Counting on Starlight Page 3

  Jake paused,and she allowed herself to meet his hazel eyes. “Look, it’ll take a few minutes to get you cooled off and hydrated. My sister’s in the house. She’s a trainer for the football team, and she knows how to treat heat exhaustion.” His arm around her waist loosened, but he continued to help her along.

  “Sorry, thanks, but I'm going to walk back to my aunt’s house.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. You need cool compresses and electrolytes and some cool air. If you want to call your aunt or someone and tell them you’re okay before you go inside, go ahead. I don’t mind.” He released her and pulled his cell phone from his belt. She stood there and tried not to sway.

  She felt like she was talking around cotton in her mouth. “Okay.” She took his phone and dialed.

  “Who is this?” Aunt Chin Mae answered, skipping the typical hello as usual.

  It’s Liann.”

  Whose phone you using? Where are you? I thought you were running.”

  “I am. I don’t feel well. I met up with Jake Tucker, and we’re at the Tucker Ranch. I'm using Jake’s phone.”

  “Okay. You need me to come get you?”

  “No, no thanks. I’ll see you soon.” She glanced at Jake, who stood there with his arms folded. She ended the call and handed the phone back to Jake.

  She didn’t really need rescuing, and yet here was Jake Tucker again. But he’d stopped long enough to let her make a phone call. She clamped a hand on her stomach to stave off the wave of nausea that hit her.

  “What’s wrong?” Jake asked.

  Liann shook her head. No way was she going to lose her coffee and muffin in front of him. She covered her mouth with one hand then leaned to the side and emptied her stomach on a poor unsuspecting cactus at the side of the driveway.

  #

  Liann stood there, pale as a sheet of notebook paper and swaying like a leaf. Jake wanted to carry her the rest of the way to the house, but she’d probably fly at him and accuse him of making a pass at her. He didn’t dare look at the liquidy mess she’d just barfed up on the cactus.

  “C’mon, we need to get you inside. I’ve seen this before. You’re dehydrated.” He allowed himself to place his hand on her shoulder.

  Liann nodded. “I’m so sorry....” She glanced over her shoulder as she hobbled along. “Do you have a garden hose handy? I can clean it up.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He glanced at her, noting the sweat on her brow, on her arms. “Can you make it?”

  She nodded. “I can do it.”

  He fought to keep his pace slow, but he’d seen people knocked on their backs by the heat. They drew closer to the house. Liann looked pale, but she’d set her jaw. Stubborn woman. Then her foot tripped on a rock.

  Jake caught her from stumbling in time then kept his arm securely around her. “Almost there.” She didn’t pull away but looked up at him as she nodded. He saw strength in her dark eyes.

  So far he’d made himself immune to the ladies of Starlight, many of whom seemed to like his title of assistant coach. In a year, though, Lord willing, Starlight would be behind him, and he’d be on to the next big thing. Maybe he’d make time for a relationship then. But not now. Some ladies thought they could deal with the life of being with a coach, but at least six months out of the year he worked fifteen-hour days, and it was all about the team. Most women wouldn’t put up with that.

  Onward and upward for him, even if it meant flying solo with whatever God brought him. But with one direct gaze from Liann, his forward momentum paused, just as Liann’s footsteps had stumbled. Crazy. He’d only seen her twice, had known her name less than an hour. He didn't need a distraction like this. Like her.

  The front door banged open. “What’s wrong?” Maddie flew outside.

  “Get some dishcloths. Run them under cool water. Grab some Gatorade, too—no ice,” Jake called out. He whisked Liann inside, following his sister into the house.

  “I can walk on my own now,” Liann said, but she still leaned on him as they entered the kitchen. She sank onto the nearest dining chair. Maddie approached with the dishcloths.

  “Thanks.” He grabbed the cloths and pulled up another chair. “Here, put this one behind your neck.”

  She reached for the cloth, but Jake held it on her neck. With the other cloth, she wiped her face and arms.

  “Here’s more, for behind your knees.” Maddie also placed a plastic cup of Gatorade next to Liann’s elbow. Then she knelt in front of Liann. “We need to get your running shoes and socks off, too.”

