Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“So what? That doesn’t matter. You told me showing up is what counts. And you always show up, Coop. Always.”
I pulled Silas into my arms and held on tight. Yes, there were battles ahead, but I didn’t have to fight them now.
One thing at a time. One day at a time.
And tonight, I had Silas.
CHAPTER 20
SILAS
Kids were funny as fuck. My experience with them was limited, but coaching a group of nine-to-twelve-year-old boys and girls, or pre-tweens as some Internet expert called them—required me to catch on quickly.
Things I’d learned so far:
A. Nine, ten, eleven, and twelve-year-olds were either rule followers or savvy anarchists who exploited loopholes in their favor.
Rhys La Rue, Chase’s best bud and Cooper’s best friend’s son was a scrappy little hellion with the toughness of a Doberman and the personality of a Labrador. Today at practice, he’d caught a fade route pass I’d thrown to the end zone. Great catch, and I’d told him so. However, he’d been out of bounds and the points didn’t count.
“That’s not fair,” he’d argued. “You clapped. If you clap, it should count.”
“Sorry, man. You deserved the shout-out. Well done. But touchdowns have to be scored in bounds. Them are the rules.”
“We gotta change that,” Rhys had grumbled.
Of course, he conveniently forgot his ruling when the other team ran a similar bum play.
B. They had weird hobbies.
Lola Lynwood, a ten-year-old from Elmwood brought her collection of bottle caps to practice…just because. That inspired Joaquin to share the Pokémon cards his uncle had given him. And since I’d once been the proud owner of a killer Pokémon card collection and was very curious about why anyone would want a jug full of bottle caps, I’d cut practice fifteen minutes early so we could check out the cards, the bottlecaps, and play tag till pickup.
C. They were fact junkies.
I’d been in the middle of explaining what a no-running zone was when Taylor Colfax adjusted his glasses and spouted,
“Did you know that Saturn could float in a bathtub?”
“Uh…” I’d tucked the football under my arm and squinted. “No.”
“It’s true.”
“Cool. All right, back to football.” I’d clapped and continued, “We’ve got a five-yard no-run zone, which means you have to pass the ball and—”
“I heard it rains diamonds on Neptune,” someone else had piped up.
“Oh, that’s so cool.”
“And on Uranus too.”
“You said ur-anus,” a wise guy had snickered, inciting a round of merriment.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
I’d dropped the ball and waved my arms in the air like a plastic blow-up figure they always put on the roofs of tire stores. “Yo! Are we talking science, or are we playing football?”
“Football!”
“And Uranus!”
I hid my smile as everyone burst into laughter and shook my head ruefully.
“All right, wise guys. Take a lap.” I’d motioned for the fifteen kids in my group to follow me around the perimeter of the field, stopping often to do jumping jacks and push-ups.
Our twice a week hour-and-a-half-long practices were both an exercise in patience and a test to the limits of one’s sanity. They were also some of the most fun I’d had in years. Christ, I learned something every day.
Kangaroos can’t hop backward, owls don’t move their eyeballs, wombats make cubed poop.
I mean… Wow.
I liked to think I was imparting a little football wisdom too, but by the middle of June, I was beginning to realize that winning wasn’t the main goal. It was more about fun and camaraderie…being a team.
“You’re good with the kids,” Dexter commented, handing me a water bottle.
“They’re goofy as hell, but I like ’em.” I took a swig and waved at parents as they checked their kids out.
“I’m glad.” He glanced at his watch and at the kids still waiting for pickup. “I told Reg I’d drop Rhys off. Are you taking Chase and Ivy?”
Okay, so yeah, I was beginning to wonder if Dex suspected there was something going on with Coop and me. Not that he’d said anything, but he was a keen observer and had to notice that Coop’s kids were pretty comfortable around me. Then again, we were neighbors in a tight-knit community, so…maybe not.
My phone buzzed before I could reply.
Cooper.
My heart flipped at the sight of his name on my screen. What a sap. “Hi.”
“Hey. Sarah’s running late and I’m stuck here for a meeting. Would you mind taking the kids to my house? She’ll be there within fifteen to thirty minutes, and Ivy and Chase know the security code…and well, you do too.”
I smiled, stepping away from Dex in case my voice hitched or squeaked or something equally embarrassing. “Yep. No problem.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
Dex lifted his brow in a maneuver that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else. “Everything okay?”
“Yep. I’m gonna give Ivy and Chase a lift home.”
He gave an up-nod, his lips tilted on one corner…no words required.