True Love (16 page)

B
y the end of September, the Waterton Warriors were 5 and 0 and ranked number one in their division in the state. Luke got most of the credit for team leadership, while being lauded for keeping a cool head under pressure and for his golden throwing arm, and Julie had never seen her father more excited about a team. “This is it, Julie,” he’d say each morning after a victory. “I’ve waited for this team for over twenty years. They’re the best. And Luke is absolutely the finest player I’ve ever coached—one in a million.”

“I agree, Dad,” she’d reply. “He’s one in a million.” But for Julie, his stellar status had little to do with football. She loved him so much it was becoming increasingly difficult to
think about waiting until they both finished college to get married.

Meanwhile, her mother never let up on her about college. To appease her, Julie sent off for applications to Tulane and Ohio State. “Why Tulane?” her mother asked.

“Why not? You said I should get away from this area.”

“Well, what course of study are you interested in taking? Some colleges concentrate more on one area than another. If I know what you’re interested in, I can do a computer search for the schools that offer your area of interest and you can apply to them.”

“I’m not sure. Isn’t it enough I’m picking some colleges without having to determine the entire course of my college career before I even begin?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Can we just drop it, Mom?”

Her mother studied her thoughtfully, and said, “I’m not stupid, Julie. I know you’re ambivalent because you want to wait and see where Luke chooses to attend.”

Julie saw no reason to argue about it. “So what? Only the best colleges are recruiting him, so it’s not as if I’ll pick a bad one.”

“You need to choose a college based on your needs—not Luke’s.”

“Mother, please, stop it. I’m doing the best that I can.”

Frustrated, her mother turned her back and swept from the room.

Julie was at the mall one Saturday afternoon when she ran into Luke’s mother. They went to the food court, ordered frozen yogurt, and sat together to eat it. “I don’t get to see much of you anymore,” Nancy said between bites. “If it weren’t for home games, I doubt I’d see you at all.”

“I miss coming over. Blame my dad. He’s so fixated on this season, he practically keeps the team under lock and key. It’s so-o-o frustrating.”

Nancy smiled. “You think you’re frustrated. You should see Luke pacing the floor wishing he could be with you.”

The news thrilled Julie. She liked knowing Luke missed being with her. “He has a lot of pressure on him.”

“That’s true, and I’ve mentioned to him that he shouldn’t be too intense, that the entire fate of the football season doesn’t rest on his shoulders. It looks to me as if he’s losing
weight, and I’m afraid he’s worrying too much about the season.”

Julie set down her spoon. “But he’s feeling all right, isn’t he?”

“He says he is.”

Seeing Nancy’s concern upset Julie. “He told me his checkup went fine. It did, didn’t it?”

“I haven’t heard otherwise.”

Ironically, on the day Luke had been scheduled to go into Chicago for testing, Nancy had had an office review by the corporate bigwigs and Julie had been scheduled to take her SAT exams. Luke insisted that he could go through the routine without them and that if there were any problems with his blood work or bone scans, he’d be notified. The day after, the Warriors had played one of their top rivals and Luke had led them to another victory.

Julie picked up her spoon and dug into her frozen dessert. “Well, I’m sure that if anything were wrong, you’d have been notified by Dr. Kessler.”

“You’re right. Luke says I shouldn’t obsess about every little lost pound or sniffle he has.” Nancy smiled wanly. “I know he’s right, but it’s hard for me not to. Last winter and spring were the longest days of my life. I just couldn’t
believe Luke was having such problems. He’s always been perfectly healthy.”

“We shouldn’t think about those bad times. The important thing is that he’s fine now and on the way to the rest of his life.” Julie smiled. “And I’m glad to be going along for the ride.”

Nancy laughed. “I don’t know what he’d do without you, Julie. He’s been crazy about you since he was just a little kid.”

“That’s nice of you to say. I’m crazy about him, too.”

