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“Better get used it. I have a feeling he’s going to be coming around a lot.” Coury popped up and gave Beckett a hug. “Come on, we’ll fill you in.”
Epilogue
Four years later
Liam
Sliding his laptop back in its case, Liam zipped it up with mixed feelings. Harrison had been part of his life for six years, and with this one last class, it was over. Pop told him life was all about endings and new beginnings.
He didn’t mind change. Hell, he couldn’t wait for high school to end and college to begin. It was the uncertainty. His doctoral program was two hundred miles away from Harrison and the Harrisburg Senators. Two hundred miles from Coury.
The knock on the door ended his introspection. Coury held the top of the doorframe and stretched his lean body across the entrance.
“Coach Henderson.” He smirked at their private joke. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for soon-to-be Doctor Liam Wright. He’s about my height, medium brown hair, unfairly hot, and has the most amazing ass—in or out of clothes.”
Liam’s cheeks burned. “Jesus Coury, what if someone heard you?”
His hands slid from the frame, and Coury let them slap against his thighs as he walked into the classroom. “First, there’s no one around. Second, why do you care if anyone heard me? This is the last time you’ll have to see them. And third, it won’t be a surprise. Everyone knows I’m crazy in love with you.”
“Well,” he cocked his head to the left for a second, “when you put it that way.”
“Not sure how else to put it.” He circled Liam in his arms and gave him a kiss that lingered just a bit too long for public decency. “I turned in my resignation today.”
Liam pulled back. “What? Why?”
“From the Senators, too.”
“Coury. We talked about this. We’ll figure—”
Two fingers covered his lips. “It’s polite to let people answer you before you launch into a lecture.”
“If you’re just delaying the inevitable, Coach Henderson, the final lecture is going to burn.”
“Oh. The Lionheart is back.” He leaned in and whispered, “Gonna roar at me next?”
“If you’re not careful, you’re going to be doing some roaring tonight.”
“Is that a promise?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I resigned because Carnegie Mellow hired me.”
“Holy shit!” He pulled Coury into a hug and twirled him around. “That’s so great!”
“Yeah, I haven’t told anyone other than you and Coach Brophy. Not that he didn’t know, he practically got them to hire me.”
“No, Coury. They hired you because you’re really good at your job, and you connect with the players.”
“Thank you, my biggest cheerleader. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Like I could’ve earned my master’s or gotten into a PhD program without you cheering me on.”
“We’re good for each other.” Coury smiled. “Got time for one last coffee on campus before you check off?”
“Depends. Do you think my boyfriend will find out?”
“I’m reasonably sure he’ll approve of you going with me. Your virtue is safe.” He laced his fingers with Liam’s. “How are you doing?”
“Moody.”
“I hear you. Telling Coach I was leaving was hard. I mean he helped me get the job, but it still wasn’t easy to say goodbye.”
“One door closes, another opens.” It sounded great unless it applied to him. “I think I’m going to miss living with Pop and Helen the most.”
“I love them both, but honestly? I’m so looking forward to getting our own place.”
“Oh, come on.” Liam didn’t try to hide his smile. “It had its perks.”
“Don’t get me wrong. Living with them helped us a ton, but I’m twenty-six. I’m ready to have our own place.”
Our place. He pulled their hands up and kissed the back of Coury’s. “Me, too.”
They’d rented an apartment near the University of Pittsburgh where Liam would be attending. It was a place they could afford until Coury found a job because Pop hadn’t taken more than a token amount of rent. Now they could look for something better.
“Tell me about the job. How did I not know you were this close to getting hired?”
“You’ve been busy teaching, and grading, and applying, and writing. I’m pretty sure you grunted twice for great when I told you I had a callback.”
Liam frowned. He hadn’t been the most supportive the last couple of months. If anything, he’d leaned too hard on Coury, who was already working two jobs. “Sorry.”
“Nope, don’t be. I’m so freaking proud of you, Liam. And when I need you, you never fail to step up. I’m glad I got the chance to help you.”
His rock. “Back to you. What’s the job? Head Coach?”
Coury snorted. “I wish. Maybe one day. Assistant head coach in charge of pitchers and catchers. But the job comes with a side of assistant athletic director.”
“Seriously?” That was way better than assistant coach.
“It sounds grander than it is. There are ten assistants and five deputies. It’s a lot of admin work, but it’s what I want to do.”
