by Jaci Burton
Oh, dear God. “No, I can get my own dates. But thank you, Edmond. Now, let’s get back to the book, shall we?”
She had to get a handle on this class before they dug deeper into her personal life. How had she lost control so quickly? Teens were wily and could spin a topic off course faster than a rocket launch.
By the time school let out, she was breathing a sigh of relief. Every class had been wound tight today, and their excitement level had given her a massive headache. All she wanted to do was go home, take something for her headache, and lie down in a dark room. The last thing she wanted to do was go stand on a street and watch a parade go by—or even worse, listen to a screaming crowd at a football game.
She went home, dropped her purse, and picked up Tumbles to give him a cuddle, carrying him into the bathroom with her. She put him down to open the cabinet and grab some acetaminophen, downed two pills with a glass of water, then went into the bedroom.
Tumbles had already hopped on her bed, so she kicked her shoes off and joined him.
She was out cold within minutes.
When she woke, she felt disoriented and had no idea how long she’d slept. It wasn’t dark yet, which was good. Her headache was gone, too, which was even better. She got up and went in search of her phone, which was still tucked inside of her purse.
She’d missed a couple of calls and a few texts. The calls had been from Jillian, who had also texted, asking why she wasn’t answering her phone. The texts were from Jane and Chelsea. Both were asking her about coming to the parade and the game tonight.
She sighed and punched the button to return Jillian’s call.
“I was worried about you,” she said.
“I had a headache after school today, so I took a nap.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Fine now. What’s up?”
“I was checking to see if you were going to the parade and the game.”
What was it with homecoming? “I don’t know.”
“Come on. Get out of the house, breathe some fresh air. There will be stuff to eat and drink, and we’ll have some fun. Jeff is meeting me there.”
“Then you certainly don’t want me there.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I do. Meet me.”
If she didn’t meet Jillian, it was likely both Jane and Chelsea would bully her into going anyway. “Fine.”
They made plans on a time and place to meet for the parade. After she hung up with Jillian, she texted both Jane and Chelsea and told them where she’d be. They replied that they’d meet up with her there.
Then she texted Zach.
I know you’re busy with game prep. Just wanted to say good luck tonight.
She didn’t expect a reply, so she was surprised when he sent one a few minutes later.
Thanks! You coming to the game?
She smiled and sent a reply: I’ll be there.
He answered her text again: I’ll look for you.
For some reason, that sent warm tingles across her skin.
She shook her head. Ridiculous. He would have zero time to search the stands for her. He was just being nice.
But still, those warm tingles lingered while she got ready for the parade and the game.
Chapter 15
* * *
JOSIE DIDN’T KNOW what to expect out of this whole homecoming thing. She’d never participated when she’d been in high school, and she’d totally passed on all the college homecoming stuff. She’d always gone somewhere off campus during the festivities because all the nonstop partying just hadn’t been her thing. She’d had enough of the overindulgence and excessive partying in her own house growing up.
But this was a total family atmosphere. It was raucous in the best way. Kids from small to teen were running about yelling and laughing, vendors sold drinks and food and balloons, and the parade started with the Hope Fire Department’s truck blaring its sirens to lead the floats and bands down Main Street. The parade was about to start, and she felt that shock of excitement drilling through her veins. There was a giant banner across the front of the street that read Hope High Homecoming, and a grandstand had been set up with bleachers. The park was filled with people who occupied the benches, and every available curb was taken.
It was a cool fall night, perfect for a parade and football.
How utterly fun.
She walked over to the park and saw Chelsea and Bash. Jane and Will were there along with their kids, Ryan and Tabitha.
“Hi,” she said as she came up to them. “This is all very exciting.”
“It is,” Jane said. “Is Jillian coming?”
She nodded. “She had to close the library and run home to change clothes, so she said she might be a few minutes late.”
“We should go find a spot in front so the kids can see,” Will said.
Bash nodded. “Lead the way.”
They all followed Bash and Will as the two tall men made a path in the quickly gathering crowd near the street. They’d managed to eke out a tight spot near the main corner, but then Josie noticed four teen girls abandoning a nearby bench with a perfect view of the street, so the three women pounced on it.
Chelsea crossed her tennis-shoed feet. “I miss my high heels.”
Jane patted her hand. “After the baby comes, you’ll be rocking your heels again. While carrying the baby and a diaper bag.”
Josie grinned. “And you can do it, too.”
“Of course I can. I’m a woman, and as we all know, there’s nothing we can’t do. Except, of course, wear heels when our ankles are swollen.”
“It’s a temporary thing, honey,” Josie said. “In a couple of months, you’ll have a beautiful baby girl in your arms and amazing shoes on your non-swollen feet.”
Chelsea sighed and lifted her feet up to inspect them. “I can’t wait—for both of those things.”
Josie got a text from Jillian, so she gave her directions to their location. Jillian found them a few minutes later and sat on the bench with them.
“How did you all score this awesome spot?”
