Viper's Run (The Last Riders #2)
Jamie Begley
Prologue
“Touchdown, and the Bulldogs pull ahead six to zero!” A cheer went up from the crowd as the first half ended. Winter and Emily braced themselves for the flood of customers that would take advantage of halftime to buy a snack.
“Here we go,” Emily said as the fans began to arrive.
“We might get lucky and set a record crowd tonight,” Winter said, hoping her words proved correct. The money they earned in the concession stand would go towards buying a new scoreboard. As principal of the high school, she was expected to be at home games, but typically as a spectator. Tonight, she had volunteered to work the concession stand so one of the parent volunteers would be given an opportunity to watch their son play in the game. Emily, her secretary, had also volunteered, but her reasons hadn’t been so altruistic. Emily was determined to pursue the football coach.
They worked steadily until the game finally resumed, then the customers returned to being sporadic.
“What are you doing after the game?”
“Going home and putting my feet up,” Winter replied. “You?”
“I plan on asking Mr. TNT for a ride home, then asking him to come inside and show me his play book.” Winter rolled her eyes at Emily’s reply. The football coach had quickly been given the nickname TNT. Winter laughed the first time she heard the nickname, but after she had been introduced to the new coach, she had to agree with their assessment.
“May all your fantasies come true,” Winter joked.
“You’re not seeing Loker tonight? Is he still out of town?” Emily asked as she scooped popcorn into a bag for one of the students.
“Actually, he’s here somewhere watching the game.” Winter bit her lip, wishing she was brave enough to be as assertive with men as her secretary. She had been seeing Loker James on and off for the last two years. Unfortunately for her, he didn’t seem to want to fulfill any of her fantasies.
They had met during a school committee meeting and developed a casual friendship. When he was in town and needed a date, he would always call her. Winter had never turned him down, always hoping each time that their friendship would develop into something more. But it never did, he had barely tried to kiss her.
“I bet it’s hard on him having to constantly fly back and forth between Kentucky and Washington.”
Winter nodded her head, “I told him he needed a vacation, that he was looking tired, but he said now isn’t a good time. His business is keeping him busy in Washington, then when he flies back to Kentucky, his father Ton is always in some kind of trouble.”
“I heard about his father hitting Beth Cornett’s car when he was drunk,” Emily said, taking a handful of popcorn for herself.
“Loker said he wasn’t drunk and that her sister Lily was actually driving the car,” Winter corrected her. She was used to gossip being more fiction than facts and she usually didn’t respond to it, but Ton was Loker’s father. She didn’t want anyone to think that he had been driving under the influence when it wasn’t the truth.
“So if he’s in town, why not hook up with him tonight?”
Because she had been trying to put some space between them, Winter thought to herself. He had called earlier, offering Winter a ride to the game, which she had politely refused, but now she was regretting her decision.
“I’m tired of beating my head against a closed door. He just sees me as a friend.” Winter had even considered the possibility of him being gay. Treepoint was a small town with old-fashioned morals. He was on several school committees and was even thinking of running for a soon to be vacant seat on the school board. If anyone found out he was gay, he would find himself ostracized.
“Maybe you just haven’t used the right bait.”
“There’s not a lot here to bait a hook with,” Winter said wryly. She was under no illusions about her looks. She was average height, neither pretty nor coyote ugly, with brown hair and eyes and a body that was so thin that her friends would bluntly ask if she was anorexic. Even when she loaded herself with carbs, she barely weighed a hundred pounds.
“Don’t put yourself down like that, you’re really striking,” Emily responded.
“For a middle-aged high school principal,” Winter finished for her. Emily began to disagree with her, so Winter decided to change the subject. “Since we haven’t had a customer in a few minutes, do you mind if I take a break?”
“Not at all, I’ll start doing the cleanup so we’ll be ready to close as soon as the game ends.”
“Okay, I won’t take long.”