Page 27 of Under the Lights
Decker and Philly joined them, so the only guy they were waiting on for the big game was John Briscoe. Chase spent a couple of minutes wondering about their other teammates—the ones who hadn’t come—but then he put them out of his mind. There were a million reasons a guy couldn’t put his life on hold even for a few days to play an exhibition game against a bunch of high school kids, and he wouldn’t hold it against them. These were the guys who had come back for Coach’s sake and that was all that mattered.
“It feels a little unreal, being back here,” Sam said when they’d knocked the hell out of three large pizzas and a pitcher and a half of beer, with sodas for Sam.
Chase wanted to ask him if he’d see his mother while he was in town, but it wasn’t the time. They were laughing and reminiscing about their glory days, and Sam’s parents didn’t fall in the happy memories of Stewart Mills category.
“Brings it all back,” Alex said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a moment better than the second I realized we’d actually won the damn game.”
“When Briscoe caught that pass and you threw that block so he could get in the end zone,” Deck said, “I couldn’t believe it. Even when they signaled the touchdown. I mean, who the hell thought we could win a championship?”
“Coach did,” Sam said quietly.
Chase nodded, then took a swig of his beer. After the final whistle blew and the crowd was going wild, Coach had gathered his team at the bench.I never doubted you boys for a minute.It was only the second time in his life Chase felt as if he’d made a person he loved proud. The first time had been busting his ass on an English essay his senior year and getting to hand Mrs. McDonnell the graded paper with a big A minus circled at the top. She’d hugged him hard and then baked a cake for him.
“I wonder if Coach believes we can winthisgame,” Alex said, and they all laughed.
“I know I wasn’t the best student ever to go through Stewart Mills High, but I count six old guys,” Sam said.
“The rest of theold guysteam will be filled in with school staff and a few dads, I guess,” Chase said.
Alex leaned forward. “What about any guys who played for the Eagles and graduated last year? Technically, they’re alumni, and if some went away to college, they’re home for the summer right now. Let the young kids take the hits.”
Chase shook his head. “I tried that. There has to be some affiliation to the championship team, even if they were just sitting in the stands watching the game. The school custodian’s going to play. He was in the band the year we won.”
“This would be a great high school revenge plot. Luring the jocks home in a secret plan to pummel them on the field they once owned,” Sam said. He frowned at Chase. “We didn’t piss those girls off in some way back then, did we?”
“I don’t think so. And it’s a little extravagant for revenge.” Although if anybody could come up with a scheme like this, it would be Kelly, Jen and Gretchen.
“Revenge plot or fund-raiser.” Alex refilled his mug and then emptied the beer pitcher into Chase’s. “Either way, it’s going to hurt.”
08
After Jen had made sure Alex and Sam were settled with their host families, Kelly, Jen and Gretchen decided to have an unscheduled Eagles Fest meeting at the Walker farm for the simple reason that Gram Walker had made macaroni salad. It was creamy and tangy, with chunks of ham and some secret ingredient that Kelly had never been able to figure out, but really wanted to.
Gram, who still lived her life on a milking schedule even though she’d had neither a husband nor cows for more than a few years, had already eaten and retired to her chair in the TV room to watch the evening news before she went to bed, so the women took heaping bowls of the macaroni salad into the dining room to talk.
“I finally found a printer for the discount cards,” Jen said after they’d all enjoyed a few bites. “We’ll have them in time for the street fair.”
That was a huge relief. It had taken a lot of door-to-door schmoozing to get the local businesses to take part in the discount program. If a person bought the card for ten dollars, with the entire amount going to the Eagles, he or she would get 5 percent off at many places in Stewart Mills until the last day of October. But finding a printer willing to donate services hadn’t been as simple.
“You should get a trophy when this is over,” Gretchen told Jen.
“Trophies cost money,” Jen said. “But when this is over, I won’t say no to a really cheap cocktail.”
Kelly knew Gretchen wasn’t exaggerating. Jen spent hours searching the Internet, looking for forms to fill out to request grants from numerous football-related foundations. She’d emailed the contact person for every current or former NFL player she could find with a connection to the state, or even to New England, and knocked on any door that might lead to a donation.
“Maybe we can buy a used trophy and write your name on it with a Sharpie,” Kelly said, and they all laughed.
“I’ll leave the trophies to the football team,” Jen said. “Unless it’s made of chocolate. Then I’ll take it.”
Kelly swallowed her last bite of macaroni salad and pushed her bowl away. “Speaking of chocolate, did either of you say anything to Chase about my sex life?”
Jen looked shocked, and then her expression changed to offended. “Of course not. I resent that question.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“I didn’t, either,” Gretchen said. “But now I’m dying to know what made you ask us. Especially since, as far as we know, you don’thavea sex life.”
And now Kelly didn’t want to tell them. She should have accepted the fact that it was a weird coincidence and kept her mouth shut, but it was too late now. “He said he wanted to take me up against the wall.”
