Page 83 of Courtside

But this man had exploited her. Had assaulted a minor and, if his current position as an assistant coach for a college team was any indication, had faced next to no consequences for his actions.

A part of David felt a responsibility to report him.

Now that he knew what he’d done, how could he not? This man was still coaching, still working in close contact with young people even after, if Tim was to be believed, another institution was made aware of his misbehavior. Of hisillegaland goddamn reprehensible behavior.

But he knew that it wasn’t his story to tell. If Sage decided to say something, that was her choice to make. As much as it pained him, that course of action was Sage’s and Sage’s alone.

Swooping in and taking that choice away from her would crush whatever trust he’d managed to build between them so far. David could recognize that trust from Sage Fogerty was a precious and rare thing. Their connection was one of the greatest gifts he’d ever been given, and he planned to protect it. To cherish it.

Later that night, the boys suited up for their second game — the conference tournament semi-finals. There was a nervous energy in the air, but David could see in their bodies that they were ready.

David tugged on his blazer before clearing his throat. Immediately, the room went silent. Every pair of eyes focused on him.

“Tonight is for you,” he began, projecting his voice to fill the room. “You’re here tonight because of what every single one of you has contributed over the past few months. Your time, your focus, your effort, and your commitment to your teammates is what has landed us here today.” He felt a smile curve his lips. “I cannot express how proud I am of all of you.” He took a moment to meet the gazes of each player. “You proved everyone wrong. Hell, you provedmewrong, and I’m a better man and a better coach because of the impact each of you has had on my life.

“So go out there tonight and give it your best. This is a team we’ve beat before, so you know they’re going to come out with something to prove. Lean on each other, work together, and play your damn hearts out.”

With that, David looked over at Jordan and Jenks, who sat side by side in the middle of the bench, surrounded by their teammates. “I’m going to leave you guys with your captains. Listen to them and decide on a plan. You know each other and you know your opponents, and I trust whatever you come up with.”

David beckoned to Tim and Sage, who stood off to the side. He met her gaze for just a moment, and the obvious pride and affection in her eyes almost made his knees buckle.

Were they hiding their feelings from anyone? Because even if they won tonight and won the conference championship, the days of the season were numbered. It was only a matter of time before a loss ended their run, and then suddenly, the reason that had kept them apart would fall away.

There would be nothing stopping them from…what? From being together?

David could already see it. Hell, he’d already spent way too much time imagining it. They already spent time together. They already shared each other’s spaces easily and comfortably. Add touching and kissing and exploring her body — the thought was goddamnintoxicating.

“Good work in there,” Tim said, interrupting his thoughts. “They’re as ready as they’ll ever be.”

David laughed, rubbing his hand over the beard he’d trimmed that morning, leaving only a thin layer of stubble on his cheeks and jaw. “We’ve done all we could, and however tonight ends, it’ll still be a successful season.”

Tim clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Couldn’t agree more, Hughes. You’ve done great work with them.”

Damn this old man for making his throat close with unwanted emotion. Damn him.

“Thanks, Coach,” David managed to choke out, blinking a bit too fast to appear natural. Straightening his shoulders, he led them out onto the court. He and Tim took their places at the top of the bench, while Sage settled in at the end.

Even though David’s gaze was focused out on the court, taking in the monumental moment that he was lucky enough to be a part of, he could feel the presence of the tall blonde at the end of the bench.

As soon as the season was done, he was going to ask her out. David was going to take Sage Fogerty on a proper date, complete with flowers and dinner at a place that wasn’t too fancy for jeans and one of those thin little shirts that she never wore a bra with.

And then he’d kiss her,reallykiss her, and it would be amazing.

So goddamn amazing.

* * *

They lost.

It was the kind of loss that left David gutted, but so incredibly proud.

The entire game had been close, within five points, with the lead passing back and forth in waves. Even at the end it had been in their grasp, with Harding pulling ahead by four in the last minute, and, in spite of every single one of the Southeastern players leaving everything out on the court, they couldn’t close the lead.

David felt like he’d been out there with them. He’d started sweating in the first five minutes of the game and had never stopped, shedding his blazer and even rolling up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. Even then, he was pretty sure everyone in the crowd could see that sweat had soaked through the back of his blue shirt.

But he hadn’t given a damn, because every single part of him was out there with those kids as they fought together. He was with them as their muscles strained and as their voices grew hoarse from communicating with each other on defense.

He’d coached harder than he’d ever coached before. He’d leaned on Tim, getting his assistant’s input as much as he could while he paced up and down the sideline.

---