Page 89 of Silver Sanctuary
“Mmm, I do. She plays on the soccer team, and she’s in Archer’s class.”
“Archie?”
The kid opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish out of water.
“I’ll help you out since you seem a little stuck. Embrie is my daughter.”
“Certainly not genetically,” Mrs. DeSimone gasped.
“That doesn’t fucking matter. She’smy daughter. Her mother and I are married.”
“Oh, well… congratulations to the both of you. But I’m still not seeing what the problem is? Archer?”
At least the little shithead had the decency to look like he’d swallowed a toad.
“I’m sorry, Coach.”
“It’s not me who you owe an apology to. I expect you’ll think long and hard about the one you want to give to Embrie, who considered you one of her only friends here in Silver Springs before today. But you will have to apologize at school, because you won’t be seeing her at soccer any more.”
“Is she… she’s not playing anymore? Because of me?”
“No, son, you’renot playing anymore. I’m removing you from the team. And when I inform Coach Beau about what happened here today, I know he’ll back me on that decision.”
“Excuse me?!” Mrs. DeSimone shrieked. “You cannot do that to my son. He’s got one more year in this league before he’s ready for the road team, and they won’t accept him if he’s been out for half a season.”
Nash held up his hand, the smallest bit of satisfaction settling inside him that the consequences of his actions would come back to bite Archer in more than one way. “Nothing you have to say is going to change my mind. There’s more to being a part of our team than skill, and Archer knows that. What’s our motto?”
The kid looked at his feet. “Integrity above all.”
“Exactly.” Nash turned back to the mother. “He’s off the team for the rest of the year. If you have a problemwith that, maybe you should teach your son how to be a real friend. This is not what we stand for.”
“Archer, I think you need to go back to your party now.”
“Mom, I should apologize?—”
“No. I need to speak with Coach Caldwell and you have friends to get back to.”
Fucking perfect. This lady was going to let her son off the hook. Archer turned to walk away, but stopped mid stride.
“I am really sorry, Coach. I’ll make sure Embrie knows.”
Mrs. DeSimone waited all of five seconds before she started in.
“I’m sure my family can make this right. I know Lacy—we went to school together. Maybe I could talk to her?”
“Why? So you can call her dirt to her face like Archer did to Embrie before one of his little asshole friend’s cut her hair?They held her pigtail and cut it off her fucking head.She thought she was safe at a friend’s house. You better believe I’ll be speaking with the sheriff’s department about pressing charges for assault and seeing what can be done against you and your husband for obviously allowing it to be done in your home, while you were meant to be watching these kids.”
The last bit of color drained from her face. Good. “I think it’s best you leave.”
Nash nodded, his hands shaking with rage. But none of that mattered now. He had a haircut to figure out and a little girl to comfort.
“You’re mom is almost here. Apparently Aunt Lily is showing her something in Sage’s room, and then she’ll be back over.” Nash smiled as Embrie grabbed another handful of popcorn. They’d spent the first ten minutes home gathering up supplies to chop off theother braid.
Nash was so worried Embrie would take it hard—her beautiful long hair now up above her shoulder. But she looked in the mirror, smiling as she cut through the thick braid. Nash did damage control with a little evening out of the ends and her hair actually turned out incredibly cute. There were tears, but not for the reason Nash had been expecting. Embrie was so nervous that Lacy would be upset. “Think she’ll want to finish watching this movie with us?”
“Yeah! Of course!”
“Okay. I’m gonna go see how it went, then I’ll invite her.”
