Counting on Starlight Page 6

  “But you love it here.” Liann tried not to frown. “I can hear it when you talk about coming to this place to fish, when you talk to my aunt and uncle, or the Bushes.”

  “I’ve always wanted to coach at the NCAA level. It’s been a dream since I was a kid. Usually coaches from larger school districts get considered, but my college buddy is on the staff there, and he put in a good word for me. I’m counting on a great season this fall. The boys have it. I can tell.”

  “I see.” Why did her heart sink just a little at the idea of him leaving Starlight? After all, two weeks ago she’d been considering this a temporary exile. That is, until she realized she wanted to prove to the town that the color guard squad would work—that these girls weren’t losers.

  Until she met Jake.

  “Yup.” Jake snapped his fingers then slapped his fist with his palm of the opposite hand. “Have you ever wanted something, prayed for it, worked for it? You can see it right there, in front of you, just out of reach? But you know in your heart, it’s yours...someday?”

  “I... I’m not sure.” The truth hurt her ears. What had she truly ever wanted? Had she ever tried to dream big like Jake? Cheerleading had started out as a social climbing move on her part. She’d done it for selfish and shallow reasons. Then she’d drifted into college with the promise of eventually teaching and coaching secondary school, which she loved. Then the new youth pastor came on board at her church. After a whirlwind romance, a proposal, then—here. Almost twenty-seven years old.

  “I do. I can see it happening, someday soon. Maybe that’s why I was hard on Maddie. Because I hit the big 3-0, my last birthday. It sort of sneaks up on you, you know? I don’t want her to start making compromises and settling, because life happens fast. Look at what happened to Billy. Less than three years ago, he was trying to get his life back after a roadside bomb in Iraq almost killed him. Now he’s married, going to be a father. He’s running a terrific nonprofit that really helps people.” Jake turned to step off their perch on the rock, and Liann moved to let him pass. His boot slipped, and he reached to catch himself with a free hand. Patch’s head jerked up, and he skittered back at Patch's sudden movement, his reins sliding quick as a noodle from the tree branch. On his powerful haunches, Patch tore up the trail toward the house with Misty right behind him.

  “Patch—Misty!” Jake regained his balance before completely falling. Liann reached for his arm as if she could keep his two hundred pounds from landing half on the bank of the river and half on the rock. Then she slipped, and they both tumbled into the shallow water.

  “Ow!” Liann felt a chuckle erupt and she flung water on Jake as she lay half on her side on some rocks, half on his arm.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “Taking me riding before supper. It’s hot outside, and I knew this was a bad idea.” She flung more water on him as she sat upright. The cool water chased away the prickly heat feeling, but another heat crept into her cheeks. Then a wave of river water struck her in the face, and she couldn’t breathe.

  “There, feel better?” Jake started laughing himself.

  Coughing and spluttering, Liann swept her arm under the water and responded with a wave of her own that struck Jake’s head and shoulders. She laughed at the look on his face, and the laughter felt good. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. “You’re acting like a big kid.”

  “I am when I’m here.” The sunlight sparkled off his hazel eyes as he pulled her close to him and kissed her.

  Kissing Jake was like Fourth of July fireworks, riding a roller coaster, and standing at the edge of a roaring ocean all at once. Liann heard the river gurgling, felt the wet denim of Jake’s shirt collar. With one of his arms around her, she felt like nothing else mattered at the moment—not her crazy job situation, her broken engagement, her—

  Liann pulled back, breathless. “Not fair, Jake Tucker. So not fair.” She sat up straight, her knees bent.

  #

  Jake would’ve kissed her again if she hadn’t pulled away from him, looking like a scolding teacher. He touched her cheek. “I’ve wanted to do that since...since the morning we met each other, running.”

  “You’re not playing fair, Jake.” Liann stood up, water streaming from her pants and weighing down her shirt. “You talk about leaving Starlight, and now this.”

  “It’s just a simple kiss,” he said, trying to get his footing and onto dry land. “It sort of, uh, seemed like a good idea at the moment.”

