Last Chance Hero

by Cathleen Armstrong

  Jess had the feeling that the subject had been deftly and firmly changed, but she complied and told Elizabeth about growing up in Mill Valley.

  “My sister’s three years older than I am, and she’s a research cardiologist in San Francisco. She’s the smart one in the family and I’m really proud of her.”

  “It sounds like you’ve got a whole family of smart people.” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “I don’t see how you can all be doctors and say one of you is the smart one.”

  “You don’t know Catherine. There’s smart and then there’s scary smart. She got her MD and PhD at the same time and is doing some pretty impressive work at UCSF.”

  “I hope I do get to meet her someday. I’d like to meet all your family.” Elizabeth looked up as Andy and Ray came in. “All finished in there already?”

  “Yep.” Ray turned the piano bench and straddled it as Andy took the remaining empty chair. “Didn’t break more than two plates and a bowl. Oh, and that little blue bird that’s always been on the shelf over the sink? It’s sort of toast too. Hope you don’t mind.”

  Elizabeth just looked at him over the top of her glasses, and Ray laughed.

  Jess glanced at her watch. It wasn’t really all that late, but she had had a long day, and from the looks of it, so had the others. Lainie actually appeared to be dozing on the couch, and the lively conversation had slowed to an occasional comment. She smiled over at Elizabeth. “I think I should be going, but I want to say again how much I loved that dinner. Thank you so much for asking me over. I’m really starting to feel at home here in Last Chance.”

  “Oh, you’re not going already.” Elizabeth began to struggle out of her recliner. “It’s early yet.”

  “Don’t get up.” Jess crossed the room and took Elizabeth’s warm hand. “I hope I’ll see you again soon.”

  “I hope so too, honey.” Elizabeth patted Jess’s hand with her own free hand. “You know where I live now, and I’m almost always at home these days. Don’t hesitate to drop in. I love company.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “I should be going too, I guess.” Andy went to drop a kiss on Elizabeth’s cheek before following Jess to the door. “It’s been like old times.”

  “You know, it has been.” Elizabeth smiled up at him. “With Ray back home, and now you. I’m counting on seeing a lot of you.”

  “Don’t worry about that. You’ll probably get sick of me.”

  Ray got up and followed them to the front door. “Jess, it was good to get to know you a little better. Glad you came.” He turned to Andy and offered a handshake with one hand and a half-hug with the other. “I’m really glad that you’re back in town. I thought we might not see you again, except on Monday Night Football.”

  “Good to be back. And I mean that.” Andy slapped Ray on the shoulder and followed Jess down the steps. Ray waited on the porch till they reached their cars and then, with a final wave, disappeared back inside.

  “That was fun.” Jess dug around in her purse for her keys. “I’m glad I got to meet your friends. I really like them.”

  “They really like you too. I can tell.”

  “One thing you’ve got to explain, though.” Jess paused with her hand on the door handle. “There was a moment when I caught you and Ray and Lainie looking at each other like I had said something wrong. What was that all about?”

  Andy’s brow puckered as he considered. “Oh, yeah. I think I know what you’re talking about. Didn’t know you caught that.” His grin was a little sheepish.

  “Well, I did, so what was going on?”

  “I think it was when you were thanking whatever powers or gods that be, or something like that.”

  “So?”

  “Well, I’m sure you just meant it as a saying, but Elizabeth gets real literal when you talk about God. She’d have been real happy, if the conversation had taken that turn, to tell you that you didn’t have to be unsure about what gods there were. She’d have told you that there’s just one and then probably joined you in thanking him that she was in the yard too. That’s just how Elizabeth is.”

  “Really? I guess it shouldn’t surprise me, considering her age and background, but I have to confess it does, a little. She seems so sharp and aware.”

  Andy’s whoop of laughter caused Jess to raise both hands in an effort to quiet him. “Shhh! They’ll hear you through the screen door. What’s so funny, anyway?”

