Slowly he began to describe it all. What had happened with Lisa. His feelings about Dan and Sam and how God expected him to lead them, to be strong for them. What Pastor Jensen’s sermons meant to him. What his friendship with Jesus counted for. Quietly, painfully, he let the thoughts tumble out.
“And now here I am with you,” he admitted. “And I’m that close to really . . . loving you. I mean, you’re totally hot. And we’ve got chemistry like crazy between us. I think about you all the time.” He drew a deep breath. “But we don’t have in common the things we need to have in common.”
The room was very still now, a little bit darker as the January sun slowly crept closer to the horizon. He turned his gaze back to the girl. “Deirdre, I can’t trade all that in for you.” He swiped at his eyes, which were growing wet again. “I really . . . can’t. It’s just too much to do.”
Her voice was low as she looked out the picture window, bafflement written on her face. “Damn.” For a long moment she stared down at the carpet and at her own bare feet. Slowly, not deliberately, she lifted her face until she was looking at him again.
“I’m not going to say I’m sorry,” she said at last, her voice low. “For bringing you here. Because I’m really not.” She glanced toward the large bed. “And the offer’s still good.” Now she kissed him, very carefully, a lingering moment of affection. “But now I sort of understand why . . .”
Her eyes, now also a bit moist, showed just the traces of pain. She climbed to her feet and held out her hand. “Stand up, sweetie,” she whispered. He obeyed, looking over the top of her head for a moment.
“Can you just hug me?” As he held her close, he could feel her shoulders shake a little bit, and he clutched at her, his own soul feeling shredded, confused. Was it this hard for other Christians?
A moment later she pulled herself free and sat back down on the couch, staring quietly into the sunset outside. Not knowing quite what to do, he sat down next to her.
Her lower lip was trembling for a moment and then she turned to look at him. “I want you to know something,” she told him. “So listen. Everything you’ve said . . . it just makes me want you more. I swear to God.”
His heart leaped. Me, too! Me, too! something inside him wanted to shout.
“The more I know about you, the more . . . I love you.” She said the words simply. “I mean, an hour ago, yeah, it would have just been, you know, sex. Now . . .”
He waited, sensing how important a moment this had to be for both of them.
She took a breath. Right now she had a vulnerability that was nothing like the Deirdre he had known. “Now . . . it could be different. Bucky, it could be making love. When I listen to what’s in you, now I want you even more. For us it could be making love. And that can’t be wrong.” She hesitated. “Don’t you want that too?” Her eyes searched his face. “Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?”
Bucky nodded. He felt no reason to mask his feelings. “I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way about you.” Was it possible that someone as stunning as Deirdre, as breathtaking . . . could also somehow have the rest of what he wanted too? Someone to be a spiritual friend, a Christian partner?
“Well, then?” She looked at him, her eyes full of unspoken meaning.
Slowly he shook his head. “We can’t.”
“How come?”
He chose his words carefully, breathing a silent prayer over each one. “Deirdre, to do it now, even to make love” – he hesitated – “would destroy the very things I think you like in me.” Pausing, he thought silently for a few moments. “All the things that are at the core in me – and maybe could be the core in you, in us.” Reaching for her hand, he said, “It all has to start with obeying God. Loving him and following his will. That’s it, babe.” He looked into her eyes. “Sleeping together now, here, would cancel that.” Then, feeling as if he’d said it awkwardly, he shrugged.
But she gave a little nod of understanding. Standing up, she gazed over at the window. Slowly she walked toward it, staring silently out at the gathering sunset. As she again faced him, the twilight silhouetted her. “Mr. Stone, you better come over here and give me a last kiss, I think.”
He did so, still feeling an aching trace of his longing for her. The kiss was a short, comforting one. She nestled close to him for a minute as they watched the sun dip behind the vast expanse of silvery ocean.
“And now you had better go,” she murmured. “Give me some time to think about you.”
Chapter Twelve: A Real Friend
Traffic was moderately heavy out on the street as Bucky slowly walked back to his hotel. It was still that not - quite - dark time that was usually so pretty in Honolulu. A light breeze began to spread the perfumed smell of tropical flowers in every direction. He sucked in his breath, remembering Deirdre.
A feeling of strange loneliness began to sweep over him. The afternoon in Deirdre’s hotel room had taken him so near to closeness . . . and yet he knew he should feel relieved. A guy had to have God’s approval first of all. But was that going to mean always turning back, always saying no to love? How long would he have to wait before he could experience the kind of completeness that he’d started to glimpse this afternoon?
Even now turmoil lingered in his mind. He had done the right thing. But what had he missed? In the space of three short January days, had his spiritual choices caused him to lose, not one but two very special people? Girls like Lisa and Deirdre weren’t going to come along again anytime soon. His mind traveled back up to Deirdre’s hotel room. And Deirdre. It was still only 6:00. He could still turn around – and have three unforgettable hours.
Bucky shook his head and kept walking. It would drive him nuts to keep second - guessing himself. He’d trusted in God – and in his conviction that following God was the best thing to do . . . long - term. Bouncing back and forth, going “what if” over the whole afternoon wouldn’t do anything but cause him frustration.
