Counting on Starlight Page 10

  #

  Liann swallowed hard. She didn’t need to buy a new dress. But the more she thought about it, she wanted a new dress. Her budget was nothing like it had been in California. Even with a teacher’s salary, she did fine on her own. She had a clothing budget. With her disappointing transition into life in Texas, she’d tossed out purchasing items like new clothes.

  “I like this one,” Maddie said, pulling a teal dress from the rack. “What do you think, Jake?”

  The poor guy. They’d dragged him, outnumbered, to Austin. Liann feared she’d overstepped when she suggested he ought to talk to his parents about moving Maddie to be with them. Her gut told her trouble brewed and Jake didn’t take the warning seriously. Hopefully she could convince him before an adolescent storm broke.

  “Uh, it’s...nice.”

  “Maddie, don’t put him on the spot like that.” Liann laughed and put the dress back. “If that one came in purple, I’d love it.” A purple silk day dress that skimmed just below her knees, with short capped sleeves, a V-neck, and ruching at the waist. Definitely a step up from a church dress. Her favorite black platform pumps would match it.

  Maddie skimmed her fingers over the rack of dresses. “Oh. In purple. Here it is!” She yanked the hanger from the rack and displayed the dress. “You’ve got to try it on. Plus, it’s on clearance.”

  “I do have some shoes that I could wear with it.” Liann picked up the dress and carried it to the nearest changing room. As she slipped on the dress, she heard Jake’s low tones with Maddie’s higher ones, then a few whispers.

  She was down a size, probably from the hectic schedule this fall and from perspiring gallons of water, working in the Texas sun. The dress fit her just right.

  A knock sounded on the door. “Ms. Rivers, let us see.”

  Oh dear. She hadn’t thought about Jake seeing her in this dress. She should have insisted that, no, she didn’t need a dress, that she’d make do. Or sent Jake out of the store, which would be rude.

  “Uh, okay.” Liann pushed the door open to the fitting room. “Well, here it is. I really like it, a lot. More than I thought it would.” She dared not meet Jake’s eyes. He was used to seeing her in workout clothes, casual wear, and something a little dressier for church. But nothing like this.

  “Ms. Rivers, you’re gorgeous! Isn’t she, Jake?” Maddie’s voice had a saucy lilt. Liann figured the young girl was loving this and wondered if she was attempting to play matchmaker. It certainly was convenient that Jake agreed to drive them to Austin.

  “Beautiful,” Jake said. He cleared his throat and looked at her feet.

  “I—I’m going to change back now.” Liann darted into the dressing room and got out of the elegant dress and back into her casual clothing. She saw through Maddie’s sweet attempt to have her and Jake spend more time together. She gave herself a few seconds to catch her breath.

  When she left the dressing room, her new dress in tow, Jake was gone. Maddie still had the pink dress but was looking through the clearance rack.

  She glanced up when Liann approached. “Jake got a phone call. He said he’d be right back.”

  Liann looked past the racks of dresses to the front of the store. Jake pushed a button and strode back in their direction, grinning.

  “Ladies, I’m taking you out to dinner to celebrate—that was Kansas on the phone. I’m going to fly up the week after homecoming to interview.” His hazel eyes glowed, the skin at the corners crinkling with his smile.

  “Wow, that’s great news for you.” Liann held the dress like a security blanket. She needed to hang on to her heart too, because if she didn’t, Jake would be toting it with him to Kansas.

  Chapter 11

  Liann stood in a corner of the high school gymnasium, which provided a perfect vantage point to keep an eye on kids. So far, most of them were behaving. Other chaperones patrolled the halls to make sure no couples were trying to sneak outside. A pair of off-duty police officers was on hand as well.

  She saw Maddie a few times, standing with some of the color guard squad. Although the sound man was playing a variety of music, not all the students danced. Liann had never been a fan of dances even in high school, and now she remembered why. She wished she had another way to earn an extra hundred dollars instead of hanging out in a makeshift teen nightclub for three hours.

  Most of the students, especially those in the band, recognized her and commented on her dress.

