This Time by Rachel Hauck
Chapter One
On Friday afternoon, just before dusk, a sweaty and dust-covered Belle Jamison tugged open the squeaky door to Haskell High's gymnasium.
Inside, it was cool, and the lighting dim. Belle pulled off her tattered hat and used its wide brim to slap the dirt from her faded jeans. After a moment, she strode across the wood floor, the heels of her well-worn boots thumping resoundingly.
Fifteen years, she thought. Hardly seems possible.
In a week, the gym would be alive with old friends getting reacquainted, laughing the laughter that comes only when reminiscing, sharing the bond and joy that come only from the past.
"Afternoon, green eyes. Been here long?" a smooth, familiar voice brought her around.
"Spencer, I didn't hear you come in."
"How can you miss the sound of that door opening and closing?"
"Lost in thought, I suppose," Belle answered.
Spencer Grey chuckled, loosened his tie and unbuttoned his starched white collar. "This old gym sure takes me back." He dropped his briefcase and crouched forward, pretending to dribble a basketball. "It's Spencer Grey, going for the three pointer. Two seconds on the clock. He shoots! He scores! Spencer Grey clinches the regional championship for the Haskell Haymakers."
He ran around the top of the key, arms raised overhead, cheering as if he were before a crowd of hundreds. "The crowd goes wild."
Belle stood back, arms crossed, laughing. "As I recall," she said, "you shot and missed."
"You have your memories, I have mine." Spencer shot another pretend basket.
"Spencer, we lost the regional that year."
He wagged a finger at Belle. "Yeah, but not on my shot."
Belle shook her head. "How do you live with yourself?"
"I don't know... I shower daily, use deodorant. I'm not that bad really, for a lawyer type." Spencer stepped toward her, reaching for her hand.
She drew away and buried her hand in her pocket. "Spence, speaking of showers... I'm sweaty and smelly. I've been rounding up the yearlings all day."
"So?"
"So..." Belle squirmed.
"I had a great time at dinner last night," Spencer said, his eyes searching hers.
"About last night," she said, hesitating.
Spencer dropped his arm and took a step back. "Uh-oh, here we go."
"Spence..."
He held his hand up to her face. "Talk to the hand," he said smugly, then turned his back.
"Oh, that's mature, counselor." They sounded like they were back in high school.
"I'm tired of your excuses." Spencer folded his suit jacket and draped it over his briefcase.
"Would you let me explain?"
"Think you can?"
She sighed. "I just want to go slow, that's all."
"Slow? Slow! Belle, you're thirty-three years old. It's time to pick up the pace a little."
She flared at his condescension, and was about to give him a dose of his own medicine when the rattling of the gym doors stopped her short. The rest of the reunion committee strolled in together, their voices reverberating.
"Let's talk about this later," Belle whispered to him.
"If you have the time," Spencer countered, terse with frustration.
"Belle, Spencer, you'll never guess who we got to be Master of Ceremonies for the reunion." Gates Fuller's blue eyes snapped with excitement.
"Tyler McDermott," Belle answered pragmatically. As reunion chair, she had personally called and invited their most respected and honored classmate, a recently elected United States Senator, to act as the emcee for the fifteenth reunion of the class of '85. He had graciously agreed. Belle couldn't imagine anyone better to host the weekend.
"He's hosting Saturday night," Gates confirmed. "We have a schedule all made out for him. Just like you asked. But guess who has agreed to emcee Friday night?" Gates and Meg Carson giggled like schoolgirls.
"Tyler McDermott," Belle answered again, dryly. What were those two thinking? If they weren't her best friends, she'd, well she didn't know what she'd think of them. She often wondered what made that red head of Gates' tick. Her imagination constantly manufactured new ideas and worked new angles.
"Guess again," Gates prompted.
Belle lifted her hands, in no mood for guessing games. First, the tense exchange with Spencer, now this. "Gates, for crying out loud, what made you think we needed another emcee?"
"Tyler, actually," Gates answered, her attitude now defensive. "He'd been on the phone with our other emcee, and asked if he was coming to the reunion. One thing lead to another and well, we have a second emcee."
"Just tell us," Belle pleaded, weary.
The men of the committee, Spencer, Dan Green and Cody McDowell chimed in that they'd like to know, too.
Gates paused for one beaming moment, then blurted out, "Burke Benning!" She and Meg shrieked in unison.
The guys whooped and hollered, giving each other high fives. With two words, the reunion excitement rocketed, and everyone talked at once.
Except for Belle. Gates announcement sent her heart to her stomach like a boulder hitting a smooth glassy lake. Waves of panic crashed over her, eroding bits and pieces of her senses.