“Lord, I love you.” He murmured the words almost out loud as he entered the parking lot of his hotel. A strangely comforting sensation came over him as he reminded himself of that fact.
Inside the front lobby Dan was just coming out of the elevator. He spotted his teammate and veered away from the other passengers, his face flushing red. “Man, Stone,” he sputtered, “you did it again! What’s the matter with you?” He had his room key in his right hand and he flung it to the floor. He was angrier than Bucky could ever remember seeing him.
“I’m sorry, man,” was all Bucky could manage.
“Yeah, right.” Dan stood there in the lobby, ignoring the stares of those going by. “You say one hour and then you’re off for four. Every night you’re out late doing who - knows - what. This whole trip, man, you’ve been off somewhere.” He paused to take a breath. “If you’ve got someplace to be, say so. But I get kind of cranked just sitting around for endless hours waiting for you to come back from a stupid lunch.”
Bucky gulped. Did this have to happen now? Certainly Dan had a right to be angry.
The stocky ballplayer jammed both fists into his pockets and took a step toward the door. “Well?” he challenged.
“What?”
“You got something to say? Or what?” Dan motioned toward the open hotel door with his head. “I blew a whole day here and I’m going out. That’s it! Are you coming?”
Slowly Bucky nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got to talk to you, Litton.”
• • • • •
They sat on the beach, watching the moon slowly come up over Waikiki. A half - empty bag of potato chips lay between them. Dan reached in and took one more, munching thoughtfully as the ripples of water got closer and closer.
“That’s quite a story, Stone.” Shaking his head in amazement, he turned to face his friend. “Only thing I want to know is, why are you telling me?”
Bucky grimaced. “‘Cause I stuck it to you so bad,” he confessed, his voice tight. “You were right. I played dirty pool with you
about four times in a row . . . and I’m sorry. After so many years of us being friends, I can’t believe I treated you that way. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done, man.”
His friend made a gesture as if to say, “Forget it.”
“And I know I left you hanging this afternoon.”
“It’s OK,” Dan muttered, his voice softening. “Considering what you went through.” He looked behind them as if to pick out Deirdre’s hotel room. “You were right there, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Climbing to his feet, Dan waded out a few feet into the gently swirling waves. “I don’t know, Stone,” he managed. “I don’t think I could have done what you did.”
A long moment of silence hung between the two friends. Even now Bucky was wondering if he should have shared the story with Dan. The kind of encounter like he’d had with Deirdre – ordinarily he wouldn’t have told anyone. But because his roommate had been so involved in the past three days, he didn’t feel like he had any other choice.
A larger wave came rolling in and he scrambled to his feet just in time to avoid getting his clothes wet. The two young men slowly walked down the beach, not speaking further. Just once Bucky reached out and put a grateful hand on his best friend’s shoulder.
The next afternoon the Panthers suited up for their last tournament game. Portland and a team from downtown Los Angeles had each gone 4-0 and would get a berth in the televised final on Friday. But the consolation games still had to be played, and Bucky and Dan retired to their usual corner for a quick prayer.
“Thank you, Lord, for being with us this week,” Bucky added at the close. “And thanks for giving me Dan as such an amazing friend.”
The stocky forward gave him a good slap on the back. “You and me, Stone,” he muttered. “Let’s win a game here just for fun.”
As they walked onto the court, a feeling suddenly swept over Bucky. It wasn’t a sharp emotional sensation, but rather a quiet, almost sobering realization. God had always been with him – and that wasn’t going to change. Yesterday had been hard – his whole week had been an agonizing emotional roller coaster. But God still cared about him.
During the halftime recess, with the Panthers up by four points, Bucky made a quick trip outside. The parking lot was nearly full of cars and people were milling around, but he looked beyond the city noise and up to the distant hills. Hawaii’s craggy mountain peaks in the distance seemed to hold the promise of God’s continued strength in his life. Things would be all right.
As he walked back indoors he felt better than he had in quite a while. “Get me a few passes,” he told Dan as the second half began. “I’m about to get lucky.”
Dan grinned. “All right! My man is back in action.”
For a few brief minutes the squad from Boise held the Panthers to a tie. Then it all seemed to happen at once. Almost by magic Bucky’s razor - sharp assists to Jonesy and Bill led to automatic points. And when Dan fed Bucky, every shot went in the hole. For a stretch of nearly five minutes the Panthers converted on every single possession, ballooning the lead to eighteen points.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Brayshaw chuckled in the huddle during a timeout, “but get it in a bottle and take it home with you. You guys are playing spectacular ball.”
It was with under a minute to go that Bucky’s big moment arrived. Having topped out at a shade over six - four, and with just average jumping ability, his practice sessions with Dan had always involved nothing but jump shots and quick layups. Once in a great while, with a running leap, he could barely manage a “baby slam dunk,” as Dan teasingly called it. Never once had Bucky tried one in a game.
Now, with the final seconds winding down and the Panthers on yet another fast break, he and Dan drove down the court together. One lone defender was trying to stay with them, but it was an easy two - on - one for the whole crowd to see. Bucky flipped the ball to Dan, who faked, and then dished right back to his teammate.
