“I may have embellished a bit. I did have a pretty rough fall the other day, one that landed me in the hospital, but after a few tests they determined I was fine. A sprained ankle that just needed a few days to heal.”
“Then why did you lie to me?”
“I’m retiring at the end of this season. My wife and I decided earlier this year it was time for me to call it. So I spoke with Don last week. I told him you would be taking my place.”
“You said I didn’t have what it takes to be a coach, that I relied on you too much.”
“Youdidrely on me too much, and that stopped you from trusting your gut. I knew if you had the chance to step up, you would. That if given the opportunity with you at the helm, that fire would ignite. And from what I hear, it did.”
Damn. I was so focused on being the best coach for them, I never once thought about what Coach would want me to do, or what he would say. I was Coach Hayes through and through, no hesitation.
Coach continues. “At first, I really thought coaching was just a filler for you, and I was worried you'd come to resent it because coaching can never replace playing. But I had to know for sure; I had to remove myself from the situation and see how you handled it. If you would take it seriously and saw yourself as more than just the assistant. You took charge and became a head coach for those boys when they really needed it. And damn did they need it what the fuck was that first period? Anyway.” He claps a hand on my shoulder, “I believe in you, Mason. The team believes in you.”
His words feel like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you that you are good at what you do. It’s hard to find a passion. I once thought after losing mine, all I could wish for was settling. But last night confirmed coaching was what I was meant to do all along, and it feels good to know others could see it too. I was going to lead Westchester all the way to the Frozen Four championships this year, and we’d continue our winning streak for many years to follow.
“Then I won’t let you down. You may be retiring, but I promise the legacy you created will live on.”
Coach smiles at me, a rare sight. “Good because if you had said no, then you’d have to face the wrath of Mrs. Jameson.”
“So, what’s retirement going to look like Coach?”
“Not quite sure yet. All I know is I’ll have the love of my life with me the whole time.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“It is, Mason. It is.”
forty-seven
. . .
Violet
“Violet,Angel, it’s time to wake up.” The sound of Mason’s voice, paired with the soft kisses along my neck, stirred me awake.
I stretch my arms wide causing the sheet that’s covering me to fall. My face flushes red as I watch Mason’s eyes take in my bare chest, as he licks his bottom lip.
“What time is it?” I ask.
“12:30. I just got back from Coach’s place. We need to get moving soon if we don’t want to be late for lunch.”
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’lldefinitelybe late to lunch.” I counter I head into the bathroom, lock the door behind me, and get into the shower. I hear Mason’s laugh followed by him yelling ‘Tease!’ from the other side of the door. I’d make him pay for thatcomment later.
I wrap up my shower and get dressed as quickly as possible. The traffic usually isn’t too bad on a Saturday, but Castle Harbor is an hour away and I didn’t want to keep our families waiting. Mason comes back into our bedroom as I apply various products to my hair. He grabs one of my leave-in-conditioners from the counter, pours some into his hand and runs it through my curls.
“A girl could get used to this,” I whisper, as he massages my scalp.
“Good. Because I have every intention of making this a regular occurrence.”
I take advantage of the drive up to Castle Harbor to catch up on my emails, one of which grabs my attention immediately.
Today, 11:11 a.m.
To: Violet Amin ([email protected])
cc: Bethany Coleman ([email protected])
From: Psychology Admin ([email protected])
