A Time to Surrender by Sally John

brat, all over the world. I learned early to roll with the punches. My four older brothers made sure of that. I wasn’t allowed to whine, cry, be shy, or act bossy. Dating was a nightmare. Joey practically had to win a fistfight with each one of my brothers before we got engaged. Heads up!” She blew out a breath. “Two o’clock.”
    “What?” Jenna followed Amber’s gaze to their right. Cade Edmunds was climbing the bleachers in their direction.
    “Speaking of holding hands . . .” Amber leaned toward her and murmured. “He can hold mine anytime.”
    Jenna studied her face, looking for clues. “Are you serious?”
    Amber laughed. “Partly. I mean, I wouldn’t really hold hands with him, but he is magnetic and inviting in that way. Joey says if I like the bald look, he’ll shave his head.”
    “You told Joey your boss is magnetic and inviting?”
    “Sure. It keeps my guy on his toes. Makes him want to come home in one piece to win the magnetic contest. Hey, Mr. Edmunds!” she called out.
    “Hey, ladies.” He sat down on Jenna’s other side and quickly averted his gaze to the field below. “Great game, huh?”
    She exchanged a look with Amber and they snickered.
    Jenna said, “If you want an enlightened view on that subject, you’ve come to the wrong bleacher.”
    “You two don’t have a clue.” He half stood, punched the air, and shouted a cheer along with everyone else on the bleachers. “Yes! Way to go, guys!”
    Jenna smiled at Amber’s exaggerated yawn.
    Still applauding, Cade sat back down. “You gotta tell Kevin about this. His guys are out there doing what he tried to get them to do all last year. It has come together.”
    “I don’t know what that means.”
    He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe her. “Tell him the offensive line really jelled.”
    “Huh?”
    Eyes still on the game, Cade said, “The offensive line jelled. Think of it as the most exquisite dénouement in some Shakespeare play. That’s what you’re seeing down there, all the pieces coming together to execute a work of art.” He threw a brief smile her way. “Maybe when it’s over, you can remember who wins and tell him that too.”
    She cocked an eyebrow. “I might even manage to memorize the score.”
    He chuckled. Bracing one foot on the empty bleacher below them, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his lightweight jacket. An elbow touched her arm. “I hear they’re doing military salutes everywhere these days. At concerts, Padres games, the zoo, Sea World.” He paused. “Sundance High football game.”
    Jenna tensed.
    “It was the team’s idea. We’ve got three players with brothers overseas, plus a few dozen other students with some relative in uniform. Then there’s the faculty.”
    Amber sighed. “Are these boys sweet or what?”
    Jenna slid to the edge of the bleacher, put her weight on her feet, ready to flee. “When?”
    “Right about . . .” Cade looked at the scoreboard and counted down the seconds. “Three, two, one. Now.” The horn blared. “Before the team heads off the field.”
    The announcer’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker, asking people to remain in their seats for a moment. As he explained what was going on, Jenna met Cade’s stare.
    “Jenna, they’re his guys. They need to do this.” He shifted. His shoulder pressed gently against hers.
    On her other side, Amber hooked an arm through Jenna’s, not saying a word.
    Jenna turned to her. The dim light caught the glisten of a teardrop on Amber’s eyelashes.
    If not for being tightly hemmed in by Amber and Cade, Jenna would have bolted down the bleachers and gotten lost in the crowd rather than hear it again. Like at the faculty meeting, names of military personnel were read along with their family members, first students, then faculty. Amber stood. Just as it seemed they might have forgotten Kevin Mason, the announcer began to talk about him.
    About his accomplishments at the high school the previous