  “Your turn for the hallway,” said Jessica, the band director. “I didn’t see anything or anyone out of the ordinary. Here’s a walkie-talkie. Vice Principal Jenkins has the other one. He said to let him know if there are any issues, and he’ll alert the police.”

  “Thanks.” Liann accepted the walkie-talkie from Jessica.

  “Oh, by the way, I received a phone call from the Ventura, California, school system. They’re checking your reference here, making sure everything’s all right in Texas. I told them what a fabulous job you’ve done with the color guard team here, and that it would be a shame to lose you to California, but I understood.”

  “That was fast.” One week ago, after returning from the shopping trip with Jake and Maddie, she’d submitted her resume and an application for the job her former maid of honor had mentioned to her. “Thanks for giving me a good reference.”

  “I know you were disappointed when you first arrived. I would have been.” Jessica smiled. “So I don’t blame you for applying somewhere else, if even to test the waters. It’s hard to get hired midyear like that, though.”

  “True, but you’re right—I thought I would at least try.”

  “See you later. You’ll meet your replacement back here in about an hour.”

  “Got it.” Liann moved into the hallways in the section facing the front of the school with the lights on full blast. She blinked. A pair of students passed her on their way back from the rest rooms. The girls giggled in their short strapless dresses.

  Starlight High School had a dress code. However, for some reason that didn’t apply for school dances, although Liann thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

  So Jessica had received a call from Ventura. That meant Ventura likely would be calling her, first for a phone interview and then possibly to fly out to California for an in-person interview. She could stay with her parents. They’d love that. Mom would probably try to stuff her with kimchi, especially since Liann had confessed to trying Aunt Chin Mae’s and liking it.

  And next week Jake would head for Kansas Tech. They’d both be getting what they wanted. She’d get her old type of job back, and Jake’s fondest dream would come true, moving up to an NCAA team. That was a big leap for him, but she knew he’d tackle the job just like everything else he did in life.

  She didn’t know what God had for her, but part of her did miss her family. She could see the color guard through this important fall season and possibly return to California in January. Did she really want to coach cheerleading again? Now that she’d had some distance from the sport, she found her enthusiasm fading. Maybe it was being out of the game for so long, so to speak.

  Whispers in the hallway past the rest rooms caught her attention. Liann rounded the corner. A dark figure disappeared around the corner at the far end of the hall. A girl with sleek blonde hair leaned against the wall, her head bowed, her hand clamped over her mouth, her other arm wrapped around her waist. Her shoulders shook.

  Liann quickened her steps. “Hey, what is it?” She placed hand on the girl’s bare shoulder.

  “Nothing.” But tears streamed down her face.

  “Do you need me to call someone for you? Or do you just need a few minutes?” She tried to keep her voice low. “Who was just there? I thought I saw someone going around the corner.”

  “My...friend. They’re going back to the dance. I promise. I... I’m not sure what I want to do right now.” Her ruined mascara ringed her eyes.

  “Hang on, let me get you some tissues.” Liann hurried to the rest room, grabbed s
ome paper towels, and dampened a few of them. She returned to the girl.

  “Thanks.” She dabbed the damp ones on her eyes. “I know. I probably look like a raccoon. Oh, you’re Ms. Rivers, the flag coach. I didn’t recognize you all dressed up.”

  “Me neither. What’s your name?”

  “Cassandra Waters.”

  Now it was Liann’s turn. Cassandra Waters was on the cheer squad. “Oh, okay. Hello. Well, I didn’t recognize you either.”

  “I probably look horrible.”

  “No. You look upset but not horrible.” Liann let the girl alternately keep sniffing and wiping her eyes. “Do you want me to call your mom or someone? Do you have a phone with you?”

  “I’ve got my phone.” Cassandra picked up a handbag at her feet and opened it, pulling out a phone. She dialed. “Mom? Can you come get me? No. I can’t stay.”

  “Do you need me to talk to her?”

  Cassandra shook her head. “Okay, Mom. I’ll be waiting out front.” She ended the call then blew her nose with the last remaining paper towel.

