“Of course. If you want it.”
Aiden pumps a fist, and they crowd closer, making Scott Two move in as well as I sign hats, shirts, and pictures.
Then Percy looks at Hiramys and the older man. “Coach! Coach, you have to get in too.”
“And Coach Cooper!” Derek says.
I drop my Sharpie, which Scott Two grabs and hands back to me while I tell myself to get a grip.
Coach Cooperis a different Cooper.
He has to be.
Because the Cooper that I pretend I don’t know is in sunny Florida for spring training right now, andnothere in the cold, wet, last-of-winter Virginia foothills, waiting to see a Waverly Sweet concert with a bunch of pre-teen boys.
Percy twists and peers at the door. “Where’s Coach Cooper? Sorry, Waverly. He got us in, but I guess he’s not a fan. Hack.”
“Coach Cooper!” Aiden yells. Derek echoes it.
Hiramys gives me thedo you need a rescue? Is your stomach okay?look, but before I can unfreeze everything about me, a dark-haired, blue-green-eyed, dimpled, Florida-tanned pirate of a man steps into the room.
My entire body ignites in goosebumps. My pulse rockets into fight-or-flight mode and decides we’re pickingfreeze.
“Coach Cooper!” Derek crows. “We thought you left!”
It’s beeneight years.
Why is my body being a dumbass about this?
Get a grip, Waverly. You’re a fucking rock star.
Nope.
That doesn’t work.
Why doesn’t that work?
“Come get in the picture,” Aiden says.
“Or maybe after we take one without you, so my dad doesn’t see me with a hack,” Percy pipes up.
And Cooper Rock, star hometown player for the Copper Valley Fireballs, apparent adopted coach of the worst Little Sluggers team in this city, and the first man to have the distinct honor of breaking my heart, smiles like having a ten-year-old kid call him a hack is the funniest part of his day.
He’s a bad bad bad bad bad bad bo-oy! Use him for a toy toy toy toy toy toy to-oy!
My eyelid twitches.
This isnotthe time for song inspiration.
“Don’t call Coach Cooper ahack, Percy,” Aiden hisses.
“But my dad says he is,” Percy hisses back.
“Hey, what’s the first rule of being the Mountain Lions?” Cooper and his stupid handsome face and stupid adorable dimples and stupid dream-haunting voice says.
“We’re a team!” a bunch of the kids crow together.
“Exactly. And we cheer for each other even when we’re all being hacks, right?”
