Loving the Rain Read online

  “Since when do you call your own plays, Luke? What in the heck were you thinking?”

  “I just felt like calling it. I don’t know.”

  “Felt like it!? Holy cow! What am I doing here, Luke? Maybe you should be the coach!”

  “Why’re you so upset, Dad? It worked; we scored.”

  “Shut up, Luke! You’d better hope we can hold them with all this time left on the clock, and then you’d better stay out of my sight when I get home tonight. You can’t just be makin’ up your own plays. Go sit down!”

  Kearsley converted the extra point and the score was 16-13. On the bench, Tanner heard Luke say, “I don’t know why I changed the play. All of a sudden it’s what I wanted to do. My dad’s ready to kill me.”

  …After the game, which Kearsley High managed to win, Tanner received his congratulations and slipped over to his parents before boarding the bus. Jessie was still looking for John and a chance to say goodbye. Jessie’s mom and dad congratulated Tanner. They were coming over to the house, and Tanner was expected to be there. “I’m going out with some of the guys, Mom. I’ll see you later. Thanks for coming, Grandma, Grandpa.” Tanner leaned in for a hug from his grandmother.

  “Not so fast, Tanner. You should come home for awhile,” Clay responded.

  “No, Dad. Mom,” Tanner looked into her eyes, “tell him it’s okay.”

  Jessie, who wasn’t too focused on the conversation to begin with, responded to Tanner’s request by saying, “It’s okay. Don’t worry, Clay. My parents see him all the time. Let him go.”

  Tanner had a little grin on his face that may have been because he just got one over on his mother and father or it may have been because his coach had just slapped Luke upside the helmet, which flew off his head and landed in a trash barrel. Coach Simms was yelling, “I call the audibles, Luke, not you!” Luke seemed unsure of himself as he pulled the helmet from the garbage. He looked directly at Tanner, and then stared out into space with some kind of far off look that seemed to indicate he couldn’t quite figure something out. Clay shuddered momentarily because he recognized that look. Then in a moment of fatherly compassion, Coach Simms patted Luke on the butt and said, “Nice pass, son.” He smiled and headed for the team bus.

  Tanner winked at Luke and said, “See, everything’s all right. He’s proud of you, you know. It was a pretty good pass, Hero, but don’t let it go to your head.” Both boys then walked away to board the bus with smiles on their faces. As Clay observed, he could not shake the feeling that somehow Tanner had manipulated Jessie and maybe even had something to do with Luke calling plays that he wasn’t supposed to call. Jessie seemed preoccupied with other thoughts and was paying no attention to the evening’s unfolding events, but Clay had an anxious feeling about what he had just observed. He was going to have to keep a closer eye on Tanner.

  CHAPTER 4

  Jack Harding glared out his front window. There in the driveway was his son, Kevin, his daughter, TJ, and Tanner Thomas. Tanner had spent the night with Kevin after his football game, and he and Kevin were shooting baskets in the driveway. It irritated Jack to see TJ watching and teasing her boyfriend, and it irritated him doubly to see his son being friends with his biggest competition. When Jack didn’t like something, he tended to do everything in his power to eliminate the problem, and he saw Tanner as a problem. Though very shady, Jack was a self-made, successful businessman. He tended to get what he wanted, and if someone was in his way, he eliminated the problem by whatever means necessary. After graduating from Okemos High School, Jack couldn’t get away fast enough. He earned a degree in business, and after five years of mostly unethical scheming, Jack purchased an automobile salvage yard in Flint, Michigan, which he renamed Harding Metals. Since high school, Jack had been a bitter man, always blaming others for his failures and shortcomings and never really overcoming the disdain he had felt from his high school classmates. Approximately seven years after starting up his own business, the man he blamed the most, Clay Thomas, was offered the head baseball-coaching job at Mott Community College in Flint. There he would also teach a couple of math courses each semester. At the time, Jack had no idea that he was living in the same city with the one person he blamed the most for his worst memories.

  Jack smiled to himself as he watched his son run off six consecutive long jump shots. He felt that Kevin was a star basketball player and that this, his senior year, would be the year that others would recognize his talent. But there in the driveway, rebounding for his son was his daughter’s boyfriend, Tanner Thomas, the player that everyone else thought was the star of Kearsley’s basketball team, and it angered Jack that his children were friends of Clay Thomas’s son. Five years after Clay had taken the coaching job at Mott, Jack’s ex-wife married a man who was to work and live in Toronto, Ontario. The marriage, another failure on Jack’s resume, resulted in two remarkably good children, both of whom had to move in with their father because their custody arrangements wouldn’t allow them to move out of the country. They were enrolled back into Kearsley Community Schools, where they had attended in early elementary school before the divorce. Kevin Harding ironically became a teammate of Clay’s star son, Tanner, and TJ worshipped Tanner like a rock star groupie. Those two circumstances did nothing but draw the ire of Jack Harding, who hated Clay Thomas with a passion.