  “First of all, you’re right. Elizabeth is sharp and very aware. And well educated too, for that matter. But as to the rest of what you said—well, as I said earlier, never make the mistake of underestimating Elizabeth Cooley.”

  “I wasn’t aware I had been.” Jess felt a little out of sorts. What was wrong with admitting that a country woman of Elizabeth’s generation might be a little less forward-thinking than, say, a younger person from the city? It wasn’t an insult, after all. Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that she was the fish out of water here and should concentrate on thinking before she spoke, she opened her door and slid behind the wheel. “Well, good night. The run this morning was great. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

  “What about tomorrow?” Andy leaned down to peer in her open window. “I run every morning, and we might as well run together, unless you really prefer to run alone.”

  Jess hesitated. Truth be told, she really did prefer a running buddy, someone to keep pace with, and her run with Andy this morning had been great, but it was pretty clear that everyone in town considered Andy Ryan the catch of a lifetime. That wasn’t why she had come to Last Chance, and she didn’t want anyone, least of all Andy, to get the wrong idea. Then again, he was the one who knew all the trails. Maybe when her schedule really kicked in in a couple weeks, she’d know some too.

  “Sure, why not? About 6:00?” Right now she felt as if she could sleep for about a year, but experience told her that like it or not, by the time the sun came up, she’d be up too.

  “I’ll be waiting outside. See you then.” He slapped the roof of her car lightly with the flat of his hand and ambled off to his truck.

  Everything looked different in Last Chance at night. There were so few streetlights and it was so dark, but she could see the headlights of Andy’s pickup in her rearview mirror, and when she finally did pull to a stop in her driveway, he gave two friendly beeps before he drove by.

  5

  Late summer in Last Chance meant the chile harvest. It meant finding yourself behind slow-moving trucks piled high with deep green pods heading for the processing plant. It meant roadside stands popping up along the Last Chance Highway where you could stop and buy a bushel or two and have them dumped into a roaster and slowly turned over a gas flame while you waited. Everywhere you went, the warm, spicy fragrance of chile, roasting and fresh, permeated the air, and you found yourself thinking about heading over to the Dip ’n’ Dine to see what Carlos’s special might be. From the time he was a kid, though, for Andy, the beginning of the chile harvest had meant one thing only: football practice.

  Whole different set of butterflies this year. He shut his big three-ring notebook and leaned back in his chair. There were no windows in his office, but from the clock up on his wall, he guessed it was about sunup. In less than an hour, the summer silence of the building would be broken as football hopefuls began to arrive, and a new season of Last Chance football would begin.

  From down the hall, Andy heard the front door open and the soft thud of athletic shoes on linoleum as footsteps approached.

  “Hey, Coach.” Kev Gallegos, his only assistant, came in and dropped his own notebook on a smaller desk across the room. “Been here long? I didn’t think I was late.”

  “Nah. I got here a while ago. Might as well not sleep here as not sleep at home.”

  Kev grinned. “I know what you mean. I was up at 3:00 watching those videos from last season again, and I’ve got to tell you, I’m pretty excited about our prospects this year. There’s a lot of potential there. They just n
eed someone to bring it out.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s what we’re here for.” Andy willed his voice steady and low. Nerves were for other people. The head coach needed to be a rock. “Want to make sure the locker room is ready? The guys’ll be here soon.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Kev headed for the hall but stopped in the doorway. “I don’t want to get all mushy here, but I got to tell you how honored I am to be working with you. You’re the reason I wanted to play football in the first place. I was in sixth grade when you played your last game here, and you made Last Chance seem unbeatable. I couldn’t wait to get to high school and be part of that. ’Course, by then you were at U of A, and the streak was broken, and it wasn’t the same team. But you know? I keep thinking that maybe I’ll get to be part of a different set of Glory Days now. Funny how things turn out, huh?”

  “Different team, different time, Kev. This is the season we need to be worrying about, but thanks.”

