underage offenders whom you will release to a person who is of authority in their lives. Correct?” Nataleigh drew in a deep breath. “So, I’ll just save everyone a lot of fuss and paperwork and take Germaine with me now. Come on, Germaine. I thought you were warned about getting into trouble tonight. When we get home, you are in a whole heap of trouble.”
One of the officers held up a hand. “Hang on. I’m having a little trouble believing that you’re Germaine’s mother, Ms. Brown.”
“You are?” she said, her eyebrows shooting up high on her forehead. “Oh, well of course, you are. I’m not his mother. I’m his…his guardian.” She winced when her voice squeaked. It would be the understatement of the year to say she had never been good at telling a lie. She was saved when a car came screeching up and the
brakes squealed as they were slammed on.
A man barreled out of the driver’s seat.
“Oh-h-h, hell,” the other boy said. “I’m dead. That’s my dad.”
The father stalked up to the group. “One of your friends called me, Zeke, and said you’d gotten into a fistfight with a kid from Carter. You idiot. I ought to let you spend the night in jail.”
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Zeke mumbled, keeping the towel pressed to his nose, his eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to go to jail, Dad. Please. Can’t I just go home with you? I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I swear I am.”
“Officers?” Zeke’s father said, looking at each of them in turn.
“Well, we were going to take them in,” one of the policemen began, “but…okay, take your son home.” He looked at Nataleigh. “And you, guardian of Germaine, get your kid out of here.”
“I will. Thank you.” Nataleigh stated, barely able to contain a sigh of relief. “Thank you very much.”
“As for the two of you,” the officer addressed Germaine and Zeke, “if there is any trouble from either of you in the future, you’re going to find yourself in front of a juvenile court judge. Got that?”
Germaine and Zeke nodded vigorously.
Zeke’s father hustled the teenager toward the car.
“Come on, Germaine,” Nataleigh stated, her tone stern. “We’re going home. Right now.”
“Ms. Brown?” one of the policemen called out.
“Yes, sir?”
“You are a terrible liar,” he responded, the corners of his mouth curling upward. “I recommend you don’t make a habit of it.”
She hoped her embarrassment didn’t show as much as she felt it did. “I won’t, I mean, I don’t. This was an emergency situation that called for desperate measures.”
“Sure,” the office said with a chuckle. “Take your felon home now.”
“We’re gone.” She grabbed Germaine’s arm. “You will never see, or hear, from us again. Goodnight.” Nataleigh half-led, half-dragged Germaine away until they were back to the spot were she left Leena. The girl threw her arms around him in a hug, then a instant later, slugged him on the shoulder.
“Stop that,” Nataleigh whispered frantically, “or we’ll all end up downtown. You can fuss at him later, Leena. How did the two of you get here tonight?”
“On the booster bus,” Leena supplied.
“Well that won’t work. We need to leave now. The two of you are coming home with me. I don’t live far from here.” She dug into her purse for a small notebook and pen. She wrote a message on a piece of paper and tore it out. “Do you see anyone you know from Carter in the group gathered over there?”
“Most of those kids over there are from Carter,” Leena murmured.
“Then give this to someone responsible and with a cool head. Tell them to slip it to Coach Robinson after the game without making too much of a commotion about it.”
Leena nodded, took the paper and rushed over to the group.
Nataleigh sighed in relief when the girl returned quickly. “Now let’s get out of here before the kind officers change their minds.”
The three of them made their way across the parking lot with Nataleigh convinced that she heard the police officers laughing the entire way.
* * * *
When there were twenty seconds left to play in the game, the score was tied at forty-two. The last quarter had been more defensive than he expected from either team. The noise level inside the stadium had risen to such a level that he struggled to hear what was happening on the field.
Yet his offense was on the field and all they needed were six yards to be in field goal range. He held his breath as his quarterback took the snap. “Blitz,” he yelled. “All out blitz. Get rid of the ball!”
He fought not to squeeze his eyes shut as the ball sailed through the air in the direction of his wide-open starting receiver. Seconds ticked off the clock, telling him that if this play wasn’t successful, they would have to go into overtime. Something he didn’t want to do for several reasons.
In a heart stopping moment, the ball landed in the receiver’s arms only for him to bobble it. Keelan almost collapsed to his knees once a secure grip had been established and his starter took off racing toward the end zone. The final game buzzer sounded a heartbeat after one foot touched down inside the scoring line.
The Carter Cowboys had won the game.
“Yes!” Keelan shouted. He punched one fist in the air, barely resisting the temptation to jump up. The players on the sidelines stormed the field after the victory was officially called by the referee. Keelan stayed where he was, congratulating his assistant coaches, allowing each to relish in a hard fought win.
