Playing for Keeps Read Free Page B

lived a charmed life, but it wasn’t without cost, lately leading him to behavior he wasn’t proud of. He hoped that coming home would heal him in more ways than one. “Mabel, has Olivia lived here all her life?”
    “Far as I know. She’s around thirty-five or -six and you’re what—thirty-eight?”
    Noah nodded.
    “So you would have gone to high school together,” Chrissie said thoughtfully. “I bet Miss Lawson was a total nerd-ball and you were this hot athlete. Like in the movie She’s All That . She was probably secretly in love with you. My mom said all the girls were.”
    Mabel rolled her eyes. “Do not egg him on.” “Hmm . . .” he mused and then mumbled, “Olivia Lawson. Olivia . . .” He snapped his fingers. “Livie Lawson?”
    Mabel shook her head. “She doesn’t go by that anymore, but she was called Livie as a kid.”
    Chrissie looked at him with interest. “So you do remember her?”
    “Oh, yeah.” Noah closed his eyes and nodded. “Chrissie, keep a few cookies out for me, but gather the rest of them up and tie the box with a pretty ribbon.” He paused and then said, “No, wait—do the same with the cinnamon cake.”
    “Uh-oh. What did you do? Stand her up for the prom?” Mabel asked.
    Noah winced and then raked his fingers through his hair. “Well, no, it’s not quite that bad . . . but not exactly that good either. It’s all coming back to me now.”
    “Are you going to tell us?” Chrissie asked with a little bounce.
    “No. Sorry, Chrissie, but wish me luck, okay?”
    “Okay,” she replied but gave him a disappointed pout.
    “Mabel, do you know where I might find her?”
    “As a matter of fact, yes. Remember Jessica Robinson from down at the diner?”
    Noah smiled when he pictured the golden blond beauty with amazing amber eyes. “Oh, yeah.”
    “Well, her daughter, Madison, wrote an award-winning play, and the Cricket Creek Community Theater is putting it on for the summer run.”
    “I know all about it,” Noah replied.
    “Really? How?” Mabel asked.
    “I’m here to audition for the lead.”
    Mabel and Chrissie exchanged a look.
    “What?” Noah asked.
    “Oh, boy.” Mabel turned to Chrissie. “Give the man a cookie. He’s gonna need it.”

2
    A Cold Blast from the Past
    O livia stomped into the Cricket Creek Community Center and sat down on a folding chair so hard that the legs tipped sideways. With a little yelp she righted herself and managed to rescue her milk, but her elephant ear fell to the tile floor with a plop. “Oh . . . f-fudge!”
    Madison looked up from her script and grinned. “For a second I thought you were going to drop the f-bomb. I should have known better.”
    “Cursing is a sign of a bad vocabulary,” Olivia commented, reaching down for the bag.
    “Then at least come up with something more creative than ‘fudge.’ ”
    “Duly noted,” Olivia agreed as she opened the milk carton and inserted the small straw.
    Madison leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. “So, what’s got your Hanes Her Way in a wad?”
    “How’d you know I wear those?”
    Madison scrunched up her nose. “Just a guess. So tell me.”
    “Noah Falcon,” she answered tightly and broke off a piece of elephant ear. “Want some?”
    “Thanks.” Madison accepted the offer and then tilted her head to the side, causing her long, curly blond hair to slide over her shoulder. “Wait.” Her big blue eyes widened. “How did you know about Noah Falcon? I’ve been dying to tell you, but I was told to keep it hush-hush.”
    “Hmm?” Olivia washed down her bite of crunchy goodness and then frowned. “Know what?”
    Madison glanced left and right. “Noah Falcon is reading for the male lead,” Madison told her in a high-pitched whisper. “Isn’t that exciting?”
    “What?” Olivia leaned forward. “No way!”
    “Yes,” Madison said with a smile but then shook her head. “Wait—you didn’t mean that in a good way, did you?”
    “Not so much .