Chapter Twenty
The first week of school flew by and before he knew it, Quinton was standing on the sidelines for the first JV home game of the year. By halftime Peachtree Cove was up twenty-one to seven and from the outstanding way the defense was holding up, he was confident that they could maintain the lead. The rhythmic chants from the cheerleaders and cheers of the fans pushed his team to try even harder. By the end of the third quarter, they’d stopped the other team at the one-yard line and he grew even more confident in the victory.
He watched as the offense ran a play that would put the ball in Shania’s hands. He held his breath as the quarterback snapped the ball and the players all jumped into action. The ball flew through the air. Shania’s hands lifted. Quinton swore time stopped. He watched anxiously to see if she would catch the ball. Every time they ran this route in practice she caught the ball. He’d noticed the other team ignored her side of the field. Their mistake. She was wide open and well matched with the defensive player. When the ball landed comfortably in her hands and she took off, running the necessary ten yards to get the first down, he pumped his fist.
That was his girl! The thought rushed through his mind as pride swelled in his chest. The rest of the team cheered, but this wasn’t time to celebrate. He motioned with his hands for them to line up again and run the same play, this time to the other side. They ended the game twenty-eight to seven.
He walked over to Zachariah and patted him on the back. “Good game, huh.”
“Hell, yes. The kids did good.”
The rest of the team jumped up and down and cheered. Quinton waved a hand. “Alright now, settle down. Save that until after we’ve shaken the hands of the other team.”
The kids settled but their grins were wide and eager as they formed a line and shook hands with the other team after the game. Quinton shook the hands of the other coach.
“You got me with the girl receiver,” he said. “I didn’t expect that play.”
“Never underestimate any player on the field,” Quinton said, unapologetic. If the other coach chose to assume Shania didn’t have any abilities, then that was his fault. A fault Quinton would happily take advantage of with any other team that chose to underestimate her.
The other coach laughed. “True that. Good game.”
“Good game.” Quinton slapped him on the back and then went to join the team.
As he ran toward the locker rooms located behind the goalpost on the field, he looked toward the stands. Halle stood there, her friends Imani and Tracey on either side of her. They all wore bright smiles and chatted excitedly. Halle threw her head back and laughed. Her shoulders trembling with her happiness. Her body had shaken when he’d kissed her, touched her, the other night.
Quinton stumbled and barely caught himself from falling. Damn him and the thoughts that came into his head. The other good thing about the game was the distraction. He hadn’t been able to get the feel of Halle in his arms out of his mind. The taste of her lips and the way her fingers had clenched his shoulders; the softness of her thighs and the heavy weight of her breast in his hand.
“You okay, Coach?” one of the players asked.
Quinton cleared his throat and looked around the field. “Must’ve been an uneven patch of grass or something.”
The kid, Paul, cocked a brow as if confused. There were no uneven patches on the field, but thankfully, he didn’t mention it and hurried on to join the rest of the team.
After the post-game pep talk, Quinton and the other coaches helped the kids gather up their items for the end of the night. Shania found him as he was leaving the locker room.
“What did you think?” Her eyes were bright with excitement.
He patted her on the shoulder. “What do you mean what did I think? I think you did a great job out there.”
Her face split with a bright smile. “I could’ve run it in for a touchdown.”
“Going out of bounds wasn’t bad. You got the first down, that’s what matters.” They walked together toward the stadium where her mom would be waiting.
“I knew we were getting close to the end of the quarter with no timeouts,” Shania said. “I tried to help stop the clock.”
He nodded, proud that she’d paid attention to the time and chosen to be strategic. “Smart. It worked and gave us more time to set up for the next play.”
“I was worried I wouldn’t catch it.”
“If you think about it too hard, then you won’t. Just let things happen. That’s the best thing about football.”
Octavius ran up to them. “Good catch, Shania.” He held out his hand.
Shania slapped hands with him. “Thanks.”
