CHAPTER 1
IT WAS the first week of September, and Illinois was in the grips of an unexpected heat wave. The humidity and stifling temperatures were adding to the frayed nerves that jangled coaches and players alike. Getting in one last practice before tomorrow’s home game would be a challenge under these conditions. When Luca showed up sporting a shiner and wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt instead of the more practical wife beater, he’d become everyone’s focal point.
During calisthenics, sweat poured down his back, plastering the jersey to his torso and adding another element to his misery. His eye throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and he itched like crazy. As soon as they had their first water break, he tore off the shirt and sighed with relief. Unfortunately, Coach Taggart zeroed in on the scratches up his arms and pulled him behind the bleachers to start the third degree. Luca had watched him use these same tactics on other players, but he hadn’t paid much attention; he’d never given Coach a reason to single him out. Today, however, was different.
“You’re lying,” Coach Taggart concluded after Luca’s halting explanation. “Tell me the truth, or I’ll investigate this on my own.”
“I got elbowed by accident, Coach.”
“I’m not buying into your story, Dilorio.”
Luca bit back his indignant reply before he made things worse. Coach’s heavy dose of cynicism upon hearing Luca’s feeble attempt to gloss over the black eye was completely foreign to him. All the adults in his life had always taken his word at face value. He supposed his face was a dead giveaway. He sucked at lying, turned beet red whenever he tried, and this coach was no fool.
“’Fess up, or I’m calling your dad.”
“He’s out of the country with my other dad.”
“Are you staying with your mom?”
“I would be, except she left for the Philippines with my grandparents, stepfather, and little sister. They’ll be gone for three weeks.”
“Then who in the hell is watching you?”
“I’m almost fifteen,” Luca reminded him. “I don’t need watching.”
“I didn’t mean that literally.”
“What did you mean?”
“I can’t imagine your parents would leave you for an entire month without adult supervision.”
“I’m staying with my uncles.”
“Could you be more specific?”
“Clark Stevens and Jody Williams.”
Taggart’s face lit up with interest. “Is that right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good to know. Now let’s get back to the problem at hand.”
“There’s no problem,” Luca insisted. His eyes kept darting to the parking lot, which was separated from the practice field by a chain-link fence.
Taggart followed his gaze and zeroed in on the lanky teen whose face was partially covered by a gray hoodie. “Isn’t that Chip Davidson?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t he sign up? I could have used him on the team.”
Luca shrugged. “Maybe you should ask him.”
“Isn’t he your best friend?”
“Since we were ten.”
“Seems mighty strange that a kid who played Pop Warner for so long would have second thoughts about playing high school ball. He’s been watching your blind side for years.”
“I know.”
“So what’s his story?”
“Not for me to say.”
Taggart snorted.
“Just saying,” Luca mumbled.
“How about telling me who was in the fight.”
“It wasn’t my fight so I can’t talk about it.”
“Then why are you banged up?”
“I was trying to stop it… and got caught in the middle.”
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s usually the Good Samaritan who gets clobbered?”
Luca remained silent, which frustrated his coach even more.
“Are you sure the older kids aren’t giving you a hard time?”
“They’re not.”
“Any bullshit remarks about gays?”
Luca rolled his eyes in frustration. He managed to get himself under control and replied in clipped sentences. “You might find this hard to believe, but my life doesn’t revolve around the tired old question of straight versus gay. Why does everyone always think I was attacked by some homophobe every time I show up with a scraped knee or a shiner? Kids fight about all kinds of shit, Coach. And just for the record, my friends are a lot more evolved than you think. We don’t give a crap who’s banging who, so long as you’re not blatant about it.”
“Watch your tone, young man.”
Luca looked directly into the dark gray eyes that were glowering at him. At six feet, he was the same height as his coach, and not in the least bit intimidated. “Either punish me or let me get back to practice,” he said defiantly.
“Is that right? Get out there and run five more laps, then drop and give me thirty-five push-ups. Any more lip and you’re sitting out the game tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir,” Luca said, sprinting away.
TAGGART WAS surprised by Luca’s insubordination. Secretly, he admired the kid for standing up to him; still, he couldn’t let this incident pass without repercussions. He’d known the boy for several years on a perfunctory level, but he had paid much closer attention when Luca assumed the role of quarterback as a Pop Warner Junior Midget. Taggart had been impressed by the kid’s throwing arm, and his ability to rally his team to victory after trailing by six points in the final game of the season. The Hail Mary pass had won him accolades and certainly opened the eyes of the other high school coaches who’d been lurking in the stands. When Luca showed up on the first day of practice, Russell “Rock” Taggart, Barrington High School’s head football coach, was overjoyed.
He had high hopes for the boy, envisioning several winning seasons with Luca at the helm. He planned to bump him up to the varsity team next year, using him as an alternate quarterback as soon as the position was vacated by the departing senior. Luca was tall for his age, and physically fit, but what appealed to Coach Taggart was the underlying strength behind the easygoing façade. Political correctness aside, the kid had some monumental hurdles to overcome. Being raised by gay dads and having a pair of doting gay uncles hovering on the sidelines at each game was daunting, even in this day and age.
