"Why can't you tell me now?"

"If you don't get going, I just might not tell you. Now get to school so I don't have to hear from the Board of Education that my recommendation for their phys ed teacher isn't reliable."

He bent and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Aunt Trudi. See you in the morning!"

He thought about his aunt's words in between classes and before practice. They had an away game tonight against Newark High, so he wouldn't have a chance to have a talk with Meg until after the game. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He owed his team his full concentration, and whenever he started to think about Meg, he simply lost all perspective.

Setting thoughts of the fiery, auburn-haired distraction aside, he focused on getting the team to work together and perfect their skills.

Grace cornered Meg in the shop. "Sooo... spill."

Meg was still jittery from chocolate overload the night before and not in the best of moods. She pretended she had no idea what her sister meant. "About what?"

Her sister flushed, a sure sign that her Irish was up. Grace's next words confirmed Meg's suspicion. "You know what I'm talking about."

Meg pretended not to notice and prodded her sister to lose her temper. "I think we'll need to reorder some pipe dope and some roofing tar-"

Grace's eyes flashed a warning, although her voice remained calm, "Don't be difficult."

"Just following your strict reorder policy, Sis. When I use something up, I'm supposed to tell you about it."

"Damn it, Meg, what's going on with that hunkalicious soccer coach?"

Caitlin walked in and grinned. "Need a referee?"

"We're not fighting," Meg told her.

"We're about to," Grace bit out. "Meg won't talk about Dan."

"Ah," Caitlin said. "The hometown hero."

Meg rolled her eyes. "I'm not having this conversation with you, Grace."

Her sister put her hands on her hips and got in Meg's way. Instead of sinking to Grace's level, she stepped around her younger sister and waved. "I've got to go. Got a dinner date tonight."

"With Dan?" Grace called out.

Meg didn't even bother to turn around. As she got into her dad's truck, she sighed. "There isn't anything new going around about us."

Rather than sink into a depression, she realized that she'd better get a move on if she was going to pick up Honey B. and drive over to the soccer game in Newark. It wasn't that she wanted to see Dan that much-well, OK, she really did want to see him and it was definitely a side benefit, but Honey B. had asked her to double date with Pat Garahan and one of his coworkers from the firehouse the other day before she and Dan has sorted things out. How could she say no when Honey B. was always there for her? Besides, she'd promised that she'd have Honey B.'s back when her friend had decided to do this online dating thing.

Meg switched to hands-free mode and dialed Honey B. When her friend answered, she said, "I'll be there in five."

"Great. I'm wearing my navy blue wrap dress. Want to wear the black one?"

Pat had already seen Honey B. wear the black dress, so it didn't really matter if Meg wore it tonight. She wasn't out to impress anyone-well, anyone at the restaurant, but maybe afterward, when she got back to Apple Grove, if she could convince Dan to come on over. But that would remain to be seen. She reminded herself that she was going as a favor to Honey B. and concentrated on that. "Only if I can borrow your shoes again."

"One of these days, Meg, I'm dragging you shopping."

Meg laughed. "Many before you have tried."

She pulled up out back and dashed inside. Honey B. was holding out the dress, but when she got a good look at Megan she shrieked. "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

Meg looked down at herself and sighed. She'd forgotten about the rotten gutter that had broken when she was doing a repair on the Peterson's front light. "Long story-"

"Never mind that now. I'll call Pat and tell him we'll be a little late. You go grab a quick shower."

Meg didn't stop to ask questions; she dashed to the far back of Honey B.'s shop and closed the door. She'd stripped and was under the hot spray in the miniscule shower stall when she heard her friend call out, "I left a towel on the toilet seat."

"Be right out."

True to her word, she was washed, dried, and dressed in under ten minutes. "Good thing I don't need any makeup; it'll save time."

Honey B. drew in a breath and huffed, "I'll drive and you'll borrow my mascara, blush, and lip gloss. No way are you going to show up looking like a teenager."

"Jeez, you're bossy."

A half hour later they'd parked next to the field. "They're already playing," Honey B. said as she got out. "Come on."

Meg looked down at her form-fitting black dress and spiky heels and wondered when her friend had lost her mind. She rolled down the window. "I'll wait here."

Honey B. stopped, spun around, and stalked back over to the car. "You are coming with me. I didn't drag you here to let you sit in the car. I'm not entertaining Pat and his friend... whatever his name is by myself." She glared at Meg. "You promised."

Meg sighed. "I hate dresses."

Honey B. opened the door and soothed, "I know you do, but you're doing this for the greater good."

"Yeah," Meg grumbled. "Yours."

"You got that right." Honey B. laughed and waved. "There they are-whoa. Hold on to your hairpins, girlfriend. Tall, dark, and gorgeous at three o'clock."

Meg got out and stood next to Honey B. When Meg's mouth finally closed, she leaned close and whispered, "Holy crap."

Honey B. frowned at her. "For Pete's sake, Meg, remember what I said about first impressions."

"Honey, Megan," Pat said, walking toward them. "You ladies look great!" He grinned and turned to his friend. "Mike, these are the ladies I was telling you about."

Mike was tall and broad; his muscles had muscles. "I'm glad to see that for once Garahan didn't exaggerate." His eyes twinkled as his smile broadened. "You ladies are everything he promised and more."

"Knock it off, Snelling, don't embarrass my new friends." Pat turned toward Honey B. and Meg and sighed. "Mike's got a big mouth but there's not another firefighter I'd rather have watching my back."

They all laughed, and Meg noticed that even though Mike couldn't keep his eyes off of Honey B., her friend was friendly and attentive, as always, but that was it. There was only one man that lit that special spark between himself and Honey B. Whenever Honey B. and the sheriff were within ten feet of one another, those two could start a brush fire with one look. Dan was right.

