Xavier made a hand motion for them to settle down. “It’s not a big deal. True’s brother had a coach who bailed on the team, so I volunteered to step in. I managed to get one of the moms to be my assistant coach, so I’m not doing this solo.” He looked back and forth between the two. “I cleared it with Hattie, and she thinks it’s a great way to get to know more of the Moose Falls community.”
Both of his brothers let out throaty laughs, which only served to annoy him. It was as grating as nails on a chalkboard. What was so funny about volunteering his time with young kids? They were acting like two jerks.
Caleb shook his head. “Oh, man. You are definitely falling for True. You’ve got it bad!”
Landon nodded, seemingly in agreement with Caleb’s assessment. “Just make sure you’re seeing things clearly,” Landon added. “You just got back on course after all thedrama with your ex.” He twisted his mouth for emphasis. “We don’t want to see you torn apart again.”
Xavier felt himself getting heated. This was familiar territory with his brothers. They had often accused him of being easily manipulated in relationships, particularly with Heather. He’d always been so eager to please his ex-fiancée, even if it meant jumping through hoops to make her happy. Maybe he should have heeded the warning signs back then, but he was entitled to mistakes. He and True were just getting to know each other, but now his brothers were making him question everything. Was he already falling back into old patterns?
“Just make sure this is whatyouwant, Xavier. Clearly, True has you wrapped around her little finger,” Caleb muttered.
“That’s not true. Don’t even start with that mess,” Xavier said, bristling. “Giving back is one of the few things I can still do when it comes to football. Nobody seems to want my skills in the NFL, so why shouldn’t I volunteer my services? This has nothing to do with True. It has to do with me.” He was breathing heavily through his nose, and although he knew that he needed to calm down, he was annoyed and furious.
Xavier stormed out of the room, ignoring the pleas of his brothers to stay and talk it out. Just when he was beginning to feel positive about being here in Moose Falls, Caleb and Landon had to throw grenades at him. He wasn’t the same man he used to be. Clearly, that wasn’t something his brothers understood.
He had learned so much during his relationship with Heather and the wounds he’d suffered due to her selfishness and deceit. Xavier had no intention of being used by a woman ever again, but he knew True was different. She was the furthest thing from his ex.
So far, so good, Xavier thought as he stood in the gymnasium looking out at the assembled group of children. Twenty-five kids had shown up for practice, although around five admitted they had only come to meet a famous football player. Honestly, he struggled with the notion as of late. Fame was such a fleeting concept. He hated that it mattered to him, but was he still a celebrity without the glare of the lights and cameras andSunday Night Football?
He had spent a lot of time contemplating whether he could truly be happy without being a famous athlete playing on an elite team. So far, he hadn’t come up with an answer. Maybe that was one of the things he would discover about himself in Moose Falls.
“As some of you might know, I’m Xavier Stone. You can call me Coach Stone,” he said. “And this is Lisa Jardine, Alicia’s mom. Coach Jardine to all of you.”
Lisa beamed from ear to ear. “Hey, guys. I’m excited to be coaching with the Storm. I mean Coach Stone,” she said, quickly correcting herself and causing the group to erupt into giggles. Xavier knew she’d used his football name as an ice breaker, and he didn’t mind it.
“How many of you have played football before?” Xavier asked. He looked at the raised hands. Only a few members of the group had any football experience. It was kind of nice starting with a blank slate. That way he would easily be able to see if anyone had raw abilities and any leadership qualities. Even at this age, there would be team captains, scrimmages, cool team apparel. There was so much involved in youth sports that would fire these kids up. Memories of his own experiences flooded him. Despite what his brothers thought, this was a worthwhile endeavor.
“We’re going to start out with some drills so we can begin conditioning your bodies. When the weather permits, we can practice outside, but for now, we can practice right here,” Xavier said. This might be a workout for him as well, considering he hadn’t been keeping up with his grueling gym workouts. To this day, he was plagued by random headaches where he needed to lie down in a dark room. He had blind spots in his peripheral vision on the left side. Those were his limitations, and he hoped they didn’t interfere with his ability to coach these kids.
“We’ve got waters in a cooler for after we finish up,” Lisa said. “I hope everyone remembers to drink water throughout the day so you’re properly hydrated.”
For the next hour, Xavier put the kids through their paces. Some of the players really rose to the occasion and showcased skills and lots of heart. He was impressed. When he looked toward the bleachers, his heart leaped at the sight of True. She was sitting there watching all the action unfolding. She waved at him, causing a funny feeling to lodge in his chest. He walked over while the kids finished up practice by running laps.
“Hey there. How’s it going?” he asked, stopping a few feet from the bleachers.
“Hey, Xavier. I hope you don’t mind me watching the practice.”
He jammed his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. “Of course I don’t mind. I appreciate the support.”
“How are things going?” she asked, holding out a packet of M&M’s to him. “Everything seems to be running smoothly from up here.”
He took the packet and shook a few into his hand before giving them back to her. His fingers brushed against hers in the process, giving him a rush of awareness. “Good, I think.So far the kids are responsive and energetic. I’ve got a good feeling about this group. From what I can see, they’re great kids. I’m happy to be mentoring them.”
She popped a handful of candy in her mouth, crunching and swallowing before she spoke. “I know all of them, and they’re pretty sweet. Thanks again for helping out. I know they’re over-the-moon happy about being coached by the Storm. Trust me, your being here is big news in Moose Falls.”
There it was again, that strange feeling in his gut when someone called him the Storm. Was he really still that dude? Or was that yet another thing he needed to let go of? But, if he wanted to make a comeback as a football announcer, he needed to embrace that persona.
“I should get back over there,” Xavier said, darting a glance in the direction of his new players. They were still running laps. A smile tugged at his lips at the sight of a few of them laboring to make the last go-round. He imagined they would all sleep well tonight out of pure fatigue.
“Hey, I promised Jaylen pizza after practice. Care to join us?” True asked. “There’s a place here in town called Last Frontier Pizza.” She brought her fingers to her mouth, kissed them, then raised them in the air. “Best pizza you’ll ever have.”
“Are you asking me on a date?” His voice had a teasing quality, but he wasn’t totally kidding. He wanted to spend more time with True, whether it was over pizza or at an ice rink or at Northern Exposure.
True quirked her mouth. “Yeah, I don’t usually bring my little brother on dates, but we can call it that if you like.” She made a funny face.
Xavier chuckled. Jaylen was a cool kid, and so far, they were getting along really well. Although Xavier wanted tospend one-on-one time with True, he didn’t mind her little brother being there. If their relationship continued to blossom, he knew that aspect would be important to True.
“I would love to join the two of you,” he said. “I’ve been hearing a lot about reindeer pizza, and I can’t wait to try some.”