“Some teens kept it warm for us,” Jane said.
The parade had started, so once the noise from the fire engine had passed, they sat back and enjoyed the floats and bands and cars and civic organizations.
It was a colorful array, and Josie loved every second of it. She enjoyed the small-town atmosphere, how watching the members of the city council go by in cars and wave to the crowd could prompt so many cheers and excitement.
She didn’t know anyone on the city council. Were they really that popular, or did they somehow elicit some sense of celebrity to people in Hope?
She leaned over to Jillian. “Is the city council popular?”
“Why?”
“They got a lot of cheers.”
“Oh. This group has done a lot of good for Hope. Revitalization of downtown, enhancement of the parks, construction of a new dog park, increased personnel in the police and fire department, and a general push for safety and recreation. People seem to be taken with them.”
“I can see that. And those are all good things.”
“Yes, they are.”
“It’s often hard,” Chelsea said, “especially in small towns, to get progress of any kind going. I grew up here, and for the longest time nothing was done. Then, for the past ten years or so, there’s been amazing growth and revitalization.”
She looked around at the beautiful tree-lined streets, the brick storefronts with colorful awnings, the movie theater, bookstore, bakery and flower shop, all owned by people who lived in this town. And for the first time since she’d moved here, Hope had started to feel like home to her.
It was a dizzying sensation. She shifted her attention back to the street and smiled as the middle school choir’s float went by, the children loudly singing. Someday she might get married and have children, and years from now, one of her kids might be on that float.
It was a dizzying sensation, the idea of
Hope being her forever home.
But she was getting way ahead of herself, and dreams often didn’t materialize into the sweet fantasy of reality.
Her mother might have had those same dreams. A husband. A daughter. That small-town happily-ever-after. And somewhere along the way, those dreams had been crushed into dust.
Josie knew better than to trust in fairy tales, because she knew better than most that there was no such thing as a happily-ever-after.
But as she watched Bash hand Chelsea a cup of ice cream and looked at the way Chelsea smiled lovingly up at her husband, she realized that some people had figured out how to grab onto that happiness with both hands.
Chelsea and Bash were happy. Married. About to have a baby.
Her gaze shifted to Will and Jane. Will had hoisted Tabitha up on his shoulders so she could watch the parade, and Ryan stood in front of Will, while Jane and Chelsea chatted on the bench.
She wasn’t jealous of their happiness; she just wondered if she’d ever find something like that.
“I love the school band,” Jillian said, pulling her out of her thoughts. “They’re so well taught. And several of the students come to the library on a regular basis.”
Josie nodded. “Quite a few of them are in my AP English class, too. I don’t know how they manage to juggle it all.”
“Me, either. When I was in high school, it was all I could do to just do homework.”
“Oh, come on. You’re brilliant.”
“You’re my friend. You have to say that.”
Josie laughed. “No, I don’t.”
“Well, you’re pretty smart yourself. And the kids love you.”
“Thanks for saying that. I do love what I do. And I like this school.”
Jillian grabbed her hand. “I’m so happy to hear you say that, because we’re all happy you’re here.”
“Ditto,” Chelsea said.
“And ditto,” Jane said.
There was that swell of warmth again, that feeling of belonging.
“Don’t make me feel all warm and welcomed.”
“Or what?” Chelsea asked. “You might start to like us?”
“I already do. But you don’t want to have to deal with a blubbering woman on the street corner.”
Chelsea waved her hand back and forth. “Please. You have two hormonal, pregnant women with you. We’re used to tears.”
Jane nodded. “True. We wouldn’t even notice you sobbing.”
Josie laughed.
“I don’t know if I want to wade into crying waters,” Jeff said.
Jillian practically leaped off the bench at Jeff’s arrival, but resisted her urge to actually do so.
“Hey, Jeff,” Chelsea said. “No one’s crying here. We’re just giving Josie a hard time because she’s being sentimental.”
Jeff smiled down at Josie. “About?”
“Friendship,” Josie said. “Home.”
“Aww, that’s sweet.”
“It is, kind of. How are you, Jeff?”
“Good.”
He was talking to her, and even focusing his attention on her, but she could tell he wanted to get to Jillian, who was practically vibrating.
“I think I’ll go get something to drink,” Josie said, getting up so Jeff could sit by Jillian. “Anyone want anything?”
No one did, and Jeff slid into her spot on the bench, so she headed across the street to one of the vendors to get herself a cappuccino. The sun had gone down and it was getting cooler outside, so she wanted something to help warm her up.
Instead of heading back to the group, she wandered down the street, realizing she hadn’t taken a lot of time to get to know the town since she’d moved here. Other than Loretta’s bookstore, Megan Lee’s bakery, and Sam McCormack’s flower shop, which she visited regularly, she didn’t stop in and frequent any of the other stores.
