Page 21

Chapter

Eleven

W est had spent the day learning all he could about the Hawks’ playbook.

He recognized several plays he had run during his days as the high school team’s quarterback, as well as new ones.

It was good to see that Coach Markham had stuck with the tried and true and yet continued to stretch himself as a coach.

He took a break for lunch, making himself a quick sandwich, and called his mom.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hello, West. I can’t wait to see you at dinner tonight.”

“That’s what I’m calling about. Would you mind if Kelby Blackstone joined us?”

“I sense a story here. I’d heard Kelby was back in town because of her father’s stroke.”

“Yes, she’s been spending a lot of time with Big Jim. We connected, too.”

“I always liked her, West. I was disappointed when nothing happened between the two of you in high school.”

“We knew we were headed in different directions, Mom.” He paused. “But we’re both back in Hawthorne now and want to figure out if there’s still something between us.”

“I see.”

Those two words seemed to speak volumes to him. “So, would it be okay for Kelby to come to dinner tonight with me?”

“Absolutely, honey.”

“Now the big ask. Could we move dinner to six-thirty instead of six?”

Meg Sutherland chuckled. “My goodness. I’m happy to push it back half an hour.”

“It’s just that Kelby and Chance go visit Big Jim at five when he has his dinner at the rehab center,” West explained. “I want to make sure she can see her dad and have time to drive back to Hawthorne. I know Dad likes supper on the table at six and Jeopardy on at six-thirty.”

His dad recorded the game show every night and then watched it after dinner, being able to run through commercials since it aired while he ate dinner.

“ Jeopardy can wait. It was going to anyway because I know we have a thousand questions to ask you about your new job.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll let you go. See you tonight.”

West texted Kelby that dinner would be at six-thirty.

She replied and said she would simply meet him at his parents’ house to save time.

He went back to the playbook for the next several hours and felt he had down everything.

He’d always been a quick study when it came to analyzing football plays.

Having played at both the college and pro levels, where schemes were highly complicated, it was much simpler to master a high school playbook.

He was supposed to go to practice tomorrow afternoon, meeting the coaching staff first and then the players.

Now, he felt prepared. No matter what Coach Markham said, West believed there would be some resentment from a few coaches, with him stepping in and moving up to be number two on the coaching staff.

He went for a run, wanting to clear his head.

He would need to get into a workout schedule.

Everything he had done in the offseason had always been geared to making certain he was in the best condition possible before leaving for training camp.

That would be a thing of the past. West wanted to stay in shape, not only because it was important to him to keep up with his physical and mental health, but he also wanted to be a good example to his players and students.

After a quick shower, he dressed and found Sawyer had arrived home.

He told his cousin where he was going and then left, driving to his childhood home.

Joe Sutherland had kept the same house he’d bought when he was a teacher and coach at Hawthorne High School.

He’d worked his way up to principal and was now the school district’s superintendent, thanks to earning his doctorate and years of experience in the district.

The pay bump had helped, but Joe Sutherland was an unpretentious man.

Both his parents had always stressed to their children to live within their means and save as much of their salaries as possible.

West had taken that advice to heart. He knew Autumn was struggling financially, having put her slacker husband through med school.

She was always picking up extra shifts. Summer seemed to be doing well at her publishing house although she said that the cost of living in New York was sky-high.

Though he knew they would never ask, he would be happy to help either twin financially, the same as he had offered to do so with Sawyer. He was sitting on a pile of money from a lucrative career and was more than happy to share with his siblings and cousin.

It took ten minutes to reach his parents’ house, and his dad greeted him at the door, enveloping West in a bear hug.

“Son, I’m so proud of you. Not just what you accomplished as a Dallas Cowboy, but the fact you want to come back to Hawthorne and influence the lives of young people.”

“Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me.”

“I know a few people will think nepotism, with you landing a job on the football staff, but Coach Markham assured me that you were the best candidate for the position.” Dad grinned. “And that you’d be working longer hours for a whole lot less cash.”

They stepped into the den, and West said, “I know the hours will be long. I’m not concerned about that. I know what I’m getting myself into.”

