“You’re the best kind of friend an old man could ever hope for, kid.”
His sincerity is rare, and it catches me off guard. Tears blur my vision, and I’m grateful for the dim light on his porch. I avert my eyes and busy my hands with stroking Buddy’s head.
I know all too well how lonely it gets in Bernard’s house.
It’s just as empty in mine.
Bernard forces me to look into the future,myfuture. No one but a dog to keep me company. It scares me down to my core.
But letting someone in and suffering from the pain when they leave is worse. I’d rather be alone because I choose to be. It’s easier when I’m in control.
“Got anyThe Price is Rightreruns we can watch?” I ask.
Bernard chuckles as he pushes out of his rocking chair. “Only if you’ll let me have some ice cream while we do.”
I nod. “I’ll allow it.”
Chapter 6
Landon
“Coach Fletcher!”
My sneakers scrape across the gravel in the parking lot as I turn around.
A blonde-haired woman smiles as she walks toward me. “I’m Hannah’s mom, Lucy. Just wanted to introduce myself.”
I hold out my hand. “I’m looking forward to seeing Hannah as goalie this season.”
Lucy keeps my hand after she shakes it, and doesn’t let it go. Her eyes trail the length of my body. “It’s so nice to have a former lacrosse champion as our coach.”
I drop her hand like a Hot Pocket, taking a step back. “Uh, well, Coach Ainsley is a former champion too, so I’m not the first.”
And her daughter was on her team last year, so she knows this.
Lucy purses her lips as her eyes cut to the field. “Between us, I think it should beyouout there coaching the varsity team.”
My chin jerks back, irritation spiking in my veins. The nerve of these parents. “Ainsley is well-suited for the job, ma’am. Now if you’ll excuse me?—”
She laughs, tilting her head back and pressing her palm against her chest as if I made the funniest joke. “Please, call me anything but ma’am. That makes me feel so old, and I’m not much older than you. You can call me Lucy.”
My eyes land on the giant diamond sparkling on her ring finger. “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Brennan, but I need to start practice.”
Her blue eyes narrow for a split-second. “Oh, here.” She holds out a red to-go cup, Wawa’s big letters scrawled across it in white. “Got you a coffee. It’s tradition for the first practice.” She shoots me a wink. “I’ll be your caffeine girl for the whole season if you need it.”
My stomach turns at how obvious her flirting is.
I don’t bother to tell her that I don’t drink coffee because caffeine makes me jittery. Plus, it tastes like shit unless you fill it with cream and sugar, and by then, what’s the point?
“Thanks.” I raise the cup and speed-walk to the field, finding Quinn standing beside Ainsley and Raymond.
Ainsley arches an eyebrow as I stop beside her and drop my duffle onto the grass. “What happened toif you’re not early you’re late?”
“Iwasearly until I got stopped by a mom in the parking lot.” I set my cup down on the folding table and pull my whistle from my pocket before looping it around my neck. “We need some kind of signal if we need to be saved from a conversation with one of these parents.”
She scoffs. “Yes, because having Wawa personally delivered to you seems so bothersome.”
I lift the cup. “Want it? Don’t want to take your traditional first-day coffee.”