She was going to have to change that. As she wandered down the street, she noticed an antiques shop. She loved antiques. She made a mental note to stop by soon. There was also a place that sold pet supplies. She should definitely drop inside to see what they had. Frequenting independent business owners in her own town was more important than throwing money at the chain stores.
She ended up going around the block, making mental notes to visit many of the places she saw.
“We thought you’d gotten lost,” Jillian said when she made her way back to the bench.
Josie smiled. “I went for a walk.”
Bash and Will came back with the kids. “You all ready to head to the game?” Will asked. “It’s that time.”
They followed the crowd toward the school and the stadium, which, based on the crowd they were following, was going to be packed with people.
Zach would like that.
After they settled in their seats, Josie searched the field for Zach. He was out on the field with his players, walking back and forth. Despite the crowd noise, she could hear him barking out orders.
Her lips curved as she could imagine him fired up about tonight’s game, about the overfilled stadium. He had to be incredibly energized.
“This is so exciting,” Josie said. “My first homecoming game.”
“Seriously?” Jillian gave her a wide-eyed look. “You’re joking.”
“Not joking. In fact, I went to one of Hope High’s games recently, which was actually my first high school football game.”
“Wow,” Chelsea said. “So that means you never went to homecoming games when you were in high school.”
She shook her head.
“In college, either?” Jane asked.
“Nope.”
Jillian gave her a smile. “Well, then, you’re going to love this. The energy just crackles. Everyone from the smallest kid to the oldest adult gets into the spirit of watching these kids fight for a win. And with it being homecoming and the stadium being so full, it’ll make the experience that much richer.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Jillian went back to watching the action on the field. Josie appreciated that her friends didn’t press her about the reasons why she’d never been to a game in high school or college.
Maybe they all thought Josie didn’t enjoy football, which wasn’t true, of course. At the time, she’d had more on her mind than having fun.
Now, though, fun was for sure on her list.
The first quarter of the game was definitely fun. Bremerton High was a good team with a tough defense. Hope High’s offense was better, and by the end of the first quarter, Hope had scored fourteen points.
Having a core group of friends to watch the game with made all the difference. Loretta and Deacon Fox had also joined them along with their daughter, Hazel, and they all cheered and screamed every time Hope’s quarterback connected with a pass, or when one of the receivers caught the ball.
At halftime, Hope High was up twenty-four to seven. Josie was on her way down the steps to get a coffee as the team started heading off the field.
It was then she locked eyes with Zach. He smiled at her, and for that quick second she felt a jolt of electricity, as if she’d been struck by lightning. She grabbed onto the railing and watched him follow his team into the locker room.
Wow. That zing lingered all the way through waiting in line at the concession stand until she made it back to her seat. Okay, she still felt the heat from his gaze.
Had that been her imagination? Had that quick smile been nothing more than a “Hey, I see you. How’s it going?” on his part? Or had it been more?
For her, it had definitely been something more. And that something more was both interesting and thought provoking.
Either way, she was a lot warmer now, and it had nothing to do with the cup of coffee in her hand.
She couldn’t wait to see him after the game.
Zach had coached a lot of games. He’d played in a lot, too. But this one had probably been the best on record.
And not just because they were deep into the fourth quarter and wer
e up by three touchdowns. Though that sure helped. The tight knot of tension that had lodged in his throat at the start of the first quarter had finally dissolved. Now he could concentrate on finishing off this game.
His boys had been hot since the start of the game. Warrick Robertson, Hope’s quarterback, had fired bullets with every throw, and his receivers had caught each one. Their running game had been perfect, and defense had been monsters.
Paul Fine had caught six passes, one for thirty yards and a touchdown. He’d been focused and disciplined and had played the best game Zach had ever seen him play. Plus, he’d turned in all his work this week. So far, things were working for the kid.
And now there were four minutes left, and his team had the ball on Bremerton’s thirty-yard line.
Zach took a quick glance over on the sidelines. Wilson was currently sitting with the second team, seemingly as engrossed in the game as everyone else. Which Zach knew had to be crazy, but then again, maybe his dog had become a football dog. He turned his attention back to the field.
Robertson tossed a shovel pass to Adams, their star running back, and Satterfield opened up a wide hole for him at center, allowing Adams to sprint into the open field and run for another touchdown.
Yes! Zach tried to keep his emotions in check, but he couldn’t resist the slight pump of his fist. That touchdown was the nail in the coffin for Bremerton. Not that they hadn’t already buried them anyway, but now it was official.
He pulled his starters and gave his second string some playing time for the remainder of the game. After all, it was homecoming, and he wanted all his guys to be able to say they got to play in the game.
When the clock ticked down to zero, the crowd erupted. Man, he loved the sound of a full stadium and the effusive cheers. He crossed the field to shake hands with Bremerton’s coach and told him his team had played tough. He shook hands with several of Bremerton’s players as well. They were a good group of kids, and everyone had played clean, something he always appreciated. After he congratulated his guys and coaches and let them go off and celebrate on the field, he searched the stands, remembering where he’d spotted Josie earlier.