  ***

  Jessie watched as Clay packed his things, said his goodbyes, and headed off for a day of watching Saturday baseball. There were a couple of ballplayers from the Detroit area that had contacted Clay about playing ball for Mott, whose reputation was growing year by year as a good place to play baseball. One was a big, scrappy, power-hitting catcher and the other a left-handed hitting first baseman, who was also purported to throw lefty at up to 90 miles per hour with a lot of movement. Clay was looking for recruits that fit the descriptions of both players, so he had decided to watch them play in an indoor baseball tournament at Total Sports Complex in Wixom, Michigan. Both players were Division 1 prospects whose grades concerned the major universities. A community college would be a good place to spend two years getting grades up before a transfer. If they were as good as advertised, Clay would be getting a couple of prizes.

  Jessie relaxed as Clay pulled out of the driveway and headed away. Because Tanner had ended up spending the night with Kevin Harding after the football game, he also was not home. As long as the October weather stayed reasonably good, he was going to take his girlfriend, TJ, to a fair, which included a concert. He would be gone all day as well.

  Jessie smiled as she considered the plans she had made with John. They were heading north to possibly Bay City or Midland, just to do a little shopping, have something to eat, and talk in a place where they weren’t likely to be recognized. Jessie liked how John was going slow and not pressuring her in any way. She wasn’t looking to have an affair; she was simply enjoying his company and the way he made her feel. She liked the compliments, the excitement, the way he didn’t take her for granted. He was kind, generous, and most importantly for her, he seemed so self-assured and confident. It seemed to Jessie that Clay took her for granted and didn’t notice things about her. He seemed to lack the confidence of John and didn’t seem to take charge of things the way John did. John made her feel like she was special, while Clay made her feel frustrated. Her husband didn’t get mad at her and never seemed jealous, but he gave in to her too easily. Did he even love her? It was hard for her to tell.

  They met in a restaurant parking lot and John drove. He gave her a rose and a Hershey’s chocolate bar. “You said it was your favorite.”

  “That’s sweet. Thank you.”

  “I hope you don’t mind that I took it upon myself to make plans.”

  “No, I like that. What’re we doing?”

  “We’re going to Midland and we’re visiting Dow Gardens. I know it’s October and the flowers won’t be at their best, but the weather’s pretty nice today, and the fall leaves are beautiful. We can tour by ourselves and eat in the picn
ic area. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, we’ll go out, but otherwise, I brought a picnic lunch.”

  “You’re just trying to romance me, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t see what’s wrong with that. Can’t get too much romance, if you ask me.”

  John always dressed nicely. He had dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes. His somewhat crooked nose seemed to give him character. His eyes didn’t smile often, but he seemed to always be smiling at Jessie, like he had something up his sleeve that he wasn’t telling her about. He wasn’t always clean-shaven, but he was cleanly shaved for the “date.” She liked the way he paid attention to details and seemed genuinely interested in listening to her; he asked too many questions about her family, though, and considering what she was doing with him, those questions made her uncomfortable, so she would steer the conversation away. He was divorced, had two kids, and ran his own business.

  “You have beautiful eyes…oh, I like that bracelet…you look a lot younger than 38…you’re funny…smart…so pretty….” John was ready and willing to flatter Jessie, and Jessie liked it. She enjoyed her day with him very much, and when he dropped her off at her car, he opened her car door and simply kissed her hand like a gentleman. “Will I see you again, do you think?”

  “Yes.” She couldn’t hold back her smile.

  “Good. I had a great time with you.”

  “I did too. I’ll call you soon, John. Goodnight.”

  ***

  As soon as she had the car in gear, Jessie was on the phone to Carlee. She had to talk to someone.

  “Hi, Jess; I thought you’d never call. I was worried about you.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about. It was perfect, Carlee. I really like him.”

  “Are you going to tell me who ‘him’ is?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Are you looking for trouble, Jessie? Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

  “We’re just friends. He’s been a perfect gentleman. Nothing has happened.”

  “So, are you going to tell Clay?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then something is happening; don’t fool yourself.”

  ***

  When Clay returned, Jessie was preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn’t seem to be listening to his description of the two excellent players he’d been watching all day. When Tanner returned, she didn’t even bother to talk to him, something that was very unusual. She usually kept a close eye on the clock and couldn’t wait to talk to Tanner about his day. Instead, she got in bed early, kissed Clay lightly on the lips, said goodnight, and rolled over on her side, her back to her husband who was going over his notes. She looked lovely as always and Clay thanked the Lord once again for his amazing luck in snagging Jessie. Maybe it was time he did something nice for her…to make sure she knew how he felt about her. She sure seemed down in the dumps.