  “Well, most people don’t go around kissing people like—like that—just because ‘it seemed like a good idea at the moment.’” She tugged on her sleeves that clung to her arms then squeezed the excess water from her hair. “Plus, there was nothing simple about it. We’re not even... I don’t know.”

  “Your aunt seems to think we’re boyfriend and girlfriend.” He tried to reach for her hand, but she sidestepped away from him as neatly as Patch could.

  “We’re not.” She started stomping down the path, leaving a stream of water behind her. “You can’t just...kiss me like that.”

  “Liann Rivers, I like you. I like you a lot.” The admission made him realize how foolish he’d been to reach for her and kiss her as if he had a right to do so. “I don’t know what the future holds right now, but I like having you around. Maddie thinks the world of you. Every night it’s, ‘Ms. Rivers this’ and ‘Ms. Rivers said that.’”

  She paused on the path and faced him. “Jake... I like you too. A lot. So far. But I’m probably not the best one to be going into a...relationship right now.”

  “I know—you just moved here, you have a new job.” He slipped his arm around her, and this time she didn’t pull away. They continued along the trail back toward the house.

  Then she stopped again and faced him. “That’s true. But that’s not all.... I... I was supposed to have gotten married two months ago, in June. I... I called it off in May.”

  Liann, engaged? “Why did you call it off?”

  “He was practically perfect. Driven, confident, passionate, loves young people. Just like you. In some ways, you remind me of him.”

  Jake could hear the death knell of what might have been. If she left that guy, practically at the altar, would she do the same to him? “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

  “He always thought he knew best. For me. For both of us. Anytime I tried to voice my opinion, it was drowned out. At the time, I didn’t realize it. Finally, an old friend of mine looked at our wedding web site—”

  “You had a wedding web site?”

  “Yes, we did.” Liann sighed before continuing. “She told me she saw plenty of pictures of me, but there was nothing in that wedding that was me. Not the music. Or the cake, or the dresses. I ran everything by Matt—”

  “His name’s Matt?” Jake felt a tendril of jealousy trying to wind itself around his heart and squeeze. A man he didn’t even know, claiming Liann.

  Liann nodded. “Anyway, I took a step back and realized she was pointing out the truth. Then I took another step back and realized I was aligning myself with Matt’s dream. But it wasn’t mine. He’s a youth pastor. I love working with young people, but I would rather work with kids who wouldn’t necessarily darken a church doorway. When I realized that… Oh, you should have heard the debates we had about that. Not long after that, I called off the wedding and started looking for jobs anywhere but there. Starlight was at the top of my list. Whenever we visited when I was a kid, I liked it here.”

  She paused at the sound of an engine, and Jake looked in its direction. Billy, coming along in his truck. He pulled up, a cloud of dust swirling around them.

  “Y’all look like you’re in a bind. Maddie caught the horses, so I figured I’d hop in the truck and see what became of you two.” Billy gave Jake a pointed look, as if he knew exactly what had become of the two of them.

  The wet denim of Jake’s jeans and shirt pulled on his arms and legs as he drew closer to the truck. “Had a little misha
p by the rocks. Slipped in, spooked Patch.” He leaned on the hood and eyeballed the pristine leather interior.

  “You can ride in the back, if you don’t mind.” Billy gestured with his head. “Wet denim and leather seats don't go together very well.”

  Jake glanced at Liann, who walked with him to the rear of the truck. He popped the gate down, then helped her into the truck’s bed. He climbed up behind her as she slid over to one side. She hugged her knees up to her chin. Water still dripped from their clothing.

  Nope, this definitely wasn’t the way he’d envisioned the evening unfolding for them. He wasn’t sure exactly what he’d expected. He knew it would involve hearing the Beauty and the Beast music over and over, plus flipping of flags and hopefully no broken glass anywhere. But not a kiss at the river.

  Now Liann sat across from him, jostling with the movement of the truck, closed up tight as a clam. Her hair had already started to dry from the heat, and she ran her fingers through the dark strands. For the first time, Jake noted a reddish sheen to her hair, a trio of freckles on one cheek.

