“It’s more about Coach Bass. They love him and want him to be happy. They see he’s happy with you. So, they want him to snag you forever.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely.”
“Here it is, the night before your wedding, and you’re consoling me.”
Emmy hugged her friend. “You need it. I don’t.”
They laughed.
“I’ve got Napoleons for dessert.”
“My favorite!”
The women took their empty plates into the kitchen. Jo served the confection. They returned to the deck and chatted as they ate. A glass of brandy before bed assured Emmy of a good night’s sleep. Jo was up late checking details.
At midnight, she poured a small snifter and stood out on the deck in the dark. Her thoughts turned to Pete Sebastian. This was the first night she’d sleep without him in months. Daisy padded out to join her, expressing her displeasure at being in bed without her mistress by whining.
“I’m coming, girl. Give me a few minutes.” The pug sneezed and returned to the master bedroom. Jo paced, her eyes drawn to the silvery sheen of the moonlight on the leaves of the linden tree in her backyard.
How do I feel about Pete? I told him I love him. I do. I miss him. Just one night. I should get over it. Is that why I’m not in bed early before the insanity breaks loose tomorrow? Wish he was here. I’d sleep better.
She took a healthy sip and sat down. Do I want to marry him? Be a mom to his girls too? They’re great, but would they want me? I don’t know. What about having my own baby? Pete’s a great dad. Would I be a good mom? She smiled at the idea of having a child with him. But I’d already decided never to marry. Maybe that was a mistake.
He hasn’t asked yet. I should slow down. Hasn’t even said he wants to marry again. Never found anyone. Maybe he’s happy as he is. Why not? He’s not buying the cow, but getting the milk for free. Am I stupid to move in with him? Probably. But he makes me feel loved. It’s new for me. If he doesn’t ask, I’ll move on. Give it six months. Then, I’ll leave. At least I’ll have had this time with him.
Once she came to a decision, sleepiness set in. She rinsed out the tiny brandy snifter, yawned, and padded into the bedroom. Daisy lifted her head an inch or two and cracked open one eye before flopping back down on the bed.
* * * *
In the morning, Paula showed up to help Emmy get ready. The bride was nervous. Jo poured her a screwdriver to have with breakfast. The singer downed it and asked for another.
With Paula to watch over Emmy, Jo pulled out the world’s longest checklist. She let Emmy drive her car to the stadium, where her dress was safely stored. Paula had her own vehicle and all the extras. Pete picked up Jo.
When season opener jitters met perfect wedding jitters, the combination spelled trouble.
“I need to stop at the drugstore. I’ve got a horrible headache and no meds,” Jo said.
“You’ve got a headache? We’re playing the Sidewinders today, and Brodsky is iffy.”
“Please just stop at Crackle’s. It’s on the way.”
Pete glanced at his watch. “No time. You’ll have to find something when we get there.”
“Come on, Pete. It won’t take five minutes.”
Color crawled up his neck. “No time!”
“Are you yelling at me?” Tension coiled inside her, and her neck muscles stiffened. Tears stung the backs of her eyes.
“I’m not yelling.”
“You are yelling. Stop! You said you’d never do this again.”
He lowered his voice. “I’m not yelling, okay?”
“That’s better.”
“I need to get to the field.”
“And I need this. I’m in pain, and I have a ton to do today.”
“You have a ton to do. Hah! I’ve got a game to win.”
The tension rocketed to the breaking point. Jo cursed herself even as she shed tears she couldn’t control. I never use tears to manipulate. Never! What’s wrong with me?
Pete steered the car off the road onto the shoulder. “I’m sorry. Did I scare you?” He pulled out his handkerchief.
“No, but my head and the stress…” She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a baby.”
“Look, there’s a minimart. Let’s stop. What kind of pain killer do you want?” He parked and opened his door.
Jo sniffled. Tears still overflowed down her cheeks. This wedding was her first huge, national event. Jo was terrified. When Pete returned, he handed her a bottle of pills and one of water. She took the medicine with shaking hands then threw herself in his embrace, sobbing.
