AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fu—I mean, hell yeah, Coach,” Sanders answered. “Don’t think I’ll ever drink again.”
I chuckled, knowing better. Famous last words.
Ramirez looked at me with a hangdog expression. “We’re really sorry we caused trouble at your girl’s bar.”
I lifted my brows and rocked back on my heels. “What makes you think she’s my girl?”
That got a smile out of the young kid. “You mean besides the fact you couldn’t stop staring at her when you walked in?”
Johnson piped up then. “She’s a freakin’ smoke show, Coach. I’d high-five you if I didn’t think I’d puke on your shoes.”
Matt and Brad laughed under their breaths.
“Thanks for the restraint,” I told them. “Now hit the showers.”
They took off for the field house, but Martin hung back, still looking like he’d been put through the wringer, but there wassomething else in his expression as well. “You got something you want to add?” I asked the kid, giving him the opportunity to get off what was obviously weighing on his chest.
I had to hand it to him, he met my gaze head-on and didn’t waver as he said, “I screwed up last night, Coach. Everything you said about me being a leader hit really hard, and I just want you to know, I take that position seriously. I know I let you down. I let myself and my teammates down as well. I wanted to give you my word that it won’t happen again.”
I gave my chin a jerk in acknowledgement and watched him take off after the rest of the guys. And for the first time since taking this position, I started to think that maybe I could do this after all. Maybe I could make a difference with these kids. Maybe the faith Sam had in me wasn’t misplaced after all.
I was about to dismiss the rest of the coaching staff when something caught Brad’s attention, making him groan.
“Christ, not this shit. The season hasn’t even started yet, and administration is letting people in to watch our practices?”
Matt grunted in agreement. “Last thing I’m up for is a schmooze fest with whoever the fuck that is.”
I turned to see who they were talking about, and despite the warm temps, felt my body temperature drop at least ten degrees as the blood in my veins turned to ice.
“That’s not someone whose ass you have to kiss,” I grumbled as my hands clenched into fists.
“Yeah? You know that guy?”
I did. Unfortunately.
“Yeah. That’s my father.”Fuck me. “You guys can head out. I’ve got this.”
Matt chuckled and bumped my shoulder. “What? You don’t want us to meet your pops? You embarrassed of us or something?”
I gave him a hard look. “Not of you.”
They read my meaning loud and clear, each of them clapping me on the shoulder before taking off.
The woman who’d been escorting my old man pointed me out, giving him a polite smile before turning and heading back to the offices.
This was the last fucking thing I wanted to do, especially when I’d had such a spectacular start to my day. But I should have known better. Things with my Bubbles were finally on the path I’d wanted to be on for so goddamn long. I should have known Hank Wade would appear to try and fuck it up. But I’d be damned if I let him this time.
I started in his direction, meeting him near the twenty-yard line. Stopping a couple feet away, I braced my feet shoulder-width apart and folded my arms across my chest. Nothing about my demeanor was inviting in the slightest.
“What are you doing here?”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his perfectly-ironed slacks. It was clear the man had come from work, I just didn’t know why he’d wasted his time. “Is that any way to talk to your old man, boy?”
This fucking guy. “It is when the old man in question is a piece of shit. And I haven’t been a boy in a long fucking time.” I got a sick sense of pleasure at the fact that I now topped the man by at least two inches and several pounds of muscle. He was still in decent shape, but there was no stopping time, and age was starting to make the man a little soft around the middle. “Now say why you’re here then get the hell off my field.”
“You haven’t been answering my calls.”
“Yeah. That’s by design. I was hoping you’d take the hint, but apparently, I’m not that lucky.”
