The Journey Collection Page 7

  “So, you’re only going because Travis is here?” Though his question was full of implications, Max’s eyes were wide and innocent.

  Russ nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “That’s silly. Every boy who’s played since he left here has needed someone to come just for them. You could have picked any one of them, Mr. McCoy,” Max groused.

  “You’re right, Max, and I should have. How about I make you a deal?” Russ offered.

  “Depends on the terms.” Max cocked an eyebrow.

  “I promise to do better and make more of an effort to support the team, but you have to call me Russ. None of this ‘Mr. McCoy’ crud.”

  Max brought his finger up to his lips, pretending to think about terms to Russ’ deal. “No, that won’t work for me.” Max huffed. “Instead of Russ, can I can you Gramps?”

  Russ gasped, his eyes shooting up to Penelope and Travis. “Um . . .”

  Travis cleared his throat and looked at Penelope, trying to gauge her reaction. She had her hand over her mouth, but it was her eyes that told Travis what he needed to know. They were filled with tears, the corners turned upward from her hidden smile. She nodded, angling her body so that Max wouldn’t see the drops sprinkle down her cheeks. Travis slid his arm around her waist, nestled her against him, and kissed the top of her head.

  “I think we have a deal,” Russ said, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulders. “Now, help an old man up. I ain’t as young as I used to be.”

  “Mr. Nickels says that ‘ain’t’ isn’t a word,” Max chirped, gripping Russ’ hand in an effort to help the man up.

  “Yeah, I know,” Russ grumbled. “Don’t tell on me, okay? I don’t want any homework.”

  “I won’t,” Max snickered, leading Russ toward Penelope’s car.

  Taking a deep breath, she lifted her eyes to Travis. “Never thought I’d see the day when Max would be able to call Russ ‘Gramps’.”

  Travis laughed. “No kidding.” He brushed his fingertips across her cheekbone, pushing her blond hair behind her ear. “We’d better get going before Russ talks Max into ice cream or something.”

  “Um, yeah, somehow I think we’re a little too late for that.” Penelope extended a finger in their direction. Russ and Max were leaning against her car, trying to look innocent but failing miserably. “I know Max; he’s already scamming that old man.”

  “Good,” Travis teased. “Serves him right. Come on, baby, let’s mess with them a little.”

  Penelope tilted her head back, and Travis felt his breath catch in his chest. Her eyes were wide and full of happiness. He felt the urge to close the gap between their lips. It had been over a decade since he’d kissed her, felt her body pressed against his, and relished in just being at home with her.

  “We, um, we should go,” she breathed; her tongue swiped across her bottom lip.

  “Yeah, we should,” he whispered. “Penelope, I . . .”

  “Mom!” Max screamed. Jumping away from Travis, she frowned and looked at Max. “I’m hungry!”

  “Okay,” she hollered and turned back to Travis. “Guess we’ll see you tonight at the game.”

  “Why don’t we go get some ice cream?” he blurted, trying to think of any reason to stay with her.

  Penelope shook her head. “No, I have some things to do. Tonight at the game, okay? We normally just bring our camp chairs and sit behind the west end zone.”

  “I’ll be there,” Travis said, leaning in before she could move and kissing her cheek. He moved his lips to her ear. “I promise.”

  Penelope rushed over to Max, grabbed his arm, and nearly threw him into the backseat of her car. Travis crossed his arms in front of him, watching with a content smile as she drove off.

  Russ walked up to him, placed his hand on Travis’s arm, and laughed. “Boy, I don’t know what you did to that girl, but I’d keep it up. She doesn’t know which way she’s going.”

  “Neither do I, Dad,” Travis mused.

  ***

  Chapter Nine

  Homecoming

  Russ and Travis decided to eat dinner at one of the local steak houses before heading back to the field for the game. Several people came up to Travis, asking to shake his hand and commenting on how much the boys had come to admire him. Travis thanked them and insisted that they’d been the inspiration to him. None of them would truly understand what those boys had done for him. They weren’t the only ones who’d encouraged him, either. The community had greeted Travis warmly. Cal’s words echoed through his head, “You’re always welcome there.” At the time, Travis hadn’t believed him, but now he knew Cal had been right — he could always go home.

