Page 142 of Lucky Shot

“Hardy did it. I helped, but this was all Hardy.”

I nod and wipe away more tears.

“The kids are ecstatic. They came back for the first time yesterday to see it all and it was nonstop chatter and giggles. It’s like they’ve never had anything new and so they want to keep it this way. The new coaches are the same way.”

“New coaches?” What the hell . . .

“Yes, we picked up a few volunteers to help with the onslaught of new players. All very reputable. Ones that intimidate me with their credentials.”

“Know your worth, Martin. You could run this place with your eyes closed.” New coaches? Whew. “But we can’t afford—”

“You don’t have to. Hardy gave them season tickets to the Mayhem games next year as a salary. They give their time and in turn get to watch professional soccer.”

My head spins.

He did all this.

He did all this and spared nothing.

The old me, who didn’t know him, would question if this was a publicity stunt. A way to cement his reputation as a do-gooder. The new me, the one who knows him knows differently, knows this is who he is. A good man with a big heart.

“I’m overwhelmed, Martin.” I turn and link my arm through his. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Hardy.”

“I will when he gets here.”

“His month was over while you were in the hospital, but he’s still here most days. You’ll probably see him later.”

His month was over . . .

I don’t know why those four words hit me so damn hard, but they do.

Because they’re a precursor to what I know is coming. Him leaving. Him going back home. Me being left once again.

I’ve one hundred percent completely fallen head over heels for you.

My stomach twists, and the tears that well in my eyes this time aren’t from the academy’s overhaul. They’re from feeling so damn unsettled.

But I don’t have time to think about any of this at all because laughter rings out at our backs.

“You’re about to see how absolutely crazy the kids are when they get here. Excitement is off the charts. And the sheer number of kids we have is insane.”

I turn just in time to get caught up in a swarm of hugs and love. In a torrent of laughter and being told how much I’ve been missed. In a tornado of chatter about how cool the academy looks now.

Yet when I keep looking in the parking lot, the one person I’m expecting to see isn’t there.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Hardy

I watch her from afar.

I look for any wince or deep breath due to pain, but I don’t catch one.

Instead I see pure, unfiltered happiness as she interacts with the kids. High fives, fist bumps, and carefree grins. She radiates joy.

I’ve given her everything she’s ever wanted here. Would she be willing to try that somewhere else too? To open herself to wanting the more she has never allowed herself? To allow me to give that to her?