“Not as many yards as me, but still good,” Octavius said with a confident grin.
Shania rolled her eyes. “Whatever, if Jabari knew how to scan the field he would have thrown to me sooner and I’d have just as many yards.”
Octavius shrugged but nodded. “You right. They were straight up ignoring you over there. Wanna run routes this weekend?”
Shania looked surprised. “Sure. Give me a call.”
“What’s your number?” He pulled out his cell phone.
Shania rattled off her number when a young girl ran up. “Octavius, what are you doing?”
“Getting Shania’s number. We’re going to practice this weekend.”
The girl glared at Shania. “Practice?”
Quinton easily saw where this was about to go. “I’m going to be there. Working with my two receivers.”
Some of the animosity in her gaze disappeared, but her lip was still twisted. “All you care about is football,” she said to Octavius. She slid her arm through his and tugged. “Come on, let’s go.”
Quinton and Shania watched the two walk away. “What was that about?”
“Octavius’s girlfriend?” he asked. When she nodded he sighed. “Maybe she’s jealous.”
Shania scrunched up her nose. “Of what? I am not interested in him like that.”
“Yeah, focus on studying and football. Not boys.”
Shania rolled her eyes. “What if I’m into girls?”
He held up a hand. “That’s cool, but still focus on studying instead.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You sound like Mom.”
They walked toward the parking lot. “Are you...interested in girls?”
Shania laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Not particularly, but if I find out later that I am, I’ll let you know.”
He shook his head. “Make it a while out. I haven’t gotten to the dating chapter in the how-to-raise-kids manual.”
They were still laughing when Halle walked over. “What’s so funny?”
“Coach Q thinks Octavius’s girlfriend is jealous.”
Halle’s eyes widened. “What? Did she say something to you? What did she say?”
Quinton held up a hand. “Hold up, Warrior Mother. It’s not that bad. I’m probably off base anyway.”
The fire left Halle’s eyes. “Well, let me know if she starts any girl drama.”
Shania groaned before rolling her eyes. “There isn’t any girl drama. I’m hungry. Can we eat?”
Halle nodded. “Yes. And to celebrate your play, you get a victory dinner of anything you want.”
“McDonald’s?” Shania said.
Halle frowned. “That’s what you want?”
“You said anything. Their Sprite be hitting,” Shania said, rubbing her stomach.
Halle chuckled. “McDonald’s it is.” She looked at Quinton.
A moment passed as the memory of what they’d done jumped between them. How the hell was he supposed to be around her and not let everyone in the world know that he wanted to kiss her again? For Shania’s sake he understood. Her world was turned upside down as it was. No need to make it even more complicated with her parents dating. What if they broke up?
Would you really want to let Halle go?
No. He knew that. But he also knew life had a funny way of kicking you in the balls. Anything could happen that would tear them apart.
“Well, I’ll let you all have your victory dinner,” he said.
“You’re not joining us?” Shania looked expectantly at him.
“You want me to?” Honestly, he wanted to celebrate with her.
“Yeah, plus, half the team goes to McDonald’s after the game. You’ve gotta come. Please.”
He looked at Halle. “As long as your mom doesn’t mind?”
He could see the no in her eyes. But she looked at Shania and relented. “Sure.”
That Saturday, as Halle watched Quinton squeeze avocados in the middle of Walmart’s produce section, and her mind jumped back to the way he’d squeezed her breast on the front porch, she realized her life had truly gotten out of control. Avocado shopping shouldn’t arouse her. Walmart shopping with Quinton and Shania shouldn’t feel so normal. They weren’t supposed to click like this. Were they?
Quinton held up an avocado. “What about this one? It seems good.”
Halle blinked and tore her eyes away from his long fingers wrapped around the small fruit. “Yes, it does look good.”
He frowned. “You alright?”
She nodded quickly. “Yep. Shania!” She called her daughter’s name louder than she’d planned. Shania stood a few feet away near the bananas.
