"Hey, Cameron." Patti Garrison smiled through the glass enclosure. "If one of these is for Jessie, I know just where she likes to sit."
"You sell tickets often?" He shoved the money under the window.
"Every game." She counted change and handed him the tickets. "My oldest is on the team, and Bubba's head coach."
"Bubba's the coach?" Cameron took the tickets from her. She sounded so proud and content.
"Sure is," Patti said. "They hired him after he graduated from Tech. We married while we were both at college and decided to come back home so we could raise our kids in Salt Fork."
"And you're happy here?" Cameron asked.
She shrugged. "As happy as one might expect, I guess. I didn't think so at the time, but breaking up with you was one of the best things that could have happened. I have a good husband and five great kids. And I enjoy living in Salt Fork."
"I thought . . . Jessie said . . ." Cameron shook his head, trying to straighten out his confused thoughts.
"I know what Jessie must think." Patti leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "But believe me, it wasn't my heart that was broken when you left town."
He gripped the tickets in his hand. "What do you mean by that?"
Patti moved back. "Nothing. Forget it. Enjoy the game. Your mom and Tyler are already up in the stands. Austin and Kelsey, too. Dallas better hurry or he'll miss the kickoff. Nice seeing you, Cameron. I've got tickets to sell, and there's a long line behind you."
He glanced over his shoulder and stepped away from the booth. Patti's words disturbed him. Sarah Sue's warning replayed in his mind. Both women seemed to think he had broken Jessie's heart when he'd left town. But how could that be? They had barely known each other back in high school. He'd been aware of her crush on him, but it certainly hadn't been strong enough to warrant a broken heart.
Pushing through the crowd, Cameron slowly made his way to the grandstand, stopping to exchange greetings with old friends. Small town friendliness, Jessie would say. It wasn't so bad. He must be getting soft--or old. Or maybe Jessie was getting to him. Yeah, Jessie was definitely getting to him.
"Hey, Cameron! Up here."
Shading his eyes against the blinding afternoon sun, Cameron searched the crowded bleachers. High up in the stands, he spotted his two brothers, Tyler and Austin, sitting with his mom. A quick glance at his ticket stubs told him all he needed to know. He took the steps two at a time.
"Well, well. Isn't this cozy?" he said. He hadn't expected to share his date with his family.
Austin slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "Isn't it, though?"
Ruth pulled Cameron down onto the seat next to her. "Sit down, Cam. It's not what you think. We always sit up here at the games. The view's great, and it's fun watching Jessie jot down notes for her stories." She buttoned the collar of her jacket and looked at the cheerleaders down below. "You didn't come home last night."
"No," he said, feeling like he was sixteen again.
"Jessie's a good girl. I don't want to see her get hurt."
"No one's going to get hurt, Mom." Everyone thought he was a heartbreaker, even his mother.
"You don't know that," Ruth said. "I told you she cares for you. If you spend the night at her place and then just go back to Houston--" She shook her head. "I'll never understand these modern ways. It wasn't like this when your father and I were young."
"Times change," Cameron said.
"People don't change."
"Let up, Ma," Tyler said, rolling his eyes at his brother.
"Hey, Grams!" Kelsey ran up the steps toward them with a snack tray loaded with sodas, popcorn and nachos. "They were out of Spanish peanuts, so I got cashews instead. If you don't want them, I'll eat 'em." She climbed over the bleachers, dodging people right and left, concentrating on balancing the tray and getting to her seat.
"Here, let me help you." Austin took the tray from his daughter.
"Thanks," she said and flopped down beside him. Leaning around, she smiled at Cameron. "I saw Jessie, Uncle Cam. She'll be here in a minute." Kelsey waved to someone sitting lower in the stands. "There's my teacher, Miss Rogers. She's so cool. I'm going to say hello to her." She jumped up and was gone in a flash.
"Does she ever stay in one place for more than a minute?" Cameron asked, watching his niece down below.
Austin shook his head and grinned. "No, she's a ten-year-old whirlwind that never stops."
Cameron eased a cramp in one of his legs. "I wonder what's keeping Dallas?"
