Page 32 of Tangled

“No. Sorry, I was into the game.”

Tammy laughs. “No worries. Just told your friends here that Kane isn’t the type to apologize to a woman, especially with coffee.”

I swallow hard, a lump forming in my throat and the need for a drink of water consuming me.

“Really?”

“Yup,” Tammy nods smugly before taking a sip of her soda and changing the subject. “So, now that you’re part of the Emerson family, I’ll be the first to offer you an invitation to our house next weekend for our fall mixer,” she smiles.

“Fall mixer?”

“Yeah. Each quarter, the staff organizes a mixer/party where we all get together and hangout outside of school. Drew and I usually host at our place, since we have a large property and no children yet,” she looks down at her hands and then sighs.

“You okay?” I ask while placing a hand on her shoulder. When she looks up at me, I see tears in her eyes.

“Gosh, I shouldn’t even be telling you this since we just met, but sometimes I can’t control the wave of emotions that comes over me when I inadvertently bring it up.” She takes a deep breath and then continues. “Drew and I were pregnant this summer, and then I miscarried.”

“Oh, God, Tammy. I’m so sorry,” I rub her shoulder as Clara and Perry offer their condolences as well. I can’t imagine the pain she must feel. I don’t have a family yet, obviously—but it’s something I definitely want. And I couldn’t imagine losing a baby I so desperately craved.

“Thank you. It’s been hard. We’re trying again now, but every time I’m reminded that we still don’t have a family, it makes me burst into tears,” she waves her hands in front of her face trying to calm herself. “Ugh! Sorry for putting a damper on the conversation.”

“Hey, no judgment here from us. I promise.” Clara and Perry both nod beside me.

“I had a miscarriage too between my two kids. It’s a pain I’ve never felt before. Just try to remain positive and keep loving Drew. You’ll get through it,” Perry offers while taking her hand.

“Thanks. So anyway, back to the mixer… it’s next weekend. You have to come! And you ladies can come too!”

“I’ll be in New York,” Clara answers.

“My daughter has a dance recital,” Perry adds.

I turn from my friends back to Tammy. Her open heart is so visible, you can’t help but want to be this woman’s friend. And hey, maybe getting to know some of my new co-workers will help pull me out of my funk.

“Well, I will definitely be there.”

“Great! Let me get your number,” she digs through her purse to fetch her phone. We trade contacts and then turn back to the game.

“So why is Kane down there if he’s not really a coach?” I ask, finding myself a little too curious about the man who gave me coffee this morning who doesn’t normally give women coffee.

“Well, he tried coaching when he first started here, but uh… couldn’t go through with it.”

My eyebrows draw together as I question the reason.

“Why?”

Tammy shakes her head before meeting her eyes with my own. “Kane is a complex guy, Liv. He’s been through a lot in his life and has some demons, although I think we can all agree that everyone does.” We all nod at her in understanding. “But his demons are for him to tell, not me.”

“I understand,” I mumble and then search for the man in question on the field. His back to us, arms crossed over his body, his legs spread wide in his stance—he looks every bit of the coach, but also a man who’s very guarded.

Even just in the brief interactions we’ve had—besides the primal sex—I can tell he’s masking something. And the more I stare and the more I appreciate his physical form, the more I want to know about what’s in his head—or even his heart.

The four of us watch the game on the edge of our seats, reminiscing about our high school memories of attending the same rivalry match but I was cheering down on the field. Tammy fits in perfectly with my friends, making me appreciate having another person on my side through this challenging phase of my life.

The older you get, the more you realize how hard it is to find people you click with. Everyone has their own agendas and problems. Some people are still drawn to the drama of life you find in your teens and early twenties. And once you hit a certain age, you realize you just want to be surrounded by people that bring out the best version of you. People who are like-minded, share some common feelings about life, and genuinely want to get to know the real you. Tammy is definitely one of those people.

The game ends with a victory for Emerson Falls, the crowd going wild beneath the florescent lights. The rumble of feet pounding the bleachers echoes in the stadium and fans and families rush the field to congratulate the players.

“Come on! Let’s go congratulate the boys!” Tammy stands and pulls me up by my arm.

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