Page 13 of The Run Home
And I really fuckin’ liked it.
“You’re unbelievable,” I murmured.
Shae’s smile amped up. “Damn right I am.” Then she turned to Lydia whose head had been swiveling back and forth between us like she was at a tennis match. “Ready to head out?” Shae pushed her chair back and collected her lunch, exiting the break room without another word.
Lydia was a bit slower, pausing as she walked by me. “Watch yourself, Wolfe. I have friends in low places.”
I opened my mouth to ask what the hell that meant, but she was already gone. I shook my head and blew out a long breath. I wasn’t sure if I could call that conversation a win, but I’d gotten Kinsley a tryout and that would have to do. Pulling out my phone, I shot my daughter a quick text with the good news. If I was expecting a heart emoji or athank you so much, Dad, you’re amazingfor my efforts, I was sorely disappointed. I got a thumbs up and that was that.
Thankfully, I only had one more health class before I met up with the baseball team on the hot metal bleachers ringing the baseball field. They weren’t even talking amongst themselves, which I found interesting. It felt weird to be on this side of the bleachers. I was the coach now, the one who demanded respect and was responsible for this group of mostly uncoordinated teenage boys.
“Thanks for meeting up on short notice. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, I’ve been hired as head coach for the team.”
A kid with a nest of unruly hair on top of his head, stood up. He was tall, lanky, but starting to show some bulk in his upper body. “Welcome to Blueball High, Coach Wolfe. We’re happy to have you here.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Tatum. Captain last year.”
I nodded, remembering him from the roster I’d studied when they offered me the job. There wasn’t a whole lot of video to be found online, nor a lot of wins, but I was hopeful I could turn the ship around. Back in my day, Blueball High had several state championships under our belt and I intended to get some more before my time here was done.
“Nice to meet you, Tatum.” He sat down and I addressed the group. “I don’t have a lot of rules, but that doesn’t mean I’ll bean easy coach. I expect you to keep your grades up, your noses out of trouble, and one hundred percent effort all year round. To that end, I’m instituting offseason weight training starting today.”
There were murmurs, but no outright protests. I’d nearly had a heart attack when I saw the team wasn’t already lifting weights consistently in the offseason. Being strong not only prevented injuries but was the foundation to a successful team. We had a lot of catching up to do.
“Follow me, boys.”
The team stood up and clanked down the bleachers, following me toward the weight room I’d already checked out earlier today. I planned to do some assessments first to see what we were starting with. Except when I flung open the door, there were at least twenty girls already using the weight room. All heads spun in my direction, the team behind me crowding my back.
“What class is this?” I asked the girl closest to the door.
“Um, volleyball?”
I wanted to smack my forehead. Great. Real fuckin’ great. I turned back to the baseball team. “Wait here. No screwin’ around.” Then I walked into the weight room and asked for the head coach.
“She’s in the gym with the new girl,” a blonde girl told me, pointing to the door that lead to the attached gymnasium.
The new girlhad to be my daughter. I hesitated, knowing if I stepped foot in the gym while my daughter was trying out, she’d crucify me later. But if I didn’t talk to the volleyball head coach, I wasn’t sure what to do with my baseball team. Thankfully, the decision was made for me. The door flew open and Shae entered, Kinsley hot on her heels. Shae faltered for a moment when she saw me. She turned a suspicious frown my way, but addressed the girls.
“Ladies! We have a new outside hitter. Everyone meet Kinsley.”
The blonde I’d talked to went up to my daughter and dragged her over to the bench press. “You can work out with me, if you want.”
I could have kissed the girl for being kind to my daughter. Thankfully I knew that would be highly inappropriate and turned my attention to Shae instead. She had on track pants, tennis shoes, and a Blueball High volleyball T-shirt. Remarkably without stains. With her hair in that high ponytail, she looked adorably sporty.
“Are you…” I trailed off, my brain finally catching up to what I should have already realized. “You’re the head coach.”
Shae nodded, an evil glint in her eyes. “Genius-level deduction, big dog.”
I had to clamp my teeth together to keep from throttling her. That fuckin’ “big dog” shit was really getting on my nerves. But the joy I’d seen splash across my daughter’s face when she was introduced as part of the team kept my teeth firmly planted on my tongue. If I looked beyond the irritation Shae inspired by just breathing in my vicinity, I was proud of her. I’d spent the better part of my summer before high school helping her work on her volleyball skills. The little girl she’d been years ago was desperate to make the team. Look at her now.
“From driveway peppering to head coach. Damn, wiz. Way to go.”
Shae opened and closed her mouth twice, probably unsure how to accept a compliment from me. Probably unsure it was genuine.
“So, we’ve got a bit of a problem,” I said when it became clear she could think of nothing to say in response. I gestured to the clanking gym machines around us. “I need this gym for my baseball team.”
Shae folded her arms across her ample chest, anger and irritation fighting for space on her face. “Like hell you do.”