He stroked her hair. “What’s the matter, babe? Josie, honey? Talk to me.”
“I’m so scared.”
“You’ve got everything buttoned up. It’ll be fine.”
“I don’t. So many things could go wrong. Emmy and Buddy could get killed in a helicopter accident.”
“Sweetheart, that’s not going to happen,” he said, tightening his arms around her.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and the trembling began to subside. He kissed her forehead.
Mopping her face with the white cloth, she lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. I never lose control like that.”
“I get it. This is a big deal.”
“Beyond big. Colossal,” she said.
“Gargantuan.”
“Mammoth,” she replied.
“Monumental.” A small smile broke out on her face. Coach Bass cupped her cheek and kissed her. “Better?”
She nodded.
“Ready to face everyone?”
“Now, we’re even later. I’m so sorry.”
“I was being an asshole. We have plenty of time.”
Jo snuggled over to his side of the front seat and rested her head on his shoulder. “I missed you last night,” she whispered.
“I missed you too.” He steered the car back onto the road and proceeded slowly.
“Do you have a ritual?” she asked.
“Ritual?”
“I mean, do you have sex before a game or abstain?”
He laughed. “I have it whenever I can get it.”
“So, last night?”
“I sacrificed since you weren’t there.”
“Pull over,” she said.
The vehicle swerved as his eyes widened. “What?”
“Just kidding. I’ll make it up to you next game.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” He pulled into the parking lot and turned to give her a long, deep kiss. “I know the wedding is going to be great.”
She smiled at him. “Good luck today with the game, darling.”
He raised his eyebrows at her endearment.
She lowered her gaze, aware she had revealed more than she had intended. “I mean, bust their balls. Or beat the shit out of them. Or whatever I’m supposed to say.”
Pete laughed and gave her a squeeze before he turned off the ignition.
Jo exited the vehicle and squared her shoulders. She took a deep breath and headed for her office as a small thrill shot up her spine. Today’s event was the biggest she’d ever attempted.
Jo wanted to sit in the stands and watch, but there was so much to do, and she was command central. With Alyssa, Lexie, Paula, Verna, and Edie, Jo sat in the conference room, issued orders, and solved problems. She had charmed the florist into giving her the roses the way she wanted them.
Confetti was distributed as fans entered the stadium. Though not sold out, there were only a few, nosebleed seats remaining. Pink and black garters with the team insignia and Emmy’s on them were free at the concession stands.
Jo watched the game on the huge, flat screen television. She kept an eye out for shots of Pete, pacing and combing his fingers through his hair. The score was close. She could feel Coach Bass’s tension as she watched him holler instructions or make notes on a clipboard. She wanted to be next to him, helping him, but knew she never could. She bit her
lip as she watched the Sidewinders intercept a pass.
Verna entered the room. “Bride’s ready. How much longer to go?”
“Maybe another hour. Does she need a drink?”
“Why don’t you come down and see her yourself?”
Jo stood up, grabbed a split of champagne from the mini fridge, and headed down the hall to her office, which was now “bride central.”
A white sheet was spread over the floor. Emmy stood, clad in a gorgeous, white organza, strapless gown. The cut was slim, fitting her form to perfection. At the hip, it flared out a little to a slightly fuller skirt, so she could walk with ease.
Jo sucked in her breath. “You look gorgeous!”
A becoming blush spread over the young woman’s cheeks.
“Buddy’s gonna flip,” Verna said.
Alyssa and Lexie joined them. Each girl held a clipboard. Lyssa began to speak, until she saw Emmy. The words died on her lips. The silence in the room was reverential.
“Isn’t anyone going to say anything?” Emmy wondered.
“You’re too beautiful,” Lexie said. Alyssa nodded.
Jo was mesmerized by the fantasy, the elegance, the dream-like quality of the event.
“Come on. We’ve got updates.” Lexie pulled Jo out of the room.