Everyone talked tolerance and extolled the virtues of same-sex marriages, but walking in Luca’s shoes was altogether different. Routinely subjected to the small-minded mentality that picked up on anything out of the ordinary, Luca usually managed to set everyone at ease after a few encounters. The kid was more than comfortable with his gene pool, and he’d proven that he had the balls to withstand most of the zingers thrown his way. However, that was back then and this was now. Luca had just embarked on a new adventure: high school. The words alone conjured up all kinds of dreaded scenarios, and Coach Taggart wanted to make sure the boy got off to a good start.
Taggart pulled out his smartphone and called Luca’s guidance counselor. A familiar voice picked up, and he blurted out, “Annie, what is going on with my future quarterback?”
“Luca?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing I’m aware of. Why?”
“He’s been in a fight and refuses to talk about it, but I’ll bet you anything it’s got to do with that Davidson kid.”
“You mean Chip?”
“Is there another one?”
“He has a sister.”
“Not the sister, for God’s sake. I meant Chip.”
“Calm down,” Annie muttered.
“Sorry,” Taggart apologized. “It bugs me when I’m kept in the dark about my players.”
“Coach, really,” Annie commented. “I’m seeing Luca after lunch tomorrow; let me try to get more info.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Maybe a lighter touch is called for in this case.”
“Well, he’s hiding something, and I want to know what it is before it affects his performance on the field.”
“And that’s all you care about, isn’t it?”
“That’s my job, Annie. I need to make sure my players have their heads on straight.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Luca’s head from what I’ve seen so far.”
“Then try to figure out why he looks like he’s been attacked by a pack of wildcats. His arms are all scratched up and he’s got a black eye the size of a large fist.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Keep me up to date.”
“You know that whatever Luca and I discuss is confidential.”
“How in hell can I help if I don’t know what’s going on?”
“Try being more patient—”
“I don’t think so,” Taggart said, cutting her off. He stalked back onto the field and watched as Luca sprinted around the running track far out to the left. The kid didn’t look winded, and push-ups were only a part of his warm-up, except he’d doubled the amount. There’d still be time for Luca to throw some passes before they called it a day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Chip continued to watch Luca intently.
He hated making judgment calls on someone so young, but Chip had been a mystery since school started four weeks ago. He’d been a great left tackle from what Taggart could remember as an observer of the local Pop Warner branch, and would have been an asset to the freshman team, but the kid had refused to sign up, claiming his grades were more important than the game. He wanted to get into medical school someday and felt that football would be a big distraction in maintaining his GPA. It was ironic that he was concerned about his future performance in the classroom rather than desperate to get on the team like the other kids. None of the incoming freshmen really grasped the importance of their class standings until they got their first report cards, when the harsh reality would set in. But Chip seemed to know the ropes early on.
Taggart wondered if he should call Grier and disturb him on his vacation. It would be easy to pick up the phone and tell him what was going on with his son. On the other hand, that would make him a snitch, and Luca might end up hating him. It was a risk he couldn’t take.
He’d gone to the same high school as Grier Dilorio and Jack Davidson, Chip’s dad. They’d been friends and teammates for four years but had lost touch after graduation. They’d only reconnected when Grier showed up at the Pop Warner coaching sign-ups five years ago.
It had been somewhat of a shock to find out that Grier was gay, since they’d partied with the same cheerleaders and exchanged dirty jokes in the showers. No one had ever suspected that Grier might be checking them out as they aired their jockstraps. He’d obviously slept with Jillian or Luca wouldn’t exist, so what had made him switch teams? It was a mystery no one cared to explore, but jaws had dropped when Grier showed up with his partner on the first day of practice. After finding out that he and Lil were legally united, the tongue wagging escalated, and gossip spread like a toxic cloud.
It had taken guts and the quiet support of Clark Stevens, the openly gay Chicago Bear, to win over the parents who were clueless and judgmental. New acquaintances assumed Grier knew nothing about sports, and some even began a campaign to have him removed as a possible bad influence. Former team members had rallied around their old quarterback, who was bewildered by the hostility. He was just another parent who wanted the best for his son, and he felt that he had the know-how and experience on the playing field to back up his claim. Grier had almost lost it the day a few kids, no doubt influenced by their bigoted parents, had taken their mistrust out on Luca and tripped him during a play. When Luca haltingly told Grier they’d also called him a fag, he went insane. Clark’s iron grip and Lil’s pleading were the only reasons Grier hadn’t torn everyone a new asshole.
Even then, Luca had been the voice of reason, urging his father to chill out and let him fight his own battles. Little by little, he’d won over the kids who’d insulted him, gradually stepping into the role of team leader. Luca was a natural athlete, and Taggart hated the idea of anything tarnishing his bright star.
After practice, he looked up Luca’s emergency contacts and saw that Clark and Jody were listed. He decided to take a chance and talk to Clark. Tapping out the numbers before he could change his mind, he waited to see if anyone would pick up.
“Stevens,” a husky voice rumbled through the connection.
“Hey, Clark,” Taggart said. “Rock Taggart here.”
“Do I know you?”
“I’m Luca’s football coach.”
