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“You called the newspaper,” she replied.
He grinned. “Score.”
“I’m just sad you didn’t drive through town with it attached to your truck.”
Oh, the damage had been done.
“Oh, it’s even worse,” he said. “A reporter told me about the sign and he was taking pictures. I can see the headline now. Two high school basketball coaches feuding at school. And then by putting the superintendent’s daughter on probation today, I’m sure that’s going to make him real happy. That article could be the icing on the cake that sends you packing.”
She leaned back in her chair and smiled. “You’d like that wouldn’t you.”
Strangely, he didn’t want her to go. He was enjoying sparing with her and she was not hard on the eyes.
“No, you’ve made the girls’ team better. And Georgia can be strong-willed.”
“Yes, I’m expecting the phone call from daddy at any moment,” she said.
“You were right to do what you did,” he said. “The other girls will respect you more.”
Slowly he stood from the chair.
“Gotta go. I’m doing some one-on-one teaching with Jayden. But I wanted to drop in and give you some encouragement.”
“Thank you,” she said. “So are you declaring a truce?”
He laughed. “Never.”
“That’s all I needed to know,” she said with a grin.
Why did he get the feeling he was going to regret not admitting defeat and declaring a truce? Why?
For the next hour, he and Jayden practiced. He noticed that Jayden had a dark spot on his brow.
After they had done drills, he gave the boy a chance to catch his breath.
“What’s that shadow on your eye?”
“I ran into a wall,” he said.
How many times had Zach used that same excuse?
“When I was a boy that wall would come up and smack me so many times. I often wondered how none of my teachers ever saw it. But then I also feared what would happen if they did do something.”
The kid glanced up at him. “He drinks.”
“Yes, my father used to drink. I’m not going to say anything unless you want me to. But I’m hoping that by helping you become a better basketball player, you’ll receive a scholarship and get out of that situation. That’s what I did.”
The boy nodded. “Agree. Let’s practice.”
His heart ached for the kid, and he was torn about whether he should contact CPS or look away. He even considered telling the kid he had a place to stay if he needed one.
At the end of practice, he had to say something. “Here is my phone number. If you ever need help, contact me. Don’t let him beat you. For now, this is our secret.”
“Thanks, Coach,” he said. “I gotta go or he’ll get mad.”
“Good practice, Jayden.”
The kid ran out the door and his frustration at not knowing what to do hit him hard. What if the man killed him like his own father had killed his younger brother?