Shania’s brows drew together as embarrassment spread over her face. “Right here.”
“Did you get the seasoning mix for the guacamole?”
Shania held up the packet of seasoning mix. “Got it.”
“Good. Bring it back over here and don’t stray too far.”
Shania fanned herself with the small seasoning packet as she came over. “I’m fourteen, not four. I know how to find you if we get separated in Walmart.”
“Hush up and put the seasoning in the buggy.” Halle didn’t care if she sounded foolish. When Shania was close it was easier to remember why she didn’t need to have a repeat of what happened between her and Quinton. Shania didn’t want them getting together and making a complicated situation more complicated. Shania just wanted to get to know her dad. Halle didn’t know what she was feeling for Quinton other than a deep primal urge to have the man plant his face between her thighs.
She suppressed a groan. Damn, now that thought was in her head. “What’s next on the list?”
Quinton looked at the sheet of notebook paper she’d used to scribble up a quick list. “Looks like we need to get chicken and ground beef for the tacos.”
Halle nodded. “Good. Let’s head to the meat section.”
Quinton came into step next to her. “You really don’t have to cook anything. Knowing my mom, she’s going to bring half of the groceries we’ll need anyway and insist on taking over my kitchen as if it’s her own.”
His parents were coming into town the next day. When they’d had the celebration dinner at McDonald’s after the JV game, Halle came up with the idea of putting together a nice dinner for everyone to get to know each other. They’d agreed to have it at Quinton’s house. His was larger and could hold everything and was already accessible for his sister’s wheelchair.
“If they’re coming all this way then they shouldn’t have to make dinner for us.”
Quinton put his hand on the cart handle next to hers. “Believe me, my mom is going to insist. She loves to cook.”
Their hands brushed against each other. Halle lifted hers to wave off his concerns. “She can cook the next meal. Besides, tacos are Shania’s favorite.”
Shania walked on Halle’s other side. “We don’t have to cook my favorite meal.”
“They’re getting to know you, so this is a way for them to get to know you.”
Shania gave Halle a knowing look. “You’re using the meal as a distraction. If we’re eating we can’t talk much. Plus, you get to control the atmosphere.”
Halle eyed her daughter, who grinned back. “Quit acting like you know me.”
Shania just laughed. She looked over Shania’s shoulder and grinned. “Hey, it’s Carmen.”
Before Halle could process what she’d said, Shania was already around the buggy and heading in the direction of one of her friends. Halle stopped and watched her daughter.
“Who’s that?” Quinton asked.
Halle glanced that way. She recognized the girl. “Ah, that’s Carmen. She and Shania were close in middle school, but she switched to a different high school this year.” Halle held up her hand and waved. Carmen waved back before she and Shania continued to chat.
“They don’t see each other anymore?” Quinton asked.
“They talk to each other all the time. Switching schools doesn’t mean the end of a friendship anymore. They’ve got social media and texts. They just don’t see each other daily.”
Halle continued to the meat section and scanned the selection of meat.
Quinton looked over his shoulder at Shania then back at Halle with a questioning glance. “Um...is that her girlfriend?”
Halle looked up at him. “Like friend who’s a girl or girlfriend?”
“The latter? The other night she said something about letting me know if she likes girls and I wasn’t sure if she was serious.”
“Would it bother you if she were?”
He shook his head. “It wouldn’t. I just want to know for sure. I don’t want to make a mistake and put my foot in my mouth by assuming.”
Halle relaxed, once again pleased to find another way that he was considerate of getting to know Shania. “I don’t think she likes girls. She’s never told me that she has.”
“I think Octavius on the team likes her.”
Halle blinked. “The other receiver?”
“Yeah, when we were throwing the ball earlier today, he had the look on his face of a guy in love. I’m curious how this may go.”
Halle looked at Shania and her friend and then frowned. “I’d be happy if she didn’t start dating someone on the team. I didn’t play sports, but I was in the band and I remember what happened on the band bus.”
