Home Field

by Laurie Winter

  Reagan turned his attention to the sled and a rookie linebacker, who’d just lost his footing. Instead of pushing the sled forward, he kept his body too high and fell back.

  “At this rate,” DeMarcus went on, “we’ll be here all day.”

  Normally, this situation wouldn’t bother him. Sure, he was hungry, hot, and tired, but he loved being out on the field, even for training. Today, though, he had other things on his mind. For one, the piece of paper with Julie’s number, back in the locker room. He wanted to call her now and hear the sound of her voice.

  Julie Ellis had gotten under his skin. Luckily, his attraction to her was just a little itch, nothing more.

  ****

  Julie was already seated when Chrissy entered the Gingerbread Café. “Over here,” Julie said over the noise of lively chatter, waving her hand in the air.

  Chrissy walked over to their table, and her curly brown hair bounced up and down around her smiling face.

  The aroma of roasting coffee and baked goods filled the air. Customers occupied almost every table, drinking coffee and chatting—lazily spending their Sunday morning.

  “I’m getting a coffee, be right back.” Chrissy went over to the counter to place her order.

  Chrissy Taylor was five-feet-two-inches of pure energy. She still had a cheerleader’s body, small and compact, something Julie envied. Some people called her hyper, but Julie figured she was so full of life that, on occasion, her energy just burst out.

  Moments later, she joined Julie, a steaming hot, extra large ceramic coffee mug and a blueberry scone perched precariously in her hand. She set them on the table, pulled out an empty chair, and made herself comfortable. “What ya working on?” Chrissy asked before taking a bite of scone.

  “I’m updating patient logs.” Julie pointed to the stacks of papers placed before her. She loved her job as a Pediatric Physical Therapist, and the kids she worked with made all the extra effort worthwhile. “I can’t get caught up. I was wrong when I thought only working part-time would mean less paperwork.”

  Chrissy gave a sympathetic smile. “My students think I go home after school and sit around and watch TV. They don’t understand all the homework they complain about needs to be graded by someone, and that someone is me. I can’t tell you how many nights I grade papers until bedtime.” She stopped talking long enough to take a sip of coffee. “Being a grown-up stinks!”

  “I agree.” Julie laughed out loud. “What I wouldn’t give to be sixteen again. Not a care in the world. But we were in such a hurry to grow up and become responsible adults. What were we thinking?” Funny to think her wild-child friend had grown up to become a responsible fourth-grade teacher. Now, she was in charge of a classroom full of kids, keeping them out of trouble.

  Chrissy’s blue eyes peered over her large cup of coffee. “Obviously, we weren’t.”

  The two friends engaged in small talk around their table. They were seated before a window, which overlooked the park where Aiden had football practice. Outside, people strolled past the café, enjoying the beautiful, summer morning.

  Julie gazed out the window, watching a couple walk by, hand in hand. They were young and in love. Their happiness burned like a shot of whiskey, and the sting traveled straight to her heart.

  “Hey, Jules, you okay? You look a million miles away.”

  Sighing, Julie turned her attention to her friend. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “Sometimes I get lost in my own head.”

  “Just don’t go too far.” Chrissy reached across the table to take hold of her hand. Moisture shone in her eyes. “I love you, Jules.”

  “Love you, too, Curly-Q.”

  Chrissy’s giggle cleared away their sober mood. “You know I hate that nickname. Now…tell me about the banquet. I bet the country club was gorgeous. Did you get to meet many players? How was the food?”

  “One question at a time.” Holding up a hand, Julie laughed. Chrissy always knew how to pull her back into the sunlight. “Actually, the banquet was better than expected.” She watched as Chrissy’s face lit up with excitement. “The club was very nice, and the food was amazing. John would’ve loved it.”

  “I know you wish he had been there with you.” Chrissy patted her hand.

  Julie paused for a few seconds to tuck away her grief like she’d done so many times before. Her dark moods concerned her friends and family. She understood that. So, she painted on a smile, like a shining masquerade mask, and told Chrissy every detail—what she ate, what she drank, which famous Warriors players she met.