  Just after six, they paid their check and headed back to the football field. The parking lot had already started to fill up, and the cars parked there had been decorated to show their school spirit. The uniform numbers of favorite players had been scribbled on back windows with shoe polish, along with “go,” “fight,” and “win.” Maroon and white streamers were tied to the antennas of the cars belonging to people from Clarendon, while red and black in support of the Greyhounds countered their efforts.

  Travis and Russ climbed out of the truck, grabbed their chairs from the truck’s bed, and headed toward the ticket booth. Russ laughed and slapped his hand down on Travis’ shoulder. “Something tells me that tonight’s game is gonna be a good one, boy.”

  “Me, too,” Travis agreed.

  Nadine was working the ticket booth again and tried to wave them both in, but Russ wouldn’t have it. He slapped the ten dollar bill on the counter before he said, “Now, darlin’, you know I can’t let you do that. Take this for the tickets, and keep the change. Our program needs every cent it can get.”

  Travis bit back a laugh when Nadine’s cheeks turned bright pink. She tugged the bill out from under his hand and replied, “Well, thank you, Russ. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed having your son home.”

  “Yes, Ma’am, I certainly have,” Russ said, the smoothness in his tone making Travis once again fight the urge to laugh. “How’s everything out at your place? That new fence still holding up?”

  “Oh, yes. Thank you again for coming out there and helping me,” Nadine gushed. Letting her attention flitter to Travis, she explained, “Your dad rebuilt my entire fence for me last month. Saved me so much time and money.”

  This time, Russ blushed.

  Travis bit the inside of his cheek.

  “It was nothing,” Russ muttered. “We’d better stop holding this line up. Have a good night, Nadine.”

  “You too, Russ,” she purred and looked over at Travis. “It means a lot to these boys that you’re here.”

  Travis cleared his throat. “I’m honored to be here.”

  They handed their tickets to the person operating the gate and headed toward the west side of the field.

  They’d only managed about to get about ten feet inside the stadium when Jack called out, grabbing Travis’ attention. “I was hoping to catch you when you got here.”

  “What do you need, Jack?” Travis asked. He gestured to Russ. “Have you met my father?”

  “Yes, down at the lodge right after I moved here. How are you, Russ?” Jack smiled and shook Russ’ hand.

  “Can’t complain,” Russ laughed.

  “Good, good,” Jack murmured, looking back at Travis. “I know I’ve already asked a lot of you, but we were hoping that you’d do us a favor and lead the team onto the field tonight.”

  Travis began to disagree, but before he could utter a sound, a little boy who couldn’t have been more than five years old, came running up to him. The snow-blond haired boy wrapped his arms around Travis’ waist and squealed.

  “You’re my favorite player!” he giggled, tilting his head back and looking Travis straight in the eye. “When I get big, I’m gonna be just like you.”

  Travis knelt down in front of the boy, placing both his hands on his shoulders. The boy’s cornflower-blue eyes bore into his with a childlike purity. “W
hat’s your name?”

  “Gavin,” he murmured.

  Travis grinned. “Well, Gavin, you know what I hope?”

  Gavin shook his head. Behind him, his parents watched with pride. Travis chuckled. “I hope that when you grow up and you’re big and strong, that you’re happy. That you find something you love so much that every time you do it, you feel giddy all over.”

  “Is that how you feel when you play football?” Gavin asked, the words coming out wispy.

  Travis nodded. “It is. Do you have something that makes you feel like that?”

  Gavin puckered his lips and scrunched his face up as he thought over Travis’ question. “That’s how I feel when my Daddy takes me out on the tractor. He lets me sit on his lap and drive. I love when we do that. Does that count?”

  “You bet it does,” Travis chuckled. “I bet your Daddy feels the same way, too.”

  Gavin looked over his shoulder at his father. “Do you, Daddy?”

  “I sure do, kiddo,” his father confirmed. “It’s our boy time, remember?”

