LITMIR.BIZ

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after all.

      * * *

      “Where’s Katie tonight?” Dana Sue Sullivan asked as she and Ronnie joined Maddie, Cal and the kids in bleachers at the high school.

      “She met her friend Misty at Wharton’s for a burger,” Maddie replied.

      Dana Sue regarded her with surprise. “I thought family football nights were a command performance, especially these days.”

      Maddie shrugged. “Cal has me convinced that Misty needs a friend right now, and Katie’s apparently appointed herself to that role.”

      “Leave it alone,” Cal murmured from beside Maddie.

      Dana Sue studied her two friends, who rarely showed any signs of dissension, at least in public. “What am I missing?” she asked.

      Ronnie gave her a warning look. “Did you not just hear Cal indicate we all need to stay out of this?”

      Dana Sue cast a dismissive look at both men. “When a teenage girl is in some kind of trouble, I’m sorry if my antennae go up. Since we almost lost Annie to anorexia, you’ll have to pardon me if I’m concerned.”

      Cal leaned across his wife and lowered his voice. “Not the place or the time, okay? This doesn’t involve an eating disorder, I can tell you that much.”

      Just then the play-by-play announcer introduced Annabelle Litchfield, who was going to sing the national anthem.

      “Now, there’s a girl who looks as if she has an eating disorder,” Dana Sue murmured. “I hope Mariah is paying close attention to her.”

      Maddie smiled. “I think you can count on that. Mariah is counting on Annabelle taking them to the top of the country charts in Nashville with that voice of hers. She still hasn’t stopped talking about the American Idol judges who didn’t give her a pass for Hollywood. She complains to everyone who’ll listen that they must be tone-deaf. That won’t stop her from pushing Annabelle front and center for the next auditions.”

      “I almost feel sorry for Annabelle,” Dana Sue said. “That’s a lot of pressure for a kid. And you know why Mariah’s doing it, don’t you? It’s all because she lost her own big shot at stardom when she got pregnant with Annabelle and had to get married. Now she’s living vicariously through her daughter.”

      Cal gave her a wry look. “Maybe Mariah is pushing her for her own selfish reasons, but I don’t think you need to feel bad for Annabelle. She has more than her share of self-confidence. It’s a little unnerving, actually, to watch all the kids at school circle around her like she’s some diva with an entourage. I worry sometimes what will happen to her if that big break never materializes.”

      “Oh, it will materialize,” Ronnie said. “Mariah’s the kind of woman for whom failure’s not an option. Not for her little girl. I’m not sure how Don Litchfield puts up with her.”

      Dana Sue shuddered. “I still say that’s way too much pressure.”

      “I’m with you,” Maddie said. “I saw my share of that kind of early adulation with Ty, when he was pitching right here at Serenity High and the pro scouts were hanging around.”

      “Not the same at all,” Cal said. “Not only was Ty the real deal, but you raised him to be a grounded kid. The proof of that is how well he’s done as a pro.”

      “Not without his share of mistakes,” Dana Sue commented, thinking of the way he’d nearly lost Annie by cheating on her before they were married. She squeezed Maddie’s hand. “All in the past, though. He couldn’t be a better husband and father now. My daughter’s a lucky young woman.”

      “How on earth did we get so far off track, when there’s a game already started on the field?” Maddie said. “Aren’t we here for the football?”

      Kyle leaned past Cal. “Since when, Mom? You know you’re going to hear about every play again at breakfast. You could sleep through the actual game.”

      Maddie regarded him indignantly. “As if,” she huffed. “I’m a fan.”

      Kyle’s grin only spread. “Any idea what an I-formation is? Or where the tailback plays?”

      As the others chuckled, Maddie regarded her son with a dismayed expression. “Did I raise you to have such a smart mouth?”

      “You did,” Kyle confirmed. “You always told me I was hilarious.”

      Maddie sighed. “Well, I was mistaken. You’re just annoying.”

      Dana Sue grinned. So did Cal, though he tried really hard to hide it. Maddie caught him and scowled. “You, too?”

      Cal held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Time for hot dogs. Who wants one?”

      A chorus greeted the question, and he and Ronnie took off for the relative safety of the refreshment stands.

      Dana Sue leaned closer to her friend. “Now you can tell me the real scoop about what’s going on with Misty and Katie.”

      Maddie just gave her a weary look. “I wish I knew. I just know Cal’s worried, and that’s never good.”

      “Anything we should try to do to help?” Dana Sue asked.

      Maddie shook her head. “If I think of anything, I’ll let you know. From what I know, Misty’s the one in real trouble. I just don’t want it rubbing off on Katie. She’s already had enough problems at school this year.”

      “Hey, we survived all the mistakes we made at that age,” Dana Sue consoled her. “Katie will, too.”

      Maddie still looked unconvinced. “I hope you’re right. I really do.”

      Dana Sue grinned. “Since we have no solutions for that, how about some hot gossip to chew on? You’ll never guess who was having dinner at Sullivan’s just now when I left.”

      “Who?”

      “J. C. Fullerton and Laura Reed, the self-professed bachelor and the introvert teacher. Want to know the best part? They were actually laughing.”

      “Holy mackerel,” Maddie said, obviously impressed. “J.C. is cute as can be, but this is the first I’ve heard of him going out with anyone in town. Even Bill’s mentioned what a hermit he’s been since he moved here. And Laura? She’s absolutely lovely, but awfully quiet. Who would have imagined the two of them hitting it off?”

      “All I know is what I saw with my own eyes,” Dana Sue said. “They had their heads together and looked to me as if they were deep in conversation. I imagine it’ll be tomorrow’s headline at Wharton’s. Everyone in the place was grabbing for a cell phone to make a call.”

      Maddie chuckled. “You gotta love the Serenity grapevine.”

      “At least as long as you’re not the hot topic on it,” Dana Sue agreed. “We’ve both been there, done that.”

      “Amen, sister!” Maddie said, just as the men returned with food and drinks.

      Cal regarded them suspiciously. “Do we even want to know what you two had your heads together about?”

      “I doubt it,” Dana Sue said breezily. “You macho men never give two hoots about girl talk.”

      “I can always fill you in,” Kyle said, giving them a wicked grin. “They forgot all about me being right here. They were never that careless when I was a kid. All Katie, Ty and I ever heard around the house when the Sweet Magnolias got together was ‘little pitchers have big ears.’ We missed all the good stuff.”

      “What’s it going to cost for you to pretend you didn’t hear any of this?” Dana Sue inquired.

      Kyle’s smile spread. “I could use a coupon for dinner at Sullivan’s. I have a hot date tomorrow night.”

      “Don’t you dare!” Maddie said to Dana

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