Page 10 of Her Coach

Yes, this was going to be very good for her.

So why didn’t I feel as happy as I should have felt?

“You got a janitor around here?” Colton asked gruffly as he stalked back to us.

I interjected before Mom had a chance to, which pulled me to Mom’s side. “Barry handles the facilities, but the guys run him ragged. He can’t keep up with what they tear through.”

“He’s outnumbered. Twenty-three guys who think a locker room floor is a laundry basket.”

Colton’s eyes volleyed between the two of us. “Not anymore. You got this Barry guy’s number?”

“Everything you need is in your office,” Mom said as she ushered her arm toward the exit for the locker room. “It’s just around the corner from mine. Let me show you to it, and you can get to work, if that’s what you wish.”

“Yeah, I’ll touch on a bunch of stuff before I head out.”

Mom smiled. “Working after the first meeting. A man after my own heart.”

“Yeah,” Colton said as he peered over his shoulder and tossed me a wink.

My cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson as I walked behind the two of them like a child told to shut up and tag along. Mom’s hips swayed, Colton walked right alongside her, and every time she found an excuse to bump into that muscular, thick arm of his, I wanted to snap through the roof.

I had no idea why the hell I felt this way, which meant I needed to get the fuck out of dodge.

“And here’s your office,” Mom said as we strode into the room at the end of the hallway.

She flicked on the light, illuminating the plain office with the drop-down ceiling and a desk with a chair that looked much too small for the behemoth man we had hired to coach this team. I leaned against the doorway and watched as Colton lumbered into the middle of the room, taking stock of everything as he turned and slowly nodded his head. It was almost comical, the way the top of his head was only inches away from touching the ceiling. I mean, he cast a fucking shadow on the ceiling, for crying out loud.

The man was as big as they came.

And I wanted to climb him.

“Well, that’s my cue,” I said as I slipped out of the office. “Mom? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Colton?”

“Yep?”

“Nice to meet you. Run those men ragged, but don’t do it to Mom. She deals with enough.”

“Brynn,” Mom scolded.

“What?” I asked as I walked down the hallway. “It’s not my fault you basically live here. The only reason you actually eat is because I bring you food. You’re more married to this arena than you ever were to Dad!”

“Brynn!” she chirped frustratedly.

“Love you, Mom! I’ll bring you home a burger!”

She sighed before she called back at me. “Double crisp those fries, too!”

“Always!”

But with each step I took away from them, especially with Mom’s giggles filtering behind me, my gut twisted into a knot. My head pounded against my skull. Hell, even my legs slowed down, as if my entire body tried to convince me to turn the fuck around. Which only made me more determined to press onward.

I made it about three steps down the hallway before the double doors at the far end swung open and the team came through in a wave of noise and gear bags and someone’s protein shake that nearly took out the trophy case.

Jett saw me first. "Bry! You working tonight?"

"Later," I said. "And before you ask, no, I'm not giving you a tab."

"You always give me a tab."