Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
It was game night every night at The End Zone. Hannah's sports bar was like a shrine to the gridiron; a myriad of memorabilia decorated the restaurant, along with about a dozen televisions strategically placed so everyone had a good view, no matter where they sat.
Kelly's stomach growled as she pushed through the door, the yummy aroma of burgers, fries, and beer teasing her nostrils. She hadn’t even realized she was hungry until now.
Food had been the last thing she’d been thinking about when she was at her parents’ home. She was grateful that Ben had done so well. He’d joked that meeting the parents in Montana was much worse, as everyone had shotguns in their little town.
At least my parents aren’t armed and dangerous.
One whole wall near the entrance celebrated the Bergen Badgers, jerseys in glass cases, team photos, newspaper clippings of championship games, but what made Kelly's throat tighten were the cheerleading photos.
Lori was in at least three of them, frozen in time with her perfect smile, her blonde hair gleaming under stadium lights.
Were we ever that young? It seems so long ago, and yet, only yesterday.
She gazed at the pictures, so many images crowded her brain, flooding in all at once.
Her memories of those nights on the sidelines cheering the team were so amazingly vivid, all in bright technicolor.
They’d been young, joyous, and oh so innocent.
They hadn’t had a clue about the heartache and tragedy ahead.
She could remember what she and Lori had talked about, laughed about when those photos were taken. She even remembered Lori’s favorite lipstick shade. She always wore it with her red cheerleading outfit.
How can I know all of that, and still not know who killed you, Lori?
"You okay?" Ben asked quietly, his hand brushing lightly against her lower back.
Kelly nodded, not trusting her voice just yet.
She'd expected to feel something coming back to Bergen, but the intensity caught her off guard. This was exactly why this town both drew her back and repelled her. She couldn’t escape the past here.
She couldn’t even avoid it for a few minutes.
Every corner held a memory, and too many of those memories led back to Lori.
"Kelly Bateman!" The familiar voice cut through the ambient noise of clinking glasses and sports commentary from the multiple televisions. "Oh my God, it's really you!"
Hannah Webber hadn't changed much in the more than ten years since high school. She was still petite, still blonde, still radiating enough energy to power a city block.
She rounded the bar and rushed toward them, her face split into a wide grin that seemed to erase the years between then and now. Before Kelly could prepare herself, Hannah had enveloped her in a tight hug, smelling of citrus perfume and hair product.
"I was hoping you'd stop by!" Hannah pulled back, holding Kelly at arm's length to inspect her. "Look at you! You look amazing. New York must be treating you well."
Kelly managed a smile, relaxing slightly under her old friend's genuine warmth. This was why she'd always liked Hannah. She was easy to be around, and there was nothing fake about her. It was refreshing to be around.
"It's good to see you, too," Kelly replied, giving her friend a hug. "Hannah, this is Ben Reilly. Ben, this is Hannah Webber, dear friend and owner of this fine establishment."
Hannah's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose as she took in Ben, her approval evident in the quick once-over she gave him.
"Well, hello there. You didn't tell me you were bringing eye candy to town, Kelly." She extended her hand, which Ben took with an easy smile. "Welcome to The End Zone. And Bergen. One is more interesting and fun than the other, but I’ll let you decide which."
"It's nice to meet you," Ben said, his charm effortless in a way that made Kelly wonder how many business meetings he'd navigated with that same smooth confidence.
Thinking about Ben in a business situation made her even more curious about his future plans. So far, he’d only said he was evaluating his options. Whatever that meant.
Hannah glanced around the crowded bar, tapping a plastic menu against her chin.
"Let me get you guys seated somewhere quiet.
Dinner time is always crazy, but I can take a break.
" She led them toward a corner booth, partially obscured by a partition decorated with more sports memorabilia. "This will do. We can catch up here without anyone listening in, but it doesn’t really matter. Anyone who sees you tonight is just going to make up something that we said.”
“What do you mean, they’ll just make something up?” Ben asked as they slid into the booth.
“If they don’t have any real juicy stuff, they’ll just make it up,” Hannah explained. “But lunchtime tomorrow, you and Kelly will be married with three kids living on a Caribbean island.”
“Why bother with the truth then?” Ben joked, accepting a menu.
