Page 18

Allie

“ O ctober will be here before we know it.” Dylan kneels beside me in front of the chain-link fence in her ballet uniform of black leotard and black nylon joggers.

We’re on the field with the drill team, sticking red Solo cups between the links to spell out Go Captains!

The cheerleaders are on the other side of the fence, painting a giant paper banner the team will run through before the game, and Liv is a little ways down, supervising the girls filling red and white balloons with helium to release Friday night.

The guys are on the other side of the fence, finishing up practice, and as I hide behind the cups, I sneak peeks at sexy Coach Jack standing there as always in those jeans that hug his perfect ass with his muscled arms crossed and his cap pulled low over his eyes.

Every now and then, he’ll look in our direction. My heart jumps to my throat, and I have to blink away before he burns me up with a single glance.

I’ve been floating on air for a week.

He kissed me .

More like he devoured me. I bite my bottom lip, forcing my attention to stay on my work.

I’m doing better than I was last Friday. I could barely breathe as we all stood on the sidelines waiting for him to announce the starting lineup.

Not even hulking, menacing George Powell could bring me down.

Jack quickly read through the names as parents and friends stood around hissing a Yes! or quietly high-fiving. I already knew what was coming when he moved from the defense to the offensive list.

As he said each name, the boys would run out and join the group on the field, and the girls would cheer and shake their small pom poms. When he read Levi as second starting quarterback, my skin prickled as all eyes landed on me.

Then he added, “First starting quarterback is Austin Sinclair,” and I couldn’t fight the smile breaking across my face.

The girls broke into cheers, kicking their legs, and even Kimmie was right there with them, cheering for Aussie and screaming at the top of her lungs.

To his credit, my son smiled humbly as he jogged onto the field to stand with his fellow teammates. They clapped hands, grabbed his shoulders, shook his arms, and hugged each other.

Even Levi congratulated him, before they all went back to pulling on their game faces for Coach Jack’s final words of motivation going into the fall season.

George Powell didn’t say a word, but his jaw was set, annoyance clear in his expression.

He could go straight to hell for all I cared. My boy worked his ass off for that spot, and the best coach in the world believes in him.

Pride expanded in my chest, and my stubborn eyes had to find Jack’s.

Of course, he was looking at me, and the gleam of satisfaction in his gaze launched a kaleidoscope of butterflies in my chest.

A nod was all the thanks I could give him without feeding the rumor mill, because everyone was watching us.

Then school started Monday, and we’ve been back at the grind, him on the field, me in the library. Still, the promise of more hums in the afternoon air.

“They asked me to get prize donations from local businesses.” Dylan surveys the list on her phone. “You’re so good at this, maybe you could help me?”

Her long hair is wrapped in a bun on the top of her head, and she’s talking about the drill team’s big fundraiser of the year.

It’s actually a joint fundraiser with the cheerleading squad, and it’s going to be a big Halloween fair, complete with an oversized hay maze—which sends a chill down my back.

I shiver. “I hate hay mazes.”

“What? Hay mazes are so fun!” Dylan sits with her back against the fence beside me. “And this one’s going to be massive . They’re bringing in scaffolding so you can’t see over the tops.”

More shivers. “Haven’t you seen The Shining ?”

“That was a hedge—in a blizzard.”

“Doesn’t matter. All I can think about is running and running and not being able to see around the corners and Jack Nicholson chasing me with an axe.”

Dylan’s eyes light with her smile. “That was really scary. We need to tell Raven to put it on our list for Girls’ Movie Night.”

“I can’t wait to see them again!” I sigh, popping my last cup into the fence.

I push off my knees to stand, and my friend hops up beside me.

“I like this look.” She circles her finger around my head.

“You should.” I slide the black-rimmed glasses higher on my nose. “You’ve been demanding it for months.”

“They’re really cute, and that messy updo makes you look very naughty. ”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I put a finger on my bottom lip, rolling it back and forth like some kind of cheesy old music video about being hot for teacher.

She snorts a laugh. “Where is my grumpy older brother? Coach Jack, you’re needed at the cup fence, stat!”

“Shh!” I grab her arm, pulling her closer as we break into laughter. “They’ll hear you.”

“Who cares?” Dylan whines. “Kimmie loves you; we all love you. He needs to get his grumpy head out of his butt.”

A sharp whistle tweets, and the guys run off the field. Sadie Duck skips up to where we’re standing behind the fence.