“Coach Robinson!”
He looked toward the bleachers as the shout of his name reached his ears. His gaze landed on a female student who beckoned him over. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t place her with a hundred percent certainty. He walked toward the stands, noticing she had a slip of paper contained within her hand.
“Leena told me to give that to you,” she informed him as she slipped him the note.
He opened it immediately, hoping it would explain the mysterious disappearance of the trio. “What the…” he said aloud, biting off the rest for the sake of his student, his eyes widening as he read the message.
Keelan, Germaine got in a little trouble. Took him and Leena to my apartment. Nataleigh.
He scowled, bit back a string of profanity, then balled up the paper in his fist. He made his way toward the field to encourage his team toward the locker room.
* * * *
Nataleigh smiled during the entire drive to her apartment as Leena tore into Germaine in a nonstop scolding at his fistfight with the kid from Hillcrest. In smart fashion, Germaine simply nodded in complete agreement and kept his mouth shut.
In Nataleigh’s living room, Leena stopped still and looked around. “Oh, Nataleigh,” she whispered. “This is awesome. I can’t believe this apartment is all yours. You don’t have to share it with anyone?”
“It’s all mine, Leena. The furniture is used and the rooms aren’t very roomy, but I like it.”
“Wow. This is very nice. Don’t you think so, Germaine? We might have a place like this someday.”
“It’s cool, but my eye and head aren’t. I feel like I’m dying. The other guy has it worse though. Guaranteed.”
“Oh, shut up,” Leena muttered. “I don’t want to hear one more word about that fight.”
“Me, either,” Germaine mumbled. “You were the one going on about it all the way here, not me.”
“Enough of that, you two,” Nataleigh interrupted. “Come into the kitchen so we can tend to your face, Germaine.”
“What he deserves is a bite on the butt from that crazy bird of yours, Nataleigh,” Leena retorted.
Nataleigh laughed and the trio headed for the kitchen. Half an hour later, Germaine’s face had been washed, a bandage put on a cut above a swelling right eye and they were all consuming turkey-and-cheese sandwiches along with glasses of iced tea.
A sharp knock sounded at the door.
Nataleigh rose to her feet and rushed to answer the already repeated summons. She swung open the door to find a frowning Keelan Robinson standing before her. “Hello,” she greeted brightly.
“Mmm,” Keelan uttered, moving past her. “Germaine, you are on my list, buddy.”
“Uh-oh,” Leena whispered.
Keelan strode into the kitchen with Nataleigh right on his heels.
“I’m sorry, Coach,” Germaine said, getting to his feet. “I really am. The jerk from Hillcrest started it—I swear he did. He was teasing me, was all over my case, really giving me a hard time. I ignored him until he said what he did about you.”
“Me?” Keelan responded, surprise evident on his face.
“Well, yeah, see, he said you keep that red towel on your waist during the game to hide…well, um, to hide your tears when you are crying. W
hen he said that, I busted his nose.”
Nataleigh burst into laughter, quickly quieting down when Keelan shot her a dark look “Oops. I’m sorry.”
Keelan sighed. “Okay. What’s done, is done. Believe it or not, the booster bus followed me over here. The two of you haul it outside and get on that bus. After you thank Nataleigh for saving your butt, Germaine.”
“Thank you, Nataleigh,” Leena, whispered, hugging her. “You are so nice and we’re really friends now.”
“Thank you, Nataleigh,” Germaine repeated. “I definitely didn’t want to go to jail.” He looked at Keelan. “You’ve picked yourself a fine lady, Coach. Your woman is something else. Special, you know what I mean? Very cool.”
“Go!” Keelan growled, pointing toward the door.
“Is the team bus out there, too?” Leena asked.
“No, I’m going to have enough to explain over rerouting the booster buss. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here so Mr. Newbury from school and his wife were at the game. Mrs. Newbury drove their car and Mr. Newbury went back on the team bus. You’ve put a lot of people through a great deal of inconvenience, Germaine. I hope you realize that.”
“I was protecting your honor, Coach!”
Keelan’s lips twitched. “Hiding my tears, huh? What a dumb thing to say.”
“Yeah, well, he has a busted nose to show for his big, stupid mouth,” Germaine added.
“Okay, okay, you go make your way to that bus.”
With another flurry of thank-yous and goodbyes, Leena and Germaine left the apartment.
A sudden deep silence fell over the kitchen.
“Did we win the game?”
Keelan chuckled. “Yes, we won.”
“That’s good. Um…would you like a turkey-and-cheese sandwich?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
“Have a seat at the table and I’ll fix it. It will be ready in no time.”
* * * *
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