Katie’s expression brightened. “That’s probably it. Let’s get some lasagna before it’s all gone. And then brownies. Erik’s are amazing.”
As they went to get food, Misty spotted her mother deep in conversation with a couple of the other women. She looked happier than Misty had seen her for a long time. And Jake was over the moon hanging out with Coach Maddox and the men.
Tears filled Misty’s eyes. It had taken a really awful crisis to get them to this point tonight, but she had a hunch that this was another of those silver linings Doc Fullerton had been talking about. With all these people backing her up, maybe she’d never feel quite so alone ever again. Her mom and Jake, too.
* * *
J.C. had been given the dubious honor of helping out at the grill. Apparently it was a duty usually guarded protectively by Erik, but he was held up at Sullivan’s tonight. Cal had immediately enlisted J.C. to take his place.
“I haven’t done a lot of grilling in my time,” J.C. reluctantly admitted, eyeing the huge gas grill with a certain amount of trepidation, and maybe a little awe, if the truth be known.
“You watch. You flip,” Cal said as if it were mindless work.
Of course, that didn’t explain why Erik thought it needed a master chef to do it well, but J.C. was forced to take Cal at his word, especially since he was lining up burgers in one row and hot dogs in another at a rapid clip.
“So, you and Laura,” Cal began as he placed the meat on the grill. “It’s finally getting serious? You’re openly dating these days?”
J.C. thought of his earlier comment to Laura about this crowd being dangerously addicted to marriage.
“I’m not sure serious is quite the right word,” he equivocated.
Cal regarded him with a hard look. “But you’re sleeping with her, am I right?” At J.C.’s unmistakably shocked reaction, he waved his long fork dismissively. “Hardly a secret, J.C. I warned you about that a while back.”
“So you did,” J.C. said, not sure if the regret he felt was for not listening back then or for showing up here tonight. “You going to call me out, demand to know my intentions?”
Cal chuckled. “Not me, man, but take a look around. There are lot of women here who’ll have your hide if you mess with her. I’ve warned you about that before.”
“Define messing with her,” J.C. requested, though he was pretty sure he understood Cal’s definition.
“Break her heart. Toy with her affections. Sleep with her, then dump her.” He lifted a brow. “You follow me now?”
J.C. nodded. “I think I’ve got it.”
“And?”
“I will do my best not to break her heart,” he said and meant it. It was far more likely that she’d wind up breaking his, though he’d started to have hope that maybe this time things would turn out differently.
“She’s a strong woman,” Cal said with admiration.
“The strongest,” J.C. confirmed.
“Smart, beautiful, caring.”
J.C. chuckled. “I don’t need a resume of her attributes, Cal. I can see them for myself.”
“Just thought I’d put in a good word, in case you’ve been sitting on the fence.”
“I don’t do much fence-sitting,” J.C. told him. “I’m either in or out.”
His gaze searched the yard until it fell on Laura and lingered, watching the smile blossom on her lips when she caught him staring.
“And you’re definitely in,” Cal concluded happily, watching him. “Good to know.”
Yeah, J.C. thought. He was definitely in.
* * *
Misty had been worrying all night about finally walking back into school and facing yet more stares. Sure, once she’d found out Greg Bennett was likely behind the latest online posts, it had made her plenty mad, but she was a long way from being brave enough to confront him.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to school today?” Diana asked.
“No way,” Misty said.
“How about I take you over to Katie’s? You can walk from there with her.”
Misty knew she probably ought to do this all on her own, but she seized the lifeline her mother had thrown. “Let me call and ask if that’s okay,” she said at once.
As soon as she got Katie on the phone, she told her what was going on. “Could my mom drop me off at your house?”
“Of course,” Katie said at once. “How about this? Let me make a couple of calls. I think we should show up in force. Let Greg see that you’re no longer alone, that you’re surrounded by friends who’ll stand up for you. He’s such a jerk, it probably never occurred to him that anyone would choose you over him.”
“Maybe nobody else will want to get involved,” Misty said worriedly.
“Leave that to me,” Katie said with confidence. “I’ve been telling you all along that a lot of people have been on your side. They’ve just been waiting for a signal from you that you want their help. Be here in fifteen minutes, okay? We don’t want to be late.”
“We’re leaving now,” Misty said, glancing at her mom, who smiled and nodded.
“I gather Katie has a plan,” her mom said.
Misty grinned. “Katie always has a plan. I think she was born to fight for the underdog. She’ll be a mini-Helen if she decides to go into law. Or maybe even president. She’s smart enough.”
“So are you,” her mom said loyally.
“I haven’t felt smart for a while now, but today?” She shrugged. “I almost feel like my old self again.”
There were half a dozen kids already waiting at Katie’s by the time they got there. As the group walked toward the high school, more kids fell into step with them. By the time they reached the high school, there were maybe twenty kids surrounding Misty, clearly eager to face down Greg or anyone else who dared to taunt her.
Just inside the building, Misty spotted Greg with a couple of the teammates who’d been suspended from the team along with him. He looked as if he were going to get in her face, but her friends moved en masse to block him.
Misty worked her way between them until she was facing him. “No more,” she said quietly. “This is over.”
“Not even close,” he said with what seemed more like sheer bravado than real conviction.
“Don’t you get it yet?”
