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37
The autumn sunwas bright as the cold air brushed against my skin. I’d gotten a phone call from Logan telling me he was going to be late to Cole’s game today. That meant he wouldn’t end up showing up at all. I couldn’t find it in my heart to care anymore. He’d been so far removed from attempting to be the kid’s dad ever since I pulled away from him; I just couldn’t keep trying to force it.
Cole hurried past me in his game gear, more excited than normal. He’d encouraged me to wear my favorite shirt, and to brush my hair…whatever that meant. I didn’t know, but my kid was happy. After Gloria dropped him off that following morning, I wasn’t sure what our relationship was going to be like. He’d surprised me by acting like nothing had happened. He was happy, funny, did his chores and homework…I couldn’t understand it. My only guess was that Gloria and Gary had worked their powers on him. Either way, I wasn’t complaining…although, I was still building up the nerve to sit him down and truly explain the whole entire thing to him.
“We can’t be late, Mom!” Cole yelled from the porch steps.
“Hold your horses…why are you so pumped about the game?” I turned, quickly locking the door. Bella had asked to spend the day with Gloria after missing out on a sleepover.
“I just am.” His wide smile broke open across his face. I wanted to crush him to my chest.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the field, and Cole ran off to warm up while I headed toward the concession booth. I liked to support the team and the school in any way I could, and since business was booming, I decided to splurge. Someone was filling my two cups of hot cocoa when I overheard two moms gossiping.
“I’m not kidding you! He’s in the dugout right now!” a woman with immaculate blonde hair gushed. I somewhat remembered them…was it Kara and Tanya?
“Pshhh, yeah right. We aren’t meeting the new coach until next week—I got a calendar invite for it.”
“I don’t know what to say except that he’s in there. The kids freaked when they found out. I guess he did this really sweet way of revealing it was him with balloons and ice cream floats for the whole team.” Kara’s hair really was impressive. It barely moved as she prattled on about this supposed new coach.
My cocoa was ready, but my nachos were not, so I tugged a straw close and began playing with the fringe on the end while they went on.
“Did you flirt when you saw him?” asked Tanya?…Tana?…the woman with the T name, her ebony cheeks reddening. Great, a hot coach…exactly what our team needed. I didn’t actually really care, but hot people were always making other people so flustered…it really wasn’t fair.
“My god, I couldn’t help myself. I mean, I think he’s single…right?” Goldilocks flushed pink, bringing her hands to her face. Even if the coach was single, her wedding band indicated that she was not.
“I don’t keep up well enough, plus I heard he’s…”
“Mom!” Cole cut into my sleuthing. The two women turned in my direction, both of them with gaping mouths.
The women began whispering, standing close together. Their words were too quiet for me to hear, but they seemed to be interested in me…or my son. Maybe they recognized me as the F-bomb mom. That was probably it.
“Sorry, just grabbing some snacks.” I held up the cocoa as proof.
“I want you to meet my new coach.” My son smiled.
I wanted to meet this new coach too, merely because he’d already created such a stir.
Following Cole, I bypassed groups of people who had started showing up, reserving their spot on the freezing cold bleachers. No thank you—I’d rather stand than plant my ass on those things. I was surprised by how many families had already arrived; usually it was just a few moms who all carpooled or took turns taking groups of kids that showed up for early practice. We were never included in the carpool group texts, which was fine. We didn’t need all that texting drama anyhow.
Cole ran onto the field, making sure I was following behind. I wasn’t sure what I assumed, maybe a gathering in the middle of the field or the coach standing out where the parents were, ready to shake hands. None of that was happening; instead all the kids were running off the field, heading toward their families for the quick break before the game started.
I checked the small stadium for Gloria and Gary but saw them barely trickling in near the parking lot with Bella in tow.
“Mom, seriously…come on!” Cole called again, and this time I darted after him.
“I’m coming, sorry!”
I rounded the dugout just as two more kids high-fived, running out. Cole ducked inside, and as I set foot on the second step, I stopped cold.
Ryan was standing there, his head ducked while he reviewed a paper secured to a clipboard. I took in the dark, V-neck shirt stretched across his broad chest and how his denim jeans hung low on hips. My mouth went dry as my gaze traveled up his torso and feasted on that bronze skin peeking out of the low V of his shirt, stopping at that black ball cap covering his golden hair. Holy shit—he was the new coach?
“Ryan?” I stumbled further into the dugout, totally out of sorts and confused as to what was going on.
His aqua eyes slid up, drinking me in. “Bex…you’re here.” Not a question.
He’d been waiting on me, and Cole was in on it.
“What are you doing here?” I sounded breathless, confused…disoriented.
