say. Speaking of, what’s the latest in that realm? Is she still with …?”
“Yeah, she is.” Despite the completely bizarre topic of his mother’s love life, he was glad for the distraction. “I guess it’s working. He’s a good guy.”
“He’d better be.”
James shook his head. “I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around Ms. Maggie having a love life. I remember when I skinned my knees on your driveway and she patched me up on the kitchen counter. The whole thing is weird.”
“Ya think?” Lucca asked. “Women are weird, period. I’m beginning to think it’s something they’re born with simply to torture the men around them.”
The trio walked into the bar accompanied by the sound of “Silent Night.” “I don’t recall the last time I heard Christmas carols being played in a bar,” James observed. “At least, ones that had the original lyrics.”
“This is Eternity Springs,” Lucca responded. “I’m surprised they don’t play them year-round.”
The men took seats at a table near the Christmas tree set up in one corner. Decorated with ornaments made from beer bottle tops and crowned with a star of cardboard coasters, it was quite the sight. They ordered hamburgers and beer from the bartender, and the talk turned, as usual, to basketball.
Lucca slowly nursed his beer as they discussed Tony’s team and his expectations for the season. When a waitress delivered their burgers, they broadened the discussion to include a bet on the Final Four teams in March. After that, the conversation finally made its way back to Eternity Springs. James said, “I’m glad you called me. The Mitchell kid is everything you claimed.”
Lucca sipped his beer. “I know how to evaluate talent.”
“You always have,” Tony agreed.
“So, you agree he’ll get some Division I interest?” Lucca asked his friend.
“I do. From one of the major programs, too.”
“That’s excellent news.” Lucca smiled his thanks to the bartender when he set a bowl of pretzels on the table. “Knowing the kid, I’ll encourage him to look hard at a smaller school. I think he’ll be a better fit at a place like Kansas State or Oklahoma State rather than the University of Texas.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I plan on recruiting him,” Tony said. “We need to keep talent like his in state.”
“I don’t know, Tony. Boulder is a great town, but going to school there might be too big a culture shock for Wade, not to mention his parents.”
They discussed Wade’s dreams and his stats and the film of him that Lucca had sent James. The Christmas music drifting from overhead speakers shifted from religiousthemed carols to secular favorites such as “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and Robert Earl Keene’s “Merry Christmas from the Family.” They talked about college basketball, and James asked Lucca when he planned to come back. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to come back.” He swirled the beer in his glass as though it were wine.
Tony sat back hard in his chair. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’re in love with the kindergarten teacher.”
He was. Head over heels, no looking back, fist-in-the-face love. “Right now I’m pissed at her.”
Tony grinned over the top of his bottle. “But you didn’t deny the L-word. Did he, James?”
“Not that I heard,” agreed the scout, amusement gleaming in his eyes.
A cold wind swept into the room when the front door opened and a group of newcomers swept inside. As they removed their coats to hang them on the rack beside the door, the bartender asked about the weather. A man replied, “It’s started spitting some sleet. Might get bad in a little while.”
The newcomers started for a table, then they caught sight of Lucca’s group. One of them called, “Coach. Great game today. The Grizzlies are the best I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks,” Lucca returned. “The team chemistry clicks.”
“You and Coach Montgomery make a good pair. Those boys like playing for you.” He grinned and added, “You inspire them, and they want to show off in front of Hope. Having a pretty female as a high school coach is a secret weapon.”
“You’re probably right.” Lucca had noticed the boys’ peacock posturing to Hope on more than one occasion.
“She’s a good woman,” another man in the group observed. “Sure was nice of her to volunteer to take the Eagles home so they wouldn’t be stuck here until their bus gets fixed.”
Lucca’s spine straightened. “She what?”
“You didn’t hear? The visiting team’s bus wouldn’t start after the game. Ms. Montgomery offered to drive them home. They left about ten minutes ago.”
As Lucca processed the news, his hamburger suddenly felt as heavy as an anvil in his stomach. Today’s opponents had come from Creede. That meant driving over Sinner’s Prayer Pass. The thought of Hope navigating that challenging stretch of road at night was bad enough. The knowledge that she’d be doing it in a bus with a basketball team on board during a sleet storm played into all of his fears.
Lucca shut his eyes, and when a mental image of Hope’s bus sliding off the side of the mountain flashed across his brain, he shuddered.
A sense of urgency swelled inside him. She shouldn’t be making this trip by herself. He should go after her, follow along behind her. He needed to see for himself that she made the trip safely.
Because deep in his heart of hearts, he very much feared that she wouldn’t.
He wiped his mouth with his napkin, then set it on top of his half-finished meal. “Guys, I’m sorry, but I have to go. Tony, when y’all are through here, if you call Mom, I’m sure she’ll swing by and pick you up so you don’t have to walk to Aspenglow Place in this weather.”
“What? Wait a minute. What are you going to do, Lucca?” his twin asked.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I have a bad feeling about this. I’m going to follow the bus.”
Tony nodded. “Okay, I’ll come with you.”
“Me, too,” James added.
“There’s no need—”
“Don’t argue. Let’s pay the tab and go.”
They departed Murphy’s Pub to the sound of “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and Lucca sent up a silent prayer that he was overreacting. However, Celeste’s earlier caution now peeled in his head like a clarion call.
Minutes later, he pulled onto the highway headed south. The tension inside his Range Rover thickened with every mile. Lucca couldn’t say why an overpowering sense of gloom had overtaken him, but it was as real as anything he’d ever experienced. “Tony, just in case, keep an eye on the right side of the road. James, you’ll watch the left?”
“Sure.”
Lucca drove, his hands gripping the steering wheel hard. As they started up Sinner’s Prayer Pass, the tension stretched tighter … tighter … tighter … until he expected something to snap. “Talk to me, Tony.”
“About what?”
“Anything. Isn’t it about time for you to buy a new ride? You trade every two years. What are you thinking about buying?”
“You want a distraction? Now?”
“Please.” He wanted to drown out the noise of sleet pinging against the windows. The road wasn’t bad yet, but by the time Hope attempted a return trip, who knew what it would be like.
“Okay. I’m thinking about a Ferrari this time around.”
Tony’s sports car patter provided the background noise that Lucca’s nerves needed to settle somewhat. As they reached the summit of the pass, he gripped the steering wheel hard. The ride down would be the most difficult part of the trip under these conditions. “Y’all watch closely. I’m sure she made it fine, but …”
Lucca shifted into low gear and took the first switchback. “What color?” he asked his brother.
“I’m thinking white this time.”
“Really?” James asked. “Ferraris need to be red.”
“I drive red now. I’m looking for a change.”
“How about black? Or silver?”