  Liann’s color was already coming back. “Wow, I don’t know what happened to me back there. One minute I was fine, the next I was just ready to lie down. The air conditioning feels great.” She reached for the cup of Gatorade and took a sip.

  “Don’t sip too much,” Maddie said as she took one of the other chairs. “Did you eat breakfast or hydrate this morning?”

  “I had a muffin and half a cup of coffee.” Liann swallowed more of the Gatorade. “You’re right, Jake. I didn’t hydrate.”

  Maddie shook her head. “That’s disaster around here in the Texas heat.” No wonder she’d wanted to be a doctor, was meant to be a doctor. Jake wished she’d realize how natural she was, even now, with a cool head and knowing exactly what to do.

  “Liann, meet my sister, Madelynn,” Jake said. “She’s going to be a junior at Starlight High this year.”

  “Nice to meet you, Madelynn.” Liann smiled. “I’m staying with my aunt and uncle down the road and met up with your brother while out for my run. I’m glad he was there when I got sick.”

  “Me, too.” Jake took the cloth from behind Liann’s neck, leaving her hair sticking to her skin. She looked pretty, even in her slightly frazzled state. “Maddie, Ms. Rivers is the new color guard coach.”

  “You are?” Maddie switched from trainer mode to teenage girl. “I can’t wait to start. Jake had a cow last night when he found out I changed my schedule. But it’s going to be great. My friend Shayla in the marching band said that the music is from Beauty and the Beast this year, too. I can’t wait to see our costumes. How long have you done color guard?”

  Liann blinked at Maddie’s nonstop chatter then laughed. “I used to be a cheer coach, but back in high school I performed in color guard for a while. I’m definitely going to count on your enthusiasm this season. It’s going to be a relearning process for me, but we’re going to have a great time. The music selections are terrific, very dramatic.” Liann glanced at Jake.

  Jake looked at his watch. “I need to go soon myself. Liann, what time do you need to be at the school?”

  “Nine, at the latest. What time is it now?” She sat up straighter in her chair.

  “Seven forty-five.”

  “Ack.” Liann took another sip of the Gatorade. “I really should get back. I have a lot of planning to do.”

  “Well, you’re not walking—or running—back to your aunt and uncle’s house.” Jake crossed his arms across his chest.

  “Can I drive? Please? I need to practice before I can go for my road test.” Maddie bounced on her toes then ran to get her car keys on the wall peg before Jake could answer.

  “She really gets her mind made up, doesn’t she?” Liann laughed.

  “You have no idea.” Jake hoped Liann was up to the challenge of channeling Maddie back to her true calling—being a physician. He didn’t see what twirling a flag or tossing a saber had to do with that.

  Chapter 4

  “Okay, ladies. It’s four o’clock.” Liann clapped her hands, and the troupe of eight girls collapsed onto the gymnasium floor, their flags fluttering to the ground after them. For the past week, she’d been working the girls through a simple routine. Several of them admitted they’d tried out for the cheerleading squad and didn’t make it.

  “If you can’t do a back flip, you don’t stand a chance of being a cheerleader,” said Kristen, a lanky brunette. “I can do cartwheels, the splits, and high kicks all day long
. But to them, I’m still a loser and got cut ’cause I can’t do a back flip.”

  “Well, I can guarantee you we won’t be working on back flips here. And, you’re not a loser.” Liann swallowed hard. How many girls had she turned away from the cheer squad in California for the same reason? After dozens of hopefuls paraded through the gym, cheering and flipping and showing tons of team spirit, it was easy to dismiss those who didn’t cut it or didn’t have the gymnastics skills. She couldn't choose everyone. Plus, precision was everything in cheer.

  She hoped she never made any of these girls feel less than the beautiful young women they were. Maddie was busy tying her sneaker. Now that girl had no coordination. She’d hit herself on the head with her own flag at last three times. When Liann had led the team left in time to the music, Maddie went to the right then corrected herself.

  “All right, you have your CDs. You should have already loaded the music to your MP3 player or phone or laptop or whatever. Listen to it every day. And this weekend, I want you to work on fifty spins in each direction. If you get brave, try a toss and catch.” Liann started spinning her own practice flag, using one hand. She didn’t tell them she’d spent the weekend reacquiring her old skills. “One word of warning: no spinning flags in the house. Windows aren’t cheap to replace.”

