Heartfire (8 page)

"If you don't do something soon, you won't have time to do anything at all," Max warned.  "The dance is only two weeks away."

"What were your past themes?" Tessa asked as she brought glasses of milk to the table.

Jenny sat next to Kevin.  "We usually do an 'autumn in' theme.  Like 'autumn in New York,' 'autumn in San Francisco.'  Last year we did 'autumn in Paris.'  But this year we're stumped.  Do you have any ideas?  We just need to come up with a few to take back to the committee.  We're going to settle this tonight one way or the other so we can start on decorations.  Coach, just like we e-mailed you, everything else is done.  Honest.  Refreshments, people to set-up and take down, even table cloths."

"The ideas should come from you."  Max sat beside Jenny.

As Kevin took a piece of garlic bread from the basket, he asked, "You know what we've been getting?  'Autumn in Iowa.'  'Autumn in Canada.'  'Autumn in Kansas.'  Not very inspired."

Max chuckled.  "You can't say they aren’t trying."

Kevin scrunched up his face and chewed at the same time.  "If that's trying, I should get an A in geometry."

Max knew Kevin did his best, but so far had only managed a C in geometry.

Tessa ruffled Ryan's hair before she sat, and he ducked but grinned at her.

"What if you stretched your theme a little so it's not quite as realistic?" she suggested.

"I don't understand," Jenny said.

Tessa used her fork to cut up Ryan's spaghetti so it would be easier for him to handle.  "You could use a place that’s well-known, but not real.  For example...what about 'autumn in Camelot?'"

Jenny smiled.  "That's great.  Can you imagine the decorations?"

"What's Camelot?" Kevin looked confused.

"Didn't you ever see the movie or the play?" Jenny asked.

"Or read the legend of King Arthur?" Max offered.

"Must have missed 'em."  Kevin started twirling his spaghetti.  "But I get what you mean.  Like 'autumn in Oz' or 'autumn in Metropolis.'"

"Metropolis?" Jenny repeated.

Max picked up his fork, watching Tessa take a bite of spaghetti.  When it  slipped down her lip, her tongue came out and swirled it in.  He shifted in his chair.  "Where Superman became famous."

Jenny rolled her eyes.  "I like Oz or Camelot.  What do you think, Coach?"

"Either one will work.  And if you offer those to the committee, they might come up with others."

As Max reached for a piece of bread, so did Tessa.  Their fingers brushed.  The electricity he felt sparked in her eyes, too.  But she quickly turned to Ryan and handed him a napkin so he could wipe sauce from his mouth.

"Coach?"

Apparently, he'd missed Kevin's question.  "I'm sorry.  What did you say?"

Kevin looked at Tessa then back at Max.  "I said we're having problems getting chaperones.  Do you have any suggestions?"

"Don't the kids' parents want to be involved?" Tessa asked.

Kevin and Jenny exchanged a knowing look.  "Teenagers don't want their parents around, Ms. Kahill.  Don't you remember how you felt in high school?"

Max saw the shadow pass across Tessa's face and imagined how difficult it had been for her not to have a parent to turn to or rebel against.  "Ms. Kahill's a correspondent and journalist.  She travels constantly.  She's not so familiar with teenage dances."

Tessa gave him a thank-you, but-I-can-speak-for-myself look.  "I didn't go to many dances, Kevin."

"Why not?  I'd think any guy would jump at the chance to take
you
!"  As soon as the words were out of the teenager's mouth, he blushed beet red.

Max thought about smoothing the waters, but he wanted to see how Tessa would handle Kevin.

She simply smiled.  "Thank you.  I think that's the nicest compliment I've ever received.  The truth is when I was a teenager, I worked every minute I could to save money for college.  That didn't leave much time for dances."

"A lot of kids are in that boat," Jenny commented.  "We decided to keep the dance casual this year to cut expenses.  That way we'll have better attendance."

"Can only parents chaperone?" Tessa asked.

"No," Kevin answered quickly.  "You want to come with Coach?"

She hazarded a quick look at Max.  "If you need another chaperone, I'll be glad to come.  When did you say it is?"

"Two Saturdays from tomorrow."

"If you didn't have a theme, how did you advertise it?"

Jenny looked sheepish.  "Just as the Fall Jubilee with a secret theme.  We told everyone to come and be surprised."

Tessa laughed out loud and the sound of it made Max feel good.

As they ate, he watched Tessa interact with the teenagers.  She seemed to relate to them easily.  Leslie had always backed away from the students he taught and coached.  She didn't understand their rowdiness or rebelliousness.  Tessa did.  And she didn't forget about Ryan sitting next to her, either.  She talked to him and joked with him so he wouldn't feel left out.

After Kevin and Jenny left, Ryan went to the living room to watch a DVD.  Max’s gaze followed him as he settled on the sofa.  "Do you think he'll be like Kevin some day?  Interested in girls, involved in school activities, having trouble with math?"

