The Best Is Yet to Come (31)

“Where’s Callie?” Hope asked. “Shouldn’t she be with you?”

Several other students stared in his direction. “She’s on the dance team,” Spencer explained.

“Right,” Hope said, as if she should have remembered that bit of information.

Once they were seated and friendly introductions were made with Willa and her husband, Cade asked about Spencer.

“He’s the young man I mentioned. Scott Pender’s girlfriend is the one Spencer is escorting to homecoming.”

“Not his former girlfriend?” Cade asked.

Hope hesitated. “I’m not sure. They seem off and on, so I have to assume this is an off time.”

If not, that could mean trouble at the dance, Cade mused.

Although he didn’t know Spencer personally, Cade was sympathetic. “You mentioned him before, but not by name. He’s the one who finagled the deal with Callie, right?”

“Right. She had some computer problem she wanted him to resolve.”

Cade wanted the facts straight in his mind. “Which Spencer agreed to do if she became his date for homecoming?”

“Exactly.”

He could only imagine what the girl had wanted, and suspected Hope did, too. “Do you know what it was she asked of him?”

Hope’s arm that remained wrapped around his tightened. “That’s the problem, he hasn’t told me. Spencer always manages to change the subject. I’m afraid he’s gotten himself tangled up in something over his head.”

Cade let that settle in, wondering what the poor kid had agreed to do for this girl all because he’d lost his head over a pretty face. From what Hope said, it sounded as if Callie couldn’t care less about Spencer or the consequences from her former boyfriend.

“I’m concerned,” Hope added. “At this point, though, there’s nothing I can do.”

“You can’t blame yourself.”

“But I do. I should never have advised Spencer the way I did. He told me that their families are good friends and at one point they had been, too. All Spencer really wanted was for things to go back the way they once were: to be friends with the hope of something more. He wanted a chance to let Callie know how much he liked her. Spencer is such a great kid.” Lowering her voice, she added, “I know I shouldn’t have favorites, but I can’t help it with Spencer. Yes, he’s smart, but he works hard. Not everything comes easy for him. He isn’t like the others; he’s mature for his age, works part-time with his dad, and has manners and respect for others. You wouldn’t believe how rare that is in this day and age.”

“You’re afraid Callie is using him.”

“I have no doubt. She’s pretty and popular and seems completely self-absorbed. I’m convinced she made sure everyone in school knows that she’d been manipulated into this date with Spencer.”

“I’m surprised he’s going through with it.”

“Actually, I am, too.”

Cade could imagine Spencer had paid the price for the audacity of even asking Callie to homecoming.

“Has the harassment continued?”

She expelled a heavy sigh. “If it has, Spencer isn’t saying.”

“But you have your suspicions.”

Hope nodded. “I heard that Spencer had his head shoved into the toilet, and it was posted on social media. I asked him about it, and he refused to answer. Then there was talk over some social media post that was an unflattering caricature of Spencer. He’s been the brunt of jokes ever since. I have to admire the way he ignores the taunts.”

“And Callie has stood by and said nothing?” Cade hadn’t met the girl and he already disliked her.

“Apparently so. There’s been other stuff happening, too, whispers and laughs in the hallway whenever Spencer is there. He hasn’t complained or reported anything. I don’t think the staff know the half of it.”

“Poor kid.” Spencer had Cade’s sympathy.

The band started to play the school song, and spontaneous applause arose from the crowd as the Oceanside Eagles charged out of the locker room and ran onto the field.

Everyone in the stands leaped to their feet and cheered for what was sure to be a good game against a worthy opponent. Despite their undefeated record, Oceanside wasn’t a favored win against the rival Montesano Bulldogs.

Cade had the feeling Spencer wasn’t favored to win, either.





Chapter 11




Spencer parked in front of Callie’s house. While she’d agreed to be his date for the homecoming dance, she’d gone out of her way to make him regret ever agreeing to help her. It was hard to believe that at one time they’d been friends. Whatever it was they’d shared when they were younger was over, only he’d been too infatuated with her to accept the truth of it.

Ever since word had gotten out that she was his date, he’d been the brunt of every joke. In the days leading up to the dance, he felt like an outcast. He would forever be grateful to Joel and Brian, his true friends, who had stuck by his side. But neither of them was attending the dance, so Spencer was on his own.

Before his foolish mistake of asking Callie to homecoming, he had been so smitten he wasn’t able to see past her beauty and charm. Since then, his eyes had been opened, and he had a clear view of Callie’s personality. She was nothing close to what she’d once been. Because he took great pride in being a person to keep his word, he’d followed through with his end of the bargain.