  “Sorry. The paper towels aren’t the best.” Liann glanced to the end of the hallway. “Do you need me to walk outside with you? Because you’re really not supposed to be in this section of the school.”

  “No, I can go fine by myself. Thanks, Ms. Rivers.”

  By the end of the hour, Liann was ready to get back to the gymnasium. Only one more hour before the dance ended. She glanced around the room, which was not quite as crowded as it had been. Evidently some of the kids had lost interest in the dance. She saw a trio of girls from the squad and headed in their direction.

  “You girls doing okay?”

  They exchanged looks. “Um, yes, we’re having a great time. Not that we really wanted to dance much. The chicken dance was fun, though,” said Kristen.

  “Where’s Maddie?”

  “Um, I think the bathroom?” Kristen replied.

  “I was just there. Didn’t see her.” Something niggled in the bottom of Liann’s gut. Not only was Maddie one of “her” girls, but she’d promised Jake she’d keep an eye on her. “Did she come back in yet?”

  A few more looks. “It’s about Tim....”

  Liann looked across the gymnasium to the far corner that led to the parking lot. Tim Rollins stood talking with Maddie. He leaned closer, extending his hand to the side in a pleading gesture. She shook her head. Tim smacked the concrete wall with the bottom of his fist. Liann moved across the gymnasium, crossing the middle of the makeshift dance floor lit by a glitter ball and kaleidoscope lights.

  By the time Liann reached the spot where the couple had stood, Tim was striding away, and Maddie was pushing on the exit door.

  “Maddie…” She reached for her shoulder.

  The door gave, and Maddie pushed outside. “Ms. Rivers, now’s not a good time.”

  “What’s going on?” Liann asked as she followed the teenager into the night. “How can I help you?”

  “Nobody can.” Maddie stumbled from the sidewalk and onto the parking lot. She kicked off her high heels. “Just...please...leave me alone.”

  “Stop, right now. Let me call Jake.”

  “No!” But Maddie stopped and turned around. “I can’t breathe when I’m around him.”

  “You’re not allowed to just go off by yourself. This is school property, and it’s a school function. You need a ride home, because it’s not safe for you to leave by yourself. I can’t take you now, because I’m working.”

  Maddie wiped her eyes. “Call Aunt Justine. She’ll come get me. She just got back from her shoot yesterday.”

  “All right.” Within a few minutes, Liann had a ride home lined up for Maddie, who still wouldn’t say why she was in tears. Tim, of course.

  Liann sighed as she left Maddie at the front of the school. “Maddie, you need to talk to somebody.”

  “I will. When I’m ready.” She sealed her lips shut.

  Cassandra from the cheer squad stood ten yards away, her focus on the parking lot and an approaching car. The car stopped at the curb, and Cassandra climbed into the front passenger side. When the car passed Maddie and Liann, Cassandra glared at Maddie and raised her hand in an obscene gesture.

  Liann gritted her teeth together. “Maddie, what is going on?”

  Maddie shook her head and said nothing.

  Fine. Liann didn’t know what was going on, but one thing was for sure. She was calling Jake as soon as she got back inside the building. They were having a talk about Maddie. Tonight.

  #

  Starlight only had one twenty-four-hour diner, The Koffee Kup, so that’s where Jake said he would meet up with Liann. She’d been vague on the phone, which couldn’t be a good thing. Of course, he wouldn’t mind seeing her in that knockout purple dress.

  He saw Chin Mae’s gold car in the parking lot and tucked his truck into the space beside it. He entered the restaurant and found Liann at the back corner, where it was quiet. She looked a little over-dressed in the purple, but he didn’t care.

  “What’s going on?” He slid onto the seat of the booth. She stirred creamer into her coffee, followed by sugar.

  “It’s Maddie.” She sighed.

  “Did something happen tonight?” If Tim tried something, the kid wouldn't be allowed on Tucker Ranch again.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. Did she call you before she left the dance?”