  This was why he didn’t let himself get distracted. She was right. It wasn’t fair of him to kiss her. Lord, help me make amends for this mistake.

  Chapter 7

  Liann made it through supper, somehow, although the memory of Jake’s kiss wouldn’t leave her alone. Not that she or Jake had anything to feel guilty about. But she wasn’t about to follow a man somewhere she wasn’t ready to go herself. She folded her arms and leaned against the porch railing. Jake had made it clear he was on his way out of Starlight. And her? She was just here long enough to figure out what would come next for her. What the Lord had for her. So far, she wasn’t sure she’d chosen wisely in coming to Texas.

  “...isn’t that right, Ms. Rivers?” Maddie asked.

  “I’m sorry, could you repeat that question?” Liann looked across the porch at Maddie.

  “I said that you brought your own equipment tonight so we can work on the routine together.”

  “Yes, I did.” Liann stood upright. “Matter of fact, I can get them out of the car now so we can get started. After all, that’s why I’m here.” She dared not look at Jake. Fortunately, her clothing dried quickly, and she’d worn an old track suit of Mrs. Tucker’s in the meantime. She’d felt like a sopping-wet waif next to the statuesque Justine Tucker, who still worked professionally as Justine Campbell. Of all the ways to make a good first impression on someone, returning waterlogged from a trail ride hadn’t been one of them.

  Liann trotted over to where Aunt Chin Mae’s golden bean was parked. Footsteps followed her. She didn’t need to turn around to know they were Jake’s.

  “Are you okay?” He put one hand on the car’s roof.

  “I’m okay.” She tugged the flag from the car window then reached inside to pull out the saber and rifle. “Really, I am.”

  “I wanted to make sure.”

  “It’s probably best we pretend the whole thing never happened.” She hugged the equipment to her chest. “We’ve got a busy fall ahead of us, and truthfully, neither of us knows what lies ahead. I prayed about coming here and thought every door opened. But it seems nothing’s turned out like I thought it would.”

  Jake dug his toe in the dirt, turning over a rock. “I know. Life has a way of doing that. I thought I would have moved away from here sooner. Then Billy was injured in Iraq—nearly died. I stayed around to help when he came home. Then my dad got sick. Then Mom and Dad moved to Colorado because of his heart. I thought it would be easy to keep an eye on Maddie. She’s a good kid. But I feel like I’ve been on hold here, waiting on everyone else. Doing the right thing.”

  “I know God will honor you for that. The right opportunity will come up for you, I’m sure. Like Kansas Tech.” Now she understood his sense of urgency. “I imagine it seems like everyone else is moving on with their lives except you.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I know God does things in His time. Not sure what that means sometimes. Just when I think I’ll have my chance, I hit another roadblock.”

  “I’m sorry. It must be hard.” She started walking back toward the porch, minding the uneven ground.

  “I pray and push through.” He gave her half a grin as they reached the others.

  Maddie stood in the yard, facing the porch. “Okay, y’all. I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been learning. I have a lot to work on, but it’s been fun.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” Liann said as she stepped up next to Maddie. She laid the rifle and saber a safe distance away on the ground. “Let’s start from the beginning. We’ll go straight through from ‘Belle’ to ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and then if you’re game, I’ll show you ‘The Battle Scene.’ We haven’t gone over that in class yet, because it features the rifles and sabers.”

  Maddie started the music, and she and Liann started the first movement while Billy, Justine, and Jake watched from the porch. Liann kept an eye on Maddie, who only dropped the flag once during the peppy number.

  “Good job!” Liann said, and Maddie glowed. The music transitioned to the slower song, a good chance for them to catch their breath and do some of the pretty flag work. At the crescendo, Maddie sent the flag arcing high above her, as did Liann.

  Then Maddie missed the flag and it hit the ground, pole end first. The flag flipped end over end and lay in the grass. Maddie glared at it, and Liann punched the Off button on the CD player.

  “I’ll never get this.” Maddie stamped her foot on the grass.

  “Don’t worry about it, sweetie,” Justine called out from the porch. “Liann is here to help you. Besides, what I saw was really pretty.”

