Page 58 of Hometown Halftime

I huff out a quiet laugh.

“In Cedar Falls? Half the town would show up just to watch.”

“Exactly,” he says, snapping his fingers. “Which is why you don’t take her anywhere in Cedar Falls. Take her to Roanoke.”

He’s right. Roanoke means people that don’t know us. Streets where nobody’s watching to see if the assistant coach and head coach are walking too close together.

Lee notices the shift in my expression.

“There it is,” he says with a satisfied nod.

“What?”

“That look.”

I shake my head.

“What look?”

“The one that says you’ve already decided you’re doing it.”

I lie back on the bench, staring up at the ceiling again while the idea rolls around in my head. Dinner with Kinsey somewhere outside Cedar Falls, spending the evening seeing if this thing between us is something worth pursuing. The thought makes me nervous, but in a good way.

Lee claps a hand against my shoulder, pulling me back to the moment.

“Look,” he says, stepping back toward the barbell. “Worst-case scenario, she says no, and you move on with your life. Best-case scenario, you take the woman you clearly like out for dinner and see where it goes.”

He gestures toward the bar.

“Are you lifting again or just thinking about it?”

I slide my hands onto the bar and push it off the rack.

As the weight settles into my grip, the decision clicks into place with clarity.

If last Saturday meant anything, and I’m pretty sure it did, I don’t want to spend the rest of the season pretending I don’t want more. I lower the bar toward my chest, then press it back up.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m going to ask her.”

Chapter twenty-six

Kinsey

The first time a brand-new team lines up across from an opponent, there’s always a moment of quiet tension.

Even though the entire town has shown up to support the girls in their first scrimmage, when you’re out on the field, everything else fades away. You can hear the players around you breathe; you can feel the surrounding air become charged, and I’m pretty sure the girls out there can hear their heartbeats in their ears.

It’s the moment when a group of individuals who have spent weeks practicing together becomes a team.

I stand on the sidelines with my arms folded across my chest, watching our players take their positions. The sun is high over the field. It’s warm for October, and I can smell the dirt and grass. Memories of being out on the field myself flood my mind. I know the girls are a dangerous mixture of nerves, excitement, and pride right now. I just hope they channel it into a solid showing.

At the front of the bleachers, Knox leans against the railing with his arms folded, like he’s scouting the Pro Football League combine. Brynn stands beside him, waving enthusiastically the moment she spots me. Right behind them, there’s Cam and Kate, with Luke in her lap, sitting shoulder to shoulder while Evie swings her legs beside Cam, clutching a bag of popcorn like she’s watching a movie. Lee and Darren are a few rows up, showing up for Riley.

I didn’t tell them to come, but that’s why I love my friends. They show up and support me, no matter what. They’re the people I can count on day in and day out. I smile as I hear Evie scream, “Go Wildcats!” at the top of her lungs when the ref blows the whistle.

If this whole experiment crashes and burns, at least they’ll all be here to console me afterwards.

“You look like you’re about to start a war.” Riley’s amused voice comes from beside me.