His dad cocked an eyebrow. “And do you know what you’re getting into with Kelby Blackstone?”

He laughed. “I guess Mom told you she’d be at dinner tonight.”

“Kelby was a good girl. An excellent student and a true student leader. I’m sure she’s matured into a fine woman.” Dad frowned. “Despite that jerk of a husband.”

“Ex-husband,” he corrected quickly. “They’ve been divorced five years, Dad. I don’t think we need to bring up Bax Porter.”

“I agree,” Mom said, coming into the den. “Poor Kelby. I can’t imagine how rough things have been for her, what with Big Jim’s stroke and the lurid headlines about her ex.”

West cleared his throat. “Before she gets here, I want both of you to know that it looks as if Kelby is going to be staying in Hawthorne. We’re going to see where things go.”

Mom lit up. “That’s wonderful, West. But what will she do? She can’t let her life revolve around caring for Big Jim.”

“She’s working on that.”

The doorbell rang, and he said, “I’ll get it.”

Heading to the door, he took a deep breath and then opened it. Kelby stood there, her long, raven hair shiny, her gray eyes bright.

“Come on in,” he said, pulling her inside and kissing her lightly. “How’s Big Jim?”

“Pretty much the same.” She hesitated. “Did you explain to your parents why you wanted to invite me to dinner?”

“They know we’re together. They both think it’s a great idea. So, two cheerleaders in our corner.”

“I told Dad about us at dinner tonight. Naturally, Chance was there and heard. I thought he would pump me for more details on the way home, but he just gave me a knowing smile. I’ll also tell Darby.”

“And I’ll tell Sawyer.” He paused. “It’s going to be weird. Finding a place to be together. Almost like being teenagers again. I’ve got my cousin as a roommate in a small house with thin walls. You’re living at home again.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Kelby admitted.

“Let’s go eat. We’ll work things out,” he assured her.

His parents welcomed Kelby. They ate in the kitchen, the dining room being reserved for holiday meals and a bigger crowd. Mom had made meatloaf and mashed potatoes, as promised, along with corn on the cob and a Caesar salad. Dessert was a chocolate lava cake, and West only had a small slice of it.

“You should take more,” his mom urged. “You’re not in training now.”

“I also don’t want to balloon up,” he said. “I’ve seen too many pros let themselves go after their playing days. I don’t feel good when I carry too much excess weight. I also want to be a good example to my players. That means sweets are a treat, not a regular menu item.”

Kelby chuckled. “I’m happy to take any sweets West won’t, Mrs. Sutherland. I still jog almost daily so I can enjoy chocolate whenever I want. And ice cream.”

“You still look like you did in high school when you were cheering on the sidelines,” Mom told Kelby. “Except you’re even prettier now.”

“Thank you. High school seems a long time ago. A lot has happened since then.”

“West tells us you’re planning to stay in Hawthorne.”

Leave it to Mom to go straight to the heart of the matter.

“Yes, ma’am. I handled social media and branding for my last company. I’m hoping I can pick up a few clients and do the same on my own. I also am skilled at creating graphics and can design websites, things I’ve done in previous jobs. All of that can be done remotely.”

“Summer has mentioned to me that a lot of authors are moving away from traditional publishing,” his dad said.

“That they want more control over their work. If you could tap into that market of indie authors, Kelby, that might be a goldmine. Authors need websites. Graphics for ads. And they must do stuff on the TikTok.”

West loved how his dad always called it the TikTok. “I agree with Dad. That would be a lucrative market. Let me put you in touch with Summer. She might be able to steer you in the right direction,” he offered. “Tell you what authors need and suggest a few prospective clients to you.”

His thoughts began swirling, thinking of a few of his teammates.

Maybe they, too, needed social media help.

TTM had handled everything for him, but he didn’t know if that applied to some of the other big names on the Cowboys roster, much less players who didn’t have the big marquee recognition but still had a solid fan base.

West knew that Van Foster was due a new contract.

He didn’t know if the quarterback was happy with his agent or if he would be seeking a new one for the contract negotiations.

He decided to reach out to Van. Maybe he might have something Kelby could work on. Other Cowboys players might, as well.