“So, Coach Emily is a big hit, huh?” Caden said with a smirk as he sat back on the couch and crossed his legs. “I knew she’d be great with kids. She has that kind of way about her.”
“And what way is that?”
“Relax,” Caden said, shaking his head with a groan. “I meant that she has a nice, easy way about her. And it’s kind of funny how you keep getting pushed back together.”
“Keep? She’s my niece’s soccer coach.”
“Think about it. You see each other for the first time in twenty years right after you moved back?—”
“At the high school reunion the whole class was invited to.”
“Okay, that doesn’t count, I guess,” he conceded. “But then the therapist tells you that Maddie needs an activity to keep her occupied. She picks soccer. You find Coach Emily. I don’t know. I’m seeing a lot of dots.” He moved his finger back and forth in the air.
“You would.” I blew out a breath.
“Anyway, I didn’t know that Sabrina was her assistant.”
“I didn’t know either until she was at the first practice.”
Even though I’d sworn I’d keep quiet, I couldn’t help asking anyway.
“I’m going to be blunt. Are you starting something up with her again?”
His smile faded to a scowl. “Didn’t you ask me that already?”
“No. I asked you if you were hooking up with Sabrina. Not if you were starting something up with her. Different things.”
“Either way, what’s wrong with it? We have fun together when we go out. And I like her. I always did. Why should two people be alone if they don’t have to be?”
“There’s being alone, and then there’s using people as placeholders.” I raised a brow.
“I never said I was using her as a placeholder. I genuinely enjoy her company. If our time together leads to naked company, then…”
My head whipped to the staircase, hoping Maddie was far enough out of earshot.
“Consenting adults and all that. No judgment, right?” He stretched his arm along the top of the couch cushion and lifted a brow.
“I’m not judging you. I just hope you both know what you’re doing.”
“Right now, we aren’t doing anything.” He rested his elbows on his knees and raked a hand through his dark hair. “When do you see Coach Emily again?”
“Practice.”
“But you’ll text her later, right? I caught you mooning over your phone twice now. Just like old times.”
“We text back and forth about Maddie mostly,” I told him through gritted teeth. “Don’t read into it.”
He arched a brow. “About Maddiemostly. Excuse me for calling bullshit. Hell, I’m happy for you. No need to snap at me.”
“I don’t have time for whatever you’re thinking is between Emily and me. We’ve managed to break the ice enough between us to be friends and take away most of the complications for my niece’s sake.”
“Right.” He dragged out the word. “No complications besides the fact that your high school feelings are still an adult reality, but you’re too chickenshit to say it?”
“I’m not.”
“But you are, man.” He laughed to himself. “What is the big deal? She’s single, you’re single?—”
“Soccer is the first thing Maddie’s been excited about in a long time, and she really likes Emily. I don’t want to make it weird for her if we start something up and then it goes wrong.”