  “That’s so cool. I’m glad you decided to go. Did you get autographs for Aiden?”

  “I got an autograph and picture of almost every Warriors player there.” Julie remembered the man who’d made Aiden’s wish possible. At the thought of him, a smile naturally formed. “I had the good luck of sitting next to a player who, after dinner, spent the rest of the night tracking down his teammates.”

  “Wow, that’s fantastic! Who’s your knight in shining armor?”

  “Reagan Harrison.” His name on her lips sent a small thrill up her spine.

  Chrissy let out a loud whoop, which attracted the attention of the people seated around them. “Holy smokes, girl, he’s the hottest football player in the country. You’re so lucky. Did you get a picture taken with him, too?”

  Julie nodded and pulled out her cell phone. “Here are the pictures.” She showed Chrissy the screen. “This first one is of Reagan and me.”

  Bug-eyed, Chrissy nearly choked on a bite of scone. She recovered and gave the picture another look. “You two make a super-cute couple. I bet his girlfriend was jealous.”

  “He came alone. I overheard him talking about his girlfriend, Brynn Campbell, you know the movie star. She was off somewhere on a shoot.”

  “You look so pretty.” Chrissy’s gaze stayed focused on the picture. “I bet he didn’t want to let you out of his sight.”

  “Don’t let your imagination run away with you. Reagan just felt sorry for me, a war widow, sitting at the banquet all alone. He was kind, even if he was a shameless flirt and slightly self absorbed.” His attention had made her feel alive for the first time in a long time. “He offered to take Aiden and me on a tour of the stadium.”

  “Wow.”

  Julie had made her best friend speechless. “I haven’t told Aiden yet. I’m waiting until after I hear from Reagan. I’d hate for Aiden to be disappointed if the tour doesn’t work out.” Noticing the time, Julie took one last drink of her coffee then gathered her papers into a neat pile.

  Chrissy stood to get ready to leave. “My dear, dear friend,” she said in her best teacher tone. “After looking at the picture of Reagan standing next to you, and seeing the look in his eyes, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

  Chapter Four

  Thursday afternoon, Julie moved through the house, mindlessly picking up the toys scattered around. Toys multiplied almost like mosquitoes every time she turned her back. She really needed to do a better job of teaching Aiden to pick up after himself. After putting away small cars, plastic army men, and wooden train tracks into their appropriate containers, she picked up the phone to call her mom. “Hey, did you get that clog out of the drain?” Julie asked, with her cell phone cradled between her shoulder and ear. She brushed on sparkling sea green nail polish onto her right thumbnail.

  The sound of her mom’s laughter came through the phone. “I tried the Plumber Gel stuff, but the darn thing won’t budge. Time to call a real plumber. What’s the name of the outfit you used for the leak in the bathroom?”

  “Down The Drain. I have their card somewhere,” she said, before glancing at her shiny nails. Don’t want to mess up all my hard work rummaging through my purse for a business card. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow.” Having Mom live right down the block was wonderful. When she lived at Fort Bragg, she’d missed having her close by.

  “Oh, that’s right. You’re not coming for dinner tonight. I bet Aiden’s excited to
see the inside of Warriors Stadium.”

  “It’s all he’s talked about for the past few days. I’ve learned more about the Warriors football team than I ever thought possible. Aiden thinks he’s meeting a real life superhero.”

  “To a young boy, Reagan Harrison probably is a superhero.” Her mom paused. “Chrissy told me you declined her invitation to the party this weekend. Honey, you need to get out there and live your life. Ever since you’ve moved back to Timber Lake, you’ve become a hermit, isolating yourself. I’m glad you went to the banquet last Saturday. Meeting new people is good for you. I love you, and John loved you. He’d want you to live your life to the fullest.”

  Julie sighed in resignation. “I know, but right now I’m doing the best I can. My focus needs to stay on Aiden. I don’t have time for a social life.”

  “I know your life hasn’t been easy lately. You’ve persevered through tough times, and you’re an incredibly strong woman. I just don’t want you to wake up someday, regretting that so many good things passed you by. Don’t lose any more precious time to grief. Now go and have fun, and I’ll see you tomorrow for our lunch date.”

