Page 91 of Poppy Kisses
Auggie hadn’t shown at practice yet. Jensen was catching up on work at the shop since Aspen and I didn’t need him to fill in with coaching. I passed a ball back and forth between my feet, shuffling a few steps to the left and right. The boys I coached were spread around the field, doing their warm-ups. In a crooked line, they jumped up and down, switching the foot on the ball, doing toe taps.
I checked my phone. Not only was Auggie gone, but three kids hadn’t returned. I glanced at Aspen’s group. How small had hers gotten? At least four of Hadley’s friends hadn’t returned either.
I stayed anxious through all of practice. We would not survive our first season at this attrition rate. My stomach twisted on itself. How embarrassing would it be to hang the sign for my school—Uplifting Minds? No, not quite right. But how embarrassing to hang up my sign—whatever the title might be—only to have people wonder if I was the one who couldn’t recruit enough kids for one soccer team?
The hour went by both slowly and quickly. No Auggie and no Jensen. I’d text them as soon as I was done. Everything was probably okay. Maybe they got involved at the shop and lost track of time. Maybe Auggie didn’t want to play anymore.
“Bring it in,” I called to the kids.
They surrounded me, and we all took a seat on the grass. I waved a few little flies out of my face. The city had sprayed for mosquitoes, so at least we weren’t getting eaten alive, although it’d give me more to think about than my second failing soccer club attempt and how I had to lie about my fiancé to open a business. I used to tell the kids that winning wasn’t a priority. But winning in life was a little more important.
“Tell me what you liked and what you didn’t?”And tell me if you’re not coming back on Thursday.
They all talked at the same time until I held up a finger. “Left to right.” The two kids on the ends spoke together, and I chuckled. “My left. Sorry.” I gestured to Jaxon.
“I liked getting it in the goal.”
I smiled. “It’s a good feeling.”
“And I didn’t like that Matthew’s on vacation.”
A small wave of relief cooled me off. “He’s on vacation?”
Jaxon nodded solemnly. “With Davis. Their families go camping together.”
Okay, that explained two. After all the kids told me they liked making goals and they missed their friends, I cut them loose.
Aspen had let her kids go at the same time, and she jogged toward me. “You had lots of kids gone too?”
I nodded. “Didn’t look good, but a couple are on vacation.”
She squinted at the parking lot. “A few of mine were too. To be expected, I guess.” She waved at a swarm of tiny bugs. “Oh well. We can always enroll a coed team in the tournaments that allow it. Registration is still open on a couple, but I wanted to wait to see if our numbers were stable.” She lifted her arms in a shrug and slapped her thighs. “Oh well. First year, we don’t know what to expect.”
“What if more kids drop?”
“Then no tournaments and we try again next year,” she said brightly.
I nodded. There weren’t thousands of other families’ dollars on the line, so she could be cavalier about it. And it wasn’t only my name attached to the Coal Haven Kickers.
I talked my blood pressure down. Crisis averted. I wouldn’t have to move in shame. I could hold my head up high when I hung that Brain Power sign.
No, still not quite right for a name.
I just had to pick one. But the house wouldn’t be ready until after the wedding, when I could actually open in my office. When I could actually order a sign. Jensen said he’d make it. And he’d make another.
I just needed a name.
After I helped Aspen load her bag of balls in her SUV, I jogged to my car. I checked my phone. Nothing from Jensen.
Worry gnawed at my stomach lining. I drove home, but his pickup was gone. Now what? I stayed in the car and stared at the house. Concern continued to eat at me, but so did envy. Hassie probably knew exactly where Jensen and Auggie were.
I could drive all over town looking for them and act like a jealous girlfriend. Or I could call Jensen. And talk. Which was what he’d asked me to do. I was tempted to text, but waiting for a reply would kill me.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, how’d it go?”
I frowned. He sounded like nothing was wrong. “Uh, good. Auggie couldn’t make it?”
“What?”
