Forty-Four Box Set, Books 1-10 (44) (84 page)

As we headed into the playoffs, I was playing the best I had since my high school days. Since before my accident, when I had been college material.

The last game of the season was just a formality, a chance to fine tune a few things, rest key players, and build our confidence. But, of course, this being rec soccer, the last refuge of has-beens and never-weres and all lost souls trying to recapture their glory days, everyone treated it like it was life and death. Including me.

We demolished the other team, which was also playoff bound, 5-0. Everything I touched was gold. I assisted on two of the goals and scored the other three.

But as the rest of the team celebrated when it was over, I walked off the field with a hollow feeling. There was no one there to see it. No one I really cared about. Kate was working late. I barely saw Ty anymore. He hadn’t come to a game in several weeks. And Jesse.

Jesse wasn’t there either. Not like he had been for my only other hat trick all those years ago.

I got into the Jeep and drove away through the dark night, a lump as big as the desert growing in my throat.

CHAPTER 52

“It’s killing me to see you this way, Abby Craig.”

I shrugged. I helped a customer, told Lyle the order, and slowly walked to the back to get more napkins. David was still waiting for me when I returned.

“Breakups are such a bitch,” he said.

“It’s not official yet,” I said. “He’s still thinking about it.”

But it sure felt official.

“Well, I say we put him on the clock,” David said. “Tick tock, tick tock. He can’t leave you in limbo like this. It’s already November! We give him until Thanksgiving to shape up or you, Abby Craig, will ship out. I have tons of hot guys I could set you up with.”

I was too tired to even think of a funny response. I looked at the clock. Six and a half hours to go.

“I can’t do inventory. Would you mind if I stayed out here at the register?”

“Of course not,” he said.

David reached over and gave me a long, genuine hug.

“You’ll be okay,” he said. “We all go through it.”

I sighed and faked a smile as a lady walked up and handed me a piece of paper.

“There’s eleven drinks there,” she said, her face as sharp as her tone.

Those were always the hardest orders, when one customer handed us a list. It threw everything off. And even though David stayed up front to help, by the time we finished with her, the line was backed up to the door.

I helped the two moms coming from an exercise class while David took an order from the college professor who was a regular and liked to talk a lot.

I looked up again, my heart dropping out of my chest.

He was in the back of the line, smiling at me.

Adjusting his baseball cap.

THE END

Forty Four Book Six

by

Jools Sinclair

Copyright © 2012 Jools Sinclair

You Come Too Publishing

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Praise for
44

*****

A FANTASTIC novel!
44
was just about impossible to put down once I started. From the very beginning, there was an air of mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat… I highly recommend this fantastic novel!

The Caffeinated Diva

*****

Everything from the setting, to the time frame, to the characters, was beautifully developed. This book is truly a gem and I highly recommend it. It literally took my breath away.

Avery’s Book Review

*****

Sinclair sucked me in like a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt. She brings mystery, love, and friendship to the book and weaves a lovely tale.

Just Another Book Addict

*****

IMPRESSIVE!
44
is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and will take readers by storm. With so much information in such a small book it will impress readers to the detail and depth in so few pages. The conclusion will take your breath away. Don’t miss you chance to check out this amazing story.

The Book Whisperer

*****

Fantastic, edge of your seat thriller. A MUST READ! It twists you about and as soon as you think you have it all figured out, throws you for the final loop with an ending that will break the hardest heart.

Wormhole

For Toad

With all my love and biggest wishes

Hold fast, Boy

Forty-Four Book Six

by

Jools Sinclair

PROLOGUE

Red.

I stared, in shock.

Red, like an apple.

Like a scarf wrapped on a snowman. Like a fire engine. Like lights on a Christmas tree.

Red, the color bright in my black and white world.

Bright against the fat flakes falling all around.

Red, gushing from her neck, soaking the snowy ground beneath her.

I forced my eyes away from all the blood and dropped to her side. 

“Hang in there,” I whispered, taking her icy hand. “You’ll be all right.”

But her eyes were already vacant and still, lost in the sky above.

A church bell rang in the lonely night.

I didn’t have much time.

More blood gurgled up from her mouth, bubbling over her dark lips, running down her chin.

“You’ll be okay,” I said, my heart drumming in my ears. “Help is on the way.”

But I knew.

It was too late.

Again.

CHAPTER 1

I dribbled hard, then just before crashing into him faked right and went left, leaving him in the dust. I took the shot.

“Sweet!” I yelled, watching the ball drop through the net. “I believe that’s game, dude!”

