Scrimmage Gone South (Crimson Romance) (14 page)

“Man! Coach, you are mean.”

“Why, thank you, Seven.”

Lou Anne appeared with their drinks and — mercifully — two grilled cheese sandwiches. For the moment, the toddlers quieted down.

“Chicken and dumplings all around?” she asked.

Kirby met his eyes. “Is that what I want, Coach?”

Luke, Harris, and Lou Anne dissolved into laughter. Nathan might have been pissed off, if he thought for one second Kirby was being a smart ass, but the boy didn’t have it in him.

“Yeah,” Nathan said. “That’s what you want. It’s good to carb up the night before.”

Chicken and dumplings and guy talk. It was a good time. They talked about college and pro football, the round of golf they would play the Saturday after Homecoming, and how many doves Harris and Luke had shot last week. What they did not talk about was Merritt High football. No “Are y’all ready for tomorrow night?” No “You gonna get them tomorrow night?” God, he got tired of those questions.

“When’s my mommy coming?” Emma Avery demanded of Luke.

When indeed, Emma? I’d like to know that myself, because that’s when I’ll see Townshend.

“Soon,” Luke said, like that was helpful. “How about some banana pudding?” Well, banana pudding might be a substitute for Lanie, but it was a poor replacement for Townshend.

Someone walked up behind him. Townshend? Maybe they were done.

“Hi, Coach Scott.” Not Townshend. Only Jamie Fisher. She was always turning up. Of course, in a town the size of Merritt, everyone was always turning up. Still, he was glad Townshend wasn’t here. She had not mentioned that ridiculous notion about Jamie having a crush on him again. Probably she had forgotten about it. In fact, he hadn’t thought about it lately, but now that he knew Townshend had been hurting over him just like he’d been hurting over her, it was clear. She’d been jealous. Silly, sure, but he’d felt the same way when he’d seen her talking to Kirby that day after Miss Eula died. Jamie was looking at him, smiling.

“Hi, Jamie. Do you know Judge Avery and Mr. Bragg?”

“Hi,” she tossed across the table. “So I guess you’re all eating dinner?”

“Yes,” Harris said. “Our women have abandoned us. They’re together somewhere doing voodoo or casting spells.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Luke asked.

“Judge Avery, you worry the facts too much. Can’t you settle in and go with the conversation sometimes?”

“No. Worrying the facts is what makes me a judge. Listen and learn and you may one day too be a judge.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be a judge,” Harris said.

“Sure you do. Everyone wants to be a judge. Beau, Emma don’t you want to be judges?” Luke asked.

“Yes!” Emma squealed. “Want a judge dress like daddy!”

“Garbage truck man!” Beau yelled.

“Right, son,” Harris said. “Let’s dream big.”

“So.” Jamie brought them all back to her with a single word. She liked being in charge of the floor. Nathan had noticed that in class. “Some of us are getting together at my house to watch a movie. Brent. Paula. Davis. Maybe Carrie and Spencer. And I was wondering if you’d like to come, Kirby?”

Kirby’s head popped up in surprise. This wasn’t his usual crowd. Spencer Mason was on the team, but he and Kirby weren’t particular friends. Jamie must be interested in Kirby.

“Uh. Maybe.” Kirby cast Nathan a look. What? Was he looking for permission or a way out? How was he supposed to know? And who was he to be granting or denying permission?

He didn’t want to embarrass the boy by making him call Townshend. No teenage boy wanted to have to ask mommy in front of a pretty girl, whether he was interested in her or not. He’d offer him an out.

“Have you done your homework?”

“Yes.”

“No test tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Well, if you want to. What time are you supposed to be home?”

“Usually 10:30 on a school night.”

“Jamie, are you parents home?”

“No. I mean, yes. They aren’t now. We were eating.” She gestured to the front of the diner. “But they will be there.”

“Well, go ahead if you want, Seven. I’ll tell Townshend.” Score! If the boy was going to be out until 10:30, he might get some much needed alone time with Townshend.

“You can ride with my parents and me and maybe Coach Scott can pick you up later?” Jamie dialed up her smile a notch. “You know where I live, Coach? Over on Martindale?”

No, no! No chauffeuring when he could have Townshend between the sheets until, say, 10:20.

“In fact, Coach,” Jamie said, “when you’re done here, if you wanted to come watch the movie, that would be fine. Then you could take Kirby home. My mother made Rice Krispy treats.”

