Page 31 of Under the Lights
“So you’re just here to chaperone this little criminal trespassing field trip?”
Though it didn’t affect her the way Chase’s did, Sam’s grin had a way of lighting up his hardened face. “Yes, ma’am.”
She couldn’t hold the smile back anymore. “If you don’t drink, why is the car still at the pizza house?”
“In theory, walking here was more stealthy than driving.”
“And no stop signs,” Chase added.
“Yes, because a failure to stop is totally your biggest concern right now.” She sighed and shook her head. “Let’s go.”
“We haven’t seen the trophy case yet,” Alex said.
“I’d be happy to bring you here during the day, with the principal’s blessing, for a tour of the school.”
“We’re already here, though,” Chase said, with all the sincerity of an intoxicated person whose logic made perfect sense to him.
“Illegally.”
“If you’d stop arguing with us, we’d be done already and you could be eating ice cream,” Chase continued. Then he gave her a half smile. “I really like ice cream.”
Alex seemed very interested in a pep rally poster still taped to the wall, but Kelly didn’t miss the way Sam looked from Chase to her and back again.
Chase leaned closer to her. “What law do I have to break to get handcuffed around here?”
“You should probably start exercising your right to remain silent,” Sam said.
“She hasn’t arrested me yet,” Chase argued. “If she arrests me, she has to frisk me first.”
“Fine,” Kelly said, surrendering to the inevitable. “Let’s go see the damn trophy case.”
She led them through the dark hallways, using her flashlight to guide the way. When they came to the lobby area outside the gymnasium, the moon was shining through the skylights, so she switched it off and waved toward the trophy case.
The three men gathered in front of it in silence and Kelly hung back. She didn’t need to look, since she walked by it several times a week during her visits to the school. There were a variety of trophies in the case now, but the big one—the first one for football—was on the top shelf, with a framed photo of the team beside it. Mounted to the back of the case were several newspaper clippings.
THESTEWARTMILLSEAGLESWIN!
A photo of her dad was in one of the articles, faded to a pale yellow now. He was in his Eagles polo, with his whistle around his neck and a ball cap on, and the joy and pride he’d had in his team shone on his face. It was the same photo she’d had next to her when she started making the phone calls to bring these guys home.
As she looked at the three of them, their heads bowed almost in reverence, she felt warmth seep through her. They’d all put their lives on hold to help her dad, and she wasn’t sure she could ever thank them enough for that.
“We should steal the trophy,” Alex said in what he probably thought was a low voice.
Idiots.“Okay, guys. Let’s see if we can get you back to the car, which Sam is going to drive, by the way.”
“You were a lot more fun back in high school,” Alex said, and then he frowned. “No, wait. That was Courtney.”
She gave him her best cop face and pointed down the hallway. “Go.”
She managed to get them outside and, after locking the door behind her, was able to secure the back window with Sam’s help. Then she pointed in the direction of the pizza place, and they started walking.
“We could go to the covered bridge and make out,” Chase said when they’d gone maybe thirty yards.
“You’re not my type,” Alex said.
“I was talking to Kelly.”
She rolled her eyes. “You have more of a chance with Alex.”