"I don't know," Tyler said. "He left the house at dawn. I took Ma to Abilene this morning, then came straight here. Something must have come up. He'll be here, though. He never misses a game."
Ruth set her bag of popcorn on her lap. "Did you see Patti?" she asked Cameron.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, I saw her at the bonfire last night and at the ticket booth just a minute ago."
Ruth let out a long sigh. "Her son is on the varsity team. I wish I had a grandson on the team. I wish I had a grandson, period. Or another granddaughter or two." She sighed again.
"Don't start that again," Cameron said. "You'll have more grandkids one of these days."
Austin put his arm around Ruth's shoulders. "Maybe Kelsey will try out for the team when she gets to high school. She's a fine little athlete."
"But she's a girl!" Ruth said. "Don't you dare go putting such notions into that child's head. Soccer is bad enough. Football is too rough for a girl."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Austin said. "Kelsey has a lot of speed. She'd make a darn good running back."
"Who'd make a good running back?" Jessie asked, scooting past Cameron and sitting between him and Ruth. She handed him a cup of hot cocoa.
"Oh, Jessie," Ruth cried. "Austin wants Kelsey to play football!"
Jessie patted Ruth's hand. "He's just teasing you, I'm sure." She frowned at Austin, then winked at Cameron.
"How'd the interviews go?" Cameron blew the cocoa before taking a sip. He hadn't realized Jessie was so close to his family. Close enough to soothe his mother's feelings and scold Austin in the same breath. He'd known she was on friendly terms with them; she'd been invited to Ruth's birthday party. But he'd been too busy that day to see her interact with any of them.
"The interviews went great," Jessie said, warming her fingers on her cocoa cup. "Bubba says there's a slim chance we might win today."
"Only a slim chance?" Cameron asked.
Jessie nodded. "The team hasn't had a successful season this year. Things are different than when we were kids and you were playing."
Everything seemed to be different since they were kids, Cameron thought. Or was it the same? His attraction to Jessie had been strong back then. His feelings for her now were getting completely out of hand. "What's their record?"
"They've won one and lost six," she said, sipping her cocoa and gazing around the stands.
"Damn." Times had changed. Salt Fork had made it to the play-offs his junior and senior year.
Kelsey climbed over everyone's legs to return to her seat and grabbed her plate of nachos and took a bite, then licked the gooey cheese from her fingers.
"Kelsey, don't lick your fingers," Ruth scolded. "Where are your manners?" She handed her granddaughter a paper napkin.
"Aw, Grams."
"Don't 'aw, Grams' me, young lady." Ruth smiled and gave her a quick hug. "They're raising the flag. Now watch those nachos and don't spill anything when you stand up."
The band played the national anthem. Not many people sang along, but a familiar voice, slightly off-key, belted out the words to "The Star Spangled Banner". Cameron turned toward the voice. Sure enough it was old Mr. Butler. He'd always sung loudly at the games when Cameron was on the team.
The eerie sensation of being caught in a time warp wove its ghostly fingers around him. The same strangling feelings he'd felt as a kid enveloped him now, stifling and smothering him. He broke out in a cold sweat.
&nb
sp; Jessie laid her fingers on his arm, squeezed, comforted. Something in her eyes and her touch calmed the turmoil roiling inside before it almost devoured him.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Cameron forced himself to smile. He stroked her hand still lying on his arm, thankful for the serenity she'd bestowed on him. "Sure. I'm okay." Now.
He sipped his hot chocolate and tried not to think about Jessie sitting close beside him. He especially tried not to think about her calming effect on his restless soul. Could Jess be the cure he'd been seeking for so long?
When she crossed her legs, her thigh brushed against his, and desire tugged low in Cameron's stomach. Visions of smooth bare legs tangling with his made his heart pound. His feelings for Jessie were definitely getting out of hand. He'd been aware of all sorts of strange emotions since he'd been home, emotions he'd rather live without.
At half time, Jessie pointed to the gates. "Look, they're bringing in the homecoming candidates." She opened her pad and scratched some notes as four classic convertibles snaked along the paved track surrounding the football field. Four girls and four boys waved to the crowds.
Once again, time rolled back as Cameron saw himself riding in one of those cars with Patti. The feelings of being trapped and suffocated rose within him again.