“I talked to Coach Stef, and she said it would be okay if I moved from the cheer squad to the drill team!” Sadie’s blonde ponytail flips around her shoulders as she bounces on her toes. “If that’s still okay?”

I remember her holding Austin’s arm on the field earlier, and I think I’d like to get to know her better, since it looks like he might ask her out.

“Liv said if she didn’t mind…” I look at Dylan, unsure if I’m overstepping. “But I’m really only third-string here. I don’t know how things like that work.”

“Of course, you can!” Dylan puts her arm around the girl’s waist, giving her a hug. “I’ll email you the forms and where to get your uniforms. You can help us at the pep rally, but it’s too late for you to be in the line for the first game.”

My stomach jumps, and I imagine us under the lights, with the drama of the game surrounding us. Jack is always so good with the boys, and now I’ve got two men on the field to cheer for.

“I’ll see you at Cooters & Shooters?” Dylan points at me, and I nod.

“It’s Dare Night! Only, I might be a little late.”

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, I just want to have dinner with Austin. We’ve been like two ships passing in the night lately, and we need to chat.”

I haven’t been able to tell him about his dad, and I’d like to feel him out about things like me dating and how he feels about it, specifically if I were to date someone like Coach Jack.

“Want me to ask Thomas to make something for you?”

“You know me so well.”

I can’t help a laugh. Hell, I haven’t been able to stop smiling for a week—even with all the things going on and how indefinite we left them.

Maybe we’re waiting. Maybe we’re sneaking around. All I know is I haven’t been this happy in a long time, and the first game is Friday.

“Thomas made a spicy dare burger for you.” I dig through the bag of food Dylan had ready for us when I dropped off Kimmie. “He said it’s your favorite? I didn’t know that.”

“Thanks.” Austin breezes through, picking up the plastic container and starting for the door. “I’m meeting Edward and Sadie at the Coot-Shoot.”

“Hey, slow down a minute!” I laugh, reaching for his sleeve. “I wanted to have dinner with you here.”

He looks up at the clock over the sink, and his shoulders drop. “Tonight?”

“Yeah, tonight.” I pull his sleeve in the direction of the table. “Come sit down with me.”

“But it’s Dare Night.” He stands beside the table.

“Not until seven. I want to talk to you.”

He puts his burger down and pulls out a chair, glancing at me from beneath his brow. “Am I in trouble?”

My eyes narrow. “Should you be?”

He doesn’t answer right away, opening the cardboard box and slowly taking out his burger. “I didn’t know I had to read all three books this summer. I thought I just had to pick one, and Mrs. Easley said I could do a makeup quiz next week.”

I sit straighter in my chair. “You didn’t do your summer reading assignment?”

“I had football practice.”

“Austin, I’m the school librarian!” I take the lid off my box to find grilled chicken on a bed of romaine and spinach, topped with beets, feta cheese, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

A handwritten note inside reads, sugar-free , and I shake my head.

“It was an honest mistake.” He hulks forward, taking a big bite of hamburger, then leans back with a groan. “That’s good.”

“Always is.” I pour the balsamic vinaigrette over the top. “But of all things, Austin, you didn’t do your reading assignment? You’re making me look bad.”

He presses his lips into a near-smile. “Sorry, Mom.”

“I’m not mad.” I stab a big chunk of chicken with my fork and put it in my mouth. It’s also delicious. “I guess if she’s letting you make it up, it’s okay.”

“You look like a librarian with your hair all like that and your glasses.” He bobs his head with a grin.

A blob of mustard is on his cheek, and I hand him a napkin. Sometimes I still catch glimpses of the little boy he used to be not so long ago and warmth filters through my chest.

“Thank you, I guess?”

“Nah, it’s good. I was just saying.”

“Are you excited about your first big game?”

He takes another big bite of burger, nodding. “Um-hm.”

“You’ve been really cool about Levi. I heard his dad kind-of made a scene during camp.”

My son’s eyes are fixed on the french fries in his box, but he nods. “He does that a lot. Levi said they’ve had to move three times because of it. ”

“That sucks.” I take another bite of my dinner. “He must be really embarrassed.”

“More like pissed off.” Austin takes his final bite of burger. “He’s a good player, though.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. Although, I can’t imagine anyone being as good as you.”

That makes my son laugh, falling back in his chair and rolling his eyes. “I’m hardly the best player.”

“Top ten.”

He shakes his head, shoving a handful of fries into his mouth. I take a few more bites of salad, and we’re quiet a moment. I have two big things to talk to him about, and I have no idea how on Earth to ease us into either one.