Suddenly Bucky began to feel it. The lane was open and he’d never felt so strong. Dribbling twice to get his rhythm and gathering all his speed, he soared high in the air toward the open basket. Bam! The ball pounded through the hoop just as the final buzzer sounded.
Dan came up to him and offered a high five. “I could see that coming a mile off,” he grinned, revealing just a trace of jealousy. “Pretty good slam, Stone.”
“Thanks.” He laughed as Jonesy came up behind him and clapped him hard on the back.
“Slam dunks are my territory,” the tall center teased. “I’ll let you have that one, and that’s it.”
“Way to pop that baby, Stone.” Bill Volker came over and shook his hand, then quickly withdrew it with a grimace. “Sweaty. I know.”
As the players slowly walked off the court, he glanced out into the parking lot. In the far distance he could see a tall, slender figure. Was it Deirdre?
Dan approached and stood there next to him. “Is it her?”
“I don’t know.”
Just then she turned and looked in their direction. For a moment the three of them stood in silence. Then she waved, a mute kind of farewell gesture. Something in Bucky’s throat tightened as he watched her retreating form.
“I know, man.” Litton seemed able to read his thoughts. “Tough choices.”
“Yeah.”
• • • • •
The airport was crowded as the Panthers waited for their flight to be called. Even though the Hampton Beach varsity squad hadn’t made it to the final game, still a feeling of quiet satisfaction bonded the players together. Somehow, surviving Honolulu and the hotel fire had given them a certain spark of renewed camaraderie and confidence.
“We’re not losin’ no more games,” Jonesy asserted, fiddling with the dials of his iPod. “No way.”
“Not if we play like that last one,” Dan agreed.
Just then they heard a PA announcement. “Mr. Bucky Stone and Mr. Daniel Litton, to the desk please. Mr. Stone and Mr. Litton.”
“What’d you do now?” Dan shot his teammate a mock look of accusation as they went up to the counter.
“Are you Litton? Stone?” The tanned counter attendant glanced from one to the other.
The man pulled two new boarding passes out of the computer. “Here. Give me your old cards. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Bucky looked down at his new pass. “Row six? Where’s that?”
“An upgrade to business class.” The attendant’s mustache twirled a bit as he flashed a grin.
“All right!” Dan gave his teammate a high five. “But how come?”
“Oh, we had a phone call from the local TV station,” the clerk told him. “A Mr. Ochiro. He said he did the story on you guys and that burned - up hotel.”
“So?”
“So he pulled a few strings, we had the empty seats up front, and here we are. Enjoy, gentlemen.”
It was quiet up in business class as they stretched out to their full height. A crew of attractive flight attendants, addressing them as Mr. Litton and Mr. Stone, plied them with soft drinks and snacks and served them a full - course meal complete with china and white - linen service.
“Not too shabby.” Dan, munching on a huge chocolate cookie hot out of the microwave, nodded his approval. “I’m going to tell my agent that this is the only way I’m ever flying again.”
The forward cabin quieted down as the plane headed toward the U.S. mainland. Bucky’s thoughts returned to Deirdre as his mind replayed the events of the past week. Nothing had ever been so difficult or painful before – and was he now stronger as a result? Somehow he didn’t think so. But maybe he just knew a little better how strong he wasn’t. And perhaps that was a better realization anyway.
He remembered a scene from a DVD that Mrs. Grady had played for the seniors in civics class. “I have been to the mountaintop.” Something like that from a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. Bucky’s struggle was a different kind, but he felt a raw kind of strength that came from knowing yo
u didn’t really have any strength . . . and that you needed Jesus every single moment.
The feature movie started up on the big screen and he adjusted his free headset, switching over to Channel 1, but his mind was still far away. He thought about Lisa. Deirdre . . . and Lisa . . . and his Christian faith. Sitting there in seat 6A, he knew there was still unfinished business with Miss Lisa Nichols. Less than a week ago she’d told him to leave her alone – but maybe God had different directions for him to follow.
He slid his window shade down and focused on the movie, which he recognized as a recent box - office hit. But just moments after the opening credits, an explicit romantic scene filled the airline screen. A buzz of interest swept through the business class cabin as passengers sat up and began watching in earnest.
Bucky hesitated for just a moment, and then slowly pulled his headphones free. Sliding open the window shade again, he gazed soberly down at the surging Pacific Ocean far below as the huge jet carried him home.
• • • • •
Bucky Stone Book #10
The Final Game
By
David B. Smith
Dedication
For My Lisa
Contents
Chapter One: Television Lights
Chapter Two: A Change of Leadership
Chapter Three: Gearing Up For Tryouts
Chapter Four: Elusive Lisa
Chapter Five: Forgiving Your Enemy
Chapter Six: Home Run Hero
Chapter Seven: A Blast From the Past
Chapter Eight: Beat By Your Own Brother
Chapter Nine: Bleachers and New Beginnings
Chapter Ten: Just Like That Ethiopian Guy
Chapter Eleven: The Best Baptism
Chapter Twelve: The New Ace
Chapter Thirteen: Endings and Beginnings
Bucky Stone: The Complete Adventure (Volumes 1-10) Page 92