  “That’s right,” Liann said. “Tell you what. Let’s turn the music off and do some drills. You all might find this a little boring, since there’s no choreography and no music. Just giving you a warning.” She smiled at the audience on the porch.

  Maddie stomped over to get her flag. “Okay, I’ll try.”

  “That’s the spirit,” said Jake. He nodded at Liann. She was glad he knew the importance of pushing kids when they didn’t think they were good. So often people gave up before their big breakthrough.

  The realization hit her, even now. No, she wouldn’t give up on Starlight. She’d see the fall season through, for the girls. Especially Maddie. Then, she’d see what came her way in the spring, after the football and marching competitions were over. That left preparation for the spring show and individual routines before the end of the school year.

  They did their spin drills, but Maddie frowned when Liann said, “Okay, now we’ll do some throws.”

  Maddie spun the flag, released it, then took half a step back before trying to catch it.

  “Don’t step back.” Liann stopped spinning. “Now I see what you’re doing. You’re taking half a step after you release the flag. It’s not going to hit you.”

  “I know. But I can’t help it.” Maddie tried again, this time catching it successfully.

  “Hang on a second.” Liann noticed that the guys had gone inside the house, leaving Justine watching them. “Let’s try a rifle.”

  “I don’t know if I can. It looks more complicated to spin and throw that.” Maddie bit her lip as Liann carried the wooden rifle back to their patch of practice lawn.

  “Okay, watch.” Liann started spinning the rifle, one direction only. It had taken her an hour last Saturday evening to get her old skills to kick in, but like the old riding-a-bicycle saying, her hands and reflexes remembered. She bounced it off one hand then reversed the spin direction. Then a flip, as the rifle spun in succession. Her hands stopped the movement, the wood hitting her palms with a snap.

  “Wow.” Maddie’s eyes glowed.

  Liann extended the rifle to Maddie. “Your turn. Think of it as a flag, only thicker, heavier, and shorter.”

  Maddie spun the rifle, and a slow smile spread across her face as she concentrated. Then she mimicked Liann, bouncing it off one hand and reversing direction. The tip of her
tongue poked out from the corner of her mouth. Liann would definitely have to work on that with Maddie.

  “Great job!” Liann glanced over at Justine, who applauded.

  “This is so cool!” Maddie reversed the rifle’s direction again, the spin turning into a white blur.

  The front door opened, and the guys came out. One of them turned on the porch light. “Hey, we started cutting the pie,” said Billy. “We couldn’t take waiting anymore.”

  The men stopped and stared as Maddie flipped the rifle up in the air a few feet, using one hand. She reached out and it snapped back onto her hands. She whirled to face Liann. “I did it! I did it! Am I a natural?” She flung herself at Liann in a hug, dropping the rifle in the process.

  Liann hugged Maddie and tried not to shoot Jake a look of triumph. “I guess you are.” She had a feeling Maddie wouldn’t be in a hurry to quit anytime soon.

  Maddie did a little jig in the front yard, now nearly dark as twilight settled in the west. “I don’t know what it was. It felt easier to spin the rifle. Maybe because it's shorter, more compact?”

  “Well, you’ll definitely have a role in the battle scene. I think I’ll have three of you spin rifles, while five of you use the flags, or maybe sabers. It’s the final movement, so we want it to be dramatic visually.” Liann grinned at Maddie.

  A pair of headlights shone down the driveway, and a four-door sedan rolled up to the other line of vehicles. Liann glimpsed the head and shoulders of a man. A young man.

  “Hey, y’all,” he said as he left the car. He looked comfortable in his Yellowjackets shirt and worn-out jeans.

  “Tim Rollins.” Maddie clamped her hand on Liann’s wrist. “Tim. At our house. And I feel and look like a sweat ball.”

  “What brings you by tonight?” asked Jake, strolling up to meet Tim at the edge of the drive.

  “Hey, Coach.” Tim dipped his head, making himself look shorter than Jake, even though they were of equal height. “I, uh... I wanted to say hi to Maddie. And you too.”