  “Well, I just wanted you to know, that’s all.” He hesitated as if waiting for Andy to say something else, and then, shutting the door behind him, disappeared into the hall.

  Andy puffed his cheeks and blew out a gust when he heard the door to the locker room close. This was going to be an uphill battle.

  He went back to his notebook and was still at work when his assistant opened the door again some time later.

  “They’re all here, Coach. We’re ready when you are.”

  “Be right there.” He took another deep breath. Well, here we go.

  The low buzz Andy could hear as he crossed the hall fell into silence when he opened the door, and something over sixty faces turned to greet him. He knew them all, even if he couldn’t put one name to a face.

  The returning starters were easy to spot; they straddled benches or leaned against the lockers with an easy, territorial confidence. The others, from last year’s benchwarmers to the sophomores looking forward to suiting up on varsity for the first time, regarded him with expressions ranging from grim determination to wide-eyed, stomach-churning fear. He stepped to the front of the room.

  “Good morning, men. Thanks for turning out.” He looked out over the group assembled in front of him. He had the riveted attention of most, but one of the older students against the lockers leaned over and muttered something to the guy next to him and both snickered. That was fine. Guys like that were in every locker room. And they didn’t worry Andy at all. “You have the toughest couple weeks of your life ahead of you, and I’ve got to be honest, not every one of you is going to make it. All you have to do is look around the room and see that we have about twice as many men in here as we can keep, but I promise you that if you give me everything you’ve got, you’ll get a fair shot. If you don’t, if you think we just can’t do without you, you have a rude awakening coming, because I’ll cut you no matter who you are.” He made eye contact with the two against the lockers. “Are we clear on that?”

  There was an insolent challenge in the look they returned, and Andy glanced back at the clipboard he held. “Okay, the first practice of the day begins at 7:00 a.m. sharp. Get here by 6:45 and start taking laps. At 7:00, Coach Gallegos will blow his whistle and you join us on the field. If you’re not on the track, don’t bother. You’ve just missed practice. Three missed practices and you’re out. First practice of the day lasts till 10:00. The second goes from 4:30 to 7:00. Same drill; be on the track at 4:15. Weight room is open from 1:00 to 4:00.”

  He paused and looked out over the boys in front of him, letting his gaze fall on one earnest expression after another. Even the boys leaning against the lockers stood with arms folded over their chests, waiting for what he had to say next.

  “I’ve already told you you’re in for the roughest couple of weeks of your life, and you are. You’ll be leaving blood, sweat, and more’n likely your breakfast out there on that field every day, sometimes twice a day. But it’s worth it. Why else would a sane man put himself through all that? When you put on that uniform and take the field under those lights on the first Friday of September, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Now hit the track.”

  With a low rumble, everyone shuffled to their feet and moved toward the door to the field. Andy stopped them.

  “One more thing. There’s been a lot of talk in town, and I’m sure you’ve heard it, about teams gone by and what they did. But that’s old news, ancient history, and it doesn’t have anything to do with us today. This is your time and your season. Now make something of it.” No one moved and Andy waved his clipboard at the door. “Go!”

  In a few seconds, the door swung shut again, leaving the locker room in silence, and Andy checked his roster, still trying to figure out who the two returning players against the lockers were.

  “Coach?”

  Andy looked up. He hadn’t noticed this kid, but he wasn’t one who would stand out. Not tall, not big, quiet voice.

  “You are?” He looked down at his clipboard.

  “Gabe Quintana. Could I talk to you just a minute?”

  “Sure, Quintana. What’s up?”

  “Coach, I really want to play. And I promise to give you everything I’ve got, but I might have a hard time getting here by 6:45. My mom works the night shift at the hospital in San Ramon, and I can’t leave the other kids until she gets home.”

  “What time does she get home?”

  “About 6:30 most days, but some days she can’t leave right on time and doesn’t get home till nearly 7:00. I’ll get here just as fast as I can, and I’ll work my tail off when I’m here, but I might be about five minutes late some days.”

