Page 22 of Coach Me
A weird expression comes over Dex’s face. It’s just as unreadable as everything else about him right now.
“You’d tell him you couldn’t make it even though I said no?”
Didn’t I just say that? “Yeah, I’m not going to villainize you as a father. What good would blaming you do?”
Dex raises his eyebrows in what I can’t decide is surprise or admiration —maybe both— but it quickly disappears. “You didn’t mention you were Will’s sister at the coffee shop.”
Ah, so itisabout me being Will’s sister.
“It didn’t seem relevant. You were in a hurry—I wanted to help. Me being Will’s sister didn’t change that.”
Dex grunts an aggravatedhumph.
“What’s going on here?” Callie asks as she and Miles come back over to us.
“Nothing.” Dex takes a small step back as if the two feet between us weren’t enough. “I have to get back to the locker room. Miles, are you coming with me for the team meeting or hanging out with Callie?”
Callie, not me.
Miles looks back and forth between us all before jumping closer to his dad. “I want to do the meeting, but Callie, are you leaving with Lucie?”
“Nope, I still have some stuff to sort out here.” Aka, she’s waiting on Will but doesn’t want to rub it in Miles’s face. “How about you go with your dad, and you come say bye before you leave?”
“Okie!” Miles dashes to me for a quick hug, but then yells, “Bye, Lucie, I’ll see you Friday” as he runs down the hall.
I chuckle and call after him, “Bye, Miles.” I don’tmention anything about Friday because of Dex’s weird reaction, but when I force a glance his way, he just gives a small nod and walks off.
Callie watches as Dex walks down the hall and whips to me when he gets out of earshot. “What was that about? Did he offer you the job?”
What is this job? Dex said something snarky about it earlier too.
“I don't know anything about a job. I just said I would hang out with Miles at the game on Friday, and he got all weird, acting like I was just getting Miles’s hopes up to just crush him by not showing up.”
Callie snorts a laugh. “Christ, no wonder he can’t find a nanny. He’s scaring them all away.”
“Nanny? Callie, please tell me you didn’t tell him I wanted to be his nanny!” Oh my gosh, no wonder he got all weird when I told him my qualifications.
I cringe at the memory…I was just trying to make him feel better, but ended up coming off as a show-off.
“Not just nanny…traveling homeschool teacher as well.”
I smack her arm like I would my own sister. “Callie!”
“What? It’s a good idea! I stand by that.” Callie crosses her arms. “Tell me, how’s applying for other teaching jobs going?”
Crap. I should have known Reagan would tell Will about my complete and utter lack of motivation to apply to other schools this week.
“I haven’t started yet.”
“Exactly. I’m not sorry because it’s a win-win situation. You get a great job that involves hanging out with and eventually teaching an adorable kid. And Dex can finally stopstressing about finding someone who knows how demanding this schedule is.”
I chew on my bottom lip. She’s not wrong. I haven’t ever thought about homeschooling before; the idea of a classroom full of kids and learning seemed the most exciting. But Miles is so cute and polite, curious too. When I think back on the game, he asked so many questions.
Miles is a smart kid. He’s both inquisitive and observant—being his teacher does feel like it would be just as fulfilling as a classroom full of kids. Maybe even more considering I can give him 100 percent of my effort and attention.
The nanny part doesn’t turn me off of the idea either. I have spent countless hours working at the daycare at our local gym over the summers through college.
“Okay, I’m not saying you’re wrong. I can’t say I would necessarily turn down the job, but I don’t think Dex is too keen on your idea either.”