"How's the game going?" she asked.

Pat's face looked serious as he told her, "No score. The teams are evenly matched so far. We'll see how things go once the players start getting tired."

While she and Pat watched the game, Mike kept Honey B. busy talking. Meg didn't mind; she was more interested in the outcome of the soccer game anyway. When the ball shot past them to the other end of the field, she knew Dan had seen her standing on the sidelines, but he ignored her.

As if Honey B. could read her mind, she leaned close and whispered, "He's here as a coach. Don't distract him."

Meg smiled as her friend had intended.

"Whoa, yellow card!" Pat grumbled. "Kid should have known better than to take the Apple Grove player out from behind. Whether he meant to or not is something he and his coach will be talking about later."

Meg didn't know much about soccer; she knew more about baseball. "Is a yellow card bad?"

Pat nodded. "It's a warning from the ref. One more and the player could receive a red card and be out for the rest of this game and all of the next."

"But aren't there enough players to substitute?"

Pat explained, "A red card means you cannot substitute; you play one man down."

"But that would give the other team an advantage," Meg said. "That doesn't sound fair."

"Receiving a yellow or red card means that the player did something that wasn't fair or legal in the first place."

"OK," Meg said. "So number twenty-two will have to be careful not to take anybody else out then."

Mike grinned. "Pretty and smart. Great combination, Pat. Thanks for bringing me."

Meg shook her head and turned back to watch the game, only to see that Dan was frowning in her direction and that the play had moved past her, to the other end of the field again, when the defender cleared the ball. She looked behind her to see if he was looking at someone else. When she looked back, he had turned to follow the play and was shouting encouragement to Apple Grove's offense.

"Maybe I imagined it."

"Imagined what?" Pat asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Nothing." Pat didn't look as if he believed her, but that wasn't her problem. Dan Eagan is. He was tying her up in knots.

The game ended in a draw. Both teams had played all out, so Meg knew that the team bus ride back to Apple Grove would be a boisterous one. She missed those days. It had been years since she'd played on the field hockey team. With a glance in Honey's direction, she could tell her friend was having similar thoughts. But they weren't kids any longer.

"Hey, Mike," Pat called out. "Wait up. I want to congratulate the coach."

Before she could refuse, Honey B. had her by the hand and was following along behind Pat, who was headed toward the two men standing in the middle of the field. The coaches were talking and smiling. Pat called the other coach by name and the man turned and called out, "Garahan! Glad you could make it today."

"Pat?"

"Hey, Dan. Good game."

Dan's gaze tracked past Pat and got stuck on Meg-had she come here to watch the game with the guy? "Er... thanks, Pat."

"Were you on your way home from the firehouse?" the other coach asked.

Pat shook his head. "Mike and I are off tonight and having dinner with two fine-looking women."

The other coach smiled, but Dan didn't want to hear him agreeing. He knew that Meg was beautiful. Honey was pretty, but she wasn't his concern right now; Meg was. "Could I talk to you for a minute, Meg?"

She looked like she was about to refuse, but Honey B. prodded her toward him. He'd have to thank the woman later. "Did you change your mind?" he bit out.

She shook her head. "Of course not."

"Then why are you dressed to kill and going out to eat with Pat and his friend?"

"I made a promise to Honey B. to watch her back when she began the online dating. I can't back out now."

He scrubbed his hands over his face.

She looked up at him and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Did she do that on purpose to torment him? Damn it!

"Hey, Dan," Pat called out. "My friend Mike here and a few of the guys are going to drive over to Apple Grove next week. Did you get a group of guys to play us yet?"

The tension left Dan by degrees-and with it, his jealousy. "Yeah," he said, looking from Meg to where the others were still standing. "How's Thursday sound?"

Pat and Mike were smiling at him. "Be ready to lose."

Dan didn't think it was possible, but he laughed. Shaking his head, he looked at Meg. "Can I come over tonight? There's something I want to talk to you about."

"I've got another full day tomorrow. I'm not planning on staying up late."

"It won't take long," he promised. "I've got a couple of things I need to tell you."

Meg leaned in close and whispered, "Are you going to try to talk your way into my bed tonight, Dan?"

He grinned. "Actions speak louder than words, Meg."

She smiled at him. "I should be home around ten o'clock."

"I'll be waiting for you." He reached out and grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed it. "Thanks, Meg."

"Hungry over here," Pat called out, making Meg laugh.

Dan's guts tied themselves into square knots. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh... and make her sigh. He knew how to do the latter; now he had to learn how to do the former.

The next few hours were the longest of his life-not counting the night he'd spent waiting for his ex to show up, but he tried not to relive that night too often. He'd have to bring it up when he and Meg sat down. A look at his kitchen clock told him he still had some time, but he was restless and needed to do something or he'd lose his mind. Grabbing his keys, he headed for the back door and was in his car heading to town before he could decide whether or not it was a good idea.

"I'll look like a dork waiting outside her apartment for an hour." He had time to kill and no one to spend it with. Needing to do something with his hands, he decided to stop at the diner for a cup of coffee. Now might be as good a time as any to talk to the McCormack sisters about their piecrust.

He opened the door to the diner and smiled. The two ladies in question were behind the counter serving up coffee and pie.

"Well, well, if it isn't the coach," Peggy drawled. "Heard Apple Grove played a good game today. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Peggy. The guys played well."

"What'll it be?" Katie asked, bringing a full pot of what had to be fresh coffee over to where he sat at the counter.

"I'm back for another slice of your pecan pie." When Katie and Peggy smiled, he did too.