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I nod in understanding as I snag a cookie from the tray. Ma scowls at me, but karma is hot on my heels because it’s still incredibly warm, and the cookie burns the tips of my fingers.
“Serves you right,” Ma mutters under her breath.
I blow on the cookie, attempting to cool it before breaking the cookie in half. I don’t know how she makes them so perfectly—still soft on the inside and the chocolate chips melted to perfection.
“Mm.” I embarrassingly let out a soft moan when I finally take a bite of the sweet treat. “Ma, you keep this up,” I say as I shove the other half of the cookie in my mouth, “I’m going to need to double my exercise efforts.”
Ma giggles. “Well, your father, I’m sure, is happy to have you home to help eat all of these sweets. When you first left, I went a little overboard with my baking, and your father ended up needing to go up two pant sizes. We all found our own way of dealing with you gone.”
Feeling the change in the somber air, Ma clears her throat. “So, where you off to this morning?”
“I had a meeting at the high school with Principal Horne.”
“Oh,” she gasps in surprise but avoids any eye contact with me.
“Uh-uh.” I wag my finger at her. She doesn’t get to play dumb here, knowing damn well that this is all because of her making that initial call to Austin. “Wasn’t that all part of your plan to get me out of the house and basically throw me to the wolves?”
“Wolves? No.” She shakes her head. “Wildcats? Maybe.” The corners of her lips turn upward in a smug smile at her joke. I’ll give her that. It was a good one.
“I was just looking out for you, Cooper.” I don’t mean to, but I scoff. “I’m serious.”
“Were you looking out for me when you didn’t think to mention a few important facts”—like Coach being sick—“when I returned?”
She places her hands firmly on the counter. “You’re right.”
Well, I honestly wasn’t expecting that. Shannon Graham is a prideful woman, and it’s rare that she admits that she’s wrong. Although, I guess she didn’t exactly admit she was wrong, just that I was right, so it’s implied.
“Maybe I should have told you, and I know it’s all a lot to take in, honey, but what exactly did you expect me to do? Sit you down and go through a timeline of the last six years and fill in every detail of what has happened or changed around here? Did you prefer the CliffsNotes version?”
I purse my lips together. I guess she has a point. Ma walks around the counter and places her hands on her shoulders, twisting me to face her.
“I understand you are a little upset, but you came home to get your head on straight, and all we were watching you do was sink further into yourself. With each day that passed, I knew I had to do something if you weren’t. I had already planned to bring in reinforcements, butyou—” She pokes my chest firmly. “—gave me no other choice. It broke my heart watching your father carry you in, blackout drunk. So, I made the call to Austin that very night and put things into motion. You agreed on that second day back that you wouldn’t hide, and that’s exactly what you did. I had to do something. I’ll apologize for how I went about it, but I won’teverapologize for doing it. Cooper, you are my son, and I love you. You might not realize this, but you need this, and one day, you’ll realize what I did was for your own good.”
With that, she spins around and exits the kitchen without another word.
I grab one last cookie before sinking back against the chair. I sigh while aggressively taking a bite of the cookie.Well, that went well.
Chapter 10
Cooper
Ianxiouslywaitonthe field for the players to arrive. Today is the first day of the clinic, and I think I might have more butterflies than when I did before playing my first professional game. I don’t know why I’m so nervous—maybe because whatever I teach these kids will be what sticks with them for the rest of their lives. If I fuck it up, fuck them up, then that’s another thing on me.
“Hey,” I say as the group of twelve boys walks toward me, carrying their bags.Is this as awkward for them as it is for me?
“I assume there’s no need for introductions on my end, but I’m Cooper. You don’t need to call me Coach, just Coop or Cooper. I’m not your coach, just helping Coach Benson with this clinic.”He’ll be back,I infer, even though we all know there’s a good possibility that’s not true.
I pull out the roster and begin reading the names aloud that Ian said would be in attendance. Each player says, “Here.”
“Beau Marshall,” I call out. Silence greets me, so I repeat the name.
“Right here,” an exasperated voice yells out as a kid runs up to the group.
“Going for the dramatic entrance, Marshall,” a player taunts.
“He was probably getting his dick sucked by Maddey,” another teases, making a crude motion to his crotch. I blow out a terse breath.Sweet Jesus, were we this bad back then?Actually, I’m sure we were far worse.
“Enough,” I bark before this gets out of hand. Beau’s face is flushed, and I’m not sure if he’s embarrassed or ready to take a swing. “Beau, nice of you to join us. Just remember, we start at three o’clock sharp.”