The twins and Jo returned to the conference room. After they ironed out a few wrinkles in the schedule, everything was set. Jo opened another split of champagne and sipped from the bottle as she watched the game. The Sidewinders were ahead by three. It was the middle of the third quarter. The camera rested on Pete. He paced slowly, watching the field and rubbing the back of his neck.
He does that when he’s nervous. She chewed her lip and drank the bubbly beverage, but her eyes never left the screen.
* * * *
Pete took a swig from his water bottle as sweat gathered on his forehead. He wiped it off with one swipe, keeping his eyes trained on the field. He noticed Brodsky rub his elbow for the third time. Coach motioned for Lawson Breaker to replace Bullhorn.
“I coulda made it,” Bull mumbled.
“We need you. Can’t lose you for the season on the first game. Besides, The Kid needs practice.”
“But we’re losin’.”
“Time for him to lose his virginity.”
The linebacker grumbled, but grabbed a bottle of water and went to the bench. The first thing Breaker did was pull an offsides penalty.
“Shit! Fuck!” Pete said. He didn’t dare look at Bull. The five yards would hurt them. The third quarter was almost over. The Coach hated to waste a valuable time out, but he had to change strategy. The Sidewinders were on the King’s twenty-yard line. They had to be stopped. “Breaker, we need a sack. Stop him. And for Chrissakes, don’t draw a penalty!”
A few more instructions and the team was back on the field. Pete stuffed a wad of gum in his mouth and chewed as the ball was snapped. Sure enough, the quarterback was dropping back to pass. Protection was tight. Breaker backed up and charged, running around the front line.
As the offensive line broke up, with two men chasing Breaker, there was a hole. The Kings defensemen broke through. The quarterback backed up to escape the men charging at him and ran to the side, colliding with Breaker, who took him down. A fifteen-yard loss and the Sidewinder’s fourth down was coming up.
Pete danced for joy. The Sidewinders went for the field goal and made it. They had a six-point lead. All the Kings needed was one touchdown and an extra point to win the game.
The fourth quarter began with a kick-off to the Kings. Breaker came off the field to the chest bumps of his teammates. Coach Bass leaned over. “Way to go!” he said to the young man, who beamed at him in return.
Pete glanced up at the big windows of the office area. He thought he saw Jo, jumping up and down. She gets it.
The Kings began their charge down field with renewed energy. Buddy Carruthers caught the kick-off ball and zigzagged his way to the Kings’ thirty-yard line. Getting married has fired him up. Expectations that Buddy wouldn’t be able to concentrate, or that he’d be too nervous to zero in on the game, had been wrong. The wide receiver maintained his focus and played harder than ever.
The Kings pushed through, down after down, advancing to the Sidewinder’s forty-yard line. Time was running out. Another play put them on the twenty with a first down. But the Sidewinders were not about to let the Kings score. By the fourth down, the Kings were on the five with one play left.
Coach Bass grabbed Robbie Anthony before he went in to kick a field goal. “Play sixty-nine, Rob.”
The kicker nodded.
The Kings set, and the ball was hiked. Robbie lateraled to Trunk Mahoney. No quarterback, Trunk had been practicing short passes to make the fake field goal play work. He shot a short one to Nate Maguire, a burly offensive lineman. Nate straight-armed a Sidewinder and pranced over the goal line to score his first touchdown.
Pete was jumping up and down. Tie score. Now, it was up to Robbie Anthony. The kicker took a practice swing with his leg, a deep breath, and made eye contact with Coach Bass, who gave his player a thumbs up. Robbie nodded and took the field. Coach held his breath as the snap was lined up and Robbie made the kick. The ball sailed slightly to the left, but on-target enough to clear the posts and stay in line. The extra point was theirs. The men bounded off the bench and mobbed a grinning Robbie Anthony.
Our kicker is back. Pete let out the breath he was holding then danced.
Now, it was up to the Kings to keep the Sidewinders scoreless for the last four minutes of the game. Four minutes could be a long time. Trunk Mahoney passed the word among the defensemen to take down ball carriers before they went out of bounds. Stepping out of bounds stopped the clock, stretching their time, giving them a better chance to score.