  “What about your dad?”

  Gabe’s open expression hardened in a second, and he gave a quick shake of his head without elaborating.

  “Coach, I really want to play.” His words were almost like a mantra. “I’ve been working the chile harvest for Mr. Sheppard, and he’s letting me work from 11:00 to 4:00 and on weekends so I can make practice, but I just don’t know if I can make it at 6:45 every day, that’s all.”

  Oh, man. What do you say to a kid that wants it this bad? Andy took a deep breath before answering. “Well, Quintana, we have something of a problem then. You know I can’t start out making exceptions. It’s not fair to the others. I guess my advice would be to talk to your mom and tell her how important it is that you’re here on time. It’s only about three weeks, and you do get two free passes. Maybe you won’t need more.”

  “Yeah, I understand.” Gabe straightened his shoulders, and the grin he gave Andy looked a little forced. “Well, just thought I’d ask. Thanks, Coach.”

  He turned to leave, and before the door swung shut again, Andy saw him break into a run as he headed for the track. He really did hope Quintana and his mom could work something out. The kid seemed to be carrying way too much weight for someone so young.

  He slipped his aviator sunglasses on and walked out onto the field, signaling his assistant to summon the boys from the track. Already the bleachers were dotted with men in jeans or work pants and light denim jackets, hats pulled low to shade their eyes from the sun’s rays slanting across the field from the mountains to the east. As he watched, another man emerged from the parking lot behind the field and climbed to a row about midway up. Finding his buddy, he sat down and handed him one of the two steaming Styrofoam cups he carried. Another football season at Last Chance High had begun.

  Jess saw them all on the football field when she ran by. Andy had warned her that once football season started, his runs were likely to be predawn and on the track. He’d invited her to join him if she wanted, but truthfully? That really sounded hideous, especially since, thanks to him, she knew some beautiful trails to run now—after the sun was up.

  Her first week at the San Ramon Medical Center had been pretty uneventful. She had taken a few back-to-school examinations and diagnosed an ear infection, but nothing major. Next week she was taking the practice of another doctor who was going on vacation, and she was actually looking forward to that. And in
another couple weeks, her Last Chance office would be open.

  She turned down Elizabeth Cooley’s street and slowed to a walk to begin her cooldown. Elizabeth’s yard up ahead was empty, and Jess felt a little twinge of disappointment. Elizabeth wasn’t outside every day, but when she was, Jess enjoyed the brief conversations they had, though so far she’d always declined Elizabeth’s invitations to come in for coffee.

  “Well, good morning.” Elizabeth opened her screen door and stepped out onto the porch as Sam, her cat, trotted past her and down the steps, tail held high. “It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, doesn’t it?”

  “It’ll be warm, that’s for sure.” Jess slowed to a stop at the gate. “How are you this morning?”

  “Oh, I’m doing well. I’m always a little stiff first thing in the morning, but once I get myself up and moving, it won’t be so bad. Can you stop for a cup of coffee, or do you need to get up to the hospital? I’ve been hearing some good things about you.”

  “Really?” Jess had to wonder whom she had heard good things from, since you could count every patient she had seen using both hands and one foot, and none had been from Last Chance. On impulse, she smiled. “You know what? If you take a walk with me first, I’d love to stop in afterward and have a cup of coffee with you.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m not even dressed.” Elizabeth looked down at her robe and slippers. “Just come on in, and I’ll walk with you some other day.”

  “I can wait while you put something on. Don’t feel like you have to dress up. You’re not supposed to be glamorous when you exercise.” She brushed her hair from her eyes with the back of her wrist. “Look at me.”

  Elizabeth’s mouth pinched up, and it looked like she was going to find another reason to refuse the walk, but she huffed a sigh instead. “Oh, all right. Give me about five minutes, but we’d better not see anyone I know.”