  “Thanks, Mom, I love you, bye.”

  “Love you, too, baby. Bye.”

  Julie pressed End, but remained seated at the kitchen table. Her mother was right, of course, but she didn’t have the energy to fight through her sorrow. She missed John every minute of every day. At times, she’d go over to her computer to write him an email, wanting to share some news then remember he was gone. That realization always hit her like a physical blow to the heart.

  Don’t lose any more time to grief, her mom had said. So far, nothing had given her any reason to expect a good future. A void in her life existed that she couldn’t imagine being filled. But if she wanted to really start living again, she needed to find a reason for hope.

  Would she ever get a straight answer from the Army? They were acting as slippery as a greased pig. And while she ran around after it, the truth remained just out of reach. Bringing home his body to lay him to rest in Arlington National Cemetery wasn’t enough. Why was he dead? And who was responsible?

  Aiden rushed into the house through the back door. “Mom, when do we leave for the stadium?” His eyes shone wild with excitement.

  “In two hours. You need to shower before we go. You’re a mess.” She grinned at her son, who was covered head-to-toe in dirt.

  “Okay, but I want to finish mine and Mike’s race track in the yard.”

  “You have thirty minutes, then it’s upstairs with you. We need to make you look presentable for Mr. Harrison. I don’t want him thinking I have a mud monster for a son.”

  “Yippee!” Aiden shouted. “I can’t wait to meet him. I bet he’s as big as Mr. Miller from school. Mr. Miller told us that he could’ve played football in the pros if it wasn’t for his bum knee. Can I get ice cream from the truck when it comes by?”

  Her son’s mind worked like a crazy train, jumping from one thought to another. She shooed him outside. “Go outside and finish your track.”

  Aiden bolted out the door and jumped high up into the air, like he was part kangaroo. Julie heard him tell his friend Mike they had to hurry—he needed to take a shower before he met Reagan Harrison.

  Her son was her biggest blessing—more valuable than all the money and fame in the world.

  ****

  The time was a few minutes before four o’clock, and Reagan roamed past the staff entrance of Warriors Stadium. He’d paced back and forth for the past fifteen minutes. Every so often, he would look out the glass doors for Julie’s car. If not for seeing Julie, he would’ve been in a crappy mood. Today had been a rough practice, with the coaches running the team ragged. Their tough love was part of training camp, getting men in shape for the season—the pain came with being a professional athlete. But tell that to his body, which ached like he’d been run over by a herd of buffalo. And tomorrow he’d go through the process all over again.

  At four o’clock on the dot, he spotted a Jeep drive into the staff parking lot, Julie’s distinct red hair unmistakable through the windshield. He opened the door to meet her.

  She stepped out of the car as Reagan approached.

  “Hi, Julie.” His voice cracked. Get it together, Harrison, you’re not sixteen. He cleared his throat. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Hi.” She went to the back door to let her son out of his booster seat. “Thanks for arranging this. Aiden’s really excited, so I hope you’re ready. He may give you a run for your money.”

  “I’m ready for anything.” His wide smile might seem too eager, so he dialed it back a notch. Spending time with her son would remind him of why he didn’t date single moms. Although he was incredibly attracted to her, he figured a widow with a young son was too much responsibility. At this point in his professional career, he was very careful of who he let into his life. He didn’t need any distractions. This tour with Aiden should shake loose any romantic notions he had toward the kid’s mother.

  Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a dark-haired boy sprung out of the back seat and landed directly before Reagan. The kid was struck speechless. His wide, round eyes mirrored his gaping mouth.

  “Hi, Aiden.” He shot him a friendly smile. He bent down and held out his oversized hand to shake Aiden’s. “I’m Reagan Harrison. Your mom told me you’re a big Warriors fan. Would you like to come with me and take a look inside the stadium?”

  Aiden gave a slow nod and looked over at Julie.

  She took hold of Aiden’s hand and gave him a soft nudge with her elbow. “He’s usually not this quiet. Enjoy the silence while it lasts because once he finds his tongue, he’ll be talking non-stop.”