Quinton’s eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth lifted. “What happened on the band bus?”
Heat spread through Halle’s cheeks. She rolled her eyes and looked away. “Just keep an eye on them. No making out on the way back from a game, please.”
Quinton continued to smirk but nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on the Octavius situation. If things look like he’s getting serious, I’ll try to keep them apart.”
“You will?”
“I may not know what happened on the band bus, but I know what can happen when romance develops on a football team. I need my team working together, not dealing with love drama. Especially when Octavius is already dating a cheerleader.”
“You want to avoid any potential of drama with Octavius’s girlfriend?”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
“Well, if it helps any, I don’t think she likes Octavius. I think she’s into the boy who lives across the street. He’s a theater kid and isn’t intimidated by her playing football. She said he was interesting. Which is the most I’ve heard her say about anyone. Boy or girl.”
“Then maybe the Octavius thing will work itself out.”
“I hope so.” Halle focused on the ground beef offerings.
“Just like the things between the two of us can work out.” Quinton’s softly spoken statement made Halle stop as she reached for a package.
Halle’s eyes widened and she looked around. Shania was still chatting happily with her friend and had drifted farther away. “We aren’t going to talk about that.”
“Why not?”
“Because Shania is with us and we’re in the middle of Walmart.” She motioned to the other shoppers around them.
He shrugged. “She’s not here now. And I’m pretty sure worse conversations have gone down in this store.”
Halle fought not to grin at his observation. She pointed at him. “That’s not the point. Your parents will be here tomorrow. We need to focus on that.”
Desire still lit his dark eyes, but he nodded. “We’ll do that. I just want you to know that I can’t stop thinking about you. The feel of you.” His voice lowered and he leaned in close. “The taste of you.”
If her body got any hotter, she’d roast the meat in the deli section. “You’re not helping.”
He leaned back and held up a hand. “Then I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.”
She meant what she said, but she also liked knowing he felt the same as her. She needed to sort out exactly what she wanted from Quinton. A relationship? Sex? A one-night stand to get it out of her system?
His cell phone rang. He pulled out the phone and frowned at the screen.
Halle rose on her toes and tried to see his phone, but couldn’t. “Who is it?”
“I don’t recognize the number.” He slid his finger across to answer.
“Then why answer?”
He shrugged. “Could be important. Hello?” He listened for a second before a scowl covered his face. “How did you get this number?” A pause. “Yeah. No.” Another pause. “There’s no need for that. I’ll talk with you when the school hosts you and that’s it. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone.
Halle frowned. “Who was that?”
“The editor for the magazine.”
“The guy you went to school with?”
He nodded before walking away from the ground beef section to the chicken. Halle followed. No way was he going to clam up and not give her more details.
“What did he want?”
“To hang out when he gets in town.” He pointed to the case. “Breasts or thighs?”
“Breasts. Why don’t you want to hang out?”
He looked at her as if she’d grown a third eye. “We didn’t get along in high school.”
“And again, maybe he changed. You’re adults now.”
His face hardened. “I don’t care how much he changed. We’re not hanging out.”
“Well, you can’t be rude to him. Not when he’s judging the town.”
“I have my reasons.” He picked up a family pack of chicken breasts.
“What are they? Maybe hanging out with him will help us win Best Small Town. Don’t you want to help the town?”
He leaned a hand against the shopping cart. “Help the town, yes, but if it means hanging out with that asshole, then hell no.”
This was the first time she’d seen Quinton close to being angry. For someone who was so in control, the response surprised her. Quinton holding a grudge back to high school seemed out of character.
“The mayor asked you to help. You can’t back out now. What happened? I’m sure you two can work it out now.”
Quinton watched her with flat, angry eyes. “Remember when I told you about the accident that kept me from getting a scholarship? Well, he’s the reason why. He bullied me throughout high school and when a scout noticed me and not him, he and his friends beat me up and broke my leg. Hell will freeze over before I ever hang out with him.”