Jessie looked at him and smiled, her eyes holding a promise of passion and something more. Cameron took a deep cleansing breath and smiled back. He was at a crossroads in his life and didn't have a plan or a clue. The only thing he knew was somehow, some way, Jessie played an important part in his future.
****
The Bulldogs are going for the field goal with seven seconds left in the game. Randy Garrison runs, kicks it high . . . and it's good! Salt Fork wins: 17-14! The voice over the loudspeaker reverberated with excitement as the fans in the seats went wild.
"We won! We won!" Kelsey screamed, jumping up and down, spilling popcorn all over the place.
Jessie cheered at the top of her lungs and turned to hug Cameron. He caught her to him and squeezed her tight. Tilting her head back, she laughed with joy. It felt so good and so right to be in Cameron's arms, but something was wrong, she could sense it.
"You two are getting mighty lovey-dovey," Ruth said.
Jessie blushed as Cameron quickly set her away from him. She hurriedly scribbled some last minute notes for her story, trying to ignore the abandoned feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was already distancing himself from her. She swallowed a sob as she collected her things and stuffed them in her bag.
Her notepad dropped to the ground and Ruth bent to pick it up. "I wonder why Dallas never showed up?" She handed the pad to Jessie.
"I don't know," Austin said, gathering the empty cups and scattered wrappers. "He's really going to be sorry he missed the game."
Kelsey stood on the bleachers, watching the crowd, waving to friends. "Are you taking Jessie to the dance tonight, Uncle Cam?"
"I'm not sure . . ." He stared at Jessie in a strange way.
She felt tension radiating from Cameron's body, a different kind of tension. Was he having regrets? About coming back, wanting her, making love to her? He was backing off; he didn't want a relationship with her because she didn't fit in with his plans. She never had.
"Hey," Kelsey said, standing on tiptoes, craning her neck for a better look. "Uncle Dallas is coming up here."
Jessie slung her purse over her shoulder. Great, just great. Dallas never missed a chance to hassle her about the mineral rights. She hadn't seen him since she'd given the go ahead to lease them. She was stuck with no way to escape, surrounded by McCades.
Dallas fought his way against the crowd, and as he approached, Jessie knew something terrible must have happened. A frown etched his forehead, his lips were set in a rigid line and his eyes smoldered with anger.
Dallas McCade was an intimidating man, even in a good mood. In a towering rage--Jessie shuddered. Luckily, he had never lost his temper in their dealings together.
"Something's definitely up," Tyler said. "Dallas looks madder than a hornet."
With the crowd finally behind him, the oldest McCade brother climbed the last few steps to where Jessie stood with his family. She wondered what had happened to make him so angry. When he fixed his eyes on her, she instinctively stepped closer to Cameron.
Dallas looked at his brother, then back at Jessie. "It's too late to hide. I didn't think you'd really do it, Jessie. Mom trusted you, but I should have known better. You're a lying, conniving, scheming . . . woman!" He spat out the last word with scathing contempt.
Cameron took a step forward, his fists clenched by his sides. "Dallas . . ." he said warningly.
"What on earth is wrong with you?" Ruth cried. "Why are you talking so ugly to our sweet Jessie?"
"Our sweet Jessie has gone behind our backs and leased the rights on the Diamondback Ranch to Copper River Oil Company."
"That's not true!" Jessie said.
Dallas snorted with disgust. "Copper River is moving heavy equipment onto the north section of the ranch. My ranch, Jessie. They showed me the lease agreement. Your signature is on it."
Jessie bit her lip. "I know. I signed it. But I didn't do it behind your back. I told Ruth--"
"Oh, dear," Ruth said, sitting down again.
Dallas' jaw dropped. "You told Mom, but didn't tell me?"
Cameron put his arm around Jessie's shoulder. "She told me, too."
"And no one bothered to tell me?" Dallas yelled. "To warn me?"
Jessie looked at Ruth. "You said you would tell Dallas. Why didn't you?"
Tears gathered in Ruth's eyes. She wiped her nose on a napkin. "I didn't think anything would happen so soon. I put off telling him, because I knew he'd be upset. And with Cameron coming back for homecoming . . . I knew he was coming back to see you, Jessie. I didn't want to spoil things for you two."