Well, wouldn’t that just be a busman’s holiday to hell? Townshend and the sheets notwithstanding. Nathan liked the kids, but there were limits.

“Tell you what.” He reached into his pocket and brought out his keys and handed them to Kirby. “Take my truck. I’ll get up with Townshend when her little shindig is over and wait there until you get home.”

“Really?” Kirby looked thrilled. Letting the boy take his truck wasn’t totally selfish. It made up for having to quiz him about curfews and homework in front a potential girlfriend.

“Just don’t put it in a ditch.”

“Thanks, Coach!”

“Mind your manners to Lou Anne on the way out.”

“And tell her we need banana pudding,” Harris called after him.

“I’ve been meaning to ask y’all about something,” Luke said. “I know Nathan won’t have time until the season’s over, but my family’s got this deer hunting camp in Tennessee and I was thinking — ” Luke stopped and focused over Nathan’s shoulder.

“Oh, God,” Harris said. “Brace yourself, buddy.”

“What?” Nathan asked and turned — just in time to lock eyes with Daryl Grayson. Damn it all to hell. President of the Bobcat Booster Club. Father of second string QB Keith Grayson. Drunk and pushy arrogant ass, intent on making sure his boy saw playing time.

Daryl had been a star of sorts at Merritt High before Nathan’s time and had gone on to play junior college ball, but it had come to nothing. Now, he owned a few used car dealerships. Nathan had already tangled with him once when Daryl had tried to “lend” the senior starters cars. Wasn’t happening. The only perk his players were getting was the same one that all the Merritt High sports teams had always gotten — breakfast at the diner once a week during the season. And for that, Lou Anne got a full page ad in the game programs.

“Well, well, well! If this is not a tableful of up to no good.” Grayson started glad handing all around.

“Yeah, that’s us, Daryl,” Harris said. “We always take our toddlers with us when we want to raise hell. Right, Luke?” Still, they all rose and shook hands.

“You could be next, Coach.” Daryl winked. Nathan hated a winking man. “I hear you and Miss Tolly are keeping company these days.”

“Hmm,” Harris said.

“So, the team ready for the tomorrow night? Are we gonna get a w?”

No, of course, we’re not ready. What do you think we’ve been doing after school all week? Watching film of our opponent? Practicing? Certainly not. We have been piecing quilts for the needy. As far as a win? Well, let me get my crystal ball out. Wait. I left it in the Twilight Zone.

“We’ve got a good chance, Daryl. The boys have been working hard.”

“Mind if I sit?” Daryl asked as he lowered himself into Kirby’s vacated chair. “I’ve got a little something I need to talk to the Coach about.”

“We’ll just leave you two.” Luke reached for Emma and made to get up.

Nice try, my friend.

“No,” Nathan said. “Lou Anne hasn’t brought our dessert yet and there is absolutely nothing Daryl has to say that he can’t say in front of the whole town.”

“Well, sure. Sure,” Daryl said. “I don’t know about the whole town, but it’s nothing secret. Fact is, I’ve used my contacts at LSU to get a scout over here to watch Kirby Lawson play tomorrow night.”

On the surface that was good news. Kirby was good enough to play division one ball. He did not have the size and probably not the inclination to play pro ball, but he could certainly buy himself a degree on Saturday afternoons. But there had to be a catch.

“I didn’t know you had contacts at LSU,” Nathan said.

“I’ve got contacts everywhere. I might be able to get some boys from Auburn up here for Homecoming and someone from Tennessee for the last game.”

“Impressive,” Nathan said. Didn’t this fool know that between himself and Harris, they had everybody in the Southeastern Conference who was worth anything, plus two Texas teams, looking at Kirby? But still, a contact was a contact, and the more the better. Lou Anne appeared with banana pudding but did not linger. She was a tension detector from way back. “I know Kirby will appreciate it. And so do I. But you understand, I don’t want him to know about it.”

“Sure. And glad to do it, glad to. Here’s the thing.” Here it comes — the catch. “I’d appreciate it if my boy got some playing time tomorrow night. I’d like my guy from LSU to see him play.”

Nathan didn’t miss a beat because he wasn’t surprised. “And that will happen if the situation warrants it.”

“As I’m sure it will.” Daryl rose. “See you boys later!”

After he’d gone, they looked at each other in silence. Well, semi silence. Emma and Beau were babbling at each other, as best Nathan could tell, about how big spiders had green guts.

