Love Lifted Me (15 page)

“Another coach's wife?” Mariah twisted her lips, slurring her words. “That dang school is about as crazy as my bosses. Don't know nothing. Nothing.”

“Mariah, you're not using, are you?”

She shook her head like a scolded girl, trying to hold her bloodshot eyes wide. But her thin, flyaway hair and colorless skin told another story. “But I do need some money. The kid ain't got no groceries.”

“Come to my office. I'm going to check you out, then we can go to United for groceries. Is Tucker at home? Does he need food? You know with a new coach, maybe Tucker can finally play football.”

“Oh, I hope not, the kid can't walk down the road without tripping. It's embarrassing to watch him try to play.”

Dr. Gelman glanced back at Jade. “United Supermarkets is just a mile or so south on 23rd. A great place to grocery shop. See you around?”

“See you around.” Jade watched the doctor walk Mariah down the sidewalk, under the waving flags and banners left over from a Fourth of July celebration. Asa stood at her feet, tugging on her hand.

“Mama, go.”

“Yeah, okay, son.” Jade opened the truck door and slipped Asa into his car seat, her thoughts on the morning. As she climbed in behind the wheel, her phone rang.

She hoped it was Max, but when Jade read the screen her heart filled with dread. Gus McClure.

“Hello?” She winced, listening.

“Jade, this is Gus McClure. We got back into town from our vacation to find Max had whisked you and our grandson to Texas. What's going on?” His mountain voice planed away Jade's patience with its sharp edge.

“Yes, we're in Texas. Max took a new job—he's coaching football.” Jade fired up the truck. The rattling engine shimmied the old chassis.

Gus grumbled. How ridiculous. What did Max think he was doing? What about their grandson? Jade responded low and kind, explaining, but Gus would have none of it. He huffed and said something about “this won't do,” then hung up.

Jade exhaled relief. Maybe it wouldn't do, but from what she could tell, he didn't know about Rice and Landon, or Taylor's burdensome secret.

Thirteen

When he got home, Max intended to persuade Jade to switch vehicles with him. The new football coach couldn't go cruising around Colby in a latemodel Mercedes. Didn't seem right.

Besides, with the truck he could haul boys around in the bed if he needed.

Was that allowed? Kids in the back? He had a book of regulations to study and memorize.

The list of things to do mounted and for an intense moment, he was entirely overwhelmed. He whispered prayers, grateful God had delivered him from his back spasms and phantom pains.

Cruising east on Route 60, Max scanned the endless fields off to his right until he spotted a flatbed truck loaded with hay bales not too far from the highway. Slowing his car, he pulled off the road. Hopefully, on the other side of the truck he'd find Calvin Blue. Max had called the rec center to see if Calvin was around there today. He wasn't, but one call led to another until Max found himself chasing down a hay-laden truck to recruit what he hoped would be his star tailback.

Max's car skidded along the gravel berm and he gazed out toward the flatbed, which followed behind a hay baler. Sure enough, Calvin walked alongside the truck, tossing a fresh bale up onto the flatbed.

Max powered down the passenger window. “Calvin.” He honked the horn. “Calvin Blue.”

The boy looked up, squinting, then staring, then popping wide his white grin. Sweat glistened on his dark skin.

“Coach! What you doing here? Didn't you go home?” Calvin jogged over to the edge of the field. He was fit, Max thought, ready to play. “Nice ride, Coach. Did you fall off the wagon already? Come back to the ranch?”

“I'm the new head coach at Colby High.” Max stepped out and came around the car.

Calvin stared. Then laughed. “You kidding me. Man oh man, I took you for smarter than that, Coach.”

“I thought you wanted a football program.” Calvin shrugged. Max jumped the small ditch and stood in front of the boy. “Come play for me.”

“Why? So you can set us up, make us think we might be going somewhere, only to quit or get fired? Naw, naw, Coach. I'm trying to get over to Canyon High. Carter Davis has an Aunt Tee.” Calvin headed back toward the trucks and Max followed.

“I heard all about Aunt Tee. So you go over there. You want to play behind Carter all season? Maybe your high school career?”

Calvin frowned. “What do you know about it?”

“It's my job to know.” He'd spent most of the afternoon reviewing files and stats. The sheer amount was daunting. First semester of law school all over again. Only worse because he wasn't cocky and invincible.

“Carter ain't as fast as me. Come on, Coach.”

“Then come out and prove it. Win a starting position. We have a meeting in the morning, seven o'clock.” The sun blazed and perspiration popped along Max's forehead.

“Is he playing for the Warriors?” Calvin paced alongside the slow-moving truck, reaching for another hay bale as it popped from the baler and tossing it into the flatbed.

“We'll see.” Max kept stride with Calvin. “What I need is for you to make up your own mind.”

Calvin laughed. “Carter and I said we'd play together, Coach. Go to Texas or A&M together.”

“Okay, fine. Canyon's got a great tailback already. You go over there with Carter, I think you'd best plan on an academic scholarship for college, Calvin.”

He laughed. “Don't use your lawyer talk on me, Coach. I see what you doing. I can beat out Carter. Don't tell him, but I ain't worried.”

“So you beat out Carter. What about the other backs at Canyon? You going to beat them all?”

“Yeah, yeah, I am.”

“You have to start to be seen by scouts.”

“Don't worry, I'll start.” Calvin hoisted the next bale with attitude.

Max nodded, jutting his chin. “All right. But if you change your mind, I could really use you.”

“This is Texas high school football, Coach. Not a summer program you throwed together out on the ranch. This is serious.”

Max squinted in the sun. “Do I look like I'm laughing?”