Jessie faced Dallas again. "I'm sorry. I know I promised not to lease the mineral rights, but I was going to lose the garage. There was no other way."
"There's always another way, Jess." Dallas settled his Stetson on his head, turned his back on her, and stalked down the stadium steps.
Ruth stood up. "I want to go home," she said, her voice sounding old and fragile.
"Ruth, I'm sorry. I should have told Dallas myself," Jessie cried. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I know how all of you feel about drilling on your land. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Ruth blew her nose on the napkin again. "Oh, Jessie. I know you didn't. But Dallas is so angry . . ." She patted Jessie's forearm. "We'll talk later. I need to get on home."
She hurried down the concrete steps. Tyler and Austin followed, with Kelsey trailing behind.
Jessie was left alone with Cameron. He was watching the cheerleaders down on the field, making a human pyramid to celebrate the victory.
"Thanks for standing up for me," she said.
He didn't turn to face her, but kept staring down at the cheerleaders on the field. "Jess, I . . . Damn!"
An audible gasp rose from the crowds milling around in the stands.
Jessie gripped his arm. ""Oh my God! They've fallen!"
The girl who'd been on top lay still on the ground. The other cheerleaders gathered around her.
"Cameron, you have to do something," Jessie said. "The ambulance has already left the stadium."
"Come on!" He grabbed Jessie's hand and ran down the concrete steps. Vaulting over the chain link fence, he left Jessie to follow any which way she could.
Chapter Ten
Cameron sat in the back of Gussie Ferguson's Florist Shop delivery van with Hilda Vandeford lying on the makeshift stretcher. The girl's mother sat across from him holding her daughter's hand. Mayor Vandeford was at the wheel, with Gussie riding shotgun.
As soon as he'd reached the fallen cheerleader, Cameron had gone into doctor mode, issuing orders, focusing on what he could do to stabilize the injured girl. She'd tumbled from the top of the human pyramid and landed in a
crumpled heap. Luckily, she'd only suffered a broken wrist and collarbone. Maybe a slight concussion.
It could have been worse. Much worse.
The interior of the van was dark except for the headlights streaming in from the back windows. Jessie was following in Cameron's car. She'd wanted to ride in the van, but there wasn't room and they'd need his Jag to return to Salt Fork.
"Is she going to be all right?" Mrs. Vandeford asked for the hundredth time. He couldn't blame her. She was worried about her daughter.
He leaned over Hilda and examined her eyes one more time, looking for signs of concussion. "I believe she'll be fine once she gets the broken bones set."
The girl groaned and tried to adjust her position on the stretcher. "Oh, Mama--"
"Shh, honey," said her mother. "We're almost to the hospital."
"I hurt . . . all over."
"I know, but Dr. McCade's here. You're going to be fine." Mrs. Vandeford smiled tremulously at Cameron. "Thank goodness, you were in the stands. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't been there."
"I'm glad I could help."
The woman smoothed her daughter's forehead, wiping wisps of hair back in place. "I wish they'd hurry up and find a doctor for the new clinic." She hesitated. "I don't know you, but I've heard about you. Small town gossip, you know. Have you thought about--oh, my."
She gripped the edge of her seat as the van lurched to a stop. The mayor jumped out and came around to open the back doors. "We're here."
"Finally," his wife said in relief.
Cameron climbed out and stepped back as two orderlies in green scrubs rushed out of the emergency room to help remove the patient from the vehicle. He quickly told them what had happened and the extent of the injuries, then watched as they whisked Hilda into the hospital, her mother by her side.
Mayor Vandeford stayed behind to shake Cameron's hand. "I can't thank you enough, Dr. McCade. You saved my daughter's life--"
"It wasn't that bad--"
"No, thank God, but it could have been. I don't know if you're aware, but Salt Fork is in dire need of a competent, dedicated doctor. Jessie Devine has worked to get the new clinic built, but we're still looking for a doctor. I know Jessie was meaning to ask you to fill the position. I hope you will seriously consider the offer."
The Doctor Wears A Stetson (Contemporary Western Romance) Page 13