Free Devil Moon by Dana Taylor

asked in a low voice, "And where do you live, Maddie?"
    Feeling like a deer caught in the proverbial headlights, she answered weakly, "In the hills..."
    He nodded. "Ah."
    They stood there staring at each other like a couple of goofy teenagers until Phil snapped to. "So, did you come to run or flirt with me?"
    Embarrassed outrage filled her big blue eyes. "I do not flirt and I certainly wouldn't flirt with you if I did." She pushed off.
    Keeping up with her, he said, "No, you'd save that come hither glance for Phineas Manchester."
    She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Just shut up and run."
    And so they did. They ran and ran, keeping pace with each other amazingly well. She was long in the leg at five foot seven, something he admired greatly. Maintaining grace and elegance while sweating around a track took some doing, but somehow she managed it. He imagined her wearing a fancy ballroom gown, himself dressed in a tux, spinning a waltz in a garden setting, the light dim and intimate. He shook his head, thinking, man where did that come from? He was probably getting dehydrated.
    After seven laps, they were panting like dogs. Maddie's water bottle was empty and Phil's throat completely parched. He would have stopped at five laps, but pride is a powerful stimulus. Maddie slowed her pace as they reached the bleachers and stopped to hold onto the front railing, taking measured breaths.
    "That's…enough…for me," she said.
    "Really?" he said inhaling huge gulps of air. He was about to lie and say he was good for three more laps, but instead spit out, "Thank God!"
    They laughed and limped up onto the bleachers.
    The early morning breeze felt good passing through their damp clothes as they caught their breath on the metal benches. Maddie grabbed a knapsack she had stowed and pulled out a small towel she draped around her neck. Then she brought out two water bottles and threw one to Phil.
    "Granola bar?" she asked.
    Phil winced. "Never touch the stuff, but thanks for the water. You do come prepared, don't you?"
    "I find a bit of careful planning makes life much easier."
    Maddie sat very straight, patting herself with the towel, drank water and looked out over the field. A mockingbird dive-bombed a pair of squirrels playing in a large elm tree that grew near the chain link fence. The slant of the sun sparkled everything with a fresh, clean look.
    Phil sprawled back, rested his arms on the bench behind and locked his gaze on Maddie's profile. Her nose turned up at the end, making her look cute and snooty at the same time.
    Laying on a thick accent he said, "So, Miz Harris, where do you holler from? You don't sound like ya'll come from these here parts."
    He was teasing her again and, darn it, she liked it.
    "I'm from Boston originally, but my father was raised here and I spent my summers in Beaver Cove with my Grammy, uh, Grandmother. What about you? Are you a native?"
    "Oh yeah. You can take the man out of Arkansas, but you can't take Arkansas out of the man. I've bounced around a lot, but I guess you could say I've come full circle, hoping to beat the Bender Tigers. Only this time, I'm the coach instead of the quarterback."
    She turned and looked at him. "Oh, that's right. Your opening game is tonight. Are you nervous?"
    Phil shrugged. "Nervous? It's only a high school football game. It's nothing to lose any sleep over." Maddie's honest blue eyes tore down his defenses. "Listen, I won't kid you. Okay, I'm nervous. These kids might pull it together or they might just get clobbered. It could go either way. These boys are depending on me for leadership and I'm not sure I'm getting through to them. I really don't want to screw this up."
    Phil's hand rested on the bench and Maddie instinctively covered it with her own. "I have the feeling you're the sort of person who gets the job done. I've read your resume. You're vastly over qualified for this position. Just do what you've been trained to do and expect the best from your boys. They'll give