Throwing my hands up like a young Sylvester Stallone and humming the
Rocky
theme, I jogged around him slowly in the cold air.

“Damn,” Jesse said. “Have you been practicing or something?”

“No,” I said casually. “Just soccer and lately a little racquetball with Dr. Krowe. But I guess there’s a first time for everything.”

He tossed me the ball, a determined look in his eye. I crossover dribbled it back and forth in front of him like he always did when he was gloating.

I looked around as I waited for him to say something. It was only a little after four, but already it was getting dark, the sun weak and falling fast from the sky. Jesse’s silhouette faded in and out of the fog that had started creeping in around us.

“Let’s go again,” he said, calling for the ball.

He took what looked to be a wild shot from just inside half court, but it hit nothing but net. I missed one from the paint and he hit another three. Before I knew it, he was up by double digits. My carriage was turning back into a pumpkin.

“You have your snow tires on yet?” he said.

“Nope.”

“Better do it soon.”

I didn’t know if it was global warming, but it had been a super mild autumn. Still, it was just a matter of time before the snow came.

“So what’s with you and Dr. Krowe playing racquetball?” he said.

“He thought we could kill two birds by combining our talks with a little exercise,” I said. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk about stuff when you’re doing something else. Plus, he’s pretty bad, so that part’s kind of fun.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” he said, smiling and blowing around me for a slam dunk.

I backed in on him, shielding the ball with my body, and bumped him hard on purpose.

“Ouch.”

“No harm, no foul,
padre
,” I said.

We played for a few more minutes, but my shooting touch had disappeared somewhere in the mist.

“So what are you doing later on this fine Saturday night?” he asked.

“Not too much,” I said.

Jesse stared at me. I sighed.

“He’s still thinking about things,” I said softly. “There’s a lot to think about, I guess.”

“Or he’s just really, really slow.”

It had been more than a month now and Ty and I were still in the same spot. Not together, but not quite apart either. At first we talked on the phone. But as the days grew shorter and the last of the dead leaves disappeared from the trees, the time between our conversations got longer. And when we did talk, we found less and less to say.

I was tired of it. Tired of feeling this way. When I thought about it rationally, I couldn’t blame Ty. I’m not sure I would do any better if the shoe were on the other foot. If he was the one who saw ghosts. If he was the one still in love with someone who had died four years earlier. And it wasn’t him being jealous or paranoid either. I had said it. I had a raging fever at the time and was weak from my encounter with Clyde Tidwell, but I had said it. I said that I loved Jesse.

And Ty, taking care of me there at my bedside, had heard it all. I tried to explain. But it was the truth. I loved Jesse.
And
I loved Ty.

“Anyway, it’s time for you to head home, unless you brought the headlamps,” Jesse said, putting the ball under his arm. “We’ll have to finish this game next time.”

I looked around. We were alone. It was completely dark. All the park lights were on, but dull in the fog. A chill blew through me. I hadn’t meant to stay out so late, especially here.

“All right,” I said.

We walked to the bench where I had left my bag. I wiped down my face and put on my Barcelona soccer sweatshirt, pulling up the hood. I didn’t want to leave Jesse, but he was right. It was time to go.

“It’s a good place to stop,” he said. “That way you go home a winner.”

I smiled and we walked over to the Jeep, the only car left in the lot.

“So did you at least have a good Thanksgiving?” he asked. “You haven’t said too much about it.”

“Sure. Kate made the pies, but I did the rest. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce. The works.”

“Who showed up?”

“Paloma and her sister, David, Erin, and a few other reporters. It was nice. Everyone got along well.”

“But
he
didn’t come,” Jesse said.

I shook my head and faked a smile. I hoped Jesse hadn’t noticed the water in my eyes. If he had, he pretended not to.

“He went back to Montana for a few weeks. He was able to get some time off. He’s still there actually.”

“Man, I tell you what. I wouldn’t have missed your Thanksgiving dinner for anything. I would have been there and had six plates.”

“You mean if you could eat,” I said.

“No, I mean if I had been invited.”

“Come on. You’re always invited. You know that,” I said. “Almost everybody knows that I talk to you. You might as well come to the parties now and mingle. They would all love that.”

He smiled.

“I don’t think they would
all
love that,” he said.

“No, that’s probably true.”

“So when’s he coming back? Or did you scare him away for good?”

“I don’t know. Figures though, right? It took me all that time to find him and it lasted for like three seconds.”

We got to the Jeep. I unlocked the door and threw my bag in the backseat.