Homecoming (A Boys of Fall Novel) (17 page)

It was the smile that did him in—the way her lips curved around the head of his dick—and his fingers tightened in her hair. She must have sensed he was about to lose it, because she wrapped her fingers around him and moved her fist in time with her mouth. Taking him deeply, she sucked lightly as her mouth retreated and her hand squeezed as it slid over the flesh her mouth had made slick.

He groaned as he came, trying not to pull her hair, but not able to think about anything but the powerful orgasm. She took him deep into her mouth again, swallowing, before kissing his stomach and smiling up at him.

“Better?” she asked, her mouth curved in a naughty grin.

He wasn’t able to form words yet, so he nodded. Then he summoned the strength to lift his hips again as she pulled his sweatpants back up. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her hair and held her close.

But after a few minutes, when he was sure his knees would hold him up, he nudged her. “Let me get up for a second.”

She moved so he could stand, and he went to the cabinets where he kept his food. After rummaging around for a minute, he found a snack-sized bag of potato chips and brought them back to the couch.

“I forgot I’d bought some of these to have on hand.” He pulled open the top of the bag and handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she said, giving him a bright smile.

Once he was situated on the couch again and she was curled up against him, munching on the chips, he draped the blanket over them and kissed the back of her neck.

“Do you want a chip?” she asked, offering one over her shoulder.

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

“So am I,” she said, snuggling a little bit closer.

He was better than good, actually. Though he’d never been a man big on believing in hopes and dreams, Sam knew this was what he’d always wanted. This life with this woman was something he wanted for himself and he couldn’t run away from it anymore.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said before he could change his mind.

—

J
en stiffened, a million thoughts seeming to fly through her head, with most of them being panicked certainty he was about to tell her he was leaving Stewart Mills.

But that was ridiculous, she thought. Even though he looked a lot stronger, Coach hadn’t been cleared by his
doctor to return to work and she knew without a doubt Sam wouldn’t leave the team before he was.

But there was a tightness in Sam’s voice that let her know it was something serious. She pushed herself upright and turned on the couch cushion slightly so she could see his face. “What’s up?”

He frowned. “It’s easier for me to talk to the top of your head.”

“I know, but I like looking at you when I talk to you. So what’s going on?”

“Neil Page offered me a job as his assistant coach.”

Of all things he could have said, that was the last thing Jen expected. She knew Neil slightly, since they’d attended the seminar on sports scholarships for student athletes once, but she didn’t realize Sam knew him. Or that Neil knew Sam.

But as Sam explained about the phone call, she realized Neil had probably watched Sam coaching during the homecoming game and saw his potential.

“Are you going to take it?” she asked, not meaning to interrupt his story, but unable to stop herself from asking what she thought was the most important question.

“I don’t know.” He seemed to be searching her face, looking for her reaction, and she had no idea what he’d see there. Mostly she was still numb. “I have plenty of time to think about it. They haven’t even announced the retirement yet—and they don’t want that getting back to the team, so this is between you and me—but he wanted to talk to me now in case Coach McDonnell came back and I left.”

“So you didn’t tell him no?” And what would it mean for them if he said yes? He wouldn’t be in Texas. He wouldn’t
even be an hour away. But he’d be
almost
an hour away. So close and yet so far at the same time.

Sam shook his head. “A smart man doesn’t turn down any job offer without considering all his options first.”

Was she one of his options? “I . . . wow. Bet you didn’t see that coming.”

“Nope.” He tilted his head, his jaw flexing for a second. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know. Does it pay enough? I know they have a big football budget, but it’s not
that
big.”

“I’m a pretty simple guy. And I’ll find a job besides the coaching. It’s not really meant to be a full-time gig. At least the job market’s not quite as tight down there.”

He sounded like he was actually considering it, and Jen’s heart squeezed in her chest. “I know a lot of people would love to have you living that close.”

“It’s close enough, I guess.”

Close enough for what, though? For weekend visits to catch up with his mom and his friends. But it wasn’t close enough for them to continue their relationship. “Have you talked to Coach about it?”

“Not yet.”

That was telling, she thought. For Sam to not look for Coach’s advice on what was a huge life decision meant Sam was deeply conflicted. And she forced herself not to read too much into the fact he’d told her before telling Coach McDonnell.

“You must have been flattered when he called you,” she said.

