Page 115 of Sweet Harmony

“He was thetown’s golden boy. Top athlete in the school. We had scouts comeand watch him play. Scouts! To our little town. The mayor nearlyshit his pants he was so giddy. I tell you what, the entire townshowed up to that ball game. Connor was only seventeen, you’dathought the pressure of that would have gotten to him, but itdidn’t. He played his best game that night. He was planning to goto college in New Cassel, play some college ball while he got hisdegree. But rumour was after they watched him in that game, theywas gonna draft him right out of high school. That’s how good hewas.”

Ethel staredmoodily at the dancers. “He was good too. Like a dancer out there,you know? Moved fast and was a natural leader. And his batting?Shit, you ain’t never seen someone hit so many home runs. He stillplayin’ ball in the Falls?”

Kira nodded.“Yes. He plays for the local league.”

“Figured hewould. Baseball is in his blood. He wouldn’t be able to give it upfor good. It’s a damn shame the accident ruined everything.”

“The quads?”Kira whispered.

“Yeah,” Ethelsaid. “He and some of his friends went out on their quads a fewdays before graduation. They weren’t drinkin’ or anythin’ likethat, but they were being reckless and stupid. But that’s howteenage boys are, aren’t they? Can’t think of nothing at that agebut baseball and the balls between their legs.”

Ethel shook herhead. “Anyway, Connor got into that accident, tore his knee to helland just like that his career was over. The town’s golden boy wastarnished.”

Kira stared atConnor. He was smiling at his mother and something in her chesttightened until she could barely breathe. He didn’t deserve whathappened to him.

“His parentswere disappointed,” Ethel went on as if she didn’t even noticeKira’s heart falling right out of her damn chest. “Realdisappointed. They had high hopes for their boy, believed he wouldbe a famous baseball player. Hell, everyone did. When he became adentist, it sucked the life right out of most of the townsfolk.Even with his knee messed up, most of them believed that he’d stillmake it as a ball player. They was ready to name a goddamn streetafter him and then… hell, it was like he didn’t even exist.”

“That’s awful,”Kira whispered. She wanted to march across the dance floor and tearConnor away from his mother. She wanted to take him home to HarmonyFalls where he belonged, where no one looked at him like he was afailure.

“Sure was,”Ethel said. “His girl broke up with him and I think that was thestraw that broke him. He didn’t have his career or his girl andevery day he had to face an entire town’s disappointment. I don’tblame him for leaving. Do you?”

“I hate thistown,” Kira said.

“We ain’t allbad,” Ethel said with a shrug. “Besides, it looks like it workedout all right for him. He’s got you now, don’t he?”

Kira grippedher knees when Gina pulled Connor to a stop next to Lisa who wasdancing with Connor’s father. Gina said something to Connor beforepractically pushing Lisa into his arms. She took Rob’s hand andtugged him away as Connor stared down at Lisa. She said somethingto him, and he nodded before putting his arm around her waist andtaking her hand. As the music turned soft and slow, they started todance, and Kira looked down at the table.

Her pulse wasthudding, and the music was muted by the whoosh of blood in hereardrums.

He doesn’tlove her anymore, she reminded herself fiercely.He doesn’tlove her anymore.

“Ain’t no needto be jealous now.” Ethel patted her hand in an almost comfortingway. “He ain’t hot for her anymore. Besides, just between you andme, his mama might be pulling for him and her to get back together,but I ain’t never thought that Lisa was after him for anything butthe fame. Why, the minute his ball career was done, you couldpractically see the light dying in her eyes. She wasn’t nearly astaken with him after that. He worshipped the ground she walked onand after years of saying she loved him, she tossed him aside justlike the rest of the town did.”

Ethel made asound of disgust. “Why Gina can’t never see that, I don’t know. Shethinks Lisa walks on water, and she ain’t ever gave up hope thatthe two of them will get back together. Just because she marriedher high school sweetheart don’t mean that everyone will.”

Kira didn’twant to look at Connor dancing with Lisa, but she couldn’t help it.She glanced at them again, her stomach tightening. Even from here,she could see how upset Connor was. His face was red, and he wasstaring at Lisa with a combination of anger and hurt.

She jumped toher feet. She had no idea what was wrong, but she wasn’t about tosit here and watch Lisa upset the man she loved. She didn’t care ifit made her look like a jealous shrew, she was breaking up theirdamn dance.

Before shecould move, Connor tore away from Lisa. His face still red and hisshoulders hunched, he walked away from Lisa and straight towardKira.

ChapterTwenty-One

“You lookreally good, Connor,” Lisa said.

“Thanks.” Heglanced across the dance floor to the table where Kira was sitting.Ethel was sitting with her and he groaned inwardly. Ethel was thebiggest gossip in town, who knew what the hell she was tellingKira.

“Hey? You stillwith me?” Lisa touched his face and he jerked his head back.

“Don’t,Lisa.”

“I can’t touchyou now?” Hurt was written across her face. “We were together foryears, Connor.”

“And now we’renot,” he said.

“We’re stillfriends.”

“Since when?”His tone was blunt, but she gave him a soft smile.

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