Page 92 of Worth the Trip

“I’m just saying, communication important.”

“Your mother know you offering relationship counsel before you’ve learned to wash your own uniform?”

His grin disappeared. “You ain’t have to tell everybody that.”

“I believe in transparency.”

Caleb leaned toward him. “Coach cooked you.”

“Practice over,” Malik muttered.

I let them laugh before lifting one hand.

“Bring it in.”

They crowded close and stacked their hands.

“Discipline on three.”

“Discipline!”

They broke apart toward waiting parents and water coolers. I stayed long enough to speak with Caleb’s father about his progress and reassure Jamari’s mother that one rough practice didn’t mean her son had lost confidence. Coaching wasn’t finished because the whistle said so. Sometimes, the most useful thing I did all morning was make sure a kid didn’t turn one bad rep into evidence against himself.

When the last parent left, I checked the time.

Eleven thirty-two.

Malcolm crossed toward me, carrying a mesh bag of cones.

“Third date?”

I looked at him. “How the hell you know it’s the third?”

“I didn’t. Thank you for confirming.”

I stared at him.

His grin got wider.

“You manipulative.”

“I coach defensive backs. Baiting bad decisions is part of the profession.”

“Move around.”

“My boy courting.”

“You keep saying that like you discovered it.”

“’Cause you usually act like admitting you like somebody requires board approval.”

“I’m grown. I can like a woman.”

“Exactly. Growth.”

I unlocked the SUV.

Malcolm leaned against the next vehicle. “Go see your woman.”