“That’s all? You’re not going to tell me how to cut them?” I ask.
He laughs. “The red ones are for potato salad. So make them bite-sized. Smallish because they’ll cook quicker and we’ll have time to cool them. The Russets are for grilled fries. So… make them French fry shaped.”
I nod. That’s reasonable enough of an explanation. Then I look at the mountain of potatoes. I may never make it to theRussets—a second, slightly smaller mountain. Do we even have pots this big?
Glancing over my shoulder, I examine the different grills and grill stations. The biggest one has three racks and is completely covered. Then there’s an open grill and a little round one. I’m told something here is a smoker or has a smoker or is for a smoker… I’m not sure what any of that means, but there’s a smoker involved.
I begin chopping potatoes and it’s definitely monotonous. Since I’m vaguely facing Hansley’s booth, I glance up now and then. Probably every other potato. Currently, he’s standing back and watching Alka and Declan as they work, but I’m guessing there’s some commentary, since he looks amused. Roux doesn’t look quite so amused.
Hansley’s gaze shifts my way and when we meet eyes, he smiles. Gawd, the way my heart hammers in my chest. By the time I turn back, I can feel the way my cheeks ache from smiling so widely. Fuck, what have I become?
I’m partially through the potato mountain when the bowl is taken away and replaced. We’re cooking in batches. That makes sense. Peyton joins me at the cutting station and begins on the Russets.
We’re quiet for a long time. Until he catches me watching Hansley again. I’d probably be quicker if I wasn’t obsessed with watching the man. I can’t believe I’d even been attracted to the other two in that booth. Roux not included—he’s a student and I just don’t go there. He may as well not exist. But yeah… there’s something similar in their build and features, which I guess at one point I might have considered ‘my type.’
Hansley is nothing like them. He’s clearly built to be a force. Thick thighs, thick arms, a big chest I want to suck on, abs for miles.
Physical appearance isn’t everything—it’s not even the most important thing—but there’s no hiding that a pretty face and a sexy body definitely catch my attention. In Alka, I liked his confidence. It made him more attractive. Declan’s quiet, almost shy personality made him more attractive.
Hansley? Absolutely every fucking thing. I’ve still yet to find something unattractive about him. I’m totally fucked, aren’t I?
“You look happy, Coach,” Peyton says, and I pull my attention from watching Hansley.Again!
“Hmm,” is my only answer.
“Do you love him?” As I look up, he starts shaking his head. “Sorry. Inappropriate. Obviously don’t answer that, Coach. It’s none of my business.”
I chuckle. “I’ll tell you what… Today, I’m not your coach. We’re friends. We can gossip and joke and talk about whatever.”
“Can I still call you Coach? It’s going to be really weird otherwise.”
“Yes,” I agree, laughing. Glancing at Hansley, I shrug. Not because I’m minimizing what’s between us but because I fear I am in love with him, but I can’t tell someone else that until he knows. Right?
“It’s really good to see you so happy,” Peyton admits and once again, I look at him with an eyebrow raised. He grins. “Seriously. You smile a lot now.”
“I smiled before,” I say defensively.
“Yes, to us,” Eli pipes from my other side, where he and Winston are working at the perpendicular table that faces the aisle. “But it’s almost like a very visible mask fell over you when literally anyone other than the team is around.”
“It was kind of impressive to see,” Winston admits.
“I… didn’t realize I was that transparent,” I say, feeling a little unsettled by that because I never wanted my kids to see me…cold and defensive. I’d always thought I’d toned it down and hid it well enough. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Peyton says, laughing. “You’re an amazing coach to us. I’ve played a lot of football and had a lot of coaches growing up, but you’re by far the best.”
“Sucking up will get you everywhere,” I preen. “Continue.”
The three of them laugh.
“No, I mean it. It’s so easy to become just another body on a team this big. I think we can all agree that’s what it’s like in football unless you’re the star and the coach’s favorite. The entire environment is different on your team. We are a team, but it has a very surreal feeling of home. Comfort. Like it’s not a sport or a job or even a goal. It’s…” he trails off as he searches for the words.
“It’s the place we look forward to being the most,” Eli says.
“Yeah, exactly,” Peyton agrees. “If you had a bunk room in the athletic building, I’d never leave.”
“On a broader scale, RDU is like that too,” Winston says. “I could feel it and see it when I toured and more than anything, that’s what made me decide to enroll. But our team is just one step above that. More than that.”
“And I’m Mommy Frost,” I deadpan.
