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Brody arrived home a short while ago and was outside throwing against the pitch back. I was renting the home because it had a pool, a basketball court with lights, and plenty of yard for Brody to play baseball.
I think I was trying to make up for where his father currently resided. It wouldn’t fix his wounds, but I hoped it would help ease his transition. And the other kids on the team should have fun while I spoke to the parents.
I closed out my work and switched over to the agenda I’d written for the team meeting. It was seven pages typed. I’d probably gone overboard but I wanted to be a good coach. It was my chance to prove I could provide stability for Brody.
The slider opened in the kitchen, and Brody asked, “Where are the snacks?”
“There’s food in the pantry,” I absentmindedly responded while reviewing through my list.
“You were supposed to provide food for the meeting.”
I paused and looked over at him. I had promised that, hadn’t I? “I forgot to go to the store.”
“No shit.”
I gave him a sharp look. “Brody. Language.”
He rolled his eyes at me.
Standing, I said, “I don’t care what the rules were when you lived with your dad. It’s different with me.”
His lips pursed. “Fine.”
“Thank you.” The last thing I needed was him swearing in front of the other parents and them questioning my fitness to be a good role model and coach. So far, no one had put together that Brody’s father was in jail, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Brody opened the pantry door. “But what are we going to do about snacks?”
“I’m sure we have something.” I pulled out a container of muffins I’d bought from the store and some fruit. I hadn’t gone shopping for the week, so the options were slim.
I set the food on the dining room table. It didn’t look like much.
Brody shook his head. “That’s not enough.”
“Should I order pizza?” I asked.
Brody nodded. “Get Giovanni’s.”
I had no idea what Giovanni’s was, but hopefully, it was a pizzeria that delivered. I scrolled on my phone to find the online menu and quickly ordered five large pizzas with two-liter containers of sodas. That should be enough.
As soon as I finalized the order, the doorbell rang.
Brody let the first family in and led them to the backyard. As I hoped, the kids quickly took off for the basketball court. The pool had a safety fence around it, but I’d need to keep an eye on it.
After introducing myself to the parents, I grabbed the food. “Let’s go outside.”
There were enough chairs and tables we could meet on the patio, and I could still see what the kids were doing. It was a warm night, so I didn’t need to worry about the weather.
“We should hire a sitter to watch the siblings during games,” Chase’s dad said as he watched the kids run around the backyard.
“That’s not a bad idea.” Could I make small talk with the kids’ parents, knowing they would put two and two together and realize Brody’s dad was no good? I’d left this town because people tended to think I was the same as him.
I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling when I heard the doorbell again and went to welcome more parents. For the next twenty minutes, there was an influx of families arriving. I couldn’t help but notice that Abby and Hunter hadn’t arrived. I hoped she hadn’t changed her mind. Not only was Hunter a vital part of the team, but I wanted an excuse to see her.
I shot off a quick text asking if everything was okay and told myself it was what any good coach would do, but I wasn’t sure that was true. I was hyperaware of Abby. No one on the team could find out or else they’d accuse me of playing favorites.
Hopefully, after watching Hunter practice a few times, they’d see he was talented and would have made the team regardless of who his mother was.
I grabbed my laptop and set up on the outside table. “It looks most of us are here. Let’s get started.”