“I was surprised. And yeah, I guess it’s flattering.” He shrugged. “I’ll take my time thinking about it. But do me a
favor and don’t tell anybody, okay? I need to get a better handle on how I feel about it before everybody and their maiden aunt gives me an opinion on whether I should take the job or go back to Texas.”

“I understand.” She smiled and nudged him with her elbow. “I guess
I
should be flattered you told me.”

He didn’t smile back. His gaze locked onto hers with an intensity that made her shiver. “Spending time with you is one of the best parts of my life, Jen. That’s a part of it, too.”

Warmth flooded through her and she leaned down to kiss him before snuggling back into her spot. “I like spending time with you, too.”

He kissed her neck and gave her a squeeze before resting his hand on her hip. But even though her eyes were on the television screen, Jen found herself unable to focus on the movie. There was more than a fun fling going on and they both knew it. It had been said out loud in Sam’s own way and it couldn’t be taken back.

But he’d made it sound like he was choosing between returning to Texas and taking a job that would mean living almost an hour from Stewart Mills. And she wasn’t sure where she fit in that decision.

J
en looked up from her computer screen when her phone buzzed, blinking rapidly. The information she needed about a scholarship one of her juniors might qualify for in the future was on a website with light blue text on a dark blue background, and she wasn’t sure her eyes would ever focus correctly again.

She picked up the handset. “Yes?”

“Cody Dodge is here. Do you have a few minutes for him?”

“Sure. Send him back.”

She bookmarked the site to finish reading later and stuck a sticky note with the student’s name and the highlights of the information onto the messy pile of sticky notes she’d collected over the day. She’d tried many times to train herself to take notes on the computer’s built-in notepad, but she
hated flipping between websites and the app and always reverted to a pen and whatever paper was at hand to write on. To avoid writing on papers she shouldn’t be using for scratching notes on, she kept the sticky notes next to the pens. It wasn’t an ideal system, but it was the only way she didn’t lose track of what she was doing.

When Cody appeared in the doorway, she smiled and waved at the chair across from hers. “Good morning, Cody.”

“Morning, Miss Cooper. Thanks for seeing me.”

“Anytime. What’s up?”

“I’m going to see my dad next weekend.”

Jen sat back in her chair, trying really hard not to let her shock show on her face. That was probably the last thing she’d expected him to say. “How do you feel about that?”

He shrugged one shoulder and leaned forward to grab the Rubik’s Cube off her desk. Jen had learned a long time ago that teenagers talked best if they could fidget. The puzzle toy gave their hands something to do and also gave them something to look at. “It was my choice. I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times.”

“But it’s your choice to go see him? Nobody’s pressuring you?”

“Nope. I talked to Coach about it. Coach Leavitt, I mean.”

The morning after the homecoming dance, when he’d left her bed to check his text messages. “Was Coach Leavitt helpful?”

“Totally. He knows what it’s like to have a parent you kind of hate, you know? He explained to me how it’s different because his old man was mean and abusive and my dad got addicted to drugs after he broke his leg. But he helped me work through a lot of it.”

Even though Cody and Sam seemed to have talked about his dad, Jen suspected there were more similarities when it came to Sam’s mom. She’d hurt him almost as badly as his father had, but now she was trying to make amends and rebuild their relationship. Much like Bill Dodge.

Either way, it couldn’t have been an easy conversation for Sam to have and yet he’d managed to say the right things to help a very confused teenager sort through some pretty tangled emotions.

She asked him some leading questions, and it didn’t take very long to figure out that what Cody needed was suggestions on how to express potential feelings to his dad without hurting his dad’s feelings. Jen concentrated on imagining what things might be said and felt at a reunion of a father and son in their situation and then walked him through a little role-playing.

“Is your grandmother going to be with you?” she asked, once he felt more confident he’d be able to come up with things to say even if the visit was awkward.

“We’re still talking about it. It might be nice to have her in there to help make things easier,” he explained, and she nodded. “But if it doesn’t go very well, I don’t want her to have to choose sides. What do you think?”

“I think Mimi’s a pretty wise woman. And she has done an amazing job of loving both you and your dad since the accident without anybody having to choose sides. If she’s in the room with you, she won’t only get a report filtered through you or through your father. That’ll make it easier to talk about it after the fact.”

“Thanks, Miss Cooper. I have a test next block I can’t miss, so I have to go. But it always helps to talk to you. And to Coach.”

“I’m always here for you to talk to. And Coach, too.”