The food court tables had filled with the lunch crowd while they’d been talking, and the smells of fast food hung in the air. Nancy glanced nervously from side to side. “Um—I don’t mean to pry, but I am curious about some things.”

“Ask me.”

“You and Luke have discussed marriage, haven’t you?”

Now it was Julie’s turn to cast a nervous glance. “I suppose we have.”

“Don’t be concerned: I’m not against it. But I really do want Luke to go to college.”

“He’ll go,” Julie assured her. “How could he not go with all these college football coaches after him?”

Nancy smiled and relaxed. “How indeed!
I’m glad, Julie. I want so many things for Luke, and he’s so close to getting some of them.”

Julie understood, and only wished her own mother could be as flexible as Luke’s. “I won’t take his dreams away,” she said.

“Please don’t think I’m prying or trying to tell you what to do. One of the things he wants—that he’s always wanted—is you. And I won’t interfere with any plans the two of you’ve made.”

“It’s all right,” Julie insisted. “Luke and I plan to have it
all
.”

Nancy’s round face broke into a broad smile. “And you will. I’m positive of that. With all that the two of you have going for you, you’ll have everything life has to offer.”

Julie basked in Nancy’s approval, only wishing that Luke were there to share it. That night, the Warriors would play their homecoming game, and afterward, there was to be a dance in the gym. Luke would be taking her and there’d be no early curfew, so she could spend hours with him. Snapping out of her reverie, Julie said, “Sit with Solena, Mom, and me at the game tonight.”

“I’d love to,” Luke’s mother responded.

“After all, this one’s against the Trojans,
and I think we should all be together when Luke hands them their first loss of the season.”

That night, the air was crisp and cold, perfect for playing football. The middle school stands were packed to overflowing, as the Warriors-Trojans game was one of northwest Indiana’s great rivalries. TV cameras and newspaper photographers had special field passes and crews were set up along one end zone.

In the stands, behind the Warriors’ bench on the fifty-yard line, Julie watched Luke warm up on the field throwing passes as her father paced furiously along the sidelines.

“So where do you think they are?” Solena asked, craning her neck at the crowds sitting behind them.

“Who?”

“The college scouts! Frank said the stands would be crawling with them for tonight’s game.”

Julie’s father had told her the same thing. But Julie wasn’t interested in talking about scouts. She kept her gaze on Luke, who seemed to be having trouble with his passes.

Following her line of vision, Solena said, “I’m sure he’s just nervous. Wait ’til the game starts.”

Yet, when the game started, Luke didn’t improve. Only a clever play by the defense kept the Trojans from going out in front during the second quarter. Julie anxiously twisted the blanket across her lap. Luke couldn’t blow it now. Not with so many important people watching.

She saw her father call Luke to the sidelines and lecture him sternly. Luke had ripped off his helmet and Julie could see that he was grimacing and sweating profusely. “I wish Daddy would get off Luke’s case,” she said to her mother irritably.

“Never tell your father how to coach a game,” her mother said. “One way or another he gets the best from his boys. And Luke’s his pride and joy.”

Her mother’s words didn’t comfort Julie, whose mood only darkened when Luke took a hard hit minutes before the half ended. “Where was his protection?” she shouted, springing to her feet. She glared down at Solena. “Frank’s supposed to cover him!”

“Don’t yell at
me
,” Solena exclaimed.

Angry and agitated, Julie sat down, only to watch Luke being helped off the field and taken to the locker room. The announcer commented about Luke being shaken up on
the play, and Julie’s anger turned to anxiety. She longed to rush off to the gym, but knew she’d never get inside. “He’ll be all right,” she heard Nancy say.

Mercifully, the half ended and Coach Ellis jogged with his team off the field. The roar of the crowd dropped to a lull. “Popcorn?” Patricia Ellis asked.

Julie shook her head and snapped, “How can you ask about popcorn when Luke’s hurt?”

“I’ll go with you,” Nancy said, heading off an argument.