“Coach, I wish you all the best. But I got to consider my future and signing up for a losing football program ain't it.” Calvin tossed another bale. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Max watched Calvin inch down the field for a minute. So this mission failed.
Don't let it get you down
. But he thought recruiting players was the one thing he
could
do as a coach. “Calvin, seven a.m. meeting tomorrow on the field. See you there.”

Calvin waved and tossed the next bale.

By the time Max turned into his new, winding driveway, twilight was settling over the plains. He parked in the detached carport and stepped out of the car, hot and thirsty. His car, his clothes, and his heart were covered with Randall County dust.

Warrior football was a mess. And after a day of trying to find his potential players, he felt quite sure Chevy had hired the wrong man. He wanted to talk to Jade. But how could he confess he'd failed her on his first day? He'd moved her away from her home, her business, her friends—for this?

Worse, he had no idea where to begin to straighten it out. If he found a thread to pull, would it unravel the whole darn thing? Did he have the skills? The right tools? The right coaches?

The screen door eased open as he made his way across the yard of waving prairie grass. Another to-do popped into his head. Hire a lawn crew. Jade stepped off the porch, swinging Asa down the steps by his hands. “Hey, where have you been?”

“Working.” Max bent down as Asa ran to him, his little legs trying to keep up with the churn of his elbows. Max scooped him up and tossed him over his shoulder. “How's my little man? You want to play football for me? Maybe inside linebacker.” Max pinched Asa's baby bicep. “Looks to me like you've got a good pump going, buddy.”

Asa tried to pop his muscle, a new trick he'd been learning, squeezing his fist, scrunching up his face with a growl. “I strong.”

“Then I'm signing you up for my team.” Jade met Max halfway. She was warm, soft, and kissable. He sighed. “And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

“What's wrong? How bad is it?”

“Pretty bad.” Max lowered himself to the grass and closed his eyes. He'd intended to enjoy his pretty bungalow and pretty wife this evening instead of talking about the rich school with a poor program. “If you don't mind, Jade, I'd like to swap vehicles with you. I can't drive the Mercedes around town. I need the truck for the back roads, hauling equipment, maybe even some of the team.”

“S-sure.” Jade sat next to him. “I drove by the school today. It looks amazing. The field house was incredible. I thought this program was on its last leg. I expected rusty equipment scattered on a bare field with lopsided goalposts.”

“Yeah, you and me both.” Max sat up, drawing in his knees, propping his arms on top. “The program is not broke. In fact, the facility is nicer than some colleges'. Apparently some deep-pocketed boosters have really deep Warrior loyalties.”

“You really didn't know the program had money?”

“You think I'd have signed up to coach if I thought they could afford a real one?” Max brushed his hand over Asa's soft hair. Jade's inquiry simmered in his doubt. “I feel like a chump.”

“You didn't vet the program? Ask around? Google? You have an entire law firm at your fingertips. Two weeks before our wedding you discovered I was still married to Dustin Colter when I didn't even know it myself.”

“Sure, sort of. I didn't do a big in-depth because . . . look who Chevy was talking to! Me. Axel recommended him and the program. That was good enough for me.”

“Did you call Axel?”

“He's on vacation.” He peered at Jade. “I'm sorry. I really thought I was all they could get.”

“I think you were all they wanted, Max.”

He stared toward the fiery curve of the horizon where nothing blocked his view but a low-flying bird formation. He recounted his morning at the field house and his afternoon of searching out players. “So, we'll see who shows up in the morning. See if I have some interest. The beginnings of a team.”

“Max, did we do this or did God?”

When their eyes met, a sick swirl soured Max's stomach. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“It's only been a day, Max. Are you?”

“It
has
only been a day, Jade. Let's give it two.” Max pressed a smiling kiss to her temple and fell back in the grass, pulling her with him. “Did the furniture arrive?”

Jade pillowed her head on his shoulder. “The shipment got delayed. But I did go shopping. We have food. And I unpacked the stuff we shipped from home. Towels, sheets, plates, and kitchenware. Are you hungry?”

“A little.” The heat and pressure from the day blocked his appetite. He needed a minute to cool down, relax, and think. Close his eyes, let go . . .

Asa dove on top of him. Max
oomph
ed and snatched up his son, lifting him over his head. “What are you doing? Arms out, Asa. Fly. You're Superman.”

Asa elevated his arms and legs. Then Max flipped him over, landing him on the ground. “So what else did you do today?” he asked Jade as a laughing Asa ran around for another turn.

Jade moved to lay on the grass next to him. “Went to Colby Grounds.” She told him about Brenda, Bit, Dr. Gelman, and Mariah. “And when I was leaving to go shopping, Gus McClure called. They were pretty upset to come home from vacation to find we'd moved with Asa.”

Max turned to her. “I forgot all about them in the craziness.” He sat up. “We should've left them a message.”

“I tried to smooth it over, but Gus hung up on me.”

“I'll call him later.” Max exhaled, closing his eyes, listening to the wind fluttering the leaves. The burdens seemed to fall on him in layers. Layers and layers . . .

Just as a bit of peace started rising in his spirit, a horn blasted over the house from the driveway. Max bolted up. Jade jumped to her feet, swinging Asa up in her arms.

Around the side of the house, Max spotted the trail of cars coming down the road and turning into his driveway. Horns blasted intermittently. Cars, trucks, a few horses gathered and surrounded the house. Warrior fans and boosters swarmed the side yard.

“Here we are, y'all.” Brenda quickstepped toward Max and Jade, large duffel bags in each hand. “Welcome to Warrior Country. Here's your Warrior gear. Hats, shirts, shorts, socks, flags, pennants, you name it. Max, here you go.” Brenda dropped the bags at their feet, pulled out a cap, and pressed it on Max's head. It was stitched with
Coach
. Then she pulled one out for Jade. It was stitched with
Mrs. Coach
—and in smaller letters,
Don't Mess With My Man
.