His name was given due to his lanky arms and legs. He was six foot four and matched the diameter of my pinky. But he was a damn hard worker. His mother was the head of the athletic department, a woman I highly respect.
“Water, boys!” Rodney shouted as he strode toward me with Shaw at his side. “I think you should talk with Kolson. Make sure his head is in the game.”
I dipped my chin. “Planned on it.”
“Good deal.” He braced his hands on his hips. “They look sharp.”
“Defense looks better than last season,” Wes chimed in, his eyes surveying the field.
“Agreed.” Shaw slipped his hat off, wiping sweat away from his brow.
“Keep doing what we do.” Rodney clapped me on the shoulder.
Rodney Maxwell had multiple Super Bowls under his belt, along with a number of championships. He’d coached the Cougars for the last twelve years and become a man I consider a good friend since I took the job. A father figure of sorts. He was to us all.
The guys were finishing up their lap when Julia came hiking across the field.
“I’m dying, Coach.” J.C., our most effective defensive lineman, leaned over, planting his hands on his knees.
“If your fat ass had worked out this summer, you wouldn’t be slacking,” Lawson Crawford barked as he pushed past him.
“I didn’t see you in that gym every day,” he grunted.
“I don’t just work out in the gym, J.C. Bending a blonde over in my shower counts as exercise.” He grins. “Right, Coach?”
I shook my head.“Not my business who you’re bending over, Crawford. All I care about is you running the fucking ball.”
Laughs and whistles erupted from the crowd as Julia idled up to the group. She was the team’s athletic trainer and the one who kept these men in the best shape of their lives. She might only be five foot three, but she made up for it in strength. She kept them healthy and in check. Even with a pregnant belly, she ran a tight ship.
“Got the jitters out?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s game week.” I adjusted the whistle on my neck as she checked her clipboard.
“Damn. Who’s that?” Jagger muttered, but Julia piped back in, pulling my attention away from the sudden whispers.
“I wanted to introduce the new graduate trainer this season.” She turned, waving her hand in the air.
A tan leg stepped around her frame, the slender curve all too familiar.
What the…
“This is Trinity Maxwell. Trinity, this is Coach Rusk, Coach Ford, Coach Winslow, and Coach Calloway.”
My gaze met a pair of green eyes.Those green fucking eyes.The ones I’d been dreaming about for the last two weeks. They flashed with recognition before they widened slightly. I swallowed thickly, jerking my gaze to Julia, who smiled withenthusiasm. The student trainers were her passion. Her little projects.
“Maxwell?” I questioned, the only thing flashing in my brain like a warning red light.
This can’t be a coincidence.
“Yeah. She’s Coach—”
“There she is.” Rodney joined the group, stepping right past me. “I see you’ve met my daughter?”
Daughter? Rodney has a daughter?
My eyes darted back to hers, disbelief striking me square in the chest as I numbly held out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Trinity. I’m Preston Rusk.” I cleared my throat. “Coach Rusk.”
I immediately felt like an asshole. Acting as if I didn’t know her. Hadn’t flirted with her. Hadn’t asked her on a date.Excuse me, a tour.