  “Yeah,” Gavin giggled and ran over to his father.

  Travis stood up, placing his hands on his hips. “You hold onto that, Gavin, and you’ll be just fine.”

  “Thanks, Mr. McCoy. You’re still my favorite football player, though.” Gavin grabbed his father’s hand, dragging him toward the stands. His mother followed, laughing.

  “Great kid,” Russ commented. “Reminds me of you when you were about that age.”

  “Yeah, I suppose he does,” Travis scoffed. He turned his attention back to Jack. “Okay, I’ll lead the team out.”

  “Oh, thank you, Travis,” Jack gushed. “The boys will be so excited.”

  Jack tore off toward the field house. Travis and Russ started toward the west end of the field again. Penelope and Max were already there when they arrived. Max jumped up and grabbed Russ’ chair from him, setting it up next to his. The old man laughed and sat down. Travis placed his seat next to Penelope but didn’t sit down.

  “Apparently, I’m leading the team out tonight, so I’ll be right back, okay?”

  “Don’t trip on the way out of the tunnel,” Penelope teased.

  Travis narrowed his eyes at her. “One time, and the only reason I fell was because someone had run tape across the bottom of the poster and I couldn’t bust through it.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, stud, but I was there, remember?” Penelope smirked.

  Chuckling, Travis bent forward and placed his hands on either side of her. Penelope gasped but couldn’t move as he leaned toward her. “There’s nothing about when we were together, baby, that I don’t remember.”

  “Oh yeah?” she squeaked.

  “Mm-hmm,” Travis hummed, dragging his lips across her cheek till he reached her ear. “And you know what?”

  She moaned. “What?”

  “I’ve yearned for you every day that we were apart.” Travis smiled when Penelope reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt. “You need to let me go, baby.”

  “Gah, I really do, but I don’t want to,” she whimpered.

  Travis brought his hand up, wrapping his fingers around hers. “I know, but I’ll be right back.”

  “Promise?” she whispered. The double meaning in the simple word hadn’t gone unnoticed. When Travis left for school so many years ago, he’d told her that he’d back. While they hadn’t still been a couple, he had led her to believe that he’d be back for her. Travis had lied, to her and to himself.

  “Yes, you have my word,” Travis murmured.

  Penelope’s hand fell from the front of his shirt. Even though he wanted to stay with her, Travis forced himself to walk away. It wasn’t rational, but each step he took pulled at his heart, almost begging him to rush back to her and declare his love for her. As much as he wanted to, Travis couldn’t make that move until he was sure Penelope would reciprocate his feelings.

  Travis calmed his racing heart before he opened the door to the field house and stepped inside. Every member of the football team was on their feet, determination etched into their features. Travis smiled; they were ready. He could see it in their eyes, with the way they carried themselves. Tonight, they’d surrender themselves to the game.

  Clapping his hands once, he said, “So, y’all ready?”

  “Yes, sir,” Cody drawled, shifting his attention to Travis. “I think we are.”

  “Good.” Travis smiled. “Then let’s go.”

  Turning, he led the team out of the field house and over the edge of the field. Travis looked over his shoulder at them and made sure they were ready. He moved to the front of the inflatable tunnel and took off running. The band started playing the fight song, and the team followed him out. Loud screams and yells echoed around them, the team’s fans were on their feet. They clapped and cheered. Upon reaching the fifty yard line, Travis released a shaky breath. He had stood in the middle of the biggest stadiums with thousands of people around him, yet none of those moments compared to this one, wrapped in the loving embrace that comes with just being home.

  As the crowd roared around them, Travis turned and faced the team. “Do you hear that?” he yelled, trying to make sure they heard them. The boys looked around; their eyes were wide and full of wonderment. “That’s for you. Do you know why? Because you’ve worked hard and earned their respect. When you’re on that field, show them that their faith in you hasn’t been wasted. You should be proud of yourselves, boys. We all are proud of the men you’ve become.”