“Unbelievable,” Luke said.

“Welcome to Sportsland,” Harris said.

“In my line of work, we call that a bribe,” Luke said.

“Mine too,” Nathan said. “But it’s only a bribe if the request is met.”

“So you won’t play his son?” Luke asked.

“Like I said, if the situation warrants it. And only then.”

Harris opened his mouth to comment, but his phone rang. He got up and turned his back on the table to answer. After speaking quietly for a minute, he turned back to them. “They’re done. Missy says Lanie and Tolly are wearing leotards and tutus.”

“Yeah?” Nathan said. How do you get a woman out of leotard? “Will you ask Missy to tell Townshend to pick me up here?”

By the time Harris and Luke left the diner with their kids, the crowd had thinned out quite a bit.

Lou Anne sauntered over to his table. “Are you staying the night with me?”

“Townshend’s picking me up.”

Lou Anne smiled. “How’s that going?”

Good question. Who the hell knew? There were still parts he chose not to think about.

“Fine. We’re having fun.”

“Good. I like to see you happy.” Lou Anne started to walk away.

“Lou Anne?” Nathan called her back.

“What, honey?”

He hesitated. And she gave him a little encouraging nod.

“Why didn’t you and my dad get back together? After Arianna left, I mean.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “That’s complicated.”

“I’m smart. Give me a try.”

She dropped into the chair beside him. “He never asked, though I think he wanted to. I think he was too ashamed. I think he thought I would never forgive him. And I never told him any different.”

“What he did was pretty bad — cheating on you with Arianna and not telling you until he found out she was pregnant.”

“Oh, Lord, Nathan.” Lou Anne closed her eyes and shook her head before looking at him again. “We were kids. He’d just won a state championship. I wasn’t at the game because I was sick. She was from the other school. I’m sure he thought he’d never see her again. But you need to remember your daddy was a good man and a good father.”

“I know that.” And he did. It just all got tangled up sometimes. “I’m sure he regretted it.”

Lou Anne gave him a long look. “He regretted cheating on me, not getting to go to college, not getting to play college ball. But you remember this, Nathan. There was one thing Richard Scott never ever regretted for one instant, not even when he was nineteen, trying to raise a baby Not even when his mother died when you were four and he had
no
help. That was having you.”

“So you did forgive him?”

She paused and looked toward the ceiling. “Yes. I did. And I’m glad we made a friendship of sorts. I wish I had done it when it might have counted for more.”

He wanted to ask her how to find forgiveness, but the bell on the diner door rang and Lou Anne looked toward the entrance.

“There’s your girl,” she said.

Townshend walked toward him with her pink clad legs showing beneath the hem of her raincoat. The tutu caused the coat to stick out a little and he could see some of that net stuff spilling out. Her hair was slicked back and her face was a study in cool composure — until he rose and met her eyes. A radiant smile bloomed on her face. Then she dropped her eyes and blushed, like she was embarrassed to be caught wearing her feelings for the world to see.

Everything flew out of his head — except how classy she looked and how sweet it was going to be to peel that leotard off her.

The score was 38-10 with most of a quarter to go. The win was safe, but not the perfection. A failed point after and failure to convert on third down twice. Sloppy, and they couldn’t afford sloppy next week for the Homecoming game against Samson High. Couldn’t afford it now, even with the assured win. That was the trouble. If you start thinking you can afford sloppy, it becomes a way of life.

At least there hadn’t been any bad snaps tonight. Yet. Ah, another good one. Not perfect, but the ball was in Kirby’s hands, with him step, step, stepping back, ball over shoulder, ready to release — Damn it all to hell! What was that O line thinking? About what they were going eat and who they were going to try to screw later? A hole the size of Montana opened up. There would be no ball release because Kirby was at the bottom of a pile — sacked for an eight yard loss. Nathan threw his clipboard against the fence. Might as well not even have a plan.

Slowly, the pile broke apart and Kirby popped up, unhurt. Nathan had mastered his fear of the bottom of the pile long ago, but it was still a relief to see his boys on their feet. But wait. Kirby was looking at his left hand and flexing his wrist, though he didn’t signal for timeout.

Nathan called timeout. He wanted a look at Kirby’s hand and it was time for a substitution anyway. He probably should have put Keith Grayson in at the beginning of the quarter, but he was still steamed at Daryl Grayson’s attempted coercion and could not appear to succumb to outside pressure. Still, it was time. Past time.