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The comment left me slack-jawed. He’d mentioned the NFL before, but it never stopped hurting. I would have had a shot at the pros if I’d gotten that scholarship to NC State. But the Pollocks had screwed my chance at a football scholarship to a top-twenty school, and with that went any chance of making the NFL.
I’d been accused by the Lerners of stealing a tractor and driving it into the lake, of all things—something I certainly hadn’t done. But our asshole police chief, Devlin’s father, Earl, had decided to arrest me for it on the very day the college scout came to see me play.
Even if I had been stupid enough to do it, it didn’t call for anything more than a citation. But no, they had to lock me up and ruin it for me. I was released from the Pollocks’ stinking jail the following day without any charges, but it was too late. Having a top college scout watch your last high school game wasn’t something you got a do-over on.
Jared Lebow ended up playing the game in my spot, and he did well enough that he got the scholarship to NC State that should have been mine. And with it came the chance at the gold ring.
Jared had been a friend of mine. We’d both worked at his father’s hardware store, which Dad had later helped me buy. Jared was a good player, but I was a better one any day of the week.
The Pollocks were always screwing with my family, but at least that hadn’t left me in prison for two years, like my brother Case. Or accused of murder, like my brother Waylon recently was.
When I looked back up at the screen, the Steelers had scored a touchdown, and I’d missed it. The commentators started a replay. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any replay button for my life.
Screw this. Jordan was right. I was wallowing. Picking up my beer, I headed for the pool tables. A game or two would be good therapy for me.
“Hey,” my sister, Pris, said as I walked up. “You ever think you might be capable of being wrong about something?”
“I don’t need a lecture. Are we playing or not?” I selected a cue stick. Nagging from my sister was not the therapy I was looking for.
She lined up a shot. “It’s just that I saw Loretta outside the doctor’s office this afternoon.”
I walked around the side of the table. “Are you gonna jabber all night?”
“She already had that black eye, and Gibson hadn’t gotten home from work yet.”
“So what?” I knew what kind of asshole he was. Gibson had probably lied about what time he got home. “We both know he’s been roughing her up forever.”
CHAPTER2
Angela
I’d grown up here,so I knew my way around Peterville, but once I passed through, toward the smaller town of Clear Lake, the road was no longer familiar. The first paint scrape I noticed on the guardrail got me to slow down. It reminded me how often I’d heard that this section of road leading to Clear Lake was dangerous, particularly at night.
I needed to find Grace’s friend Callie. She said I’d find her at the bar, so when I reached the main street, I guessed at a direction to turn and got lucky.
After parking at The Peanut Barrel, I stretched for a moment before cleaning off my glasses and gathering my courage. Bars weren’t my thing. Hell, no kind of crowd was my thing. Give me a quiet corner and my computer any day. I put my foot up on the side step of the pickup truck I’d parked beside, to retie my shoe.
The guy who walked out threw a glance my way before he angled to walk toward me. “Nice car,” he said with a gap-toothed smile. “Don’t see many hot mid-engine cars around here.”
I kept my answer short. “Thanks.” I started for the door.
“How much did that set you back?”
How is that your business?I felt like asking. But I decided to keep it cordial. “My boyfriend bought it for me.” The Audi R8 had been a gift from Kevin last year.
“Must be at least six figures,” he guessed.
I wasn’t getting rid of him without an answer. “Yeah. Starting with a two.”
He whistled. “Too rich for my blood.” He offered his hand. “Rusty.”
“Angela.” I shook with him.
“You from around here?”
“Grew up in Peterville. Back for a visit.” That truth wouldn’t hurt anything.
“Enjoy it. This place is special.”
