Page 40 of Taking The Shot

Keith was relieved they had arrived early—more than relieved, actually. The extra time gave him a moment to catch his breath, to shake off the lingering nerves that had been rattling around in his chest since this morning.

Spotting Constance and the kids near the tables, he jogged toward them, his pulse still thrumming from the rush to get there. The cool air nipped at his skin, but he barely noticed. Right now, he had something important to take care of.

“Was everything okay?” Constance’s voice cut through his thoughts, laced with concern as she studied him.

Keith nodded quickly, offering her a reassuring smile, though he could see the guarded look in her eyes. He’d been getting that a lot from her lately. It stung more than he cared to admit, but he pushed that feeling aside. Now wasn’t the time.

“Big surprise—I’ll let you know in a few,” he said, lowering his voice slightly. His gaze flicked to the kids, their faces alight with curiosity. “But first, I completely forgot to tell you and the girls something.”

Paige and Kayla perked up at the sound of his voice, shifting their attention to him. He turned his body slightly, glancing over his shoulder toward the entrance.

“There’s a little boy coming here today, and he’s deaf,” Keith began, his voice measured and gentle. “I want you both to know how to say ‘hello’ when he gets here.”

“I’ll just say ‘hello,’” Paige muttered, shrugging as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Keith barely had time to respond before Constance stepped in. “Being deaf means he can’t hear you,” she explained patiently. “You have to say ‘hello’ differently.”

“Exactly,” Keith nodded in agreement, kneeling down in front of the kids so they could see him clearly. He wanted them to understand the importance of this, not just brush it off. “This is ‘hello,’” he said, moving his hand in an exaggerated, simple wave. “And this is ‘how are you?’” He demonstrated the sign, dragging his thumbs over his chest in an alternating motion before pointing toward them.

Paige squinted at him. “Are you pulling my leg?”

Keith smirked but shook his head. “Nope.”

“How do you know this?”

“His daddy taught us a few things because he doesn’t want Stephen to feel left out,” Keith explained, his voice softening. “So, if you want to be friends with him, you do this.” He hooked his pointer fingers over each other, the sign for ‘friend.’ “And if you want to ask him to play, you do this.” He held up both hands, pinkies and thumbs extended, twisting them outward in the familiar motion Coeur had shown him.

Paige hesitated for a moment before mimicking the gesture, her brows furrowing in concentration. “Like this?”

Keith watched her carefully, then nodded. “You got it.” A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “And I’ve got a secret surprise for you later.”

Paige’s head snapped up, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Tell me now.”

“Nahhh,” Keith teased, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I think you’ll like it.”

Paige groaned dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. “Then why say anything if you aren’t going to tell me?” She huffed, crossing her arms as she pouted.

Keith fought back a laugh, shaking his head.

“Because you’re too smart for your own good, and I need something to make sure you behave today for your mom.” His gaze flickered to Constance, who stood quietly, watching the interaction unfold. Her eyes widened slightly at his words, and for the first time all morning, he caught a glimpse of something other than the cool detachment she’d been giving him lately. A half-hearted smile ghosted across her lips, small but there. It wasn’t much, but it was better than the cold shoulder she’d given him this morning.

He’d take what he could get.

Keith let out a breath, feeling a tiny weight lift from his chest. “Now,” he said, rising to his feet and clapping his hands together. “I’m going to go greet the team as they come in. I’ll see you all in a bit, okay? Try to enjoy yourself, and I’ll be back shortly…”

He lingered just a second longer, eyes briefly locking with Constance’s before he turned away. He didn’t know if she’d noticed the way his voice had softened, how he was still trying, even when things between them felt tense and uncertain.

It felt like everything was coming together for his job, and falling apart at home because he was scared to make a move on his wife. Did she want him to move faster? Did she understand how difficult that was for him? Maybe they needed to talk – and maybe he just needed to let her in like when he’d admitted to his past so she would agree to marry him.

He leaned forward and kissed Constance lightly on the cheek, whispering to her, “Don’t give up on me…” and was surprised when she pulled back, looking at him, her blue eyes searching his.

“I’m not,” she whispered softly. “I promise I’m not.”

Keith nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat and moving away, going to take his place at the door with Coach Starnes – and saw Liam Savage had arrived too. Raising a hand, he waved in silent understanding at the other man who was watching him warily. It had to be hard to know you were made the captain because of your reputation – not your skills or ability to drive the team.

Probably just as hard as it was to give up the position of captain, because of your reputation,Keith thought silently and sighed. Savage wasn’t the enemy – and he could always use someone at his back.

“Captain,” Keith said solemnly, holding out his hand.

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