Playing by Heart
Page 26
Two more points. A comfortable lead.
Chet wanted to surprise me with the moment of his homecoming. But I had a surprise for him, too. A letter beneath my pillow at Jewel’s house. From Professor Clayton. Assuring me there would be a place in post-graduate studies for both me and my husband.
So many dreams Chet and I had disclosed in letters. The small stipend left in Daddy’s will for my wedding day gave us options we wouldn’t otherwise have had. Dreams for us both that would have made Daddy smile—and that felt like the right answer to me, too. If only Chet would get home.
Gerald stood in the center of the court, opposite the other team’s center, both of them with one hand behind their back. The ball flew into the air. Then the whistle, signaling them to jump. A grunt and a slap, the ball in Felix’s hands once more.
The timekeeper put the whistle in his mouth, eyes on his timepiece. Another season almost over. I’d so wanted Chet to see them play at least once.
The referee signaled the end of the game. I rose from the bench, turned.
Nannie rushed across the court as the boys shook hands. “Blaze gets leave in two weeks!” She shook a paper in front of my face. I laughed, hugged her, and wished I was as sure when Chet would arrive.
The boys gathered round. I’d grown used to the after-game odor now. The smell of a job well done. A goal accomplished.
“I’m pleased with our season, boys, though I had hoped—”
Ten pairs of eyes stared over my head. I twisted. My heart leapt into my throat.
“Nice evening to take in a basketball game.” Chet, hands in his pockets, rocking up on his toes, a grin stretched across his handsome face. I searched for any sign of illness, of injury, but he looked much as he had when he’d boarded the train all those months ago. Only the shadows under his eyes were new. I hoped they’d be cured by sleep.
Peace drifted down like a late-spring snow, cooling my soul. At least until Chet’s hand captured mine.
“Aren’t you happy to see me, Fruity Lu?”
The name that had once so riled me now brought a sweet thrill. He trailed his thumb across my cheek. Fire blazed a trail over my skin and through my heart, then smoldered back at me in his eyes.
A long-forgotten voice rose from my memory. “Couldn’t you find a man who would have you, Miss Bowman?”
I smiled, rested my head on Chet’s chest. Broader now. Stronger. His arms wrapped around me, pulled me close.
No, Mr. Graham. I couldn’t find a man. But I came to find my hope in God, and He gave me someone exponentially greater than anything I’d ever imagined.
“Let’s go home, Mr. Vaughn.” I curled my hand around his arm and started for the door. “We have a wedding to plan.”
A Note From the Author
What a fun book to write! The kernel of this story started as bits of two stories, one from each of my grandmothers. One grandmother, upon taking a teaching job at a high school, was also put in charge of the girls’ basketball team even though she knew little to nothing about basketball! (This is also my grandmother whose nickname was, indeed, Fruity Lu!) The other grandmother told me the story of the girls playing a game of basketball with pins in their shoes to stick the other team! Combine that history with a long line of teachers behind me, years of sitting on bleachers watching games, and a son who hopes to coach basketball, and a story appeared. Interestingly enough, another story thread also runs in my family: My youngest son is an accomplished pianist.
As with each book, there are many who have contributed to the final product. My amazing editors at Bethany House get tons of credit for seeing flaws in the story and characters that I couldn’t see. Their suggestions make the story stronger every single time. And then there is the rest of the staff at Bethany House—art, marketing, and everyone in between. I am so very grateful for your time and attention to this project and your kindness to me.
As usual, I have had a team of pray-ers to get me through long days of researching, writing, and revising. Thank you, Jeff, Elizabeth, Aaron, Nathan, Ann, Don, Debra, Kirby, Dan, Jennifer, Dawn, Billy, Robin, Bill, Mary D., Leslie, Andrea, Jana, Becky B., Becky H., Cheryl, Cherryl, Jill, and Mary L. Your sacrifice of time on my behalf is a gift I am humbled to receive.
Thank you to Life Sentence: Mary DeMuth and Leslie Wilson. You continually encourage me to make my stories better. You are awesome editors!
To my kids, who put up with me and my frenzy of work—thank you! You are all amazing young adults. I love being your mom even more than being an author. And of course to my sweet husband, who supports and encourages and puts up with my craziness (and a dirty house and unimaginative dinners!). Every day I think I can’t love you any more than I do, but then the next day, that love grows deeper.
Finally, as always, the glory goes to God and God alone. Without Him, I have nothing good in me to pour onto a page. I am so grateful for the work He started in me so many years ago and that He is faithful to see it through to completion. I continue to be humbled and amazed.
Anne Mateer has a passion for history and historical fiction, and her vacations often revolve around research trips in different parts of the country. She and her husband live near Dallas, Texas, and are the parents of three young adults.
For more information about Anne and her books, please visit her website and blog at www.annemateer.com.
Books by Anne Mateer
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Wings of a Dream
At Every Turn
A Home for My Heart
Playing by Heart
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook
Website: www.bethanyhouse.com
Facebook: Bethany House