“Exactly,” Hannah agreed. "Now, what can I get you two to drink? First round's on the house."
"I'll take a beer, thank you," Ben said. "Whatever you recommend."
"Make that two. Plus cheeseburgers and fries,” Kelly added, though she rarely drank beer in New York. Something about being back in Bergen made her want to blend in, to not stand out any more than she already did.
Hannah jotted down their order with a nod. "Coming right up. And I'm ordering you some of our loaded nachos. You're too skinny."
She winked at Kelly before disappearing toward the bar.
"She seems nice," Ben observed once Hannah was out of earshot. “I mean that genuinely.”
"Hannah's always been nice," Kelly confirmed, watching her old friend efficiently work the bar. "She knows everyone and everything in this town. If anyone can help us, it's her."
Hannah returned minutes later, balancing two craft beers and what looked like a mountain of nachos layered with cheese, beef, and multiple sauces. She set everything down before sliding into the booth next to Kelly, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Okay, so I've got about fifteen minutes before Jake needs help behind the bar. Let's make them count." Hannah leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Tell me everything. Leave nothing out."
“I’m not sure I can tell you everything in fifteen minutes,” Kelly protested with a laugh. “But I can say that the podcast is going well, I like New York so far, and Celia is going to be a gorgeous bride.”
“Of course, she is. And you’ll be beautiful, too.” Hannah smiled at Ben. “You two will be the best-looking couple at the wedding. And the talk of the town afterward. But I know you, Kelly. You’re not just here for the wedding, are you?”
Kelly wasn’t a good liar, and she didn’t intend to try it now with one of her longest and best friends.
“Ben and I might do a little nosing around.”
“You’ve got help? That’s even better. Do your parents know that you’re planning to…nose around?”
“No. I’m not going to tell them. They wouldn’t be interested anyway. I was just hoping you could fill me in on what's been happening with everyone. You know, catch up."
"Mmhmm." Hannah’s nose wrinkled in thought.
"Well, you know about Callum and Emily Holmes, right?
You know, they got married about five years ago?
What a surprising couple. The bookworm who always wore black and thought Callum was, what did she call him, ‘a big, dumb jock who'd peaked in high school'? Anyway, they just had their third kid. A girl named Laura. I thought that was interesting. Very interesting, indeed.”
Laura was not the same as Lori, but it was close. But what woman would allow her child to be named after her husband’s high school girlfriend?
Hannah's face lit up as she settled into storytelling mode.
"Callum is doing great as a realtor. He’s very successful now." She popped a nacho into her mouth. "Emily's the high school English teacher. Cal and Emily seem genuinely happy."
Kelly found herself smiling at the happily ever after. Cal could be cocky and arrogant as a teen, but he’d always been nice to her. Emily had been nice, too, although she’d never said much.
"Good for them,” Kelly said. “I bet they make a nice couple.”
"Oh, and you won't believe who's still at the high school," Hannah continued, her voice dropping even lower as she leaned across the table.
"Caldwell. Can you believe it? He teaches Drama and Communications, plus he teaches the lone Creative Writing class now that Emily is teaching all the other English classes. He's lost that sparkle the girls used to swoon over, though, since he’s aged a bit. He’s not twenty-two anymore.
Some of the students have started calling him 'Creepy Caldwell' behind his back. "
Ben shifted, his posture straightening slightly at the mention of the teacher's name. Caldwell had been on her suspect list from the beginning. He'd shown too much interest in Lori, an interest that crossed professional boundaries.
In her opinion, of course.
Hannah's hands moved animatedly as she continued.
"Since he’s in charge of the Drama Club now," she whispered, as though sharing state secrets.
"Gets to pick which girls get the lead roles.
There've been rumors, nothing concrete, but enough that parents don't love their daughters spending too much after-school time with him. "
Kelly's jaw tightened. "And the administration does nothing?"
"You know how it is here,” Hannah replied with a shrug. “Unless someone files an official complaint, it's all just talk." She took a sip of her water. "Though I did hear the principal had a 'conversation' with him last year after a particularly pushy stage mom raised concerns."
From the corner of her eye, Kelly noticed Ben's fingers tapping thoughtfully against his glass, his expression focused and analytical. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head, filing away every detail for later.