"I'm sure he'll be interested in girls.  Now the math..."

Max could hear the smile in her voice and turned toward it.  "I know.  I should stop worrying so much."

"Why did you let the dance committee wait until now to come up with a theme?"

"This is
their
dance. 
Their
responsibility.  Its success depends on them.  I was getting worried, but it looks as if they'll come through."

"Are Kevin and Jenny dating?"  Tessa collected the dishes from the table and brought them to the sink.

"Now and then.  They're as different as night and day.  One minute they're arguing, the next they're talking like best friends."  He shook his head.  "Teenagers."

Tessa put the dishes on the counter.  "I'm not so sure they're any different than adults."  Without saying more, she turned on the spigot and went about cleaning up supper.

***

On Sunday the autumn sun sent streaking yellow rays across the field during the Oktoberfest softball game.  Tessa dashed her hand across her forehead to swipe away a few drops of perspiration.  Her skin crawled as Max stared her down, trying to intimidate her, hoping she'd lose focus on the ball and strike out.  She never lost focus, not for a second.  But Max's piercing brown gaze almost made her forget where she was.

Just as it had all week whenever their eyes met.  That hadn't been often, in spite of being in the same house.  Since that moment at the campsite when he'd kissed her, they'd avoided contact.  When Ryan wasn't around, Tessa worked in her room.  This weekend had been a relief--strolling through the park with Max and Ryan yesterday, watching the children's softball games today.  She thought about chaperoning the high-school dance with him.  Would he ask her to dance?  How would it feel to be held in his arms again?

Concentrate, Kahill.  Right now, he's your opponent.  You have to help win this game!
She dug in her heels and prepared to swing as hard as she could when he pitched.

Never swing at the first pitch
, she told herself. 
Wait for the right one
.

The first ball sailed by.

"Strike one!" the umpire called.

"Come on, Tessa, you can do it," Ryan yelled from the bleachers.

She was glad Ryan was rooting for her.  But then she heard him call to Max, "You can do it, Dad.  Strike her out!"

She smiled.  Ryan was playing both sides of the fence.

The second ball was outside.  She called to Max, "You have to do better than that."

His grin grew threatening and smug.  "Watch me."

He had a real competitive streak, but so did she.

Max wound up.  Even from this distance Tessa was aware of the muscles under his T-shirt, the rakish tilt of his cap over his eyes, his masculine stance, supremely evident as he pitched.  Max was coiled strength.  She pictured him, upper torso naked as he'd stood on the roof.

The ball sailed by her again and she knew it had been a good one.

"What's the matter, Kahill.  Lost your touch?"

Max's deep baritone teased every one of her nerves into tingling awareness.  "You just pitch 'em and cut the editorial comment."

This time she was ready.

It was almost like slow motion.  Max took a step forward.  His hand went back to start the delivery.  Tessa was on top of it, her legs balancing her properly, her gaze on the ball, her position perfect for a hard hit.

The ball met her bat with a loud thwat.  She thought she heard Max swear and Ryan cheer, but she was too busy running the bases to really pay attention.  She made it to third, looked up and saw the third baseman waiting to tag her if she moved on.  She bent over, her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

When she straightened, she was staring straight into Max's brown eyes.  Instead of the annoyance she thought she'd see, he tipped his cap to her.  Then he turned to home plate ready to take on the next batter.

After the inning, Max sat on the bench observing Tessa as she played centerfield.  She was perfectly comfortable with her jeans dirty from sliding into home plate later in the inning, her curls disarrayed in the breeze, the sun bright on her hair.  Leslie had been more of an "inside" person.  She liked her wardrobe in style, every hair on her head in place.  Not Tessa.

She'd gotten to him on the camping trip.  Her tenderness with Ryan, her sense of adventure.  That kiss.  It haunted his nights.  Maybe he should start dating again—at least go through the motions.  Tessa had been right in a way when she'd said he didn't know her.  Maybe he didn't.  But he did know he and Tessa were incompatible.  She was willful and stubborn, and she lived a life foreign to him.

Tessa was here for Ryan's sake, nothing more.  Just as she had been on every other one of her visits.  The only difference was that this time she was staying with him instead of with Leslie's parents.

Max tore his gaze away from her to concentrate on the game.  A batter stepped up to the plate.  He smashed the first pitch, and it soared over the field.  Into Tessa's territory.  But there was another player coming toward it at the same time, and Tessa didn't see him.

Max felt his throat burn as he yelled.  He was on his feet and running before she collided with the other outfielder and hit the ground.  Max skidded to a stop as the outfielder, a big burly man, much taller and practically twice Tessa's weight, rolled away from her and sat up.

Max crouched on the grass beside her.  Her eyes were closed and her skin was as pale as the ball she held clutched in her glove.  "Tessa!  Tessa, are you okay?"