Page 17 of Under the Lights
He nudged her with his elbow so she’d look at him. “You think I’m charming?”
“It wasn’t really a compliment.”
“I take what I can get.”
Somehow she doubted Chase was lacking in self-confidence and needed an ego boost from her. “Now that she’s your ex, you could get a dog.”
“I should probably get a place to live first since I’ve got nothing at all to offer a dog at the moment. But I’ve been meaning to ask you, when are the other guys coming in?”
Not the smoothest subject change she’d ever heard. “Alex Murphy and Sam Leavitt are coming on Friday, the day before the street fair. They’re both flying into Boston, so Alex is going to rent a car and then wait for Sam’s plane and they’ll drive up together. The others can’t come for as long, but they’ll all be here for the alumni game and parade. We’re still working out some of the details.”
“Is Sam staying with his mom?”
“No.” They wouldn’t even have considered asking Sheila Leavitt about the possibility, even if Sam hadn’t told them he preferred to board with a team family, like the others. There was too much history there, and none of it was pretty. “He’s staying with Cody. You know, the kid who plays tight end?”
“Yes, I know Cody. I hope Sam doesn’t mind being calleddude.”
“I wish Cody was the only offender, there. I hate that. But anyway, Mimi Dodge is his grandmother and he’s been living with her for several years, so Sam will be at the Dodge house.”
“What happened to the kid’s parents? Bill Dodge was older than me, but I kind of remember him.”
Kelly hesitated. “I can’t discuss Cody’s parents. Alex is staying with JJ Barton’s family. John Briscoe’s bringing his wife and kids, so they’ll stay with his parents. Killing two birds with one stone, he said, since they haven’t been back to visit for a while. Deck and Phil Parson still live in town, obviously. Phil’s out of town, but he’ll be back soon.”
“So nobody’s staying with the running back? Hunter, I think his name is.”
“Hunter Cass. And no, nobody’s staying with him.” There were several families connected to the team who couldn’t take the strain of a guest, either financially or emotionally. “We didn’t have to ask too many families, since those are the only commitments we could get from the guys we could find. Just the six of you.”
“I think you did pretty good, actually.”
She smiled at the praise in his tone. “Thanks. I just hope it’s enough.”
“Even if it’s not, I know how much it means to a guy that age to have somebody believe in you and fight for you.” He gave a little shrug, and then chuckled. “Which you know, since you didn’t hesitate to use it against me.”
She felt a pang of guilt. “That was harsh, actually, and I’m sorry I had to do it. But he’s my dad. And he knows he’s more to the team than just their coach.”
“That he is.”
Chase turned onto the bumpy dirt road that led back to the big, white farmhouse that had seen better days. Gretchen was doing her best, but without being able to pay for labor, she and her grandmother were on their own. He drove past the house and hooked a left onto an even worse track of dirt that led to the barn. It took them only a few minutes to unload the bed of his truck, and then he drove her back into town, stopping at the curb in front of her apartment.
“I guess I’ll run into you soon,” he said.
“Very soon. I’m going to run home and take a shower, and then I have to get to my parents’ house for dinner.” When he gave her a blank look, she cocked her head. “It’s Father’s Day, remember?”
“Oh. Sure.” He clearly hadn’t remembered. “I’ll probably go to O’Rourke’s or something. Maybe grab a pizza. But I’ll get out of the way.”
“Coach specifically mentioned looking forward to both of us being there for his Father’s Day dinner.”
He shrugged, but she could see the tension around his eyes. “Okay. I’d rather eat your mom’s cooking, anyway.”
Kelly didn’t bother asking him if he’d called his dad or not. She suspected Father’s Day wasn’t a big deal for the Sanders family, not only because Chase had clearly forgotten the holiday, but because she knew Chase and his dad had always had a rocky relationship.
None of her business, she told herself as she got out of his truck and gave him a wave. Nothing about Chase’s personal life was her business, and what she did know wasn’t good. His life was a mess and, if there was one thing Kelly didn’t want in her life, it was another mess.
—
Chase put what must have been the tenth card he’d read back on the greeting card rack in the drugstore. Coach wasn’t his dad, grandfather or uncle, so card shopping wasn’t going too well. There didn’t seem to be aDear Coach, thank you for making me the man I am todaysentiment in the bunch.
Of course, Chase would rather be the man he was six months ago, with a successful business and a wonderful girlfriend he thought loved him. Coach would have been damn proud of that man. Now? Chase wasn’t sure what was next for him but, whatever it was, he’d be going into it with his debts paid and his head held high. He guessed Coach would be pretty proud of that guy, too.