“Sorry,” Clark said, sounding embarrassed. “I didn’t recognize the name.”
“No worries,” Taggart assured him. “There’s been an incident with Luca, and I thought I’d run it by you. I understand his fathers are out of the country.”
“They’ll be gone for about a month.”
“Will ya ask him how he got his shiner?”
“Was he jumped?” Clark barked into the phone.
“I don’t really know the details. He says he was trying to stop a fight, but he won’t tell me who or what was involved. I thought you should know.”
“What about the game tomorrow? Can he play?”
“Sure. He’s not that hurt.”
“I’m picking him up at Chip’s in about an hour. Maybe he’ll let me in on the secret.”
“That’s another thing,” Taggart said. “How much do you know about that Davidson kid?”
“He seems nice enough.”
“Not too sure I agree.”
“If you know something about the kid, then speak up. I don’t want any surprises this month. It’s going to be hard enough without any added stress.”
“You guys have Luca for the entire month?”
“Sure do,” Clark said. “Not that we mind in the least. Luca’s a great kid, but we’re responsible for his safety and I want to make sure I’ve got my bases covered.”
“That makes two of us,” Taggart replied.
“So what’s the problem with Chip?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Taggart confessed. “There’s just something about him that bothers me.”
“I can’t go by your gut feelings, Coach. Give me some facts, and I’ll deal with them as best as I can.”
“You’ll be the first to know when I find out.”
“Fair enough. Thanks for keeping me in the loop.”
“Sure thing.”
CLARK THUMBED off the connection and tossed the phone aside. The last thing he’d expected was that phone call. When Grier and Lil had asked him and Jody to keep an eye on Luca while they traipsed all over Italy, he’d been sure it would be a breeze. Luca was a confident, easygoing kid who’d been problem-free up until now. The boy was as popular as a bag of White Castle sliders and just as hard to resist. No one disliked Luca. Imagining him in a fistfight was almost impossible; then again, he’d been taught to defend himself, by both Grier and himself, and wasn’t afraid to confront any challenge. What could have happened?
He hoped it was nothing serious, because he was reluctant to disturb Grier’s peace and quiet. His buddy had been determined to leave all his responsibilities behind and devote the month of September to Lil. Things had been a little rocky since the architect had celebrated his forty-fifth birthday in March. He was having another one of his age-related meltdowns, a fairly common occurrence Grier had to endure each year, but it had been six months and Lil’s sunny disposition had never returned to normal. He’d buried himself in work but returned home each night unchanged, weighed down by the unreasonable fear that he was on the brink of being abandoned by his partner, who was a dozen years younger and constantly fending off attractive men and women alike. Lil was certain that Grier would stray, and no amount of convincing could snap him out of his depression. It was driving Grier crazy because he’d never been more in love. He’d tried every trick he knew to pull Lil’s head out of his ass, even consenting to the dreaded plastic surgery Lil had been craving in the past, but the architect had refused the offer, and the leaflets describing the various nip and tuck procedures he’d pored over previously had been carelessly tossed in a drawer.
Clark and Jody had been concerned about Lil’s seemingly hopeless depression. When Grier had announced that he’d convinced his life partner to go on an extended vacation, they were relieved and honored by their trust in placing Luca into their care. They embarked on their month-long sojourn as surrogate dads to the greatest kid on earth with enthusiasm. Clark and Jody had known and loved Luca since he was seven years old. They’d been privileged to be included in a lot of his firsts by dint of being best friends with Luca’s fathers. Ferrying him to school and practice wasn’t a hardship, especially since Clark had been benched due to an injury he’d sustained at the Bears’ summer camp. Having Luca around would take his mind off his own career, a sore subject he and Jody had been dancing around for months. Clark would rather focus on the more pleasant challenge of insuring Luca’s seamless entry into high school sports than dealing with his possible retirement.
Gay couples who’d adopted or had their own kids via surrogate were now less unusual, but back when Clark and Jody had first met, it wasn’t that common. Or maybe it was, but they’d been too caught up in each other to really give it much thought. Clark often wondered what it would be like to have kids. It had been years since he’d left home, and time had blurred the bad memories. He no longer thought about the bullying he’d endured at the hands of his older siblings due to his attention deficit disorder. All he remembered was the friendly camaraderie he’d shared with his four brothers, especially Jason and Mike, the twins. They’d recently married, and both his new sisters-in-law were pregnant. He often wished they lived closer so he could participate more in their daily lives. He missed the dynamics of youth sports and juggling itineraries to accommodate games and practice schedules. He’d hoped his dogs would fill the void, and they were great companions in many ways, but it couldn’t compare to a houseful of kids.
He was pretty sure he and Jody would be great parents, but was it even possible at this stage in their lives? Having Luca around would give them a little preview of life in the trenches if they decided to pursue parenting. He was only thirty-five, and many men his age were just starting to have families. On the other hand, Jody was forty-five and would probably balk at the idea, although his own father had had him late in life and managed to keep up. Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard to imagine.
Clark decided to hold off on calling Grier until he talked to Luca. There was absolutely no sense in adding to his friend’s worries until he had an idea what was going on with the teenager. There would be time enough to figure things out if a real problem existed.