Julie’s mother and Nancy stood, but didn’t leave, because someone called their names. Julie turned to see Brett Carney, one of the new freshmen on the team, hurrying toward them. He was in his uniform, but because he hadn’t played, his jersey was clean and unmarked. “Coach sent me,” Brett said, climbing up the few rows to where they sat.

“What’s wrong with Luke?” Julie asked as her heart thudded rapidly in her chest. “I know something’s wrong. Tell me.”

Brett’s eyes were wide as saucers and his skin looked pale, as if he’d had a great fright. “Luke collapsed in the locker room,” Brett said. “He’s being taken to the hospital.”

“Which one?” Nancy asked.

“Waterton General.”

Julie grabbed for her purse and car keys, but her mother pulled them from her hands, then took both Julie and Nancy firmly by their elbows and said, “Come on. I’ll drive.”

“W
hy is it taking so long?” Julie paced the floor of the emergency room waiting area like a caged cat.

“I’m sure the doctors have to check him over completely,” her mother said in an attempt to calm her down.

Even Luke’s mother hadn’t been allowed behind the doors to the room where Luke was being examined. She sat tight-lipped on the edge of a chair, clutching her hands nervously in her lap.

“Don’t they know we’re worried? Don’t they know how hard it is to wait and wait?” Julie continued to pace. Her hands felt clammy and cold and her heart raced. “I wish Daddy were here.”

“You know he’ll be here as soon as he can get away from the game.”

“That stupid game is the cause of all this,” Julie cried.

Solena, who’d insisted on coming to offer Julie whatever support she could, said nothing and watched Julie pace.

A doctor emerged from behind the treatment room doors. “Are you with Luke Muldenhower?”

“I want to see my son.” Nancy hurried to the doctor’s side. “What’s wrong with him? How is he?”

“He has a concussion,” the doctor said. “He’s alert, but extremely fatigued, and we want to hold him overnight for observation and keep a check on his vital signs. He’s being moved upstairs to a room. Dr. Portage has been notified and will be here soon to check on your son.”

Julie remembered the doctor who’d first treated Luke for the infection that had become Hodgkin’s. At least he was familiar with Luke, and she was glad that Luke would be with a doctor he knew. “Where’s his room?” she asked.

When they were allowed to see Luke, it was all Julie could do to hold back until after his
mother had fussed over him. When it was Julie’s turn, she put her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. “Oh, Luke, I’ve been so scared.”

“I got hit, and then I got dizzy and fell in the locker room. I don’t remember much, except that I was playing lousy.”

Julie thought he looked pale, and in spite of the coolness of the room, he was perspiring. “Just so long as you’re all right.”

“We’re going to lose the game because of me.”

“Forget the game. It doesn’t matter now.”

“It matters to me.”

They stayed with him until her father arrived. He barreled into the room and tore to Luke’s bedside. Julie saw worry lines etched in his brow. “Got here as soon as I could. How’re you doing, son?”

“Did we lose?” was all Luke wanted to know.

“Hey, you win some, you lose some. That’s the way the game goes.”

“So we lost.” Luke turned his head toward the wall.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll meet them again in the district playoffs and we’ll kick butt.”

Luke didn’t seem mollified. “And how about the scouts? I guess they saw me play the worst game of my career.”

“One game won’t make or break your future, Luke. They’ll be back.”

“They’ll say I blew it when it mattered, when I was under pressure.”

“No they won’t. Stop stewing about it. Get some rest, and as soon as the doctors say you can go back to playing, you will. You might miss one game at the most.”

“I’ll miss more than that,” Luke said enigmatically. His dark eyes looked so unbearably sad that Julie felt cold fingers of fear squeeze her heart.

“Not because of a little bump on the head,” Bud Ellis said. “Wait and see.”

“Sure,” Luke answered. “Whatever you say, Coach.”

“Something’s come up in Luke’s blood work,” Dr. Portage told Luke’s mother the following day when she and Julie had come to visit Luke. He’d caught them just as they were about to go into Luke’s room.