Page 36 of Love Takes Home

“Joker,” I call his name. When he turns to look at me, I smile. “Good night.”

“Night, Beautiful.”

And then he’s gone.

I climb into the bed, and the day finally smacks me in the head. The football game. Watching Jimmy fall over on the field. Joker. I fall into a fitful sleep wishing I had asked him to stay.

Chapter 12

Joker

I don’t want to,but I pull the door closed behind me and leave Ginny alone. Fuck anyone who says my willpower sucks. I head to the small room across from hers and turn on my laptop. Something doesn’t sit right with me with what happened to that kid at the game.

I pull up the local news site and the town Facebook group. The news gets it right most of the time, but the town group? That’s where you get the real information. Seems like most of the town was at the game tonight, and all of them are traumatized by what they saw.

Kara Hickerson:Never seen anything like it before. He just dropped.

Doc Vince: Was he hit? Was it from an injury?

Shane Carmichael: It was his first play of the night. No injury that I could see.

Leah Davison: Oh, his poor momma. We need to get a meal train going. I’ll pin a signup sheet.

Sarah Wolkuff: Was he sick? Think it could be mono?

Jered Nemenmeyer: Never heard of anyone dropping like that from mono.

Sarah Wolkuff: I didn’t say that. Just asking if he had it. Stop putting words in my mouth.

Anonymous: Think that lady teacher who ran away from her wedding could have done something?

Linda Pichler: WTF are you talking about?

Anonymous: Well, anyone who would do that is the same kind of person to hurt children. And she’s hanging out with all that riff-raff.

Linda Pichler: Bullsh*t! Leave her out of this, let it go. Also, I want to see you say that to her face. But you won’t. Cause you’re a coward.

Anonymous: Am not! You don’t know me!

Linda Pichler: Don’t need to. Anyone who hides behind ‘Anonymous’ is a coward.

Travis Walters: TJ said he thought Jimmy was acting weird before the game. Like he was all hopped up on too much caffeine or something. TJ’s real worried about him. Said there were a couple of guys on the team acting like Jimmy. Hope this doesn’t impact baseball season.

Sandra Rubinisky: Oh, who gives a fig about baseball! These are our kids and all you care about is baseball? Where’s your heart? Do you even have one?

Travis Walters: Jimmy and TJ both play baseball! They were looking at scholarships. I AM thinking about their lives. Maybe you should just put the screen down keyboard warrior and say I don’t care to my face!

Anonymous: I still say you need to look into the music teacher. She’s obviously not stable. You saw who she hurt walking away like that.

Nicole Adams: She’s not stable? Have you asked her why she did it or are you just playing into the mob that loves drama? A kid could have died tonight and you’re more worried about tarnishing a beloved teacher’s name?

Anonymous: I don’t need to ask her anything. Anyone who would walk away from a man like that must have mental problems.

Elle Workman: Your fragile male ego is calling. Might want to put the keyboard down and answer.

Anonymous: I never said I was a man.

Elle Workman: You didn’t need to. To immediately blame a woman and say she has mental problems for breaking off a relationship? Oh, honey, only someone with SDE would go that route.

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