Page 25 of Saving Texas

***

“Hold on there. Are you wearing Dallas Cowboys socks, Doctor?”

I looked up from stitching up a patient. “Yeah, what’s it to ya, Jeffers?”

“This here is Houston Texans territory, little missy.”

I rolled my eyes and returned to working on my stitches. There had been a long and storied rivalry between the Texas NFL teams, starting with the Cowboys and the Oilers, later transitioning to a Cowboys versus Texans rivalry when the Oilers left town and the Texans joined the league.

“The Cowboys have been a Texas institution since the sixties, your precious Texans are newcomers. Total posers.”

“Hardly newcomers, they’ve been here a few years now. And let me tell you, Houston fans are the best in the world. If you were gonna be here longer I’d take you to a game and prove it to you.”

“Maybe next hurricane you can take me to a Governor’s Cup game,” I said, referring to the periodic matchups between the Cowboys and Texans. Nothing riled up Texans like a game between these two hometown rivals.

“It’s a date.”

I snipped off the suture thread and removed the gauze around the wound, balling it up and tossing it into the waste basket across the room.

“Three points,” I announced. In my head I heard the cheering of an imaginary crowd.

Jeffers whistled. “I didn’t think you’d make that shot.”

“You know what they say about missing every shot you never take, don’t you Jeffers?”

“Yes ma’am I do.”

***

I got up from my chair, grabbed Troy Aikman, and headed for my car. I got to Allen’s house in record time, parking in the driveway and fast walking across the porch to knock on the door.

Allen looked shocked to see me when he opened the door. I pushed past him, then turned around and waived Troy Aikman at him.

“You broke a promise to me, mister.”

“Huh?”

“I seem to recall you making me a promise to take me to a football game whenever I came back to town. And have we?”

His smile was wide. “As a matter of fact, I had something I was gonna give you next weekend over Thanksgiving.” He held up one finger. “Be right back.”

He headed into his office and returned about twenty seconds later with a green envelope.

“What is it?”

“Open it.”

Inside was a Christmas card. I opened it to find a folded piece of paper and a message in Allen’s distinct handwriting.

“Clara, I couldn’t wait for Christmas to give this to you, otherwise it would be too late. I already had Adie arrange for another doctor to cover your on-call shift that weekend. Love, Allen.”

I unfolded the paper to see that it was a printout for two tickets for the Governor’s Cup game, the Texans versus the Cowboys, coming up in the Cowboys stadium in three weeks. I looked from Allen to the tickets and back again.

“You remembered?”

“That I did, darlin’.” His drawl was deeper, the way it was when he was feeling emotional.

I set the card and tickets down on the coffee table and stalked closer, grabbing his belt when I got to arm’s length, pulling him closer. I looked deep into his eyes.