Page 99 of Kade

“You heard me. I keep getting reports every night you stumble home.” I shook my head. “Sam’s worried about you.”

“Oh.” The fight left him as he rubbed his forehead, wincing. “I didn’t think about that. I’ll be fine. Just the usual post break-up thing. And yes, I’m sober.”

The crunch of footsteps came from behind us. Mark shifted to the side, revealing a giant fucking NFL offensive lineman that I’d always thanked my stars that I personally didn’t go head to head against Brett Broudou. I ran far and wide for the most part, and he liked to try to make my quarterback eat grass.

“Surprised to see you here tonight.” I spoke first, holding out my hand.

He gave Mark a nod and met my hand with his as he joined us. He gestured to the guest bleachers. “Stevie asked Billie to come, so we sat over there.”

That’s right. His niece attended the same school as Maddy. “Billie’s staying incognito?” She must’ve been. Brett and I both had celebrity status, but if he showed up with his wife, there was no contest. She got all the attention. People were obsessed with serial killers, and Billie’s story was still a hot topic.

Brett winced, the movement twisting his giant neck. “Like I said, she wanted to be here for Stevie. All this attention will go away.”

I understood what he was saying. Some of the attention his wife received wasn’t positive, which wasn’t anything she deserved. She seemed shy, skittish. Brett was crazy about her.

Mark snorted. “People are…” He trailed off as the Fallen Crest Academy team left the field, moving past us. The coaches were heading our way as well.

Sam had mentioned that Nash’s coach wanted to talk to me, but when the varsity head coach saw me, he came right for me. “Kade.” He held his hand out, looking harried, a little distracted. The team had lost by a field goal, and they shouldn’t have. They were better than the other team. But it had come down to a few plays that went the other team’s way.

David used to coach this team, back when we were teens. When he retired, from what I knew, the head coach position went to this guy.

I shook his hand. “Coach Ravenry. Tough game tonight.”

He just grunted in response. He shook Brett’s hand and Mark’s. “Mark, always good to see you. Patricia wouldn’t be happy with me if I didn’t pass along that she’s got a couple friends she’d like to introduce to you, when you’re ready.”

Mark’s head jerked back. “Ah. Yeah. Sorry, Coach. I—well, we’ll see. It’s new. We were together a long time.”

Coach Ravenry nodded. “There’s one or two teachers here a guy would be lucky to get a shot with. When you’re ready, let me know. My wife would love to host a get-together at the house. She’s used to cooking to feed an entire football team, so we’d have plenty of food. She likes wine and boardgames. Her latest obsession is playing Sequence. You say the word. She’s looking for an excuse to throw a party.” He turned to Brett and me. “You’ll both be invited, with your significant others as well.”

Brett nodded. “Thanks, Coach. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“You do that.” His focus turned to me. “Coach Billersman is wanting to talk with you, but since you’re here, I thought I’d tackle this head-on right now. You got a worry if we pull your boy to dress for varsity?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Asking a JV player to dress on the side isn’t all that unusual. What are you really planning for him?”

He gave me a long consideration, his eyes narrowing before he spoke. “Not going to bullshit around it. Your boy’s good. Real good. We’ve been eyeing him since he started, but he’s in eighth grade. If I start playing your boy on varsity, other parents are going to have a say.”

I nodded. Nash would be taking playing time a senior wanted, or a junior, or sophomore, or fuck, even a freshman. I got it. Politics of high school football unfolded off the field more than on it and often involved parents, not the kids.

More players were leaving the field. Most continued past us, but a few slowed to a stop.

“I don’t have a personal thought. He’d love to play. We’re proud of him. If you’re worried about someone’s negative opinion, I don’t care about that. But it’s my boy. His mom and I will have a conversation with him, see if he’s got a particular opinion one way or another.”

Coach raised his chin, giving me another long look. “I won’t hold back. I wouldn’t be starting him, but he’d see a lot of playing time. He’s got speed that will be an asset to our team. There’s no way around that.”

I looked back at a group of players lingering. They were some of the guys who’d been in Moreaux’s basement when we crashed their party. Two of them held their helmets but one, Manning, kept his on. Steele Manning. He’d been sitting on the couch with Maddy. I also noticed him looking at us a few times during the game. He might’ve been looking at someone else inthe bleachers around us, but I had the feeling we were the focus of his attention.

Coach Ravenry noticed them too and dipped his chin to me. “Let me know. We can have another conversation about it, if you’d like. Boys!” He motioned to them with his clipboard. “Get in the locker room. Let’s go. We’re not out here having a gossip session.”

Another man joined the players, clapping a hand on Beltraine Moreaux’s shoulder.

Well… Shit. It was Phillip Moreaux, Beltraine’s father.

He ignored what their coach just said, grabbing the front of Manning’s helmet and jerking him around.

Phillip Moreaux was a few years on the other side of fifty, but the older he aged, the younger he cheated. He was loud, pompous, and had an ego that was going to be a problem.

He’d come to Dad’s funeral, and I’d met him again at a few of our follow-up meetings. The board members needed to be reassured I could step into my dad’s place and the company would be fine. The companywasfine, except for whoever had lied to my dad and Moreaux’s recent movements. Because as I was staring at him now, the hunch he was going to make a play for the company was coming back to me.

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