Page 11 of A Recipe Called Home

-Becca

Rubbing her eyes to relieve the pressure building behind them, Jules knew she had to review the contract. Just not tonight. It deserved a fresh mind, she rationalized, as a vague attempt to keep putting it off.

It had been over a month since Becca had offered Jules the Chief Communications Officer role, the chance to move into a leadership position. But Jules couldn’t bring herself to make it official and sign the papers. Becca was taking an enormous leap by starting her own agency, and Jules admired her for it. But honestly? She was terrified. What if it flopped? What if she sucked at the job? And did she even see herself doing this in a few months, let alone a few years? The whole thing felt way too big to decide tonight. She was exhausted, and her brain was done. A podcast and some sleep sounded much better. The rest of the emails could wait.

As she was dozed off, her phone lit up with a text from Winnie. Jules groaned, but she was used to receiving texts from Winnie at all hours of the day.

Hi :) Emily and I are going to the football game on Friday. You’re coming with us. It might be fun or just make us feel old! xx

Winne met Emily on a cruise to the Bahamas five years ago and they’d been inseparable since. Not long after returning from the trip, Emily visited Winnie in Riverbend and never left. It worked for them since Emily was a copy editor and could work from anywhere with an internet connection. While Jules never understood whirlwind romances, she adored Emily. The two of them together were a sight to be seen, a voluptuous redhead and a tall, gorgeous bleach blonde model type. They demanded attention wherever they went. But it was more than that; they balanced each other perfectly. Emily was a calm oasis to Winnie’s electric storm of a personality.

Jules sent back a thumbs-up emoji before dozing off into a deep sleep she didn’t realize she needed.

Chapter 5

Thenextfewdaysflew by with Jules falling into a peaceful rhythm, cooking, cleaning, and helping Grandma Rosa, although the list of things needing repairs around the house grew longer each day. Jules needed to call a contractor. The sink had made it painfully clear she was in over her head.

On Friday morning, Winnie rang Jules, “Be ready by four tonight! I’ll pick you up after school to pregame the game!”

Jules couldn’t decide if she was excited or nervous but decided to go with it. She needed a drink, anyway.

Once back at Winnie’s house, the three of them sat on the wood deck that faced a well-manicured garden of white roses and yellow daffodils. Emily and Winnie had bought the charming two-bedroom cottage a few years ago and fixed it up to look like it belonged in a children’s fairytale book. They’d painted the outside a soft robins-egg blue and added a charming wooden fence that ran around the front yard lined with plush green bushes and a mix of colorful wildflowers. The front door was painted a bright yellow and tucked back into a tight alcove trimmed with an arch of earth-colored stones.

Out back, they sipped martinis in chilled glasses that seemed too posh and sophisticated for a football tailgate. The weather was perfect, not too hot for an early September day. A slight breeze wafted in pleasant garden aromas while the sun shone bright above without a cloud to be seen.

As they relaxed, Winnie recalled how, just yesterday, two students were caught with their pants down in the janitorial elevator in the school, a rite of passage at Riverbend High. Jules and Miles had even managed it without getting caught their senior year, although she kept that to herself and just smiled as she took a refreshing sip of her martini.

Jules had to admit, spending a Friday afternoon like this fed her soul in a small way that hadn’t happened in years. She felt relaxed, her shoulders releasing as the sun warmed her face. Or maybe that was just the alcohol working its magic. Either way, Jules didn’t care. She was grateful to be here.

Serving another round of drinks, Emily approached the subject of Miles.

“I heard you ran into your high school sweetheart earlier this week. How was that?” she asked.

Trying to control her voice at the mention of him, Jules answered, “It was fine.” Then added, “I just wish someone had warned me he might be lurking around.” Jules looked at Winnie with a sarcastic smile. The drinks loosened her up, and she went on to tell them about his visit to the house the other day.

“Actually, I ran into him again, at the hardware store,” she admitted. Winnie let out a loud shriek, clapping her hands in front of her.

“And you weren’t going to tell me? Why am I just hearing about this now?” she demanded.

“Because it wasn’t a big deal. I needed help with the kitchen sink, and he was there. You know his penchant for being a do-gooder,” Jules explained.

“You mean he came to the house? Why are you burying the lede?” Winnie’s eyes widened with every word.

Fanning disinterest, Jules told them a quick version of the story, leaving out the parts where she couldn’t stop looking at his body and the thick tension that made it hard to breathe. Jules still wasn’t sure if she’d imagined the last part.

“I should warn you that you’ll probably see him again tonight,” Emily quipped. “He’ll be on the field with the student band, though. So, you’ll be a safe distance from him.”

For a moment, Jules felt blindsided before realizing the obvious. Of course he’d be there. He was the new band director, after all. Now nervous, the relaxation she felt earlier vanished, replaced by anxious bubbles in her chest that made her body tingle. Was she excited to see him again? No, she had to get a hold of herself. And like Emily said, he’d be busy so he wouldn’t even notice her there, anyway.

They finished their drinks and walked to the school, which was just down the street. Even from two blocks away, they could hear music playing from the loudspeaker at the stadium and the low rumble of hundreds of people gathering. Friday night football in Riverbend was a favorite local pastime. Everyone came out to watch the game, young and old. Decades ago, a local wealthy family had donated enough money to build a stadium large enough to hold the whole town and then some.

Entering through the massive brick admissions gate, the green manicured field came into view. It looked the same except for the new stadium lights towering overhead, tall and gleaming. Pep rally activities were in full swing as the cheerleaders led chants on the sidelines with the students lining the front rows of the home team bleachers. The announcer was listing the game stats of the previous years, reminding everyone that the Riverbend Bears almost went undefeated last year until the state championship game, which they vow to avenge this season.

The stands were a sea of the school’s colors, blue and green. Some students weren’t even wearing shirts and instead had letters painted on their stomachs or chests to spell out “Go Riverbend.” It was a sight to be seen, and one that Jules knew well. Not much had changed in the twelve years since she was a student. She could even smell the familiar aroma of their famous porkchop sandwiches wafting in from the concession stand.

“Come on, let’s go grab seats before all the good ones are gone,” Winnie said, grabbing Jules and Emily’s wrists as she weaved through the throngs of people.

It took longer than necessary to get to the bleachers since eager students and parents stopped Winnie every few feet to chat. She was clearly a favorite at the school, given her popularity among the crowd.

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