In "Bleachers", the main character, Neely Crenshaw, returns to his hometown of Messina in which he used to be the star quarterback for the famous Messina Spartans. The main purpose for his journey to return was to attend his old football coach's funeral. But not only did he attend the funeral, he ended up coming up with an answer to the question he's been asking himself for over 15 years, does he love or hate Coach Rake? The answer to that question is stated on page 224, "I've loved five people in my life... My parents, a certain girl who's here today, my ex-wife, and Eddie Rake."