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around all the time. The kid was skinny as a post and barely broke the five-foot mark. “Who would have thought he’d become a coach.” He shook his head in amazement. “Tell him I’ll stop by.”
    â€œWe’ll be there too.” Felicity grinned at Jenni. “The boys would love to see Sam play.”
    â€œCan we, Mom?” Chase joined the conversation.
    Jenni looked at her son. “Sure.”
    â€œI got to get going,” he said. He didn’t like the way this was going. He’d rather be double teamed than to face a bunch of matchmakers. It didn’t matter how nicely Jenni filled out a pair of jeans. “I need to unplug my extension cord from an outlet in the dining room.”
    â€œI’ll show you the way.” Jenni walked into the darkened dining room and flipped on the light.
    â€œThanks again, Dorothy.” He felt like an eight hundred–pound gorilla in the room. “I’ll see you Friday night, Sam.” He quickly followed Jenni.
    An aged, ugly, and large light hung above the fancy table. The beautiful antique mahogany dining room set was totally out of place in the room. This was definitely the room that no one had spent a dime on. The faded, peeling wallpaper had to be at least fifty years old. The hardwood floor needed to be refinished, and he wouldn’t have trusted the light above the table. The thing looked ready to come crashing down.
    A silver tea set sat on the buffet, and two silver candelabras were on the table with a fall-themed centerpiece. Fine antique china and crystal filled the china closet. It obviously was a room the boys were kept out of. He would hate to think what Tucker would do to his grandmother’s china.
    The furniture looked like something Dorothy would treasure. She probably had inherited it from her own mother or grandmother.
    He walked to the front windows, where his orange extension cord was snaked under the screen and plugged into the wall socket. He pulled the plug and pushed the cord back outside onto the porch. “I would tell Dorothy not to be too concerned about Sam. He seems like a nice kid, and he’s obviously head over heels for Felicity.” The wooden window was a real pain to get closed. He muttered a couple of curses under his breath as he finally got it to lock tight.
    â€œHow can you tell?”
    â€œHe’s dressed like a frog. That says it all.” He took one last glance around the room. On the far wall there was a large, strange shape, of missing wallpaper and shattered plaster. It looked like someone had used a screwdriver or a crowbar on the paper and plaster. It was a horrible, ugly, and deep scar. It was going to take a professional to fix the mess. “What happened there?” And why was the shape hauntingly familiar?
    â€œRemember I told you about Tucker, a caulking tube of Liquid Nails, and Felicity’s cat, Dumb?”
    Coop stared at the wall in dawning horror. He now knew why the shape was so familiar. It was the shape of a cat. Tucker had glued the cat right to the wall!
    He muttered, “Mother of God,” as he slid down the wall, laughing hysterically.

Chapter Three
    For a November night in Maine, the weather wasn’t too bad. Jenni had brought along plenty of blankets for herself and the boys. She hadn’t been to a football game since college. Ken hadn’t been a sports nut, but the boys seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially since their current idol, Sam, would be playing.
    So far she had had to warn the boys only three times not to be running up and down the bleachers. They already had consumed hot dogs, chips, and sodas, and the game was just about to start. She figured by halftime she would have to remortgage the house for another trip to the snack stand. Her business had better be a huge success if she wanted to continue to feed the boys during their teenage years.
    Cheerleaders, dressed in tight white, fuzzy sweaters, short