if she didn’t give the crowd “energy”? Evidently, “energy” was big in the dance-team world because Kendra worried about it a lot.
Her gaze moved across the row of football players, all suited up in their team jerseys, to the coach sitting on the far side. Zach wore a black long-sleeved polo and a dark green ball cap that shaded his eyes. He rested his forearms on his Levi’s-covered thighs, and his attention was directed at the center of the gym, where a man with a white cowboy hat and boots took the microphone.
“Hello, Cougars! For those of you who don’t know, I’m Principal Tommy Jackson.” Applause broke out that mostly drowned out a few stray boos. “We’re all here tonight to show our support for our football team and to cheer them to victory tomorrow night.” Adele moved farther into the gym as the principal thanked the boosters and the students and teachers who’d hung the streamers and made posters. Adele found a seat near the middle, three rows up, and sat.
“The boosters have graciously provided ice cream to be served in the cafeteria directly after the rally. So y’all be sure to wander in that direction.” He paused to take his hat off and revealed a dark wreath of hair. “A year and a half ago, when Coach Wilder passed away unexpectedly, we didn’t know what would become of our football program. We had some mighty fine assistant coaches, but none were fully prepared to take over the job of head coach. Then someone”—he looked over toward the bench of players—“I believe it was you, Joe, suggested that we ask a man who certainly knows his way around a football if he could step in and help us out.” The crowd whooped and hollered and stomped their feet. The bleachers shook, and Zach looked down at the floor between his boots. The bill of his hat hid the top half of his face and the shadow rested just above the bow of his top lip. “Now, let’s hear it for the man who’s gonna take us all the way to State! Coach Zzzz!”
The crowd grew even louder, chanting his name, buzzing the air with excitement. Zach stood, pulled his hat from his head, and tossed it on the bench. As his long legs carried him to the center of the gym, he combed his fingers through his blond hair.
“Okay, y’all. Settle down a minute,” he began, the epitome of cool under pressure. He grabbed the microphone and adjusted it to reflect his height. “First off, I’d like to thank y’all for coming out tonight and showing your support. I know it means a lot to the boys.” He placed his hands on his hips and rested his weight on one booted foot. “We’re all mighty happy to have Don suited up in his jersey tonight.” The gym broke out in wild applause, and he leaned forward, closer to the microphone.
“I just talked to his doctors this afternoon, and he’ll be ready to play next year. When we lost Don, people said we were done for the season, but I never believed that. Don is one hell of a player with a big future, but we have a lot of boys on this team who can play ball. Who come ready to play at every practice and give me 110 percent. Who come to the games and leave their blood on the field. I am proud of every one of those boys, and I want to thank all the mommas and daddies who raised them up right.” He straightened as the crowd filled the air with whoop whoops.
“I’m not gonna lie. Amarillo is a tough team, and they’re going to show up to win. Our boys are tough, too, and it’s goin’ to come down to who wants it more. I’m bettin’ we do. I’m bettin’ we have the heart, guts, and the glory to show those Amarillo boys how we play ball down here in Cedar Creek.” The crowd exploded, whooping and hollering and pounding the air with raised fists as if they were at a rock concert.
Zach turned his head and looked in Adele’s direction. Across the distance, his gaze skimmed past her only to return abruptly as if he was a magnet and she was a shiny piece of metal. He waited a few seconds for the noise to die down before he continued. “I know the boys will appreciate it if y’all can drive up to Lubbock tomorrow night and show your support.” He looked at the crowd in the seats above her, then raised a hand. “Thanks again for coming out tonight.”
His easy confident stride carried him back to the bench, and he reached for his hat. As he sat, he slid it back on his head, then leaned to one side to listen to one of his assistant coaches. The Stallionettes rushed onto the floor, and Adele broke out the camera. She recorded Kendra as she danced her heart out to N’Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye,” and cheered the loudest when the show was over.
Next, the Cougar cheerleaders took the floor and jumped about, calling out cheers. They did lots of backflips, and an impressive human pyramid. Through the stack of arms and legs, Adele’s attention was drawn to Zach. She could not see his eyes, but she knew that he was looking at her. His jaw was set. His chin squared. If she knew him better, she might think he was angry, but she didn’t know him. Not at all.
After fifteen more minutes of cheering, the pom-pom squad ran out of the gym, and the football players followed, high-fiving one another on the way. The crowd in the bleachers began to file out, and Adele made her way to Kendra, who stood in a knot of dancers and their mothers. She recognized Cindy Ann Baker from the barbecue at Zach’s.
“Are you ready?” Adele asked her niece.
“Can’t we stay for ice cream?”
She glanced behind her and spotted the top of Zach’s hat. He was surrounded as if he was a superstar, and she guessed he was. “I’ve got to work tonight,” she said, which wasn’t even a lie. She hadn’t worked very much that morning and had to make up for it tonight.
“Please,” Kendra begged. “All the girls are staying.”
“We’ll take her home,” Cindy Ann volunteered. “You go on to work before you’re late.”
“Thanks.”
“She works at home.” Kendra picked up her bag. “She can’t be late.”
A little wrinkle appeared between Cindy Ann’s light blue eyes. “What do you do?”
“I’m a writer.”
Cindy Ann froze, and her brows rose up her forehead. “Oh my God! You’re Adele Harris. Aren’t you?”
It wasn’t like Adele was recognized every day. Or even often, but she did have a fairly large readership. “Yes.”
“The other day at the party I thought you looked familiar. But when you said you went to Cedar Creek, I thought I must be wrong ’cause I just moved here from Alabama a few years ago.” She placed a hand on her chest. “I’ve read every book you’ve ever written. My favorites are your books with the Brannigan fairies. Although I just love your Star Ship Avalon series, too.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoy them.” Normally she liked to fly under the radar. At home, no one at her grocery store knew who she was, and she liked it that way. She liked running into the grocery store for a pound of chocolate and a box of tampons, looking like complete crap.
“What are you working on now?” Cindy Ann wanted to know.
Before Adele could answer, Joe Brunner approached. “Hey, ladies.”
“Hey there, Joe.” Cindy Ann smiled at the assistant coach. “Did you know Adele here is a published writer?”
“Why no. What do you write?”
Zach excused himself from the parents surrounding him and moved to Don’s side.
“Be careful now,” he cautioned. “I want you back to a hundred percent next season.”
Don stuck crutches under his arms and hopped along on one leg. His mouth pulled into sullen lines. “I hate sittin’ out, not playin’ ball,” he grumbled.
“It’s only one season.” But in football that meant a lot, and they both knew it. “Just a few games, if you think about it.”
They passed Joe, chatting it up with Cindy Ann and Adele. From beneath the brim of his hat, Zach glanced at Adele, standing there in a pair of jeans and the same white sweater that zipped up her front she’d worn the day he’d seen her standing beneath his portico. Tonight, her hair hung down her back in sexy, wild curls, and she was doing a stellar job of ignoring him.
That was fine by him. He didn’t need some uptight woman from his past getting him all hot, then telling him nothing was going to happen between them.
“Careful now,” he said, as Don teetered. Hell, it wasn’t as if he had even been meaning to start things between him and Adele the other day. At least not there. Not in his office with twelve thirteen-year-olds outside. One of whom was his daughter. When he’d walked into his office that day, he hadn’t even thought about kissing her. Then he’d touched her cheek, her goddamn cheek was all, and he’d wanted more. In seconds, he’d turned hard as a rock,
