Page 43 of Agent of the Heart (Hearts in Hawthorne #3)

Darby finished up the school day, with varsity cheer being her last class of the day. When she asked if they had been the ones to make the mum for her, all she saw were blank faces.

“It would’ve been a good idea,” one said. “Sorry we didn’t think of it, Ms. Montgomery. But it really looks nice.”

Now, her curiosity was growing. She didn’t think any student on the newspaper or yearbook staff would have spent the time making a mum for her. Maybe it was one of the JV cheerleaders or a cheerleader mom who had done so. She would figure it out so she could send a thank you note.

The squad members helped one another out of their mum harnesses, and they practiced their newest dance, one which they had performed at the pep rally today and would continue to do during the remainder of the football season.

“You look really sharp,” she complimented once they had repeated it three times in a row. Carrie had fallen out of line after the first time and watched with a critical eye.

“I think we can incorporate some of these dance steps into our competition routine,” Carrie told the others.

They spent a few minutes discussing what they wanted to do for nationals. Varsity and JV would perform together since the competition required a certain number of cheerleaders to participate, but Darby had agreed that it would be up to varsity to agree to the moves of the routine.

“We need to nail down the choreography,” Carrie said.

“Starting next week. We’ve got down our chants and dances for the rest of football season.

Let’s begin on Monday creating our routine.

Ms. Montgomery and I have already worked on a lot of it, trying to get an overall idea of what structures we want to create and the music we’ll use. We’ll talk about that on Monday.”

She let the squad go a few minutes early. They already spent early mornings, after school, and nights working on things. The gift of getting out of the parking lot just as the bell rang and not having to be stuck in after-school traffic was a reward she could easily manage.

Darby stayed at school, working on lesson plans and some ideas for nationals, until it was time to walk over to the tailgate. She was greeted by so many people on her way over, making her feel good. She didn’t just fit in Hawthorne.

She belonged here.

“Hey, Darby,” Autumn said when she arrived.

“Wow—you’ve got a mum!” She looked to her husband.

“This is what guys give their dates.” Autumn laughed.

“Actually, the size of the one Darby is wearing is about the size girls give their guys. They wear them on an elastic band around their biceps. Who gave it to you, the cheerleaders?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “None of them said they did. I have a feeling one of their moms made it for me.”

“Made what?”

She turned and saw Kelby. “I’m talking about my very cool mum. Thank goodness it’s not ginormous.” She played with one of the ribbons. “It’s the perfect size and a thoughtful gift. I just need to track down the giver.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Kelby said. “It’s only right that you should have one since I’m sure all your cheerleaders did.”

Darby explained to Eli about how large mums now were and the harnesses the girls had developed in order to keep their mums on.

“That’s insane,” he said. “How much would something like that even cost?”

“I’ve heard guys spending up to three hundred dollars,” she said.

Eli shook his head and slung an arm around Autumn. “Sorry, babe. I’d rather spend that kind of money on a weekend getaway with you.”

Autumn slipped her arm around his waist. “I don’t need a mum. All I need is you.” She kissed him.

“Love is in the air,” Uncle Joe sang, flipping a burger.

Darby ate quickly, wanting to get over to the stadium. Kelby accompanied her, asking, “How did the pep rally go?”

“Actually, it was like going back in time,” she shared. “They still do so many of the same traditions we did when we were students.”

She talked about the jalapeno eating contest. The skit. The competition for the spirit stick. How the entire visitor side had been filled with supportive Hawks fans from the town.

As they went through the turnstile, Kelby said, “You sound really happy.”

Darby stopped. “I’d say contented. I feel like Dorothy, having come home after going to Oz, and realizing that there really is no place like home. I’m a part of Hawthorne, and I like that.”

She paused, her throat thickening with emotion. “Am I a little wistful that I couldn’t make things work with Jace? Absolutely. But Hawthorne and his glitzy world in Dallas just didn’t mesh.”

Taking Kelby’s hands in hers, Darby added, “I like what I’m doing.

I like being here with you and my family.

I’m enjoying my job and working with so many different kinds of students.

” She sighed. “And hopefully, I’ll find someone I can share my life with one day.

Not anytime soon. Because I did love Jace.

Those feelings didn’t go away when I made the decision to stick to a life here.

I hope they’ll eventually fade, though.”

Kelby squeezed her hands. “Everything is going to work out the way it should,” her friend said optimistically. “Let’s go down to the track.”

They entered the stands, which were only beginning to fill.

In the next forty-five minutes before kickoff, they would be packed.

Players from both teams were going through stretching and would soon begin their pre-game drills.

She saw the band and drill team had already claimed their spots in the bleachers and would make their way to the field in half an hour for their pregame show.

Making their way down to the bottom of the stairs, they went through the gate and started along the track. Then Darby froze.

Jace was talking to the three cheerleaders already there. As she and Kelby approached, he turned. If she thought her heart had been racing before, it went into triple-time now, thumping so hard that she felt the mum she wore shaking.

“Hey, Darby,” he said, making her want to slap him—and kiss him—at the same time.

“Jace,” she said evenly. “What are you doing here?”

“We’ve got a lot to talk about. Either before or after the game. Your call.”

She couldn’t talk to him now. She’d be a mess if she did. Mascara running down her cheeks and violent trembling wouldn’t be a great look in front of her students and the entire town of Hawthorne.

“After,” she said curtly.

“Okay,” he said, no emotion in his voice, making him hard to read. Then he approached her, picking up her hand and placing something in it. “I’ll see you after the Hawks win.”

As he walked away, she forced down the lump in her throat by swallowing hard. Then she opened her hand. Inside it was a folded ribbon. She let it drop open in the slight breeze.

Darby & Jace

She looked at it, dumbfounded, and then realized Jace had been the one to send the mum to her.

“It goes here,” Kelby said softly, taking the ribbon from Darby’s hand and attaching it to the mum.

“ You made this?” she asked, her voice breaking.

“Jace asked me to. That’s what I was working on this morning. He wanted you to have it to wear. At school today and the game tonight.”

Darby glanced down at the ribbon bearing their names and then looked blankly at her best friend.

“Why?”

“I think that’s something you’ll need to take up with Jace,” Kelby said firmly. “I’ll see you later. Call if you want to talk. No matter how late it is.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

Kelby walked away, and Darby looked down at the mum again. Yes, it was just a stupid corsage. It didn’t mean anything.

Or did it?