Page 60 of Forever with the Farmer's Daughter
“You don’t have to thank me. I love you, Samantha. I’d do anything for you.”
She looks up at me, smiles and places her hand on my cheek. “I love you too, Cameron.”
The Ferris wheel starts and stops a few more times and then stops once more at the top giving us a breathtaking view of the sunset. As we gaze out at the setting sun the sky lights up in hues of pink and orange, and purple before dropping below the horizon.
A feeling of contentment washes over me. This is what I want my future to look like. I want the woman I love by my side as we watch thousands of sunsets. I want to share everything with her from the moment we wake up in the morning to the second, we fall asleep in each other’s arms. And, if she agrees, I want to raise children with her, here in the hometown we both love.
I know what I have to do to make it happen, now I need to find the perfect way to do it.
* * *
The soundof tools being tossed into toolboxes almost drowns out the ringing of the bell ending classes. “Have a good weekend, guys,” I call out as my students grab their backpacks and head for the door.
I chuckle as a few of them throw a fist in the air and yell “Go Dragons!” as they walk out the door.
We’re three weeks into the school year, and tonight is our first football game. I still can’t believe this is my life. Teaching kids’ basic mechanics is a skill they’ll be able to take with them through life. So is the patience and discipline they’ll develop while working on engines. But that’s a sub-lesson we don’t advertise. It’s something they’ll realize years after they’ve completed this class.
A knock sounds on my door and I look up as coach Markham walks in. “Hey, Coach.”
He stops in front of my desk. “Cam. You ready for the game tonight?”
“Yes, sir. You?”
He chuckles, “Been ready since the season ended last year.” He turns for the door. “See you at the pep rally?”
I grin, remembering my days in front of the student body. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
I pick up my grade book, syllabus and football playbook and place them in my Army issued backpack. I haven’t used this backpack since I’ve been home. Memories of all the times I’ve trekked through the desert with it secured to my back floods my mind. The image of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl I met in the airport on my way home comes to mind and I send up a prayer for her mother’s safety before I walk out the door.
I drop my bag off at my truck and head to the locker room to join the team. When I walk in, Coach gives me a slap on the back as he steps in to address the players. He stands beside me and blows his whistle bringing the players to immediate attention.
“Listen up! I know you all are excited to play the first game of the season. We all are. When we walk into the gym, I expect you to be respectful and have fun. The cheerleaders and pep squad have worked hard these last few weeks to make the pep rally a success.” The team raises their helmets in the air as they reply yes sir..
Coach Markham looks over at me and smiles. “Now, even though this isn’t Coach Hutchinson’s first game, it is his first game as the assistant coach, so he is going to lead you in.” I smile at Coach and give him a thankful nod, which he reciprocates. “Let’s go in there and get the school fired up!”
The players cheer and we head out of the locker room and walk to the gym. I open the door and step into the lobby where cheerleaders flank the doors leading into the gym, pom-poms shaking. Standing in front of the doors, dressed in jeans and a Dragons T-shirt, is my number one cheerleader, Samantha.
A wide smile splits my face as she makes her way to me, and I wrap my arms around her waist. “What are you doing here?”
She drapes her arms around my neck. “You didn’t think I’d miss your first pep rally, did you?” Before I can answer, she pops up on her toes, kisses me, and winks. She steps aside and motions toward the doors. “Now lead them in, Coach!”
I smile and shake my head as I jog into the gym, the entire team behind me. Cheers surround us as everyone in the stands is on their feet to greet the team. I’m surprised to see not only the entire student body but half the town as well. A banner hanging on the wall at the top of the stands catches my eye.Welcome, Coach Hutchinson!Emotion clogs my throat as I turn and wave to the crowd. It’s then I notice my entire family sitting front and center. Aunt Jane and Uncle Ken sit next to my parents and Craig, with Kenny, Aubrey, Samantha, and her parents sitting right behind them. I jog over and hug Momma and Dad. “I can’t believe you’re here!”
Dad’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “We wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”
Momma wipes away a tear and pats my cheek. “Samantha wanted to surprise you.”
I catch her gaze and smile as she blushes and shrugs. “Of course, she did. I better get back so we can get started. I’ll see you all afterward.”
We’re under the lights,and the crowd is on their feet. The two-minute warning has sounded, and the Dragons are up by three. Coach Markham calls the team into a huddle. “Okay boys, this is it. Lawrence, when the ball is snapped you break left and get as close to the end zone as you can. Ingram, Lawrence is your target, you get him the ball, he’ll do the rest.”
“Yes, Coach!” All the players respond in unison.
“All right, Dragons on three! One, two, three,Dragons!”
The huddle breaks as the ref blows the whistle and the team takes the field. My heart beats fast as the excitement builds and everything around me fades into the background. Ingram makes the call, and the center snaps the ball. Lawrence breaks left and heads for the end zone. Ingram pump fakes to the right, causing the defense to shift right leaving Lawrence wide open. Ingram throws left, into Lawrence’s hands scoring a touchdown.
The crowd goes wild as the players celebrate the score and then quickly move off the field so the kicking team can get into place. Our kicker lines up his shot and kicks straight through the uprights, giving us a ten-point lead.