  Travis started to walk back over to where Penelope, Russ, and Max were waiting for him. As he passed them, he smacked the back of the players’ helmets. They might have been boys, but they had the hearts of men and the courage of an entire community behind them. When Travis reached the edge of the field, he looked back at them. It wouldn’t matter if they won or lost tonight — not to those in the community, anyway. For these boys, losing wasn’t an option.

  “They seem stronger now,” Jack murmured, stepping up next to Travis. “Of course you didn’t see them play before last week, but that’s not the same team that’s been stepping out onto the field. You coming here seemed to have set off a spark in those boys.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Travis replied, looking over at Jack.

  Nodding, Jack placed a hand on Travis’ shoulder. “I do. Travis, when I sent you that letter, I knew it would be a long shot. For all I knew, you’d never even open it.”

  “Then why’d you send it?”

  “Because a decade ago, I watched one of the greatest players I’d ever seen lead his team to a championship. Nobody expected you guys to win. You were the underdogs, but you put everything you had into every play. When I looked into those boys’ eyes and they were telling me how much you had inspired them, I knew that I had to take a chance. Not like I had anything to lose, right?”

  Travis smiled. “No, I suppose not, but I’m glad you did. Coming home was just what I needed.”

  Jack laughed, looking past Travis and over to where Max, Russ, and Penelope were sitting. “Yeah, I suppose you did. Again, thank you for everything you’ve done for these boys and this town.”

  “I should be thanking you for giving me an excuse to justify coming back. It shouldn’t have taken me so long.”

  “Maybe not, but you did. That’s all that really matters.” Jack squeezed his shoulder before walking over to where the county sheriff, the preacher from the Methodist church, and the town’s doctor were standing. Travis bit back a laugh. For as long as he could remember, a group of the town’s finest would gather on the patch of dirt between the bleachers and the concession stand.

  “Hey, look! You didn’t fall!” Penelope teased when Travis sat down next to her.

  “Ha-ha, so funny,” he grumbled.

  Her peals of laughter were drowned out by the start of the game. The Greyhounds had won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball, which meant the Broncos would be kicking. At the sound of the referee’s whistle, the k
icker for the Broncos sent the ball down the field, almost into the end zone. One of the Greyhound’s players picked up the ball, running it to the ten yard line before being taken down.

  “Mom, I’m hungry,” Max groaned, standing up and rubbing his stomach. “Can I get something from the concession stand?”

  “You just ate an hour ago,” Penelope scoffed.

  “I know, but I’m starving.” Max lifted his shirt. “Look, I’m practically skin and bones.”

  “Oh, yeah, little man, you’re wasting away,” Travis said, laughing. “Come on, I’ll buy you a pickle or something.”

  “Ew, pickles are gross,” Max whined, but he followed Travis toward the concession stand.

  Five minutes later, they returned with an arm full of Laffy Taffy and a bottle of water for each of them. Max has a wide grin on his face as he plopped down in his seat. He had two ropes of taffy in each hand, while Travis tossed another four in Russ’s lap. The old man laughed and nodded his thanks.

  Penelope gasped and turned to Travis. “Max is gonna be climbing the walls with all that sugar!”

  “Sorry.” Travis tried to keep his lip from twitching in amusement, but the minute Penelope narrowed her eyes at him, Travis knew he failed. “Baby, I couldn’t say no. He gave me this look.”

  “Yeah, I bet he did,” she griped and turned her glare onto Max. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  “Should be, but I’m not,” Max snickered, biting a big chuck off the end of his banana-flavored rope.

  “Max!” Penelope threw her hands up.

  “Sorry, Mom, but I knew he’d fall for it. Not my fault he’s sucker.” Shrugging his shoulders, Max turned his attention back to the game.

  Penelope turned back to Travis. “Yeah, he’s definitely your son.”

  “That he is.” Travis smirked. Penelope reached out to smack him on the back of the head, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap. “Don’t be like that, baby.”

  “I — I . . .” she stammered before letting her words die out completely.

  Travis kept his eyes locked on hers. A dozen emotions flashed in them: happiness, longing, and need, just to name a few. Releasing his grip on her wrist, he brought his hand up and stroked her cheek.