“I know. Well, he won’t always be here. But there will still be a coach to talk to, so it’s cool.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Cody put the Rubik’s Cube back on her desk and stood up. “Even though I’ll be happy when Coach McDonnell comes back, it’ll be kind of sad because it means Coach Leavitt will leave town again. He told me he could never live here. Too much baggage or something like that.”

Jen felt her smile freeze on her lips, which was probably a good thing. Maybe the impact Cody’s carelessly tossed-out remark had on her wouldn’t show on her face.

“I’ll let you know how it goes, Miss Cooper.”

She fixed a smile on her face. “Definitely. And you have my number. If you need to talk to me over the weekend, just send me a text.”

He smiled and gave her a wave before walking out of the office.

Once he was gone, Jen leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. It was stupid for her to be so rattled by something she already knew. Staying in Stewart Mills hadn’t been one of the choices he’d mentioned when they’d talked about the job offer from Neil. And she had to guess Sam had told Cody he could never live in Stewart Mills again the day they’d talked about Bill Dodge, which had been a while ago since it was the morning after homecoming.

Things had changed since then. Their relationship had changed. He’d told her outright that wanting to be with her was a part of it. But
it
hadn’t included staying in town, and Jen wondered if she was going to be faced with a choice between Sam and Stewart Mills—the town she’d returned to because
she loved it. Because watching the kids grow and helping them plan and achieve better futures for themselves fulfilled her.

She loved her home and her job. But she loved Sam, too. If she had to choose, which could she give up?

—

B
efore practice, Sam stopped at the gas station to grab some drinks. He’d stocked up on food at the market, but they didn’t have his favorite iced tea.

Janie Vestal was working the cash register, and she greeted him with a smile when he walked in. She and Chase had dated for most of high school, so they’d spent a lot of time together back in the day. They’d split amicably before college and she had a family now, which made him happy. He’d always liked her because she didn’t look at him differently than she had anybody else, like some of the cheerleaders.

After saying hello to her, Sam went to the cooler in the back, but there was an empty slot where the iced tea was usually found. And they were the only store in town that carried that particular brand.

After grabbing a bag of chips because he’d skipped lunch, he went back to the counter and got in line behind a guy paying for gas. After a few seconds, Edna Beecher approached, and Sam imagined he felt a cold breeze blow across his face. After glaring at him, she got in line behind him, clutching a package of crackers.

When it was his turn, he set the chips on the counter. “Hey Janie, you guys are out of that iced tea I like. Any chance I can get you to order more?”

“Oh, I think I have some out back,” she said. “We haven’t had a chance to restock yet, but I can grab you some.”

Before he could tell her to forget it—he’d rather go without the iced tea than stand next to Edna any longer than he had to—she was gone. He wasn’t sure if she left the cash register unguarded because it was a small town and she trusted him, or if she knew Edna would call the FBI if he even thought about touching it.

She just stood there next to him, like a judgmental statue, until he couldn’t take it anymore. “I didn’t kill my old man, you know.”

Her scowl grew more pronounced. “What are you talking about?”

“You hinted around once that my father didn’t really run off and leave us. That we’d taken care of him ourselves somehow. But we didn’t kill him.”

She scoffed, waving a bony hand in the air. “That was probably just wishful thinking. He was a horrible man.”

“You won’t get any argument from me.”

“I called the FBI on him, but they said it was a matter for the local police. Never did think much of them.”

“You called the FBI on my father?” He wasn’t sure why that surprised him since she’d probably called the FBI on everybody in town at some point.

“I did. More than once, too. Told them what was going on in your house and told them they needed to come get him or at least get you out of there, but I guess they didn’t believe me.”

Feeling as though he’d been kicked in the gut, Sam tried to process the conversation, but he wasn’t sure he could. Of all the people, it was the Wicked Witch of Stewart Mills who had tried to protect him. “Sometimes the police would come, but my mom lied. She got me to lie, too. She told me we’d starve and be homeless if they put him in jail. We
protected him and the domestic violence laws were a lot different then, so there wasn’t much the police could do if she didn’t press charges.”

“I’ve been watching for him, though, all these years. If he steps one foot in this town ever again, I’ll be calling the FBI again and this time I’ll make them listen.”

Gratitude welled up in his throat, threatening to choke off his words. “Thank you, Miss Beecher. I appreciate that.”

