Chapter One
Hope’s Turn, Oregon
Mid-October, Friday night
Grown women really shouldn’t giggle.Becca Bragg sipped her hot cocoa and held her thoughts to herself. Barely.
“Oh my God.” A squeal. “Did you see him? Is he here?”
“Yes, yes. He came late. There he is. Oh, wow. Turn around, turn around,” another woman whispered in prayer.
Becca tried to ignore the excitable women in front of her. But that meant focusing on her misery, sitting on the cold, aluminum bench. High school stadium seating at its finest. She grimaced, wishing she’d remembered her padded cushion.
Central Oregon weather could be iffy during late autumn, the transition to winter wicked fast. The weather forecast threatened a possible snowfall later in the week—in freakin’October—but she had a feeling that at any time the heavens might open up to douse them with the white stuff.
Great for the high school concession stands, though. She took another sip of her piping hot drink. Too bad the cocoa hadn’t yet made its way to her frozen bottom. Next to her, Nora smirked and wriggled on the cushionshe’dremembered to bring. Then her cousin added insult to injury by sighing and wriggling some more.
“I’msocomfortable, Becks. How are you feeling?”
Becca fought a grin. “Witch.”
The whistle blew, signaling an end to the third quarter. Factoring in injuries, time-outs, and guys taking way too long to hike a ball, she figured she had another seven years before the game ended. What had she been thinking to encourage Simon to try out for the team this year?
In front of her, Linda Madison grew more shrill. “Yes, he’s right there. See him with Davey? Davey! Davey! Hi, honey!” She waved like mad, calling attention to herself.
Her son ignored her, as did the man whose attention the woman really wanted, though several boys around Davey nudged him to look back at the stands.
Linda waved harder and knocked into Nora, who sat right behind her.
Linda didn’t bother to apologize, apparently in her own little world where peasants didn’t matter when the queen craved the attention of the supposedly sexiest man in town.
Bah. Becca had heard more than enough about the new guy. Heck, his brother, the actual coach, had provided just as much fodder for the lovestruck when he’d taken the job a few years ago. Simon had been in middle school then, yet she’d still heard the news.
“No worries, Linda. I’m just fine. Dandy, even.” Nora’s syrupy sweet answer didn’t faze Linda.
But Linda’s two friends gave Nora the evil eye. The Smith sisters. Talk about bitchy and vicious wrapped in a package of Botox, tummy tucks, and trust funds.
Becca sighed, wishing she could afford her own tummy tuck. No matter that Nora thought she was insane for seeing it, Becca could feel that pinch of an inch too easily.Hey, at least it’s keeping my stomach warm.
“Problem?” One of the bitchy twins asked. Sally or Sarah. Frankly, Becca had never been able to keep them straight. And didn’t care to.
Nora gave them a wide smile. “Nope. We’re just peachy.”
Most of the football parents were decent people. Becca liked the majority of them, who genuinely wanted their children happy and successful. Then of course, there were the dads wanting their sons to fulfill the pro dreams they’d had but never achieved. And the many moms trying to catch the eye of the town’s new most eligible bachelor.
Sure, he was attractive. Wealthy, fairly young. But such a monumental ass.
“I swear, I’d leave Bill for him in a heartbeat,” one of the twins said. Probably Sarah then.
“Now, now. You’re not married to Bill yet,” the other tittered. “But Flash is such a catch. Best to leave him to me or Linda.”
Flash. Becca snorted. What kind of name was that for a grown man, anyway?
The ladies continued to gossip about the sexy coach and the pathetic women throwing themselves at him who didn’t have a prayer of getting his attention. Why, Linda had already enjoyed a cup of coffee with him as they’d discussed Davey’s chances of making the varsity team next year. And hadn’t Flash spent a lot of time ogling herblouse?Oh, he was interested, no doubt.
“Cluck, cluck,” Nora whispered a little too loudly.
Sarah and Sally whipped their heads around and glared at her.