  “She did. She told me Justine was picking her up and had invited her to spend the night over there, and we’d meet up at church tomorrow morning.”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong. She wouldn’t tell me. But it’s serious, Jake.” Liann’s eyes had dark circles under them, but she still looked elegant. “Something’s going on with her and Tim and a Cassandra from the cheer squad.”

  “Oh, boy.”

  Their waitress appeared. “Coffee, right?”

  He nodded. “Black, please.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Jake tried not to sigh. “Teenage drama. Tim and Cassie were an item last school year, but it seems like they called it quits over the summer. It happens. High school romances. Not many of them last. He really likes Maddie now, and I’m doing my best to keep an eye on her. As you know.”

  “Well, I think it’s gone beyond a simple high school romance. She was crying tonight after talking to Tim. He looked frustrated, at the very least, before he stormed off. I followed her outside and offered to call you, which she refused. She settled for Justine picking her up.”

  This time he did sigh. “I’m not surprised. She’s been so...different...this fall. First, changing her courses—not that I blame you for any of this.”

  “I didn’t think you did.” She gave him a small smile.

  “Then the whole dress thing for Homecoming. Last year, we had to practically drag her to the dress shop here in town to get her something for the Miss Starlight pageant. She wanted to earn a scholarship badly enough to agree to wear an evening gown. This year, she had a shopping strategy all planned out and wanted to make sure she shopped in Austin.” Jake shook his head. “And her emotions? She’s happy one day, in the dumps the next.”

  “She’s growing up. Those teen-girl emotions are rough.” Liann nodded. “Oh, how I remember it well. But this, this is something serious. She’s starting to push you away. Me, I wasn’t surprised. I’m her teacher and a friend of the family. But when she didn’t want me to call you...”

  “I’m sure she’ll be better in the morning.” The waitress slid a cup of coffee in front of Jake, and he smiled his thanks.

  “That’s just it...she might act like she’s better in the morning, but the way this thing is brewing, I have a feeling it’s not the end of it.” Liann’s forehead wrinkled.

  “Maybe I should cancel going to Kansas Tech.” He’d do it for Maddie, if she really needed him here. And it sounded like she did. “It’s a simple two-night trip, and I’ll be back before the next game.”

  “It’s your call. I know you aren’t the only sup
port system Maddie has. There’s Billy and Justine, plus Herb and Azalea.” She frowned. “I thought you’d like to know, and I didn’t want it to wait. You’re her guardian, and I take your role in her life as such very seriously.”

  “Would you meet up with all your students' parents or guardians at the Koffee Kup after 11 p.m.?”

  “No....” At this, a flush crept into her cheeks. “I probably wouldn’t. I care about all my students. But Maddie’s special. Um…you’re special. But you know that.”

  He reached for her hand. “Please don’t pull away. I want something to work out for us. But I don’t want you to feel like you’re giving up something for me. Not like ole what’s-his-name. I still don’t know what’s going to happen with Kansas.”

  “I’m not sure either. The band director told me tonight that she got a call for a reference for me from Ventura High. A friend of mine said they might need a cheer coach in January, so last weekend... I applied. I know it’s only September and I’ve barely been here two months, but it’s an opportunity.” Liann looked down at their coffee cups and their clasped hands.

  His deflated mood surprised him as he released her hand. “You should go, if they call you for an interview. See if that’s the life for you still. You’ll be closer to your family. And maybe ole what’s-his-name will have gotten a clue.”

  At this, Liann smiled. “Maybe. And you’re right. If I get that call to California, I’m going to go.”

  Chapter 12

  “Jake Tucker, welcome to Kansas!” Mike Higgins enveloped Jake in a strong hug, pounding his back. “Good to have you up here.”

  Higgins and Jake ran the ball during their years at Texas State. Higgins did more defensive blocking and sacking quarterbacks while Jake ran for the ball. “I’ve always got your back,” Higgins would say.

  “Thanks, man.” Jake looked past Mike at the athletic complex of glass and steel. He definitely wasn’t in Starlight, Texas, anymore. “Wow, what a facility.”