  Laughing, Reagan motioned for them to follow him toward the building. They walked to a large, glass-fronted visitor’s entrance. “The stadium is pretty quiet right now, but during home games the parking lots fill up with fans for their tailgate rituals. This place can seat seventy thousand people, and the stadium can get unbelievably loud.” He held open the door for Julie and her son.

  As they entered, their footsteps clicked on the black granite floors. Historical Warriors photographs surrounded them. The team colors of red and silver were everywhere, from the paint on the walls to the modern lobby furniture.

  “I’m taking you to the front offices first,” Reagan said.

  Julie and Aiden followed along into a large central room, with a half dozen office suites attached to this main hub. Behind a glass-topped desk sat a petite, dark-haired woman whose fast clicks on the keyboard sounded like a snare drum. She raised her gaze as the door closed behind them, her pink reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose.

  “Julie and Aiden, I’d like to introduce you to the person who makes this organization run, Rosalie Turner. Rosie, these are the friends I was telling you about earlier. I’m showing them around the stadium.”

  Rosalie came from behind her desk, approached them with her short stride, and gave Reagan a hug.

  She was just shy of five feet tall, and Reagan knew he looked like a giant in comparison.

  “Very nice to meet you, Julie and Aiden. I work as the office manager for the front office staff. That includes the General Manager, Vice-President and all other operational management. My job is to make sure things run smoothly around here.”

  “And she does it well. Thanks for letting us bug you for a few minutes.” He had a lot more to show them.

  “I’m glad to meet you. Aiden and I are very fortunate to have Reagan showing us around. You have a beautiful office.”

  “Well,” Rosalie said, walking over to Julie. “He may try to hide his soft side, but under that rough and tough exterior is a heart of gold. Don’t let him try to pretend otherwise.” As she went back to her desk, she gave Reagan a quick pinch on the arm.

  He let out a loud laugh. Time to move along. “That’s enough destruction of my bad boy reputation for one day. See you around.”

  “Bye.” Julie follo
wed him out the door, still holding onto a silent Aiden’s hand.

  As soon as they exited the room, Aiden finally piped up. “I’m almost as tall as her.”

  Reagan and Julie’s eyes met. Her smile felt like a full force kick to his chest, rattling something inside him he’d thought was long dead. “Come on, kid.” He put a hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “Let’s go see the locker room.”

  That was all the encouragement Aiden needed. The next hour was filled with questions, comments, and even suggestions on how Reagan could improve his game.

  By the time they got to the field, Reagan wondered how to get back that shy, quiet boy he’d met in the parking lot.

  As soon as their feet touched the grass, Aiden took off running across the field. He zigzagged toward the end zone and finished with a touchdown dance.

  Reagan did spend some time around kids and loved his nieces and nephew. And then he made visits to the Children’s Hospital. But being around them was exhausting, and Aiden possessed an endless energy supply. Where was the sign-up sheet for that?

  Overall though, this tour was going better than he’d expected. Aiden seemed like a good kid, and Reagan really wanted to keep seeing the beautiful smile on Julie’s face. Plus, the kid knew a lot about football for someone who was growing up without a father.

  “I’m sorry about Aiden.” Julie shook her head. “He’s just so excited to be here, and you’re a larger-than-life hero to him. Thanks for being so kind and patient.”

  “I remember being young and idolizing my sports heroes. I’d do the same thing if I was in his shoes.”

  Julie’s gaze followed Aiden around the field, a wide smile lit up her face.

  Outside, under the late afternoon sun, she was naturally lovely. Her glossy hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and her navy shorts weren’t too long to hide her shapely legs. He had a sense that she was unaware of her affect on men. She had an effortless style that didn’t try to attract attention, but did anyway.

  Reagan shook those thoughts out of his head. The way the soft curve of her neck beckoned him to go over and plant a kiss on the soft spot behind her ear shouldn’t be such a strong temptation. He needed to focus on something else. Anything else. Focus on her kid—that should break the spell. So, he watched Aiden run around the football field, in all his pretend glory.