Mahoney was the first. A short pass was caught, and Trunk was there. He tackled the receiver just as he approached the sidelines. Pete grabbed his lower lip with his teeth then popped a fresh wad of gum. This is going to be a long four minutes.
Chapter Twelve
Jo deserted her post at the window where she was watching the game. Now, it was time to spring into action. Verna brought Emmy down in the private elevator. The twins escorted the minister and the florist to their proper positions. They dropped off the script to Dane Matthews, the sports commentator, who would be following the action for the wedding too.
Jo corralled the news media, gathering them in the skybox until the game was over. Once everyone was in their places, she had a moment to check the scoreboard. The Kings won by one point over the Sidewinders. She grinned. Winning the game meant more enthusiasm for the wedding.
The security staff ushered the players off the field quickly as Dane came on the loud speaker. A helicopter hovered overhead. The grounds crew pulled a cart with a metal canopy covered in roses to the fifty-yard line. They unloaded the unwieldy thing then laid a pathway of red satin from that all the way to the archway leading to the locker room. Pete’s daughters led the minister to his post.
Jo stuck her head in the locker room. “Everyone dressed in here?”
“God fucking damn it!” It was Buddy’s voice.
“Just stand still, asshole. I can’t tie this with you wiggling,” said Bullhorn Brodsky, loud enough to be heard in the next county.
Jo smiled. Buddy’s nervous. “Coach Bass? Are you ready?”
“Sort of. These damn things,” Pete said, fussing with the studs for his tux while joining her.
Robbie Anthony followed him. “Let me.” He grabbed the Coach’s arm.
“Good. Get him fastened in and bow tied. I’ve got other things to do,” Jo said. God, he’s gorgeous in a tux.
Emmy was doing scales while Verna fastened on the wedding veil. Dane made the announcement while the news media cameramen got into position. Pete came running to join the women, as he had been chosen to give Emmy away.
“Thank you Coach, for doing this,” the bride said.
“Call me Pete.”
“Wish my dad could have been here.” Emmy sighed, brushing a tear off her cheek.
Pete slipped a long arm around her bare shoulders and gave her a hug.
He’s a sucker for a crying female. “Is Buddy ready?” Jo asked.
“Ready as he’ll ever be,” Griff Montgomery, the best man, said.
Jo barked a command into her phone and music came on. The crowd quieted down. Jo ran to the archway and gave the signal for Buddy and Griff to come out. She whispered in Griff’s ear where they were to stand. The twins were by the altar, ready to guide people.
As soon as Buddy appeared, loud cheers, including war whoops and “Go, Buddy,” came from the spectators. Some people threw confetti, even though they had been told to wait. The wide receiver grinned and waved as he and Griff took their places.
Jo ran back to where the bride stood, tapping her satin-clad toe. Pete wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.
“Are you ready?” Jo asked.
They nodded. Pete offered his arm to Emmy. “This is good practice for me. Someday, my daughters will get married.”
“I hope they find a man as good as Buddy.”
Pete laughed. “Me too.”
Emmy shone her thousand-watt smile on the coach and took his arm. Jo spoke into her cell again. “The Wedding March” played over the loud speaker, and the audience immediately shut up. Emmy appeared in the archway with Coach.
As she walked closer, the fans started to applaud. One by one, they stood up, and the clapping got louder. Emmy waved and smiled. Jo watched from the sidelines, tears clouding her eyes. Little Emmy Meacham from nowhere. She’s getting a star’s welcome. Emotion choked the blonde as she watched the young singer receive wave after wave of love from her fans. It must steal her breath away to feel it.
A small part of Jo wished she could have a fraction of that adoration someday. The idea of people being happy for her and a wonderful man who adored her seemed like a Cinderella dream that would never come true. Remembering Pete brought warmth to her heart. He’s pretty great. I’m lucky.
Pete Sebastian, Coach Page 17