“Just looking out for you, and I guess for your mother, too, even if I’m not sure she deserves it. Drinking or not drinking, you’re her child. But I look out for everybody in Stewart Mills.”

“You sure do.” If by looking out for, she meant trying to get 80 percent of the population locked up by the FBI over the last who knew how many decades. But he guessed her heart was in the right place. They’d always thought she was mean-spirited, but it seemed like she was just really enthusiastic.

Janie returned, carrying six cans of the iced tea. “We might be able to order extra for you, you know. Like by the case, so you don’t have to deal with the cans.”

“I don’t want you guys to go to any trouble.”

“It wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”

“I, uh . . . I don’t know how much longer I’ll be in Stewart Mills.” He was going to have to make a decision soon. Being in limbo made everything harder.

“Oh.” She sighed and then picked up the scanner to ring up his purchases. “I know you came here just temporarily while Coach was laid up, but you’re like part of the community again. It’ll seem weird not having you around anymore.”

Sam’s chest tightened, but he managed a smile and a nod.
You’re like part of the community again.

He could be. The job market wasn’t great, but he’d spent
most of his life doing odd jobs before settling into oil-field electrical work. He’d get by. And he’d be able to keep seeing Jen and find out where their relationship was heading.

But he loved coaching the Eagles. Neil Page asking him to be his assistant coach had really driven home how satisfying he found it, and it was one hell of an opportunity.

After he’d gotten his change, he said good-bye to Janie and Edna and after pulling open a bag of chips, he drove to the high school. When he pulled into the parking lot, he dumped the last of the potato chip crumbs into his mouth and then crumpled the bag. He had an open can of iced tea to bring in with him, but he’d leave the other five in the truck, since it wasn’t cold enough for them to freeze and explode yet.

He laughed at himself, amused by the fact years in Texas hadn’t made him forget how to live in New England. Maybe he’d always known he’d end up back here because nowhere he’d passed through had ever felt like home to him. New Hampshire hadn’t always felt that way to him, but it was starting to now. All he had to do was accept Neil’s offer and it would be official.

Sam paused in the lobby of the gym, in front of the trophy case. He had a chance to be a part of building a football program that would bring home trophies. Not as a fill-in for Coach McDonnell, but as a real assistant coach with a whistle he’d earned on his own.

He was going to take the job, he admitted to himself. And he and Jen would figure it out . . . somehow.

“Coach!”

Sam took a deep breath, trying to shake off his thoughts of Jen, and turned to watch Cody emerge from one of the connecting hallways. “Hey, Cody. You’re early for practice.”

“I was on my way to the bathroom and I saw your truck pull in and I wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

“Which means you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

“Dude.” Cody showed him a hall pass that clearly said he was supposed to be in the bathroom. “Anyway, I just talked to Miss Cooper and told her I’m going to see my dad.”

“You’re going to go see him, huh?”

“Yeah. I’m nervous and excited at the same time, I guess. But Miss Cooper wants me to go back and talk to her after I see him so she can make sure I’m okay.”

Sam smiled. “She cares about you kids a lot.”

“Yeah. She’s wicked cool.”

“I agree. And I want to hear how your visit goes, too.”

He nodded. “Oh and just a heads-up, but Miss Cooper might be mad because I kind of told her about how you said you’d never live in Stewart Mills again.”

Sam felt himself go still. “And she was mad?”

“Well, not really mad. But you can kind of tell when you say something that a girl—uh, woman—doesn’t like, you know?”

“Yeah, I definitely know.”

“I need to get back to class before the bell rings. See you at practice, dude.”

Sam nodded before going through the gym to his office and shutting the door. Normally he didn’t because closing the tiny office up just made it feel more claustrophobic, but he needed a minute.

One of the kids saying that Sam couldn’t live in Stewart Mills shouldn’t have affected Jen. She had known that from the beginning, but she also had to know things had changed between them. Maybe he hadn’t been clear enough when he
told her spending time with her was the best part of his life, but he didn’t think that was the case.

Taking a deep breath, Sam made up his mind. When the time was right and they were alone, he was going to tell Jen he was taking the assistant coaching job. And then he was going to tell her he wanted her to go with him.

—

A
fter school, Jen let herself into Coach’s house after a cursory knock on the door, just as she’d been doing for most of her life. The knock was mostly a formality, because she didn’t need to do it. This house was practically her second home growing up. This house and the Walker farm.