Page 69 of The Perfect Pass
Jackson knew better than to lie to his players. A coach should be a straight shooter. Lying wasn’t the way to build trust, but he couldn’t ruin this moment for Tommy. So he pasted on a smile and nodded. “I’m sure that’s what it was.”
Tommy’s features relaxed again, and before Jacksonknew what was happening, the teen wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug like the one he’d given him after the season opener.
“Thank you, Coach,” he said into Jackson’s shoulder, not ready to let go. “This season changed my life. I don’t know what I’ll do when you’re gone.”
Jackson pulled away just enough to grasp him by the shoulders and look him in the eye. “Don’t count me out just yet, okay?”
He winked.
Tommy gasped. “Does that mean—”
Jackson shook his head. He couldn’t say more. He’d made a promise to tell Calla his plans before he told anyone else, and he wasn’t going to break it. “You’ll have to wait a little bit longer to know what it means. But listen up, the season isn’t over yet. We still have more games to win. By the time we get to State, you might just be ready to get back out there.”
“Yes, sir.” Tommy nodded, and the smile he flashed Jackson was bright enough to rival all the stars in the big, bright Texas sky.
* * *
Calla didn’t know what she was doing, hiding in the shadows of the field house. All she wanted to do was go home, but there was an entire football field between her and the stadium exit and there was no way she’d make it to the other side without someone seeing her cry.
Everyone in Bishop Falls was out there, and they all knew exactly how she felt about Jackson Knight. She’d made it literal front page news. Sooner or later, they’d all know what happened. Once Jackson was gone, her broken heart would be the talk of the town. And still, she couldn’t quite bring herself to regret anything.
She slipped the trading card out of her pocket and traced the outline of Jackson’s face with the pad of her thumb. A tear slipped down her cheek and she pressed the card to her heart, searching for her brother’s turf logo in the distance. There were far too many people on the field to actually see it, and it was no doubt covered in confetti by now, but she knew the exact spot where it lay. She always would, even if someone decided to paint over it years from now and replace it with the name of another player…another hometown hero. But for now, his name was still there, splashed across the bright green turf and for the first time since Ethan’s passing, she was glad she had a place to come talk to him—a place where she could still feel his presence.
She’d never stop missing him, but the pain was different now. It wasn’t a red, angry thing that made her lash out at the sport that had cost him so much. It was more wistful now, laced with a quiet determination to make him proud. To live her life in the way that he no longer could.
“I did it, Ethan,” she whispered. “I let myself fall in love, and you’d never believe who it was.”
She laughed under her breath as her fingers closed more tightly around the trading card. “Actually, you probably would. It’s not meant to be, though. He’s leaving, and even though I knew it would happen all along, I just don’t know how to say goodbye.”
It felt good to talk to her brother again—almost as good as it felt to let her feelings out for a change. Maybe she’d come back and do this again sometime. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? She’d become the talk of the town, walking around and talking to the Astroturf.
Calla wiped her face. She needed to get herself together and get home before she accidentally let herself get caught up in the homecoming activities. She’d rather die than hear the tinkle of a cowbell or the swish of a ribbon.
But then she did—and it wasn’t far away on the field. It was right behind her. And it was followed by a tender whisper that made her soul twist with bittersweet longing.
“Who says it’s not meant to be?”
Her heart sprang to her throat as she turned around. “Jackson.” She looked down at his hands. He was still carrying the ridiculous mum. “How much did you hear just now?”
“Enough.” He came closer, eyes glittering in the darkness. “Enough to know you’re in love with me, and enough to realize that you seem to think a goodbye is in order when it’s not.”
Calla went still. Had she heard him correctly? “Isn’t it?”
He shook his head. “No, it isn’t.”
“But I just heard you turn down an extension on your coaching contract. And that’s okay. You’re a professional football player, not a small-town coach. I never expected—”
“Who says I’m not a small-town coach?” He angled his head toward her, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a grin. “I’ve got a five-year contract that says otherwise, sweetheart.”
Hope fluttered in her heart, as sweet as Texas hill country honey.“What?”
“You heard me turning down a one-year contract earlier. I parted ways with my agent yesterday, so I’m doing my own negotiating now. I wasn’t about to sign on for just one year. I wanted five, minimum.” He gave a little shrug. “Plus Iwanted outright ownership of Bishop. Thanks to tonight’s win, I was able to be pretty convincing.”
“You’rereallystaying?” Calla shook her head. She could barely believe what she was hearing.
“Yeah. I’m really staying.” His expression turned serious…wistful. “When Harper called the other day, it was to tell me the Cyclones wanted me back. It didn’t feel right at first, and then she said something that made everything crystal clear.”
“What did she say?” Calla placed her hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat, steady and true beneath her fingertips.
