If I’d taken Knox up on his offer to meet up during the day, when the rest of the group wasn’t there, I might’ve gotten it faster. I also might’ve gotten myself scandalized by a very large, tattooed firefighter whose gaze said he had a thousand ideas of what we could do in those woods when no one was around. So no. It was Lemon, of all people, who’d helped me figure things out. I’d been killing my momentum, by letting go too soon. I needed to let myself get as far back in my swing as I could before letting go with one hand and reaching for the next ring.
Honestly, it was a leap of faith the first time I’d done it, convinced I was going to fall. But then when it worked and I realized I was swinging like a monkey, a firehad lit under me. I had no idea how I’d do in the race but I knew I could do those dang rings. And they were really fun.
I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel of my truck, pondering the race as I tried to get up the nerve to walk inside the high school. The school board had let me know that morning that I was allowed back inside, finally. Still not allowed to coach or work. But come inside, yes. And twenty-five of the Lady Stallions had texted today asking if I was coming to the big game tonight. The only one who hadn’t was Mari and that’s because she didn’t have a phone yet. Her parents said she had to be sixteen.
They said it was all over school that I was allowed back in. And it was their last game of the regular season. Ming specifically said she neededhercoach to be there for her last game, ever. Maybe. Unless they won and went to the Riverbend District playoffs. How could I turn that down?
But the school board was also meeting tonight, in the auditorium, to discuss my fate. Silas was invited to come. I was not. But I was allowed to write a letter of explanation, which I’d given to Silas a few hours ago.
The school loomed in front of me and it almost felt like if I stepped inside, I’d jinx everyone. Meandthe girls. My luck had not been favorable since moving to this place. Or maybe I was just the unlucky type.
My phone rang and I let out a breath before answering. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Christianna. Your father and I just wanted to wish you good luck tonight,” she said, a sadness in her voice. “You’re on speaker.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, darling. How’re you holding up?”
A small exhale. “I don’t know. Okay, I guess.”
“I don’t know why you don’t just pack up and comehome,” Mom said. “No one here would treat you the way they have?”
I rolled my eyes. “I got caught on camera, making out with a shirtless man on top of my desk in my office. Laramie probably would’ve reacted much worse.”
Mom huffed. “Do you really have to put it like that?”
“Like what? Plainly and truthfully? I’m not going to make excuses for what I did. It is what it is.”
“Well. I still think it’s abominable that Silas was made?—”
“How’re the cows, Dad?” Rude? Maybe. But I didn’t want to argue about how Silas was principal now. Honestly, Silas was ridiculously proficient at administration. And from what Mrs. Ross had told me, he was killing it.
While my dad went on a tangent about cattle prices, water rights, and the drought they’d been in for the past two years, I massaged my temples.
“Dallen,” Mom interrupted. “She doesn’t actually care. She just gets you off on a tangent so she can say she ‘did her time’ on the phone, and then hop off without telling us anything that’s really going on. You fall for it every time.” I heard her smack him with something. A magazine or a newspaper, I wasn’t sure. But I didn’t like it.
“Mom. Be nice to him. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” But my blood was simmering a bit. Yes, I did those things, but only to keep my nerves from exploding every time she called.
“WhateverI want to know?” she asked, disbelief dripping in her tone. “Fine. Did you know Holden was fired from his job in DC and that’s why he’s in Seddledowne?”
I exhaled through my nose. “Yes, I knew right after it happened. But how doyouknow that?”
“Ari told us. But why didn’t you tell us?” she whined.
My fingers gripped the steering wheel. “Andhow did Ari find out?”
“On Giggle.”
A snort escaped but I was too mad to laugh. “You mean,Google?”
“She’s right,” Dad said. “It’s Google. Not Giggle.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mom huffed. “The point is that Christy is dating an unemployed man.”
My chest tightened. “So little miss nosey butt Ari decided she’s suddenly a detective?”
“Honey,” Dad said in a calm voice. “She was just on edge because Holden made her?—”