  They giggled as they gathered their flags, picked up their CDs from the table beside the wall, and left. Maddie stayed behind.

  “Ms. Rivers?” Maddie approached her, dragging her flag behind her. “You’re not going to cut me, are you? Because I know I’m not that good. And just so you know, Jake doesn’t want me to be in this class.”

  Liann unplugged the CD player and picked it up. “Of course I’m not going to cut you from the team. I assure you it’s a challenge to learn spinning, and how to move in time with the others on the team and move with the music. But we’ll practice so much that you can walk through the routine blindfolded—without hurting yourself or anyone else. By October, I’ll have you spinning a saber.”

  Maddie sighed, her shoulders relaxing. “Oh, that’s good. There’s something about the beautiful music and us moving the flags in time. I can feel the song. It’s so joyful. Does that sound crazy?”

  “No, not to me.” Liann smiled. A memory flickered in the corner of her mind of a teenage girl with dark hair, leaving the color guard behind because she wanted to be “in.” Once upon a time, she’d been content to spin her flag until taunts from someone else made her want to quit the team and leave her friends behind.

  “You okay, Ms. Rivers?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just thinking.” She started toward her office with Maddie walking beside her. “Now, why doesn’t Jake want you in this class?”

  “He thinks it’s going to hurt my college resumé.”

  “Really?” What was the deal with that guy? Liann flipped on her office light. “Why?”

  “Since I'm a junior now, at this point I only need half a credit in PE to make the rest of my health and PE graduation requirements. Color guard is one and a half PE credits, plus half a music credit.” Maddie caught the tip of her flag on the top of the doorway, the pole striking her forehead. “Ow!”

  “Maddie, are you okay?” Liann almost felt the crack of wood on her own head. “Careful with doorways.”

  “I’m okay.” Maddie rubbed her forehead and lowered the tip of the flag. “But Jake thinks I need to change my schedule back and be a trainer for the football team.”

  “Did you talk to your parents about it?” Liann wasn’t sure she wanted to get involved in the middle of a family controversy, but she really liked this kid and her enthusiasm. Maybe Maddie wouldn’t be the most proficient at color guard, yet no one could doubt her dedication to doing a good job. Liann suspected that trait ran in the Tucker family.

  “I did. Mom and Dad said it was fine. They didn’t mind.”

  “But Jake?” Liann knew his type. Push until you got your way, push across the forty yard line until you got the first down.

  “I was thinking about being a doctor.” Maddie sank onto the nearest plastic chair. “Even since junior high, I worked with the football team as a trainer. If one of the guys sprained an ankle or jammed a finger, I was there. Or if someone got sick or knocked on the head, I was there.”

  “So that explains you being so efficient when I was sick from the heat the other morning.”

  “I just know what to do. I love being with my brother. I’m so proud of him. But I can’t breathe. I feel like he’s always watching.” Maddie sighed and rolled her eyes.

  Spoken like a typical teenager. “I see. Well, he’s your brother and he loves you. He’s responsible for you.”

  “Well, it’s not like he’s going to cut my food up for me. But it feels that way.”

  “Do you still want to be a doctor? I’m sure he’s thinking ahead to you getting into college. It’s very competitive.”

  “I’m in the top ten percent of my class. If you graduate in the top ten percent in Texas, you get admission to any Texas public university.”

  “Wow, it sounds like you’ve done your homework. So, what about you becoming a doctor?”

  “I...I’m not sure. I like helping people. I’m good at math and science. But the idea of having everything so planned out for my life right now...”

  “Maybe he’ll come around in time, when he sees how much you’re enjoying color guard.”

  Maddie shrugged. “He’s pretty stubborn. But you can’t cut me. I’m going to do a great job. You’ll see.”

  “I’m sure you’ll make great improvements. You’re determined, and that’s half the battle sometimes.” Liann wasn’t sure how much Maddie would improve, but she didn’t have the heart to discourage the girl. And part of her really wanted Maddie to prove Jake wrong.

  A figure appeared in the doorway behind Maddie. Kristen, from the squad. “Hey, excuse me. Maddie, someone’s waiting for you outside.”

