It doesn’t help when she shows up to the game I’m coaching that evening at the local ice rink.
The Elksboro Buccaneers team was young, mostly underclassmen, and had a long way to go. With the best of intentions, I’d put together a practice game against Riverside High because I was still tight with my old coach.
My intent had been to film it and show it at practice as a visual aid demonstrating our areas of weakness. But now I was worried what the camera might’ve caught.
I enjoyed coaching and was good at it, but my gaze kept drifting over my left shoulder where Emersyn sat with one of my players moms.
Two of the juniors on my team, Brian and Lucas, solid players who I had to stay on to keep their grades eligible, noticed her around the same time I did.
“She still with Echols?” I overheard Lucas ask.
Brian made an obnoxious sound. “I think Echols bats for the other team, man. I heard he got jumped in City Park this summer and you know what goes on there. Bunch of dudes sucking each other off in the woods.”
Lucas laughed. “Which begs the question, how doyouknow that?”
Brian gave him a shove. “Everyone knows that.”
I hadn’t.
“She’s hot as fuck,” Lucas commented. “Damn those legs. I’d do some bad shit to get them wrapped around me later.”
Never gonna happen, kid.
The possessive urge to deck him was diluted by my testosterone-fueled sense of pride. Really couldn’t blame him. She was fucking beautiful beyond words and she was mine.
I tried to sneak her a subtle wave several times, but seemed lost in thought.
After we’d gotten our asses handed to us, I walked slowly to my Jeep in hopes she’d followed discretely. But she didn’t.
I sent her a text.
Coming over tonight?
It took a while but she responded.You did an amazing job tonight and I wanted to stay and tell you in person, but Ethan is still sick and I needed to get home.
I texted back that understood and for her to let me know if she needed anything.
She never sent anything back.
I laid awake half the night wondering while she was taking care of Ethan, who was taking care of her?