Page 40 of Scoring with the Coach's Daughter

I shift on the armchair in my room. “Good call. I’m already breaking down film—gotta stay sharp. Do you think Coach Davis remembers that I exist?”

“Oh, he remembers. He was asking about you the other day. Said something like, ‘Tell Jake he better come back ready to work.’ You’re on his radar, man.”

“Good to know. Thanks, Travis. This helps a lot—makes me feel like I’m still part of the team.”

“You are, Jake. We’re all looking forward to having you back. What have you been up to? You’ve been too quiet. Anything to share?"

“I might be seeing someone.”

“Do tell. I saw you chatting up Samantha at the party. Come to think of it, she’s in South Carolina. Is that a coincidence?”

“I’m not sure but, yeah, my doctor is a few towns from where she has the Dragonfly Inn.”

“Dragonfly Inn? Don’t tell me you’re banging the coach’s daughter!”

“That’s rude. She’s sweet and smart. And she’s raising Ellen’s daughter.”

“So it’s like that is it? How is it going? Is it serious?”

“I’ll let you know when I know,” I replyto keep it vague. I’m not sure if my coach sent me here knowing I’d look Sam up—or not. It’s a gray area however we’ve always gotten along well. Keep killing it out there, all right?” I say deflecting the talk off of my current situation. “And send me a video of my temporary replacement in action—I need to see what I’m up against.”

“For sure, later, man. Later.”

My room is too quiet. The eerie void hangs over me. I’m not ready to return to how my life was before Sam and Ellie. By ten o’clock, I’m surfing the sports channels looking for player updates. I miss being with the team but when I leave, I know I’ll miss the stubborn woman who owns this inn even more.

12

SAMANTHA

The bed feels toobig without him. I roll onto my side, then onto my back, then to the other side, because I’m missing the warmth of him next to me. I run my hands over the cold sheets where they used to be warm. There’s no working around the fact that I miss him. The methodical whir of the ceiling fan is no comfort tonight. It’s too late to be awake, but my mind won’t quiet down long enough to let me sleep.

I must have pissed him off. I don’t know why I’m always defensive. He’s incredible and the feelings I have for him both excite and terrify me. It’s dangerous, the feelings I have for him have me in knots. What if he leaves like Rob? I try to shake off my insecurities but it’s easier said than done.

He’s only been here for a few weeks, and this is all new to him—and me. Of course, it’s fun. It’s new and I love how my heart races when he walks into a room. It’s exhilarating. He’s effortlessly inserting himself into this house, into my life, and every corner of my heart in record time. I can still hear his laugh echoing through the rooms, the way it softens when he’s talking to Ellie, coaxing her out of a mood. Like with thesugared cereal. He has a way of making life fun even when he’s correcting her.

Then, there are the times when he makes me feel like I’m the most important person in the world. I roll over and pull his pillow to my face, sniffing for the faintest trace of his cologne.

I press my palms into my eyes, trying to shut it all out. He’s not gone yet, but I can already feel the ache of what’s coming. Sooner or later, he’ll return to Maine. He’ll be back with the team, and they will be playing in stadiums across the States. He’ll slip back into his life and we’ll be a distant memory of his pit stop in South Carolina. We’ll be in his rearview mirror.

Isn’t that what famous athletes do? I can’t expect this to be the real thing, right?

I roll onto my back again and stare up at the ceiling, willing my doubts to go away. Does he want us to be more? He’s alluded to it, but does he know what he wants?

More importantly, can I trust him?

I assumed I was a one-night stand. But he’s been here days with no word of when he’s leaving.

I’m a country girl at heart. We’re too different, aren’t we? He came here because he needed to recover, to escape the noise of his life for a while. He didn’t come here for me, or for Ellie, or for… whatever this is that’s happening between us.

But the problem is, this doesn’t feel temporary to me. He’s here on an extended stay. He could have rehabbed his knee anywhere, but he chose here. Is my dad playing matchmaker?

Then there’s Ellie. I see the way she lights up whenever Jake’s around. I’ve noticed how patient he is with her, and how he treats her like she’s the smartest, most capable kid in the world. I feel the way my heart beats a little faster whenever he walks into the room, my smile isn’t for show, and he makes me happy.

Very happy.

I find myself waiting for him to pop into the kitchen, the inn, or the restaurant. I love his texts. I love waking up with his arm draped over me. I love his smell and his laugh. I love how he teases me.

I want to believe there’s a world where this doesn’t have to end—but I know better. He has his life and his career in Maine. I can’t ask him to put that on hold for me—for us. Not that he could do that even if he wanted to. He makes millions and I’m not worth that! I wouldn’t risk my career over the possibility of marriage either. Marriage?

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