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needs to be related to basketball since that was her claim to fame in Diffee.”
    “Maybe a gift to the town?” Beth suggested.
    “Well, I think all our names should be on any gift. She didn’t win that championship by herself,” Loretta commented as she spooned sandwich components into separate piles on her plate.
    Jamie’s voice warbled, “I’ve got it! Let’s have a fundraiser and use the money to renovate the inside of the old gym—new paint, bleachers, and refinish the floor. If the superintendent agrees, we’ll call it the ‘Terri Womack Memorial Gymnasium.’”
    Beth chimed in, “We can make the game part of our twentieth high school reunion. That way we’ll raise more money. ‘Killing two birds with one stone’ as the old people say.”
    “You need to stay away from old people if you’re repeating weird things about birds.”
    Jamie curled her lip at Loretta.
    Abbey ignored the pair. “So who will we play?”
    “How about Jamie’s college team? She can make them take a fall for us.” Loretta raised her eyebrows in anticipation of Jamie’s reaction.
    “Not in this lifetime. My girls aren’t taking a fall for anyone.”
    “Keep in mind,” Abbey said, “it’s twenty years later and I’m fifteen pounds heavier. We need to play a team that’s not very good.”
    Jamie laughed, “The nursing home doesn’t have a team.”
    Abbey stuck out her tongue.
    “The high school team is lousy,” Loretta said. “Let’s play them.”
    “Beth, since you teach at the high school will you ask the superintendent?” Abbey continued, “I’ll phone Tina, Mariah and Heather and talk them into playing.”
    “I bet Mariah won’t come. Rumors are circulating that her war hero husband is the dark horse for the Republican presidential nomination.”
    “Wow, Beth! But just think of the money we can bring in if the wife of a political candidate plays.” Abbey’s eyes brightened at the prospect.
    Loretta shook her head. “No way will someone of her stature make a spectacle of herself.”
    Racket from the front porch signaled Abbey that her family was about to save her from a dismal conversation.
    “I need to go–things to do.” Loretta stood quickly as Nicky made a beeline for her lap. He grabbed a leg and hung as she walked toward the door. Gary unclasped his giggling son from the irate woman.
    “That boy needs to grow-up,” Loretta panted.
    Gary followed her out to the porch. “Kids aren’t grown-up by thirteen months.”
    Loretta made a noise that sounded like a ferocious animal and stomped to her BMW.
    “I’ll start making calls in the morning,” Abbey promised Beth and Jamie after their good-bye hugs.
    “Gary, there’s nothing like spending a couple of hours with my teammates to help me remember how lucky I am to have you and the kids.”
    “If I’m so damn wonderful why aren’t you giving me a big smooch?” Gary puckered his lips like a fish. Abbey reached over and grabbed him around the neck and planted a long kiss firmly on his lips.
     

Chapter Twelve
    Abbey pushed aside the breakfast dishes and started her ‘to do’ list. The sun from the bay window left streaks of light on her short brown curls. She was wearing her favorite clothes—old sweatpants with a t-shirt. Her bare feet under the table touched something sticky. “Oh, the joy of motherhood.”
    “What’d you say?” Gary hollered from the family room.
    “I have sticky toes from your little guy dropping jelly on the floor. I’m going to have to scrub the floor again today.”
    Gary leaned against the door facing. “If you wore shoes you wouldn’t feel the jelly, so you wouldn’t need to scrub the floor.”
    “Sounds like male logic to me.”
    He wrapped his arms around her. “That’s the best kind.”
    “You go do man stuff. I need to get the game planned.”
    “Yes, my queen.”
    “I like the sound of that,” Abbey laughed.
    Abbey dialed Heather’s phone number. “May I speak to Heather?” Abbey asked