  CHAPTER 5

  Clay had been in touch with several college coaches who were interested in watching Tanner play football. It was senior night, probably the last home game. Kearsley was 6-2 and guaranteed to have a playoff spot the following week, but a win against Holly might get them a home game in the districts. Coaches from Grand Valley State, Oakland University, and the University of Toledo suggested that they might be in attendance, so Clay was looking over the crowd when he spotted a Toledo sweatshirt worn by a man who was approaching the Thomas’s seats. Clay got his attention and discovered it was Toledo’s basketball coach, Sammy Moretti. Sammy shook hands with a firm handshake and sat down next to Clay. Sammy was a large, rugged-looking gentleman, but he was friendly from the start. He had salt and pepper hair, broad shoulders, and a thick neck like someone who spent considerable time in a weight room. His slightly protruding belly demonstrated that he was a man who also knew how to enjoy a good meal. He explained that he was from the Flint area, having gone to school at Davison High School before going off to play basketball for the University of Toledo. From there he became a graduate assistant, then sports information director, then recruiting coordinator and head defensive assistant, before finally getting the head coaching job two years back. He knew there was a lot of talent in the Flint area, so he came back occasionally to recruit and visit family; his parents still lived in Davison. He expressed interest in Tanner as a future point guard for his program and said he thought he’d take in a game to make that interest clear. He laughed, “But my mother’s linguini with white clam sauce was reason enough to come. I sure do miss her cooking.”

  Tanner had the performance of his career. He caught eleven passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Nearly all of his yardage and all three of his touchdowns were in the first half alone. Tanner knew that some schools were there that were interested in him as a basketball prospect, so he was determined to make a good showing. Throughout the course of the football season, he was becoming more and more confident that he was able to somehow influence the minds of other people. He was in the heads of the Holly cornerbacks all night. Most of the time, they did just as Tanner told them. Sometimes they didn’t, which confused Tanner somewhat, but he had drawn the conclusion that the more attention his opponents gave him and the more closely they eyed him, the more likely they were to respond to his mental suggestions. There were blown coverages, terrible mistakes going for Tanner’s fakes, screaming coaches, shrugging shoulders, pointing fingers, replacement players, yet no one on Holly seemed to have much of a clue about what they were doing while defending Tanner. “It’s like they think they know what he’s doing and he keeps doing the opposite,” Coach Moretti said at halftime after getting a bag of popcorn.

  Like when I was pitching in junior high, Clay thought. He was becoming more certain than ever that Tanner was influencing everything that was happening.

  ***

  Jessie was back to being her usual lovable self—jumping up and down and screaming, giving high-fives to everyone within reach, including quite a few gawking men who found a way to maneuver within her reach. After Tanner’s second touchdown, when she threw her hands in the air, she sent her hot chocolate into orbit, the cup disappearing between rows of the bleachers. Before Tanner had scored his third touchdown, three different men had replaced her cup with another. It was a performance to remember—for both Tanner and Jessie—one that made Clay more suspicious than ever about Tanner and happier than ever to be the one married to Jessie. Jessie enjoyed Tanner’s performance, but she understood that she was also performing because John was at the game once again, keeping a very close eye on her. He seemed to be enjoying her antics as much as anyone. He always seemed to be smiling at her, even though his eyes at times seemed very cold. Jessie was having too much fun to figure that out, though, and she was enjoying Tanner’s game very, very much.

  Kearsley won easily and many of the starters, including Tanner, played very little in the second half. After the game, several recruiters hung around to introduce themselves and give congratulations. They gave cards with phone numbers and expressed their interest. Clay watched closely as Tanner shook hands and politely answered their questions. If the question was personal, however, he would avoid eye-contact and act as though the topic was not important to him—like he wasn’t willing to give the topic too much of his attention.

  The Hornets lost the next weekend in the first round of the playoffs to Lowell 38-10. Tanner bruised his thigh pretty badly in the first quarter, and though he attempted to play through it for awhile, it became obvious that Kearsley was not going to win the game, and Tanner sat out most of it. The football season was over. In the next two weeks before basketball practice began, Clay kept a very close eye on his son. By that time, he wasn’t just suspicious that Tanner had the power to control minds; he was almost convinced of it. Memories of his childhood, when he began to recognize his powers, began to seep into his consciousness…

  When Clay was ten years old, he had an encounter with a bear—not a real bear, a Chicago Bear. The Bears were playing an exhibition game at the 80,000 seat Ponti
ac Silverdome, and Clay’s dad took him to the game. It was supposed to be “Autograph Night,” but the Thomases were running a little late. Better than 60,000 fans were involved in various activities: using the restroom, buying refreshments or souvenirs, searching for seats. Many were still waiting for signatures—several players from the Chicago team were still signing autographs. The line for Walter Payton’s signature was far too long and even journeyman quarterback Vince Evans was being overwhelmed with requests. But there was a linebacker by the name of Doug Buffone whose line was short enough to harbor the possibility that an autograph might be procured before the players headed back to the locker room or back to the playing field.

  As Clay and his father worked their way into the line, Clay asked, “Who’s Doug Buffoon?”

  “Um, he’s a linebacker, Son. Plays for the Bears.”

  “Isn’t a buffoon some sort of a monkey?”

  “I believe that would be ‘baboon,’” Mr. Thomas said while stifling a smile.

  “It’s a funny name.” Clay seemed especially interested in the topic of conversation. “What is a buffoon?”