  Maddie ran her hand over her hair. “Really? Who?”

  “You know....” Kristen half leaned in the doorway, her gaze flicking over to Liann. “Remember...Tim?”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Maddie leaped to her feet. “Thanks, Ms. Rivers, for listening. I can’t wait till we see our costumes.”

  “Anytime, Maddie. I’ll be giving out costumes on the first day of school.” Liann watched as Maddie yanked up her flag, taking care to duck the pole through the door horizontally, but nearly knocking the picture frame off Liann’s desk behind her.

  #

  Jake followed the road toward home, but instead of continuing past Rivers Honey, he turned his truck and took the driveway up to the Rivers’ house. Practice had ended for the day, and he’d stopped by The Pit and purchased three barbecue orders to take home—two for supper tonight and one for lunch tomorrow. Nothing beat The Pit’s smoked barbecue, corn on the cob, seasoned beans, and melt-in-your mouth ribs. The aroma made his mouth water, and he almost sneaked a rib from the box to munch on. He restrained himself as he put the truck in park.

  Maddie had already asked if she could get a ride home from a friend after they went to get cherry limeades, so he figured this was the best time to talk to Liann about Maddie and color guard. Every night this week so far, his sister had come home sweating and cranky. He’d banished the flag from the wide verandah out back after Maddie nearly took out the lamp that hung from the verandah ceiling.

  The Rivers’ vehicles made a neat little row–Bert’s pickup, Chin Mae’s tiny gold car, and Liann’s T-bird, at last freed from the shop. A new alternator had done the trick.

  Jake gazed at the boxes of food on the front seat. This wouldn’t take long, and he’d be home again, sitting at the supper table with Maddie.

  He knocked on the back door, and Chin Mae answered. “You looking for Liann?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I just need to talk with her for a few minutes.”

  “Liann!” Chin Mae flung the word over her shoulder. “You boyfriend’s here!”

  Jake opened his mo
uth a fraction then figured he’d let the label slide. He knew ladies like her quite well. Starlight was full of them. You started protesting about any matchmaking, and they started nosing deeper to see if there was a grain of truth in the protest. He liked Liann Rivers, quite a bit. During practice, he’d find his attention wandering to the marching band practicing in the parking lot on their marks. So far, the color guard hadn’t joined the band in rehearsals. In time they would, with their vividly colored flags and graceful accents to the music.

  “Jake, hi.” Liann appeared in the doorway now, her face flushed. “Um, what brings you here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you for a few minutes.” He rubbed his chin then glanced across to the beehives studding the field. “I hope I’m not interrupting. Have you had supper yet?”

  “No, we’re eating later. Too hot, said my aunt. So I’ve sort of just nibbled.” Her eyes were full of questions. “What’s up?”

  “Can we take a short walk?”

  “No problem.” Liann exited the house, scraping her hair back with an elastic scrunchie. “I can take you to see the bees if you like. I need to check the feeders on the boxes and let Uncle Bert know if we need to mix more feed.” Her voice had a lilting tone, as if she were teasing him to see if he’d take her up on the offer.

  “Okay. Lead the way.” They crossed the front yard, full of Chin Mae’s landscaping handiwork.

  “You stay where I can see you!” Chin Mae’s voice rang out. “No hanky-panky.”

  “She’s safe with me, ma’am,” Jake replied, laughing as Liann’s face bloomed red.

  “You’ll have to excuse her.” Liann stepped carefully over a rocky part of ground hidden under the grass. “She’s...well... She’s Aunt Chin Mae.”

  “She and Aunt Azalea are best friends for a reason.” He squinted, regretting that he’d left his sunglasses in the truck. “They both lack subtlety with those big hearts of theirs.”

  “That’s the truth.” Liann stopped at the nearest stacked white boxes. A few bees lingered at the hive opening. She swallowed and hoped her nervousness didn’t show. This was a stupid idea. She took a deep breath and touched Jake’s arm. “Don’t block their flight path. That’s where we get the word ‘beeline.’” She pointed to a lone bee traveling away from the hive. “It’s like an invisible road they travel to collect the pollen. When you get in their way, it makes them nervous, my aunt says.”